Enchanted Love

Chapter 3: Macosna

I stooped down to pick up the Lilac flower and put it in my bag before continuing down the path. Now all I needed was Juniper berries and one of those faery apples. I found the Juniper a few feet further down the trail, and made my way toward a grove of apple trees I knew about. I froze in my tracks as I saw a flash of painfully familiar oak wood hair between the trunks. Prince Rovaki walked onto my path and looked my way, regarding me with a sneer on his lips. I stayed still as he started toward me, as if he were a wild animal that would be provoked by movement. 

"Need more fruit to satisfy a craving?" he asked. Though the question was supposed to be a mockery, his voice sounded concerned. After all, humans typically developed an addiction after tasting Faery fruit. But that didn't explain why he would be worried.

"No craving," I told him cautiously, crossing my arms over my chest. "But I do need something from this grove. How about you? What are you passing through for? Heading somewhere?"

"What business is it of yours?" he asked, sounding more like himself.

"Just making conversation," I muttered as I tilted my head back to look toward tree tops. I had to find a tree with the brightest fruit. He paused for a moment before following me down the path.

"I'm...looking for advice on how to win the affections of a maiden, who has drawn my eye," he muttered shyly.

"Oh yeah? Lookin for a future queen?" I teased.

"Perhaps," he mumbled.

My mind sparked and an idea bloomed. "What would you say if I said I might be able to help you?" I asked, finding the tree I was looking for.

"Pardon?"

"Find a way to get me an apple from the top and I can get you a love potion," I said, pointing toward the crown branches.

He followed my finger before looking back at me with furrowed eyebrows. "You have a love potion? Where did you acquire it?"

"Well, not yet. But I just need an apple from the top of this tree before I can make one," I told him.

"Why this tree? And why the top?"

"This is the healthiest of the grove. And the ones at the top have the strongest glow from soaking up the most sunlight," I answered, looking at him with my hands on my hips. "If you can't do it, no problem, I can find someone else. But I will have to charge you for the potion, instead of performing a trade of service."

"Why don't you just take one off the ground?" he asked, kicking a rotten apple by the side of the path.

"I need a fresh one with a strong glow," I explained. "Monstrosities are made with the rotten ones."

He narrowed his eyes at me before looking back at the tree. "Why don't you get it?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes at my own answer, knowing the response that was already waiting in his throat. "There's not a clear branch path. My ankle's tricky and won't be able to carry me back down."

He scoffed, "You're serious? You attend classes in trees and you travel by branch. And you say you can't climb these trees?"

"Those heights are 10 to 15 feet off the ground, and the branches are all large, and close together. These trees are over 100 feet tall, and the branches are small, and farther apart. And unlike you, I don't have wings to break my fall." I muttered the last part under my breath as I crossed my arms and looked away, but he still seemed to hear.

His head snapped toward me, snake eyes flashing dangerously. "Excuse me?"

"Relax. Just a rumor I've heard, I don't hold anything to it," I muttered. "So, are you gonna help me or not?"