Page 90 of Disenchanted
“Yes. You stole something from me.”
My heart stopped. He knew. Prince Florian knew I had taken the orb. How was that even possible?
The blood drained from my face. “No, Your Highness. I have taken nothing, I assure you.”
“You have, you enchanting little thief.” Florian almost tipped over backward as he struck one fist dramatically against his chest. “You stole my heart.”
I went almost limp with relief. As soon as I could breathe again, I gave a nervous titter and tried to jest. “Oh, that. Well, if you will just leave your heart lying about like that. I found it dropped along the herbaceous border. But I am happy to return it to you.”
Florian flung back his head and emitted a… I could not really call it a laugh, more like a bizarre high-pitched giggle.
“You are amusing. I like that in a girl,” he said as he teetered toward me.
Wonderful, I thought in disgust. The prince was as drunk as my sister.
But when a shaft of moonlight pierced the branches of the trees, I caught a glimmer of a silvery powder near his nostrils. As he moved closer, his pupils were so wide, they threatened to swallow up the rest of his eyes.
Not drunk. Even worse, the man had been snorting pixie dust.
“Keep my heart. Don’t want it, don’t need it,” he declared in a singsong tone. “I have decided that you are the one, Bella. The one destined to be my bride.”
“What!” I was so stunned; it took me a moment to gather my wits enough to protest.
“Oh, no, no, no. I am quite certain I am not.”
“I have danced with many lovely ladies, but none can compare to you.” He lunged, trying to take me into his arms. His movements were so clumsy, I evaded his grasp.
“There are a lot of women here tonight. You can’t possibly have danced with all of them,” I said. “You should go back to the ballroom and have another look around.”
“Don’t need to. I knew from the moment I saw you; you were the one.”
Was that before or after he had started sniffing the pixie dust? I wondered. I retreated until my back struck up against the trunk of a massive oak, leaving me nowhere else to go. Florian leaned in, bracing one arm on either side of me.
“Will you be my princess, Bella? May I sweep you off to my castle to live happily ever after?”
“Frap, no! I… I mean, I am deeply honored and all that, but—”
His mouth crashed down hard against mine. I issued a muffled protest, but that was a huge mistake. When my lips parted, Florian thrust his tongue into my mouth.
It was like a warm wet eel darting about, trying to slither its way down my throat. I gagged, feeling like I was going to be sick or suffocate. I pounded on his back in a futile effort to make him stop. When that did not work, I seized two handfuls of his hair and pulled as hard as I could.
He ended the kiss with a gasp. “Ow! Ow! Ow!”
As he struggled to pry my hands out of his hair, he stumbled back and kept right on going until he fell, landing on his rump. I saw my chance and made a break for it. Florian rolled to his side and snagged hold of my skirt.
“Let go before you rip my gown,” I cried, trying to disengage the fabric from his grasp.
Florian struggled to his knees and gazed up at me with a vacuous grin. “You’re feisty. I like that in a girl.” He lifted my skirt.
“Stop it, you great frapping oaf!” By this time, I was far beyond worrying about the respect due to royalty. I struck outwildly, kicking him in the chest. My blows might have been far more effective if I had been wearing the glass slippers instead of soft leather.
Florian only giggled. He released my skirt and grabbed hold of my foot. I jerked as hard as I could to pull free. My shoe came off in his hand and I went flying backward into a shrub. Florian flew in the opposite direction, smacking his head against a tree root.
The branches scraped my hands, and I heard my gown tear as I fought to regain my footing. From a great distance, I could hear the castle clock toll midnight, followed by a shrill whistle and the first burst of fireworks. I swore as I limped to my feet, bracing myself for another assault from Florian.
The prince had not moved from where he had fallen beneath the tree. My first impulse was to flee toward the gate, but I was held back by a sense of uneasiness. The prince was still. Far too still.
“Your Highness?” I ventured.
