The Labyrinth Sequel

Chapter 9

An hour later I have long since given up trying to do anything to my hair. My hands are still useless, and it is impossible to pick up a brush or even run my fingers through it. So I reserve myself to my bed until they hopefully get some feeling back in them.

It's probably around that time that the King returns with a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I call from the bed.

The door opens slightly and the King walks in with a tray of food in his hands. There are no Goblin's with him, surprisingly, and he struts straight to the bed and sits beside me, placing the tray of steaming food on my lap.

"What is this?" I ask, eyeing the green liquid in the bowl in my lap.

"It's soup, which tastes better than it look." He says, giving the disgusting soup a sour look.

"Oh, uh thanks, but you can just leave it on the table for now, I can't eat anything until my hands get back to normal." I say, holding my limp hands up and waving them back and forth him to see.

"Well, if that's all," He says lifting a spoonful to my mouth, "Then I shall have to feed you won't I?"

"No, no, that's okay! I can wait a bit to eat if I have to!" I insist.

"You have not eaten any real food for the last three days, I don't think you should wait any longer." He says, holding the spoon closer.

"But I-"

While my mouth is open in protest he forces the spoon in and dumps the hot liquid on my tongue. By time he manages to pull the spoon out I am choking and sputtering on the heat that is burning its way down my throat.

"That's hot!" I cry, trying to force his hand away.

"It wouldn't have been so hot if you had just let me feed you like a good girl," He says scooping up another spoonful, "Now hold still this time and maybe it won't hurt as much!"

He holds the spoon up and this time I hold open mouth for it. He smiles as he lays the spoon on my tongue and I take a gulp of the not-so-hot liquid. This time I find that the taste is actually rather pleasant, and is more like chicken noodle than the gross liquid it looks like.

He continues feeding me until the soup is all gone, and I sit back with a satisfied sigh.

"A shame that we don't have more soup..." The King sighs, placing the bowl on the nightstand beside the bed.

"Whatever..." I mumble.

"What would like us to do today, my princess? We cannot simply let you stay locked up in this room when there is so much to do around the castle." He says, putting a hand out as if to gesture to all the things to do.

"Thanks and all, but I think Toby and I should be getting home soon. The only reason I came here in the first place was to fix things, and now that everything is back to normal, I have to get him home." I explain, sliding to the other side of the bed to get out.

"There is no way that I am letting you or Toby go home in the state you are in. Your parents would not be able to understand why your hands are the way they are, and young Toby will certainly not be able to keep his mouth shut about what he has seen here. Something will need to be done about it all before you leave." He says.

"So you are going to erase our memories?"

"No, no, not yours dear, just young Toby's to keep him shooting off his mouth. You will both stay here until your hands are healed and then I will send you back at your own time, and no one will have missed you at all." 

"That doesn't seem fair to Toby." 

"It seems more fair the less you think about it," He says, "Now, why don't we start with a tour of the castle? You have seen the throne room, the Library, and my lovely stair cases, but I bet you are just dying to see the gardens."