Mirror Mirror

Chapter 3: Ambushed

"You're not a giant. None of you are giants." He chuckled.

"Your point is?"

"Well, you can't expect me to fight you." The Prince said.

"Ah! Then he concedes!" A dwarf declared.

The others cheered, and lowered their stilts until they were standing at their real heights.

The Prince shook his head. "I most certainly do not. I am simply stating that I will not fight a bunch of dwarves."

"Why?" One asked.

"You're minuscule."

The other dwarves looked confused at that word.

"Diminutive?"

They still didn't know what he was saying.

"Runts?" Renbock suggested.

"Yes, thank you. Runts?"

The dwarves understood that one, and started mumbling about how it wasn't a very good insult.

The Prince waved his hands and shook his head. "It doesn't matter! You're short and it's funny."

"Funny?" One dwarf with a bald head snapped. "Not as funny as my blade against your throat." He threatened.

The leader, who the Prince had knocked down, put his staff against his friends chest and pushed him back.

"Ease back. All we want is his gold."

"I've got his saddlebag." One dwarf commented.

The others cheered and started digging through it.

The Prince became angry that these bandits were going through his stuff. "That is not your property! Get your hands off that immediately!" He yelled, standing up.

"Give them what they want sire." Renbock pleaded.

The Prince began removing his coat. "Nonsense. Apparently someone has to teach a lesson to these...children!"

The dwarves paused what they were doing, and slowly turned to look at the Prince and Renbock.

...

The next thing the two men knew, they were tied together and hung upside down by their feet, only wearing their underclothes.

"No one needs to know the details Renbock." The Prince deadpanned. "Say it!"

"No one needs to know the details, Your Royal Highness." He agreed.

...

Winter ran his thumb over a plaque that said 'King's Chambers.' (Y/n) had taken him down to the kitchens were she and all the other servants worked, and he couldn't help but notice the little bell that had gone un-rung for several years.

"I miss him, (Y/n)."

(Y/n) stood next to him, and rubbed her hand along him arm sympathetically. "I know...We don't have to do the surprise now...if you're not up for it, we can do it another time."

Winter shook his head. "No, no. I'm fine." He reassured her. "Lead the way, my lady." He joked, bowing slightly.

(Y/n) playfully rolled her eyes and took his hand, leading him into the kitchen.

Several workers stood huddled together, one holding a small cupcake with a candle in it.

"Happy Birthday, Winter!" They cheered.

Winter smiled. "You all remembered."

An older woman with red hair stepped forward and took Winter's arm. "Of course we remembered. A boy's 18th birthday is the most important birthday of them all."

The woman lead Winter over to the cupcake, and he made a wish and blew the candle out. The workers all clapped, before dispersing and going back to their work.

"Do you know what I wish for your birthday, Winter?" The woman asked.

Winter laughed lightly." "I don't think you can make a wish for me, baker Margret."

"Do you know why I continue to work for that wretched Queen year after year? I do it because I know that one day, you are going to take back your kingdom, and I want to be here when that happens." She declared.

Winter shook his head. "It is not my kingdom."

"Oh but it is." Margret corrected him. "Your father meant for you to inherit his crown. And that woman has the entire kingdom convinced that you're a pathetic shut-in, incapable of leaving the castle." She handed Winter something rolled up in a cloth. "And the worst is, she has you thinking it."

Winter unrolled the cloth, to reveal a beautiful golden dagger.

"Your father's dagger. I had it cleaned up and polished."

Winter examined the dagger. "What would I even do with this?"

Baker Margret placed a hand over Winter's. "Perhaps you need to see what goes on in your kingdom. The people don't sing and dance anymore. They need to see who you really are. And you need to believe."

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