Page 25 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

“Friedrich and Margareta Stahlbaum, ma’am.”

The mage shook her head.“I don’t know them.”

“Apparently, Ludwig does.”Galiena’s arms crossed as she, too, studied her thoughtfully.Pressing a finger to her chin, she nodded at Mother Gingerbread.“She needs trained, and quickly.That shield was raised on instinct.”To Clara, she said, “Are you ready to learn exactly how to control this?”

She nodded rapidly.“Yes, Your Majesty.”The power she’d pulled still pulsed inside her, wild and untamed.She needed to train it, to understand it, so she could use it to help defeat the Mouse King.No wonder she’d never fit in back home!

“Come, Klaus.They have alotof work to do, and not much time to do it.We must discuss some things with your father.”

Her prince swallowed hard, and Clara wanted to memorize his look of wonder.No one had ever looked at her like that before.A surge of disappointment flooded her heart.Because once she returned home, no one ever would again.

Chapter 8

Despiteknowinghispresencewould only distract Clara from her training, Klaus dragged his feet leaving the arena.His mother waited for him outside the door, her plum-colored cloak pulled tight around a sapphire gown.As they strode over the snow-speckled ground between the training facility and the main palace, Galiena surprised him.

“Son, I owe you an apology.”

Klaus nearly tripped over his own boots.“Whatever for, Mother?”

“For not believing you about Clara.I didn’t think it was possible, but she has magic, just as you said.”

Klaus racked his brain, trying to remember when the queen had apologized to him last, and came up empty.“But you believe me now?”At last!His cheeks hurt from smiling as the adrenaline rushed through him.For a decade Klaus had swallowed the wound to his pride when his parents had insisted he made up the story from his youth.Finally, they had seen the truth.

“How could I not?Not only did I witness her throwing a shield, but she also did it to protect my idiot son.”

He rolled his eyes.Fine, he had that coming.It had been a stupid move to run out onto the field to protect her, but he hadn’t been able to stand by and watch a moment longer.

Insane?Yes.But he’d actually done them a favor.The Sugar Plum Fairy and her head mage did not know how selfless Clara could be.Klaus didn’t think she’d have put the shield up to save herself.That’s why he had run out, so he could protect her.That’s what couples, like his parents, did for each other.

Gingersnaps.There he went, thinking of her in a way he had no right to.She was still engaged to Berengar.

But he’d never apologize for kissing her in the courtyard last night.Even now, his lips tingled at the memory.And other parts of him stiffened at the reminder of her lips against his.

He cut off that line of thinking as they arrived at the war room.Someone had hastily dusted off a long table with chairs around it, the map at the far wall glowing with the spell cast to bring it into existence.Alaric stood in front of it in a conversation with a dark-haired dwarf Klaus didn’t recognize.Turning, the Sugar Plum Consort nodded to his wife and son.

“That will be all, Heinrich.Return to your post.”The dwarf bowed to his father, then to his mother and himself, and left the room.

“What did the spy network say, Alaric?”

Spies!Of course, his parents had sent the court spies to infiltrate the Mouse King’s lands.Klaus had criticized them for not moving against their enemy.He ought to have recognized that they would not remain passive while their beloved friends suffered.

Alaric cleared his throat and gestured at the map.Tiny red dots gathered along the border of the Land of Flowers.

“We have reports that the Mouse King is preparing to mount an attack from Blumenland.He must assume we would not expect it from the Dew Drop Fairy’s side.”

Galiena huffed and shook her head.“Does he think we live under rock candy?We know the Land of Flowers is under his control.”

His father shrugged.“I don’t pretend to know why he does the things he does.The spies said they’ll be ready to move in two days’ time.”

“Then we have to attack tomorrow.”Klaus jumped into the conversation.“Let’s catch them unawares.”

Alaric nodded.“That’s sound.But Clara won’t be fully trained by then.”

Klaus scowled.How much training could a Caster do in one day?Had his trip to the Realm of Waking all been for naught?

Galiena laid a hand on his shoulder.“I’ll talk to Zelda tonight.If she thinks Clara can help, then take her.”

He shrugged, realizing more and more how haphazard this last-ditch effort to save his people had been.“It’s not like we would have had a lot of time to train her, anyway.”

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