He marched through the corridors with trepidation in his heart. There was an impatience about his demeanor and it was hardly unnoticeable.

Something about the grandeur of his surroundings made him nervous.

" Calm down." he chided himself.

" The Princess will see you now."

He walked in almost like a robot.

" Princess." he bowed down.

" What is it that you have to tell me ?"  she asked. Her eyes, the darkest pair he had ever seen, pierced into him.

" P..Princess, I..I have a lead on the location of the fugitives."

She leaned forward. Her eyebrows twitched slightly in surprise.

" They were in Jack Frost's Inn during the attack."

" What makes you think so ?" she asked.

" A relative of mine from the nearby area visited me, recently. He had heard some local gossip. A party of three was staying at the  inn. They were quite odd , them. Looked like royalty, had a lot of money on them too, but were worn out from travel; one of them barely conscious too. There was an attack, the next day. One of their waiters even lost his sanity permanently and a waitress, who was Jack's adopted daughter, disappeared.  No one knows exactly what happened, but they say that in the midst of the mayhem, the three ran away with their allies, three ladies posing as entertainers."

Her calculating gaze inspected him silently. " Very well. Have you spoken to anyone of this ?" she asked.

" No, not at all !" he said immediately.

Why would he tell anyone? The snobbish captain would have taken all the credit for himself, while he would get nothing. But now that he had told the Princess, he would be rewarded. Perhaps, she would recommend his name for a promotion.

" So am I the only one you have told this to ? Have you not confided in family or friends ?"

" Not a soul, Princess ! My word."

She sighed.

" You have done well, soldier. Do you believe that we all have a bigger purpose in life?" 

"Of course I do, Princess." he replied.

" So we must eradicate any obstacle in our path to achieve it, don't you agree?"  she said.

His hands started shaking nervously.

" I..I ..don't quite understand what you ..."

She grabbed hold of him all of a sudden, and leaned forward. Her soft lips gently touched his cheek.

A dark dagger pierced into him, twisting the life out of him, stealthily.

He gasped and she let go.

"Sweet dreams, soldier."

******
Hazel knelt down by the stream, picking up water to drink. As she finished and looked up, she saw Amber staring at her.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"It's nothing." Amber said.

" Well then, Amber, I think we should get going."  Hazel said, "Maybe it's time we said goodbye."

"And a good bye it will be." Ced smiled, evidently happy at the thought of getting rid of Amber.

"Are you ready, Hazel ?" Cindy asked.

" Yes, I think so. It doesn't matter even if I am not, we mustn't delay further."

" Great." said Ced, almost eagerly.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I've always managed on my own, I don't see why this time should be any different." said Amber.

" Are you okay , Amber ?" Hazel asked.

" I am!" she said , throwing her hands up in the air.

" You did not expect us to take you with us, did you ?" Ced asked .

" Not at all ! I deserted what had been my home for two years, for nothing. Why would I expect any help in return!" Amber said.

" Well, you know what they say. Nobody is ever kind for no reason. Certainly not a faerie. " Ced sighed.

" We owe you our lives, Amber. We are eternally grateful to you." Cindy said.

" Exactly." Amber's eyes bore into Cindy's, " You owe me your lives."

"I never put you down for being manipulative. Not after all the days we've spent together." Cindy said.

"Oh really? That's not very believable." Ced scoffed.

"I really thought that you had all come to think of me as friends and would take me with you, of your own accord." Amber said.

"You don't realise the nature of our mission." Cindy argued.

"I think I have a clue. I am not as naive as you think." Amber replied.

"Believe me, none of us think you're naive at all. You have proven to be quite the schemer." Ced said. Hazel glanced at him disapprovingly.

"I am well equipped to tackle danger. I spent most of my life in the woods. I can help you, Cindy." Amber said.

Cindy sighed. "You leave me with no choice."

"But..." Ced began.

"We will not speak of this, anymore. It won't be the worst thing if Amber accompanied us, with all the bad luck we've been having on this quest."

"I beg to differ." Ced mumbled.

****

All round a hedge upshoots, and shows
At distance like a little wood;
Thorns, ivies, woodbine, mistletoes,
And grapes with bunches red as blood;
All creeping plants, a wall of green
Close-matted, bur and brake and briar,
And glimpsing over these, just seen,
High up, the topmost palace-spire .

                                      - The Daydream

                           By Alfred Lord Tennyson

*********

Beyond the hedge, lay sights hidden. Behind the wall of wilderness was a darker world. Brambles and thorns greeted intruders. The sight of blood red grapes on the fence played symphonies of poisonous lust in her mouth.

The castle's walls were velvety with moss and cracked in places where the ivies intruded.

" Here it is." Cindy stated, "The Castle of the Sleeping Folk."

"When will the hundred summers die,
And thought and time be born again,
And newer knowledge, drawing nigh,
Bring truth that sways the soul of men?
Here all things in there place remain,
As all were order'd, ages since.
Come, Care and Pleasure, Hope and Pain,
And bring the fated fairy Prince." Ced recited softly.

" What was that ?"  Amber asked.

" The Daydream  by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It describes the sights that the Prince saw when he came to wake the Sleeping Beauty. I read it this year. Gran Luella made me."  Hazel said.

"You recognise it." Ced said, looking pleased with her.

" Are you all ready ?" Cindy asked, her voice quivering with a nervous excitement.

" Yes." they replied.

"You never told me if you succeeded in what you sought to accomplish." Ced asked Hazel, "That is, moving things from your path, if I remember correctly."

She smirked. " What is the rush?"

"Why, are you afraid of failure?" Ced said.

"Not at all."

"I understand, Hazel. You can't always succeed."

" That's not true, but whatever keeps your boat floating." she shrugged.

"Learn to accept defeat, Miss Smith. Don't be a proud fool." Ced smirked.

He walked ahead, trying to kick a stone in his path, but he slipped and fell on his back.

"Ouch." he shouted.

"Ha! Walk much, nincompoop?" Amber said, letting out a laugh.

Hazel offered her hand to Ced.

"I know you did this." he sneered.

Hazel smiled at him.  "You must learn to take a fall gracefully, Ced. Don't be a proud fool."

*****

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Got it Ced ?