Chapter 8 - Water Foul


Maria ducked out of sight behind a low stone wall as Humphrey made his way back to the castle. To her horror, he stopped just above her and leaned against the wall, looking out over the pond bathed in moonlight.

"I'm doing this for you, Maria," he said as he hurled something out toward the pond. It hit the water with a soft plop and sank. Heart hammering, Maria pressed harder against the wall, certain he didn't know she was there. With a sigh, Humphrey rested his forearms against the wall, his fingers dangling just above her head.

After what felt like an eternity, Humphrey moved away and headed back into the castle. Maria pulled away from the wall and headed toward the stables. She had to tell someone her secret before they started on their journey—she needed an ally. Part of her wanted to tell Sarah, the closest friend she had, but she already felt guilty enough for lying this long. Somehow, the thought of coming clean felt worse than continuing the lie.

Telling Sarah's brother, though, made sense. He knew the most about magic, and he might know why her curse would come and go. Besides, knowing all of the facts might help him figure out why she couldn't say yes to Humphrey—maybe they wouldn't even have to leave at all. Butterflies tumbled in her stomach, betraying her uncertainty about visiting a young man she wasn't betrothed to.

Taking a deep steadying breath, she raised a fist to knock on the stable door and gave a gasp of surprise. No fist, but feathers.

When did I change? Maria glanced behind her, as if she'd see a shimmer of magic or a place in the ground where her tread turned from footprints to webbed prints. On such a dry night not a trace could be found.

With an indignant huff, Maria dropped down to the ground, tucking her feet under her and tapping her beak with her wingtip. She could head into the stable as planned, but would it do any good to go to him now and claim she hadn't turned into a swan in years?

The glimmering pond caught her attention. A little flurry of excitement swirled in her stomach. It'd been ages since she'd been for a midnight swim.

Resolving to have a conversation with Daniel first thing in the morning, Maria flew off to the pond. As her feet touched down on the cool water, a shiver ran through her body. Oh, the luxury of a pond! Maria kicked her webbed feet and soared around the length of the pool. As she rounded for another lap, something twinkled in the moonlight beneath her. Through the clear water, Maria could make out something resting at the bottom of the shallow end of the pond.

Was this what Humphrey threw? Glancing swiftly around to ensure she was alone, Maria sucked in a breath and plunged face first into the water, her feathered rear end poking up above the surface. Stretching her neck as far as it would go, she strained for the little glimmering thing, the water just murky enough to obscure it.

She clamped her beak around it, surprised to find it flat and hard. As she pulled her head back, water flooded her mouth and nose, causing her to choke. Something heavy wrapped around Maria's legs, dragging her down into the water. Panic swelled as she fought to reach the top, swinging her arms in wild motions.

Arms?

Her face broke the surface, and she pulled the object from her mouth to expel a mouthful of water and suck in a shuddering gasp of air. Hair wrapped around her face, obscuring her vision, and she tried to give a shout for help as she was pulled under again. She'd started in the shallower end of the pond but had somehow been dragged further north into the deep waters. Her robe weighed heavy on her, tangling up in her legs and erasing any hope of treading water. Maria tugged at the ties even as her lungs burned for lack of oxygen.

Dark shadows pricked the edges of her vision, and everything turned hazy. Just as Maria felt her will to fight slipping away, a loud splashing noise awakened her sense of survival. Arms wrapped around her, pushing off of the muddy ground and sending them both skyward. Lungs aching and head spinning, Maria fought to hold her breath just a few seconds longer.

Almost.

Almost.

Cold air stung her face as she broke the surface, her rescuer still holding her tight and dragging her backward to the shore. Part of her still whirring brain urged Maria to help, kick her feet or something, to expedite the process, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

With little to no tenderness, her savior heaved her onto the grassy edge and collapsed beside her. Maria stared up at the starry night sky, still trying to understand what had just happened, all the while relishing the taste of the clean night air—even if it did cause her to cough and her lungs to burn as it repaired her addled brain.

"What...the...hells were you thinking?" she heard her savior ask, his voice full of frustration. "Why did you jump into the water in your nightclothes? Are you mad? Do you have a death wish?"

Still wheezing, Maria tried to find her voice, tried to explain what she'd been doing, but fatigue claimed her tongue. How long had she been in the water? It had felt like both a single second and an eternity. He leaned over her, a grimace etched into his lips. Maria blinked, trying to remember why she knew him.

"Maria? Can you hear me? Great, you're as cold as death. I need to get you out of here."

With little effort, he lifted her from the ground and carried her back toward the castle. To her surprise, he veered left, away from the stone palace, and headed toward the stables. Recognition clicked into place.

That's right. He's Daniel, the stableboy.

Daniel carried her through the stable door and stood her on her feet. "You need out of this robe."

She watched as he fumbled with the knot, tightened from its time in the water. The She was struck with an absurd urge to giggle, and as the chuckle escaped her lips, Daniel's face flamed red. Without saying a word, he disentangled the knot and peeled the soaking wet fabric from her icy skin. Still ignoring her gaze, he draped a blanket over her shoulders and secured it before settling her down against one of the sleeping horses—her sleeping horse, Verona. He woke the beast up and instructed her to lie down so Maria could rest against her.

The heat from Verona's body seeped through the blanket, reviving Maria's awareness. For the first time, she realized how cold she'd been, and shivers wracked her body. Daniel knelt before her, rubbing the blanket around her arms in an attempt to generate warmth. His jaw quivered with cold, and it dawned on her that, amidst his care for her wellbeing, he remained soaking wet.

"Y-you need a blanket," she said, sitting up straighter and peering around the stable.

"I'm fine."

"You are n-not!" She craned her neck in search of warmth for Daniel, but aside from what already draped the horses on such a late autumn evening, there didn't seem to be much else. Frustration rising, Maria turned back to Daniel. "Where do you live?"

Her question caught him off guard, and his eyebrows arched up toward his dripping sandy blond hair. "Here, Your Highness."

"Here. The stables?" When he nodded, she had to hold back a snort of angry disgust. "Well then, where's your bed? Your blanket? You must have one."

"I do, my lady."

"Then where is it?"

A smile pulled at the corner of Daniel's mouth. "You've got it."

A moment passed as Maria stared at Daniel, his words sinking in. Not only had he saved her from the depths of the pond, but he'd given her his own bedding to keep her warm while he sat shivering in front of her.

"Well then," she said, losing steam as she felt blood rush to her face. "Thank you." They sat in silence for several seconds more, holding each other's gaze.

"May I ask why you went into the pond in your nightclothes?"

A smirk tugged at Maria's lips. He'd calmed down and no longer felt the need to swear at her it would seem. "I didn't."

Daniel's eyes widened and his brows formed a hard line. "Did someone throw you in? Who? I'll get the guard right away and—"

"No, no. Nothing like that. I wasn't in my bedclothes when I went into the pond." The look on Daniel's face kept her talking, afraid he had the wrong impression. "I mean, I was a swan. I was taking a nighttime swim in my feathers, and I dove in to grab something on the bottom, but I changed back into myself."

"You changed back?" Daniel sat back on his heels, a quizzical expression settling on his face. "Why do you keep changing back?"

It was obvious he wasn't addressing her, and for the first time Maria realized she still held whatever it was Humphrey had thrown into the pond in her right hand. Daniel continued to mutter to himself as he moved away from her and started searching for something. Pulling her arm out from the blanket, Maria inspected what turned out to be a tiny silver-framed portrait.

Behind the waterlogged glass, a lovely young woman stared up at Maria with wide amber eyes. Her hair had fiery hues with darker lowlights, and while she had a sweet smile, something secret hid behind her twinkling gaze.

Who is she? And what was she to Humphrey that he would dispose of her portrait. What had he said just before? That he was doing it for me?

Maria opened her mouth and looked up, hoping to ask Daniel's opinion, but her words died on her tongue as she watched him. He'd removed his wet shirt and tousled his sandy hair. His fit physique and square shoulders were distraction enough, but it was what he was doing that kept her silent.

Daniel's eyes were closed and his mouth moved, uttering silent words. Each arm occupied itself with pointing and gesturing, as if Daniel mapped something out only he could see. His eyebrows scrunched low in concentration as his gesticulations gained steam, and he started to pace back and forth.

"But if she wasn't a swan, then the curse would be broken. She's a swan sometimes when she's supposed to be and sometimes when she's not. But why? What about a kiss would do this? And which kiss? The first kiss, or the second kiss?"

"We only kissed once," Maria reminded him, snapping him out of his reverie. Daniel jumped, eyelashes fluttering as he returned to the present.

"I'm sorry. I was just...just thinking."

"Yes, but Humphrey only kissed me once." She stood and pulled the blanket from her shoulders, handing it back to him. The portrait, cold against her skin, still rested in her right hand. Daniel accepted the blanket and draped it over one arm.

All at once, Maria considered what this would look like if an outsider entered the stable to check why there was a light burning within. There she stood in her nightgown with a young man in his breeches. Horror filled her and she ran for the door, scooping her wet robe up as she went.

"I've got to go. Thank you for saving me!"

"Wait, I'll walk you back. You shouldn't be alone at night." Daniel moved to join her, but she let out a soft shriek.

"NO! I mean, no. It wouldn't be appropriate. You're uh. . . and I'm. . . well. We can't be seen like this."

Daniel glanced down at his bare torso and his head snapped up, eyes wide. "Princess, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Maria snapped, peering out the stable door to make sure no one was around to see her. "You saved my life. And for heavens' sake, call me Maria. I do think you've earned the right after tonight. Goodnight, Daniel!"

Quick as she could, Maria sprinted into the cold night, suppressing another exclamation as the frigid air whipped about her. Even as she climbed the vines back to her tower, cursing herself for her foolishness the whole evening, a secret thrill fluttered through her chest.

Humphrey might have his secret portrait—something she'd get to the bottom of—but as she changed into a dry nightdress and climbed into bed, Maria couldn't help but relish the adorableness of Daniel, shirtless, trying to work out her curse for her.

Ooh, I'm sure #TeamDerric fans are thrilled, but who do you think is in the portrait? It's been a long night, and tomorrow will be even longer as the group sets out in search of the sorceress. Leave your comments below and click the star in the corner if you enjoyed this chapter!


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