Page 56 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

A little piece of Clara sighed in relief knowing the mouse soldier mate was safe.She sat back down, taking the piece of bread Klaus held out to her.“What was that about?”

She felt her cheeks flush.“I saw her outside the castle the day I trained.”The lie rolled off her tongue only because they were around the others; she didn’t want to say the mouse was in the storeroom.“She was hungry, so I shared some of my lunch.Apparently the mice are all starving while their king wages war.It’s terrible.”She gulped the dry bread down, then reached for her small cup of water.“She has a little baby and they have nothing.”Unable to meet Klaus’s eyes, she resolved to tell him the full story later.If they had a later.

Galiena shook her head.“He’s so caught up in this idea of ruling the realm that he’s forgetting his own people.”

“The mice weren’t always like this, were they?”

“No, of course not.Ferdinand’s father got along with the rest of us just fine.We’d had peace for centuries.But Ferdinand, even at a young age, was obsessed with magic, and jealous of the mages,” the Sugar Plum Fairy explained.“His obsession led him to the dark arts, and now it’s not only corrupted him, but ruined his own country.”

Clara turned to Klaus.“Either way, I’m still not leaving you.We will figure this out.”

Her husband sighed.“As you wish.”

Chapter 17

Atdinnertime,MissMouse returned with the tray, slotting it in place.

“What’s your name?”asked Clara.She’d forgotten to ask before.

Miss Mouse answered her in a series of squeaks.

“Um, I’m not sure I can pronounce that.”

The mouse shrugged.“Means ‘white flower.’”

“Oh, like a rose?Can I call you Rose?”

Rose nodded.

“You’re all dressed up.Are you celebrating something?”

She put her finger to her snout once more, then looked over at the dungeon doors.“There’s a big party upstairs for the Mouse King…” Two thumps sounded off at the end of the hall.Then Rose stuck her tail into the lock, using it like a pick until it released.“The guards are out.Let’s go.”

The door swung open, and the others jumped to their feet.“But Rose, you’ll get in trouble!The baby…”

Rose turned her head and spit, just like in the storeroom.“The King put my mate in danger.I won’t help him.”She pointed at Clara.“You helped me, so I’ll helpyou.”

“You realize what we have to do, right?”Klaus’s voice was cautious, his hands in his pockets.

Tears gathered in Rose’s black eyes.“Save us?”

Clara responded immediately.“Of course.”Whatever was going on in Tierland had to be awful if killing their king was a blessing.

Her husband was on board.“Where did they put my sword?”

Rose shrugged.“You could take the guards?”

Alaric and Klaus stole the two guards’ weapons as they all left the dungeon, the mice snoring on the floor.Hopefully, that would buy them some time.

Galiena spoke up next.“We won’t get close to him with those Seers around.”

Gingersnaps, she was right.“Where would those nets be?”asked Clara.

“Let’s check the armory.”Alaric led them down a hall before the door that would take them back out to the main part of the palace.Only two guards for the entire area?That surprised her.Everyone must be at this celebration.

Alaric opened a sturdy wooden and iron door.“Aha!”He wrapped the nets over his arm.“Klaus, I see your saber!”

“Thank the Goddess!I can’t figure out how to fight with this cutlass.”Klaus hung the mouse’s sword up on a hook and took down his own.He slid it into the scabbard at his hip and patted it with a sigh.

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