A visitor, wearing a long, flowing veil, approached the castle.  She knocked twice on the door before she received an answer. 

    "Yes, who are you, and how may I assist you?"

    "I am Alya Cesaire, and I came to see the queen of this fine establishment."

   "Too bad she can't see you now."

   "It is of the utmost importance I have come."

    "Well, she is in a mysterious coma, and I do not know what to do about it."

     "My father is ever so worried about her."

   "Oh, dear, it is worse than I thought," Alya gasped as she spoke.

    Alya pushed past the child despite her protest, entered the room where  Queen Marinette Snow White lay, and saw the young man at her bedside.

     Ah, yes, this must be the prince.

     She touched him and noticed he had fallen asleep.

   She tapped his side.

    Upon further inspection, she discovered he had turned to gold. 

    The young queen was still unconscious and was in bad shape.

    She feared she was too late to help the queen and prince.

      She pulled out a small bag, removed some water, poured it into a cup, and stirred in red, green, and orange flakes.

      She added the same mixture to Marinette's chest, sides, feet, and forehead.

       Soon, the queen's color began to return.  

    She added some mixture to Adrien and saw the color return to him, except for his neck, which remained solid gold.

   She sighed a breath of relief because she had slowed down the process. 

 She frowned.  

   The queen denied she loved the prince, and the prince tried to keep his feelings at bay. 

    It was a sad love story.

    "Tsk, tsk, arise queen!  Arise, prince!"

   She shouted at them, but neither of them moved.

  Again, she shouted, "Arise queen, and arise prince!"

      The royals remained still as statutes.

      Kali entered the room to see who made the noise and cried.

    "Princess Kali, do calm down, child."

     " It is something only us adults understand."

      "They are on the mend and should be up and moving around again soon."

     "Are you sure?" The child asked, uncertain if the stranger was trustworthy.

 "Yes, I am sure, young one, do not fret now."

       Alya hugged the young princess, exited the palace, and went through the gates as quickly as she had come.   She had not seen the man in green staring at her.

       She sighed.   She could not tell her that her father almost died or that the prince and queen might still die.

       She returned to the direction she had come with the man in green right behind her.

       She sensed his presence but did not turn around.

Author's note:

 Who is the man in green?

Find out next time in Chapter 31:  Green Man

  Til then,

bye-bye, little owlets!

Summer out!