“Fairies? Are real!?” Prin exclaimed, an excited gleam in his eye. He put his hand to his mouth as though he had to partially conceal his expression of shocked delight.

Elwin was glad to see him happy about something, after the shocks he had to his system, but he didn’t want him to get his hopes up. “Witches – Magic users are one thing.” Elwin said. “But fairies are the stuff of children’s stories and folktales. Aren’t they just a way humans explain the unexplainable? Or something.”

Valor narrowed his eyes, in an expression that said he had quite enough of Elwin’s bullshit. Like an exasperated parent. “You are somehow in a position to disbelieve such things?”

“We didn’t ever leave our home town before recently.” Prin said. “This is true.”

“I’m not saying they tend to make themselves known to humans all the time. It seems they keep a low profile, and use their magic to stay hidden.” Valor said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never actually met one. That I know of.”

“Doesn’t it just fit with the story though!” Prin said. “So, if Freya had a fairy and somehow in the commotion it got free . . . why would it make the blood disappear? That’s the part I don’t understand. Wouldn’t it just fly off quickly and go back home without looking back?”

“Maybe it somehow credited you with rescuing it, and was trying to do you a favor before it left. To help you escape.” Valor said. After a moment of contemplation he added. “It must have hated Freya a great deal.”

They were all silent for a moment, before Prin said. “You would hate someone who held you captive.”

Elwin couldn’t help thinking of the lonely prince in the tower, not expressly forbidden, but certainly not exactly allowed to leave his room. Like something to be ashamed of. It made him angry just thinking about it, more so now that he had some distance, even then it did at the time. And it made him pretty angry at the time. How could parents do that to their child? Just hide him away and wait for him to die?

“And with plans to do who knows what with you.” Valor said. “Yes, you certainly would.”

Suddenly Prin went pale. “If the body has shown back up, on the carpet, in the state it will be in . . . People will have found it by now.”

“So what? They won’t associate it with you.” Valor said.

“ . . . I hope not.” Prin said.

“The stain. Why wasn’t it made to disappear too? When the body was?” Elwin hated to be the one to point it out.”

“Hey yeah!” Prin said.

Valor shrugged. “They missed a spot. An oversight. Or they had used up enough power already and needed a recharge.”

“Maybe the body continued to bleed and the stain represented the new blood, from after the spell had been cast.” Elwin suggested, not really sure if an invisible body could bleed visible blood. But why not, there didn’t seem to be any particular rules to this thing. At least none that they could understand.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“I wish we could get back into that office and poke around.” Valor said.

“I don’t see how that would be possible.” Elwin said. “And just poking around would arouse suspicion.”

“It could still be there! The fae thing, the bug.” Valor said excitedly.

“What if, with it’s magic, it could do something to counter the curse! Both of the curses.” Prin said. He clasped Valor’s hand in his.

“Fairies are very temperamental.” Valor cautioned. “They could twist your wishes into unimaginable shapes. And that’s if they even agree to do it. They don’t work for free.”

“All this comes from books! What do we really know about them?” Prin asked.

“That they exist.” Elwin said. “Maybe. And can be captured, however temporarily.”

Prin nodded, agreeing that was indeed all they knew.

“If we could only go back to that room, even if we didn’t find the fairy, who knows what else she had in there.” Valor said. “But I suppose it would have to be someone that could blend in, maybe as a servant. Not Prin because he may have been spotted near there already, and not me because . . . what good would it do when I can’t see anyway.” He inclined his rust-blond head toward Elwin. For once his expression was regarding, entreating, and not just mildly contemptuous. Like he had finally found some way Elwin could be useful.

“I don’t know . . . I’m not very good at sneaking. And how would I even get in?” Elwin said.

“I have the key!” Prin said suddenly. “Well, to the room, not to the house.”

“Dru is very sneaky.” Valor suggested. “Of course, she is not to be trusted. You can’t tell her everything.”

Prin squeezed Valor’s hand. “Val, no one must know everything. No one. It was taking a big chance for me to tell you. You understand that, right? And you are taking it really well, I have to say I’m surprised.” He smiled sheepishly at Elwin.

Elwin shrugged and returned the smile. What’s done is done.

“It’s not your fault. You had to eat.” Valor told Prin. “It’s the witch’s fault.” He leaned closer to Prin and rested his head on the older boy’s shoulder, lowering his voice. “Besides, I think it’s kind of cool.”

“Valor! It’s definitely not cool!” Prin pulled away from him, shocked.

Valor only laughed. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. But I do think you’re cool, Prin.”

Prin’s cheeks colored slightly. “Thanks, I guess.”

Elwin cleared his throat. If Valor insisted on flirting with his prince, he could at least not do it right in front of him. “Back to the witch, the fairy, and the well guarded mansion?”

“That sounds like a great name for a book.” Prin couldn’t help pointing out.

“Almost. I would change it to, the witch, the fairy, and the well secured castle.” Valor said.

“Hmm, fair enough.” Prin nodded.

“I think, if we absolutely must get in there, we should at least wait a few days. Maybe longer.” Elwin said. He felt like he was the only one focusing on the matter at hand. Also, he thought they should maybe forget about the idea of breaking into Freya’s office. But he didn’t want to sound like a coward, or like he didn’t think he could do it.

“If we wait too long then the fairy will surely be gone.” Valor pointed out.

“I mean, if it isn’t already.” Prin said. “The door was open.”

“By you.” Valor said thoughtfully. “You would have been the first one through the door after it’s escape. Maybe you were even the one who broke it free, either accidentally or . . .”

“I wish I could remember anything about it.” Prin said. “I don’t even remember seeing the creature! What do they look like? Since you know so much.” He gently teased.

“Well, I think they can look like any number of things, because of their illusions.” Valor said. “But the implication was this one looked like a bug. So, an insect of some sort.”

“Sometimes in books they’re drawn with butterfly wings.” Prin said thoughtfully. “Or maybe a moth . . .”

Elwin could see from Prin’s face that the thought had broke over him, like an egg with a runny center, at the exact same moment it had for Elwin.

“In the excitement, I completely forgot –” Elwin started.

“I can’t believe it slipped my mind—” Prin spoke over him all in a rush.

“The little flying thing in the carriage.” Valor said, completing their collective thought, better then they could have.

“Aster!” Prin said. “We have to go to Aster right now!”