A World of Another Kind

Chapter 3 The Queen

     Kaylee and I exchanged uncertain glances, then we decided to accept because we had no other place to go right now besides Rumpelstiltskin's fortress which we did not want to go back to. I marveled at the thought of staying at a castle. It sounded wonderful, and I could not wait to see it.

     Soon, mountains came into view, and far out into the distance, we saw an enormous castle that looked remarkable because of its unusual appearance. It was incredibly unique since it looked sort of futuristic; for it had a tall, spiked, dome structure and looked like it was built with steel. With the sun reflecting on it, it appeared to be a bright, silvery-grey color. I kept wondering how it had been possible for a castle this complex in architecture to have been built unless if it had been created with magic.

     "Is that where you live?" I asked, admiring the castle as we were heading toward it.

     "Indeed, it is," Regina responded proudly. "You will love it there, and you can even live like princesses."

     "You are very kind," I gratefully replied. "Anyway, why are you doing all of this for us? We are just poor strangers who have nothing to offer."

     "Well, you can return a favor for me another time," the queen responded with a grin. "Just enjoy yourselves, and besides, I would really enjoy the company."

     We nodded with appreciation, and once we were back to awkward silence, a subject to bring up came to my mind. "I have a question," I began. "Is there any way you can help us find a way to get us back to our world, besides a bean, if you know about magic?"

     "I thought you would ask me," Regina replied. "Yes, I do know about magic; I even possess it. It is possible to create a portal, but it would take a great deal of magic. But luckily, I know how to create one."

     "Really?" Kaylee and I exclaimed at the same time with delight.

     "Now don't get too excited yet, Dears," said Regina. "The magical ingredient needed to help enact the portal is not in my possession, but don't despair because you are still in luck. I know someone who does possess it... Rumpelstiltskin."

     Kaylee and I exchanged hopeful glances, yet we dreaded the idea of returning back to his fortress. "What is this magical ingredient?" I asked the queen.

     "This object is a dark-red substance, a very powerful potion that is capable of making Transportation Spells possible. It is called the Brew of Frozen Blood, and you shall see that name labeled on the bottle. You will most likely find it hidden in Rumpelstiltskin's potion cabinet."

     "This potion sounds like an odd ingredient for a Transportation Spell," Kaylee remarked.

     "Is it like actual blood?" I asked.

     "Yes, it is the very blood from the yaoguai, which is known for its rare, magical properties," Regina replied. "It's truly remarkable and can do so many wonders."

     "What's the yaoguai?" I curiously asked.

     "The yaoguai is a rare beast that is a hybrid similar to that of a bear and a wolf. These creatures are extremely rare now since they have been endangered from being hunted for their blood. And for the last ten years, none have been seen here."

     "Wow, I wish I could see one," I said with fascination. "And wouldn't that be something if dragons existed too!"

     "Oh, dragons do exist," replied Regina. "I have actually been lucky to see one myself."

     "Really?" Kaylee responded with a gasp. "I can't believe dragons actually exist! So cool!"

     "I definitely want to see one!" I exclaimed. "I'm sure we are going to see a lot of unusual things here," I added, turning to Kaylee. "Afterall, we are in a strange land, like a fantasy realm. Our world is so boring compared."

     Regina chuckled at my last remark. "It looks like you are going to have a marvelous experience here."

     "Anyway," I continued our former subject, "since we have to go steal the Brew of Frozen Blood from Rumpelstiltskin, could you provide us anything to help us defend ourselves?"

     "Certainly," the queen replied. "I have the perfect weapon in mind, squid ink. It's a magical substance that can temporarily immobilize the Dark One. Luckily, I possess a bottle, and now it can finally be put to use." Regina looked thrilled, and she appeared to have a grin of satisfaction.

     I was very relieved and felt confident. This was our only hope to go home right away, and I did not want to miss out on the opportunity. "We're in," I said, nodding. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

     "Of course, my Dears," Regina replied, grinning. "Now before you begin this mission, I would like you to join me for tea. We are here now."

     We arrived at the queen's castle, and it looked even more astounding up close. We stepped out of the carriage after we entered the royal grounds. There were black-armored men everywhere who I guessed to be guards. For some reason, I started to feel uncomfortable, and I didn't even know why. But because I thought I was overreacting, I turned away that feeling.

     The courtyard we headed into had a garden with lots of red apple trees, and all the apples were so large, flawless, and the color of blood. She must love her apples, I thought to myself. Reminds me of the Evil Queen from the movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We entered the castle, and the inside of it was so colossal and dark, but there were massive windows that brought in a little light. The floor appeared to be marble, and in the hallway, there were lit torches. "I will show you to your room," said the queen. "This way."

     Our room astonished us because it was the largest and grandest room we had ever seen. Unlike the rest of the castle, this room was not dark and gloomy; instead, it was vibrant in color and well lit up from the large windows with lavish, velvet curtains that were drawn. The walls were a pretty, white color with gold, decorative designs all over them; and the architecture of the ceiling was incredible. In the center of it hung an elegant, silver chandelier that sparkled from the sun reflecting on it. A grand fireplace stood in the corner of the room next to a luxurious king-sized bed. It was certainly a large contrast to the bedroom we had at Rumpelstiltskin's fortress. Kaylee and I admired the captivating room as Regina stood at the door, looking pleased.

     "How do you like your room?" asked the queen.

     "It's amazing!" I replied. "You are very kind, but it's too much."

     "Nonsense, you are my royal guests," the queen replied. "I'm glad you like it. Now I'll leave you two to get ready for teatime, but those rags certainly won't do." Suddenly, dresses appeared onto us. "There, that ought to do. You look lovely, just like little princesses."

     I was still trying to get used to all of this magic because I had always believed magic to be unreal. I was now wearing a pretty, light-blue dress, and Kaylee wore the same kind except it was yellow. Regina informed us to meet her in the garden for tea then left. Kaylee and I immediately joined her there where she sat by a grand fountain. As Kaylee and I munched on crumpets, Regina set a tiny bottle onto the tea table. "Here you go, the squid ink," she said. "Now all you would have to do is spray its contents onto Rumpelstiltskin once you are close enough to him. You only get one chance to do it right,"

     "Gotcha," I replied. "I guess we might as well leave later today because the sooner the better, and we can get it over with. I'm ready."

     "Now that's the spirit," Regina said with pleasure.