A Warm Princess for a Cold Journey

“This may present a problem for the prince,” the wizard said.

“I am very sorry,” Cilla replied with all sincerity. “I wish I could help you, but I cannot deny my own feelings.”

The wizard seemed to come to a decision. “Very well, my dear. I understand. My prince will not be happy, but I must accept the consequences.”

This made Cilla feel even worse for the man who had traveled so far for nothing. No, worse than nothing. He could face severe punishment for failing in his duties. “Is there anything else I can do for you, sir? If I am truly the Princess Frederica, perhaps I could speak on your behalf.”

A look of surprise came over the man’s face, and he smiled. “You are indeed as kind-hearted as they say, princess. As it happens, there may be something you can do.”

“Anything!”

“If I might impose on you this one request, could I have a letter explaining your choice? He may accept the refusal more easily if it came in the form of your own words.”

“Of course, sir,” Cilla accepted eagerly.

“Please, come with me while I fetch a parchment and quill,” the man said.

Cilla quickly asked Marge to cover for her as she followed the wizard up to his room. Her blonde sister eyed their retreat curiously but soon had her hands full serving drinks.

In the privacy of the room, the wizard made a subtle gesture with his hand. Behind him, Cilla felt an odd sensation of weightlessness. Rather than floating, however, she simply crumpled to the floor. When she reached out a hand to stop her fall, she saw nothing but an empty sleeve hit the ground. Her face landed soon after with a soft whumf, and the world went dark.

The wizard turned and inspected the warm traveling cloak lying on the floor behind him. Picking it up, he shook the dust from its fur lining and slipped into its soft interior. “Apologies, m’lady. But the prince is not quite as understanding as you may think. I stand a better chance asking your forgiveness than his. Don’t worry. The prince will certainly spend most of his time in meetings and visiting other lands, so you won’t have to see your husband too often. You’ll only have to produce one heir. Then, you may live as you like, surrounded by luxury.”

For a moment, he stood silent as if still convincing himself of his own words. Shaking his head, he donned his cap and exited the room again with his bag. Shuffling towards the door, he almost collided with Marge who only just managed to save her tray of glasses. “Sir wizard? Where is Cilla?”

“She is still upstairs,” the wizard answered. “Sorry, but I must be off. I have an important message to deliver.”

Adjusting his cloak, he set off into the night air. Marge noticed him heading towards the mountain pass and hoped he would be alright. Traveling that way in the middle of the night could be treacherous. Then again, he was a wizard, right? Surely he could handle a bit of bad weather.

A while later, Cilla still hadn’t reappeared, and Marge finally found some time to check on her. Of course, the brunette was nowhere to be found, and the wizard was long gone.

Meanwhile…

1. Marge suspects the wizard and sets off to intercept him
2. Thanks to her natural charisma, Marge manages to get the whole town to help in her search
3. The wizard runs into some very bad weather and has to turn back
4. The wizard gets stranded in the pass and has to resort to a teleportation spell. Uh-oh
5. The wizard manages to make it back to the prince with his reluctant bride
6. Suddenly, Cilla’s innate magical abilities manifest themselves

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