Page 15 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

Tall, brown walls rose before her, studded with jewel-like candies.She craned her neck upward.A castle made of gingerbread, complete with towers and ramparts!Another portcullis of peppermint canes rose in front of them across a bridge over an orange moat.They must have brought in juice from the Orange Juice river that Klaus had mentioned.Wooden doors creaked as they opened outward.

Klaus’s arm gripped her tighter.“What’s wrong, Klaus?”

“I was afraid of this.I should have ridden straight here, before word got out.”His gaze softened as he looked into her eyes.“But I can’t regret taking the time to show you my homeland.”

Her cheeks heated, and she dropped her gaze downward.

Their mount walked forward, crossing the bridge, to stand in front of the massive doors as they opened.Six soldiers in tall black hats, crimson pants, and black military coats marched on either side of a man and a woman.

Both were dark-haired and stood with a regal air.The woman bore a golden crown upon her head.Her pale rose gown sparkled in the sunlight, a sleeveless, strapless affair with a large bell-shaped skirt.This must be the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Klaus jumped from his horse and reached for Clara, helping her slide off the saddle.She was woefully underdressed to meet royalty!Still, she curtsied when he bowed.

“Mother, I can explain.”

“And you will, son.Who is this?”

“Mother, Father, may I present Miss Clara Stahlbaum of the Realm of Waking.Clara, these are my parents, Galiena and Alaric von Süssland.”

She curtsied again.“I’m honored, Your Majesties.”

But the queen’s voice grew icy.“We will discuss this inside.Come.”

Klaus offered Clara his arm as a stable hand ran up and took the reins of his horse.“I’m sorry, my dear.”

“What for?”

“For whatever is about to transpire.”

They followed his parents inside the palace.Sugared windows let in the sunlight.Thick columns of peppermint canes created arches in the ceiling, with glazed gingerbread floors laid out in a swirling pattern.She didn’t have time to admire the rich tapestries as they hurried through to what she had to assume was a private chamber.

Galiena led them to a study lined with bookshelves and smelling like rich cinnamon.She sat behind a desk and her consort pulled a chair up to the end of the desk, leaving the two in front of it for the prince and his guest.

She was dying to know what they made the fabric of the seat out of.It felt like a rich brocade.But how did they get that here?

At the queen’s nod, the guard pulled the door shut, and Alaric locked it before sitting down.Before she bade them speak, Klaus’s mother muttered some words Clara couldn’t make out and spread her hands wide.The noise from outside the room was no more.

“A muffling shield, to be certain this goes nowhere else.”The queen sat back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest.“Whatwere you thinking, Klaus?”

Klaus sighed and gripped the armrests of his chair.“That I knew who really defeated the Mouse King ten years ago, and that we need her to help us again.”

Her brows drawn together, Klaus’s mother turned to his father.“What do you think, my love?”

An older version of her Nutcracker Prince rubbed his bearded chin in thought.“I want to know how a Waking could have magic.”

“As do I.”Galiena eyed Klaus suspiciously, then turned to Clara, the look on her face causing her to shiver.She reminded her of her own mother when she was upset.“I don’t recognize the Stahlbaum name.And she lives in the Realm of Waking.How can she have magic at all, let alone powerful enough to defeat the Mouse King?”She turned back to her son, as if Clara wasn’t there.

“Not twelve hours ago, returning through the portal, a squad of mice attacked us.She threw up a shield, which allowed us to get away.”

“Are you sure one of our Casters was not in the forest at the same time?”

Klaus scowled, but Clara knew the Sugar Plum Fairy was right.She wasn’t of this realm, and what happened made little sense.

Why had she come here?She should have told him no, that she was going to bed.And now her beautiful dream was starting to feel more like a nightmare.Klaus looked down at her with desperate eyes.If he thought she had any idea how she’d done any of that, he was wrong.

She rubbed a hand over the spot in her chest where it ached.A dream couldn’t give her magic powers.Which meant Klaus had put himself in danger for nothing.And he’d never look at her the way he had in the drawing room again.

Klaus told the story once more.His parentshadto believe him this time.“Ten years ago, when the mice attacked me in the other realm, they caught Clara in the crossfire as well.”

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