Page 35 of The Broken Mirror
“We got a message from Zera, she said she found Colette, we thought you would know where they are,” says Jack. “Zera was asking for help. It sounded desperate.”
Rosie looks troubled. “Aunt Zera found my mom? But I haven’t heard anything.”
“You don’t know where they are?” asks Filomena.
Rosie shakes her head. “Not a clue. But before Zera left to look for her, she did tell me something important.” Rosie took a deep breath before speaking again. “She said she wanted to be honest with me, to be realistic about the stakes she and I are up against. She said it might possibly be the last time I’d see her—you never know what might happen these days in Never After—and she needed me to pass on a message. I think she probably wanted me to give it to you.”
Everyone is silent at the table, all eating paused. Filomena holds her breath.
“So she told me the ogres want total control of Never After. And they aren’t far from getting it. I’m sure you know that the ogres can’t take over completely as long as the fairies are alive.” Everyone nods. “Well, the fairies worried that if they were all hunted down, it would leave Never After too vulnerable. So Zera told me they put in a safeguard.”
“A safeguard?” Alistair repeats.
“Yes, so even if they are all killed—fairies forbid—there will still be hope for Never After. The safeguard is a collective spell they cemented. It’s very powerful. Zera said that as long as the three major kingdoms of Westphalia, Eastphalia, and Northphalia have rightful rulers, then Never After can stand. Even without the fairies.”
Another silence falls over the table. It’s good news, sortof, but of the heaviest kind. Filomena once again feels the weight of the worlds descend onto their shoulders.
“But how do the rightful rulers get on the thrones?” Gretel asks.
Filomena puts the puzzle pieces together. “Rosie,” she says, “do you know about the Prophecy? Well, it just got updated. I’m not sure how, but I think it has to do with Carabosse’s magic. She’s so powerful, she can prophesize even after death, I suppose. And the Prophecy now says that to keep Never After and the fairies’ gifts out of the ogres’ hands,only the League of Seven can save the lands.”
“That’s another reason why we’re here, actually,” says Gretel. “We thinkyoumight be the League of Seven.”
“Me?” Rosie asks. “Me alone?”
“No, not you, actually.Them,” Gretel says, and motions to the giants.
The giants all freeze midbite, looking up from their curry. Then they start laughing hysterically, as does Rosie. Filomena is confused. But she’s glad for the change of mood.
“You thought—” Rosie starts, gasping for air between fits of laughter. “You thought—HA! You thought these giants might be the heroes to save Never After from the ogres?”
Cap guffaws. “Us! Heroes!”
“Can you imagine?” Joyful chuckles.
“I don’t think it’s such a crazy idea!” Filomena backs Gretel up. “You’re huge! And you’re the border patrol, after all. You do wonders with those icicles.”
“Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to tell you guys,” Rosie says, looking at the giants, “you really shouldn’t use weapons that melt. One gust of an Ogre’s Wrath and you’re weaponless!”
Cap nods and then speaks directly to Filomena: “We may be large, but we’re gentle. We don’t attack unless it’s to defend. It’s part of our nature. I’m sorry to say we aren’t the seven you’re looking for.”
“All right, so if you’re not the League of Seven,” Jack says, “then who is?”
The table ceases laughing and ponders this for a moment.
“I can’t say I have the faintest idea,” Rosie says, “but I’ll be more than glad to join you and help you find out.”
CHAPTERSEVENTEENHORTENSE’SMARRIAGEBLUES
Miles and miles away from the quaint cottages of Snow Country, Hortense sits in her palace bedroom. She and Charlie have returned from their honeymoon and are back in Eastphalia, but things have not gone exactly as she expected.
Having grown up at Rosewood Manor in Eastphalia, Hortense is glad she didn’t have to move far once she married Prince Charlie. However, his castle is a far cry from herbeautiful country estate with its horses and gardens and two-story house.
The castle really is a palace, and all the grandeur of princessdom comes with it. She imagines that people who know her probably think she’s living a fairy tale now. But in reality she’s trapped in a nightmare.
It was horrible, how it all happened. First of all: Though she loves adventure, it wasn’t like her and Charlie’s honeymoon to the Deep was exactly relaxing. They had to pass all the dragons’ tests in order to get the Dragon’s Tooth swords, and the dragons weren’t exactly pleased by their visit.
Hortense giggles to herself, remembering how the dragons reacted when she and Charlie showed up.
