Anna heard his voice go weak. Why did he suddenly look so fragile?  "Fredrick!" she screamed his name. She shook him, but he did not move.  She succumbed to the tears threatening to fall as all her emotions got the better of her. She was glad the prince loved her, but she was scared and angry that he should pass out before her. Why?

      "Fredrick, wake up!" she yelled.  The young man before her did not move. He did not so much as wink. She knew something was wrong. She set a pillow under his head and a rolled-up blanket under his feet.  She was about to go for help when two objects fell out of his royal attire.

     A small box that was a velvet red color was how she identified it. The other was a small vial.  The vial made her face fall. How had he gotten ahold of such a thing? Why did he carry it with him? It read "forget."

     She was stunned. Had he taken its contents?  Would she have him awaken only to have him forget her? She could not handle such a thing. Not when he had only confessed his love for her for she had heard it with her ears and confessed her love for him as well.

     Anna put on a cloak, grabbed her dagger, and hid it under her clothes. She could risk someone taking it from her. She headed out the door to find someone to help. She shook from the cold chill that seemed to overcome the outside world.  Was it her or did a sudden frost and snowstorm come upon them? She hated the vial with all her heart. She had to find someone who knew how she could reverse the effects of it if indeed she needed to do such a thing.

       As she went out to seek help, Frederick woke up. He gasped. What was that strange, metallic smell in the air that seemed to envelop him? He placed the box inside his jacket, realizing that something was missing. When he tried to stand up, he realized that he was stuck. Now he had no way of knowing if Anna was in danger.

    The prince covered his mouth with a small cloth he found. It was Anna's handkerchief that she had dropped in her hast. He used it to try to keep from inhaling the mystery substance that was in the room.

     He heard a cackling noise.  "Well, well, now what do we have here?" he heard a voice say. He closed his eyes pretending to be asleep. He did not want whoever the strange visitor was to know otherwise.

        Anna searched and searched, but came up empty-handed. She approached the place where Fredrick was and shook her head.  It could not be. There was no way she had followed them. Yet, plain as day she saw someone standing in the doorway who was not supposed to be there. She sneaked up behind the woman and slammed her fist into her head. The lady fell over groaning as she did.  Anna slit the thief's thoart before she could escape. She cleaned the weapon returning it to its sheath. She cautiously entered the place, throwing a few clovers she had gathered into the air. The odor was dispelled for now. She had no idea who had done such a thing.  

     She knelt before Frederick, placing a hand on his thigh. He stirred, and she knew then that he had regained consciousness at some point. What she did not know was what had caused him to pass out. He had been about to say something. Did it have anything to do with the velvet box she had seen earlier?

         "Fredrick, you are alive," She whispered.  He turned to see who had spoken, grinning when he saw it was his princess. 

  Find out more in Chapter 10

 Until then,

bye-bye,

little owlets!
Summer out!