Prince Humphrey's procession began a few hours after Sarah and the princess left the stables. Derric watched it from his place beside the horses, marveling at the rich outfits even the lowest servants wore. The King and Queen of Dellsby weren't visible in their carriage, but the son, riding behind on his white stallion, announced his presence with a dazzling white smile and gentlemanly wave. 

Prince Humphrey was what Derric expected him to be: majestic, handsome, and no doubt charming. He looked like Maria with his dark hair and skin, though nothing about him seemed soft, not even the way he held his horse's reigns. To the untrained eye he appeared confident and at-ease, but Derric could see his knuckles whiten as they gripped the leather straps.

He's nervous. Derric watched the prince's jaw clench and unclench. Then again, I'd be nervous too if I was meeting my fiancée for the first time.

The procession passed out of sight through the gates of the castle, and Derric returned to his work.

*

As night fell, Derric tended to the horses. Nights were cold as winter drew near, so Derric brought blankets out for each of the royal steeds. Thumper, one of the large workhorses, was the last to be draped for warmth. As was his custom, Derric draped Thumper, grabbed his own blanket, and lay down next to the animal to keep warm as he slept. The stables were cold most nights, even in the summer, and Thumper never seemed to mind Derric's company. He had raised him from a colt, and since Derric had no place to call home, Thumper's stable was as good a place as any to make his own.

Derric had been lying down for scarcely ten minutes when a loud clattering noise in the dark stable brought him leaping to his feet.

"Derric!" Sarah called, and more noise filled the stable as she let out a shriek of pain. She'd no doubt stumbled into the feeding buckets. "Derric, I need you!"

"What is it?"

"You have to come with me. Now," she ordered, locating and tugging at him.

"Why?"

"Maria needs you! Maria and Prince Humphrey."

"Me?" Derric froze, fear gripping him. "Why do they need me?"

"Something's happened. Something bad, but I don't know what it is. You will. It has to do with...with the curse," Sarah whispered, and Derric's anger spiked.

"No! No, I'm not helping with anything to do with my mother's magic."

"You have to! You know more than anyone else about curses and spells. You're the only one," she lowered her voice, almost inaudible, "who knows about magic left in Opea. You'll know how to fix this."

"But it's dark out," Derric argued. "Maria should be in her curse right now."

"No, she says it starts at midnight," Sarah said as she walked behind him and pushed with all her might to make him move. "You're coming. That's that."

"How am I supposed to help?"

"You'll see when you get there. They won't know who you are. I just told Maria you knew a lot about the history of spells, okay? This is a royal order!" She threw all of her weight against him.

"Fine." Derric stepped sideways, and Sarah fell forward, Derric catching her before she hit the ground and letting out a little chuckle.

"Ouch! Nice. Come on."

As they entered the castle, Derric's breathing constricted. He hadn't stepped foot in the building since a year after his mother disappeared. Like it had only been yesterday, Derric's memories rushed in, and he was nine years old again.

###

The spell had been cast a year before, and no one had been able to locate his mother. As a healer, his father had been brought to the castle, his wife at his side. The king and queen, aware of some connection between them, questioned Master Digson about the sorceress's whereabouts while the children sat outside and waited. From the moment his mother cast the curse, Derric lost all favor with his father. In a fit of insane desperation, Derric ran up to the tallest tower—to Maria's room—and burst inside.

Nine years old, Maria lay fast asleep on the bed in the middle of the day. No one ever knew the details of Maria's curse, and Derric was shocked to find she was under a sleeping spell. It wasn't Gilda's style of magic. The dark haired little girl didn't stir as he approached, but Derric knew she wouldn't. With bravery beyond himself—and a little relief he hadn't needed to slay any dragons—Derric fulfilled his pledge to end Maria's curse and win back his father's affection. Steeling himself, he did the grossest thing a nine-year-old boy could do.

He kissed her.

Nothing happened.

Mortified and embarrassed, Derric realized he was no knight, no prince, and no hero. Either his mother had added a royalty clause, or he just wasn't strong enough to break it. Dejected, Derric returned downstairs to where Sarah sat playing with jacks in the hall. As he slumped against the door to the throne room, he heard the most disturbing conversation of his young life.

"Perhaps if I saw the princess I could—" His father's voice.

"She's sleeping," the king replied.

"It's a sleeping curse?" Sarah's mother guessed.

"No, it's something that comes on her at night," the queen had said. "She's been given a sleeping draft, poor dear. She doesn't sleep a wink otherwise."

A momentary thrill filled him—he hadn't failed, he'd only misunderstood. Derric didn't realize then the importance of this conversation. It wasn't until he was older, lying in the stable late at night, when he realized what he might've done.

###

"Here we are. Okay. Stay calm—they don't know who you are." Sarah brought Derric back to the present as she stood on the uppermost stair of the tallest tower. Pushing open the door, she beckoned Derric through. As if in a dream, Derric stepped across the threshold into the place he'd sworn to never return.     

So Derric tried to break the spell? Hope that doesn't have any foreshadowed issues...especially since Prince Humphrey shows up in the next chapter (and you'll get to see life from Maria's POV).

Now it's your turn. Ever tried to fix something only to make it worse? Silliest story wins. Also, if you're enjoying this, don't forget to hit the awesome little star in the corner!

P.S. not all little boys think kissing is gross - check out those cuties at the top!