Page 55 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

Not for the first time, guilt ate at Klaus.If he’d never returned to the Land of Waking, never asked Clara to return and help his people,theirpeople… she’d be safe at home with her family.

What had he been thinking?Was this truly what she wanted?

It couldn’t be.If he could find Uncle Ludwig, then she could escape.

“Where’s Uncle Ludwig?”

“We don’t know,” Alaric answered.“He could have gone into hiding or they might hold him elsewhere.I don’t know if the Mouse King realizes he’s a mage.”

“I hope he’s safe.”Clara bit her wobbling lip.

Klaus wrapped his arms around his bride, hiding his wince.He was too tired to keep beating himself up over his past decisions now.

The dark circles under Clara’s eyes worried him.With a soft grunt, Klaus stretched back out on the prison bed.“Lay down, my love.You need rest.”She didn’t argue, just pressed against him on the firm cot.

Wrapping his arms around her, he tried to focus on his memories of their wedding night together.For a few blissful hours, he’d had everything he ever wanted.He offered a prayer as sleep claimed him, that if the Goddess Asteria would find him a way, he’d make sure Clara got to safety.No matter what happened to him.

There was no way to tell the passage of time in that place until the guards brought breakfast.It was little more than stale bread and water, but the prisoners ate it gratefully.The swelling in Klaus’s face had gone down, though a spectacular bruise had formed, and he didn’t wince as much.Without access to a Healer, Clara and Galiena checked him over for cuts, using some of their precious water to prevent infection.Thankfully, the mice had seemed intent on taking him alive instead of killing him, so he only had the nasty knot at the back of his head where the mice knocked him out, and a couple of incidental cuts on his hands.Her husband wouldn’t have survived a stab wound.

The mice had moved Zelda to a different part of the dungeon.Apparently, the Mouse King didn’t think it wise to leave the Sugar Plum Fairy and the head mage together, despite its magic-canceling powers.

“Darling…” Klaus took her hand.“If we can get a message to Uncle Ludwig, we should ask him to get you home.”

“Klaus, no!I can’t leave you.”

“It’s the safest way.”

“Not unless you come with me.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair.“I can’t stay in this form on that side of the portal.I’ll be a Nutcracker again.And if I disappear, the Mouse King will look for me.”

“And you don’t think he’d look for me?”

Silenced, Klaus leaned over and pulled her into his arms.His shoulders shook with silent sobs.Clara fought back tears of her own when she looked into his face.

“I just want you safe, love.I’ll take whatever he dishes out, but I can’t let him hurt you.”He stroked her hair, now loose from her braids.“It would rip my heart out to lose you, but I can die content if I know you’re safe.”

Tears ran tracks through the dirt on their faces.“I’d rather die here than try to live without you, Klaus.”

A tearful squeak disrupted their bubble of sorrow.“No dying.”

There, at the cell door, was the mouse mother Clara had seen before.

“It’s you!”

“Shh!”Miss Mouse put a finger to her snout.

Clara dropped her voice to a whisper.“What are you doing here?”

“I brought lunch.”Through a slat in the door, Miss Mouse slid their tray.Bread and water, just like before.

“Where’s your baby?”The little one was nowhere to be seen.Had something happened?

“He’s with my mate.”

Clara smiled.“You have an excellent mate.”

Miss Mouse nodded.“You too.Good mates want you safe.”She looked to the door of the dungeon, then back at Clara.“I’ll come back later.”Then she ran off, back to the outside world.

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