Page 3 of Enchanted Kingdom
“You spoil them,” Hattie said, her scold sounding more affectionate than firm.
I shrugged. She was right. I was guilty of that, but so was she. Hattie had lost her husband years ago. After he passed and being childless, she began taking in any children that needed it, eventually moving into the building we were now in, an abandoned multi-leveled library at the very end of the merchant street in Nerede. Hattie and the children took over the upper level of the building for bedrooms in exchange for running a small library in part of the lower levels. Knowing that the Nerede library was also the orphanage, some people stayed clear of it entirely. Others, like my mother and I, frequented often for books and company both.
Though these children were without homes and families, she still made it as much of a family as she could under the orphanage’s roof. She did her best to love on the children and then helped them find jobs in Nerede if they were never adopted, which happened far more often than either of us would have liked.
Her eyebrows came together as if remembering something. “Why were you angry at the bread?”
I laughed. “I wasn’t angry at the bread. I got a letter. The bread was just an innocent bystander.”
She gasped and reached out for my wrist. “You got a letter from the castle? For the Assemblages?”
“Yes.” I nodded and sighed at the same time.
She seemed genuinely happy for me, which baffled me. Everyone in Nerede with good sense knew nothing good could come from that castle. “You will look lovely, dear. Have fun.”
“I will attempt to avoid any and all Enchanted and return home as quickly as possible,” I told her. “Fun does not seem to be on the agenda.”
Her lips twitched. “Ever the pragmatic. Not dreaming of love at first sight, then?”
I scoffed. “Hardly.”
“We are so removed from the castle here in Nerede.” She paused before adding, “You never know. Things might not always be what they seem up on that mountain.”
That sounded vague and also like there was more to it, but we were interrupted before I could ask her what she meant.
“Ms. Jorah,” Warrick said sweetly, his hands tucked behind him from the doorway. “We are waitingoh sopatiently out here.”
Who was I to deny that level of cuteness? “Yes, Warrick, I’m coming.”
“Shall I tell the children you are going to the castle and may be gone awhile?” Ms. Hattie asked as we both took a few steps forward.
I shook my head. “No. I want these girls and boys to have no irrational dreams about becoming princesses or princes someday. That is not a realistic goal to even fantasize about in this world we live in. If anything, the sooner they realize the evil that shrouds that crown, the better.”
Hattie just looked at me a moment as we both took in my words lathered in truth.
“Besides, I’ll probably be gone just for a day or two. More than likely, I’ll be back next week,” I added.
Hattie patted my shoulder. “Well, we will miss you. Do try to have a little fun.”
I snorted as I headed to hand out cookies.
Fun. At the castle?
I highly doubted it.
CHAPTER2
That night I heard the rock on the window. Or was it morning? Late night or early morning depending on who you were. I was a baker, so very obviously this was an early awakening. One I was neither in the mood nor right frame of mind for.
I ignored the first rock. Maybe he would assume I was sleeping. Or ignoring him. Either way, I didn’t care.
The second rock hit louder, and I let out a groan. The fool was going to wake Mother.
I threw on my robe and headed for the window just as the third rock hit. I held up a finger to let him know I needed a moment so he would stop throwing the damn rocks.
I quietly opened the window and threw a leg out. We lived in a small cottage consisting of two rooms, one bath, and a small kitchen. And our cottage was attached to a long line of cottages exactly like it. Fortunately, there were ladders on rollers placed throughout the back of the line of cottages in case of an emergency.
He rolled one toward me now. At one point, I would’ve just jumped into his arms, but those days had long since passed.
