Page 14 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

Klaus shrugged.“Not this gingerbread.It’s impervious to pretty much anything we’ve thrown at it.And we glaze the walls so they’re waterproof.”

A comfortable silence descended as they made their way through the countryside.It was easy to forget the threat that lay beyond their borders.The Mouse King would bring darkness and permanent winter to his beloved land, and Klaus hated his parents hadn’t moved to help the other countries.

They had been at peace for so long, no one remembered how to wage war.And the Mouse King had taken advantage.

The sun shone a light pink as it rose in the lavender sky when they arrived at the village that encircled the palace.A cow mooed from behind a fence of peeled cinnamon tree logs.

“I didn’t realize you had cows here!”

“Of course!Cows, pigs, and chickens, too.Uncle Ludwig told me many centuries ago we used to trade with your realm and that’s how we got our own farm animals.”He patted Peppermint’s neck with affection.

“You don’t have animals here?”

“Not the same domesticated breeds you do.”

He didn’t dare stop now that they were this close to the palace.But Klaus found he was in no hurry to arrive, either.He kept Peppermint at a trot through the village.Clara took in the sights, still leaning against his shoulder.

She was an altogether different woman with him than she’d been around her family.And he hated the idea of sending her home to marry that swine.What could he do to convince her to stay once the threat was over?

Chapter 5

Housesmadeofgingerbreadglazed to a shine stood on either side of the road.Cinnamon and other spices perfumed the air.Trees with curious, sugared fruits grew in yards and along fences made of cinnamon wood or peppermint sticks.Curious onlookers bowed and curtsied when the Prince’s horse passed by.

They passed through a market full of brightly colored stalls with citizens selling their wares.Clara wished she had some coin to check out the local fare.After their all-night ordeal, she was hungry.

Klaus guided Peppermint around a fountain in the middle of the square, bursting with lemonade.More houses lay beyond it, and she took a closer look at the subjects.

There were short, stout dwarves, like the chocolate miners.And slender people with pointed ears and unnatural hair colors like pink, blue, and a bright orange.Their skin was tinged with the same color, but lighter.

“What race are your subjects?”she finally asked quietly.

“We have several.You’ve met the dwarves.The brightly colored ones are the pixies; they have wings but don’t always use them.We also have nymphs, dryads in the woods, and other fae.Or fairies, if you’re more familiar with that term.”

“I thought they were all a myth!”

“As I mentioned, Uncle Ludwig said our realms used to trade a long, long time ago.But the veil between the worlds was drawn closed and can no longer be opened, except by a Master Tinkerer.”

“A master what?”

“Tinkerer.It’s a type of mage.Uncle Ludwig’s mother was an extremely strong Tinkerer, and she passed some of her gift to him.How he can open portals is beyond me, but he can.Mother doesn’t like him to do it often.”

“Why is that?”

“Ever since the Realm of Waking entered the scientific age, magic stopped working there.So we have nothing to trade now.And they are not exactly kind to things they don’t understand.”

“What kind of fae are you?”

Klaus chuckled.“I’m a Nutcracker.Remember, we’re the Land of SweetsandToys.”

“But your mother…”

“Sugar Plum Fairy is merely a title, because she rules the land of the sweet fae.”

“I see.”This wassucha detailed dream.She could feel the heat of Klaus’s chest at her back, had tasted the chocolate and lemonade.

Her heart sank when she thought about waking up and losing this alternate realm to the rising sun.She resolved to take in as much as she could, imprinting it on her mind so she could remember this dream.So she would never forget how it felt to have a handsome prince at her back.

She ground her molars as a lump rose in her throat, remembering her parents’ betrayal.Even in her dreams, she couldn’t escape it.

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