A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Alastor's face was still painted with his usual smile of mischief and giddiness, but inside he felt a very deep melancholy. Only one day had passed since Charlotte had left and he already missed her so. Her handkerchief, he had spent hours caressing it in his hands, inhaling the sweet apple blossom scent of the maiden which the material had absorbed from her skin. The memory of her innocent beauty, her harmonious voice, her tender heart, it all taunted him. How he wished that he could see her now.

"Alastor supper is ready." Millie called with a chipper tone.

"Thank you Millie but I'm not hungry."

"Not hungry for venison stew?" She asked surprised. "Oh Heavens, you're ill! Moxxie get the leeches!"

"No Millie, I can assure you that I am in perfect health."

"Still something must be wrong if you're turning down your favorite dish. What's eating you?"

"Nothing. I'm just not particularly hungry at the moment."

"He's lying." Blitzo said. "He's upset because his little girlfriend moved away."

Alastor immediately stepped on Blitzo's foot hard.

"Owww! What the hell was that for?!"

"Whoopsie." Alastor said with a smile of fake innocence. "My bad."

"Oh so that's it. You miss your friend Charlotte." Millie said. "Oh Sweetie that's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"If you miss her so much, why don't you go visit her tomorrow?" Moxxie suggested.

"No good. She's moved into the castle." Alastor said.

"The castle?" Blitzo said. "But she's just a peasant girl, how could she end up living there?"

"Her father has work there." Alastor half truthed. "Over the years he's been fighting in the crusades and now that the war has ended, she'll be living with him from now on."

"Lucky broad." Blitzo said. "I wonder if she'll be attending that ball tonight."

"Ball? What ball?"

"The one the queen is holding to celebrate the king's return. I heard about it from two locals I was pick-pocketing. It's supposed to be a huge, extravagant event, plenty of royals and nobles have been invited."

"Can't say I'm surprised." Moxxie said. "I never met the king of this land but from what I've heard he's very beloved."

"So is his daughter." Millie added. "Or so I've heard. Poor thing though, she lost her mother the day she was born and she was still awfully young when the king left. She had to grow up without either one of her parents."

"How old is she now?"

"She'd most likely be a young woman in her late teens or early twenties."

"Then I have a good idea on what's going to take place at this ball." Blitzo snickered.

"What do you mean?" Alastor asked.

"Well isn't obvious? A king's daughter, one of marriageable age, attends a ball in which nobility and royalty is invited? She's properly getting set up for a fixed marriage."

Alastor almost choked."

"Ma-Marriage?" He stuttered. "She's getting married?"

"Not tonight stupid, but very soon if I know royal marriages."

"And how exactly do you know about royal marriages?" Moxxie asked.