Page 58 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

“I have you this time, prince!And now you’ll never get away!”

“You’re...wrong.”Klaus scrabbled at the hand holding him hostage.

“Am I?”The terrible face came closer.“Explain.”

Gasping for breath, Klaus’s vision grew hazy.His heart pounded in his chest.Come on, Clara.Finish him!

Clara crawled along the gallery railing, praying the balustrades would hide her from the sight of the mice below.Klaus had skillfully distracted them all, causing a spectacle as he pretended to challenge their enemy.

She sat down behind a pillar and tore off her boot, peeking around it to find the Seers dead in a pool of their own blood.The Mouse King’s immense body blocked the sight from the rest of the room.Tearing her eyes away from the gory scene, she choked down the bile that rose in the back of her throat.War was not pretty.She’d do well to remember that as a future ruler.

Clara focused her attention and her magic on the shoe in her hand.She’d only have one chance to get this right.Once the Mouse King knew her plan, it would be useless.

She pushed her energy, her fear, and her anger into the unconventional weapon.Just as Mother Gingerbread had explained that day on the training field, the boot pulsed with energy.But something inside her told her it wouldn’t be enough.More, she had to give it more.Then a realization hit her.And she poured in her love for this realm, for the mice that the Mouse King oppressed, and most of all, for her beloved Nutcracker Prince.When she opened her eyes, the soft black boot glowed with pure white light.

She could do this.She could defeat the Mouse King.And once that was done, she’d take her independence from her parents and stay with Klaus.

Clara rose to her feet and turned to face the Mouse King.His focus was on Klaus in his hand.Fear for her beloved spiked in her chest and she roared, “No!”Then she hurled the boot at the Mouse King’s seven heads.His concentration broke, and all seven looked at her.It spun through the air, heel over toe, then the magic shoe smacked the demonic Mouse King’s main head square in his black nose.

A blood-curdling shriek echoed through the chamber, reverberating off the walls and forcing everyone to cover their ears.The eight-foot monster shuddered and shrank, his crowns falling to the ground in a clanging symphony as the dark magic poured off him.When the mist cleared, nothing remained of the Mouse King but a smoking robe and the seven crowns.

Clara raced down the gallery, to the stairs at the back of the throne room.She leaped down them two at a time and ran across the dais into Klaus’s arms.Thank God he was safe!He picked her up and swung her around.But the chattering of the mice surrounding them reminded her they weren’t finished yet.She pushed out of Klaus’s embrace and raised her hands.

“Mice of Tierland!”Hundreds of beady black eyes turned to her.Rose, in her pretty green dress and carrying her baby, pushed to the front.She dragged a mouse in a soldier’s uniform by the hand.Clara breathed a sigh of relief that she’d gotten back to her mate.“We have heard of your king’s cruelty.I have seen the oppression of your people, and I know you are not the enemy.You’re free now.”

Galiena swept up to stand next to her, with Alaric right behind.The mice started their chittering again at the sight of the Sugar Plum Fairy.“I will meet with your ambassador and work out a way for the Land of Sweets and Toys to aid you in recovery.”She paused.“But only if your forces pull out of all the other lands.”

Squeaks erupted among the mice, and one pushed forward.It was the mouse captain Klaus had fought twice before!He raised his hands, and the voices silenced themselves.

“Send word immediately that all forces are to fall back to Tierland!”Then he approached the dais and took a knee in front of the Sugar Plum Fairy.“Your Majesty, I am Crown Prince Farolf, heir to the throne of Tierland.Please accept my humblest apologies for my role in this tragedy.My father gave me no choice.”His head tilted downward.“It’s my greatest wish to rebuild what my father has destroyed.”

“Rise, Prince Farolf.Let’s talk about what your people need and how we can help.”

Chapter 18

Klausslippedhisweddingband back into its velvet-lined box and patted it fondly.Clara had requested a bit of acting at her parents’ tonight, in order to mitigate their anger.As much as he hated to pretend she was anything less than his wife, he’d do whatever made her happy.

After all, most parents would think that to meet and marry in a weekwasludicrous.

He slid the formal midnight blue waistcoat over his shoulders and buttoned it, then his coat.Galiena and Alaric were hard at work, taking care of the mess left by the Mouse King, now that the mice had left for their homeland.Aunt Crescentia and Aunt Lorelei were also cleaning up their lands now that the dark cloud had passed.

Soon everything would be back to normal.The soon-to-be King Farolf seemed like a good, sensible mouse.They’d had a long discussion.Apparently, his father hadn’t spared him from his oppression.Klaus was looking forward to working with Farolf in the coming years.

Trixie flitted out of his bedroom and bowed in front of him.“She’s ready, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Trixie.Have a good night off.”

“Have fun, sir!”She giggled and flew out the door in a puff of blue pixie dust.

Clara strode into their sitting room.They had moved all her things into his apartment after the insanity of the past two days.Trixie had styled her hair in the fashion of her home country, and she sparkled in the elegant sapphire silk gown.The snowflake broach at her bosom threw rainbows of light around the room.

“Darling, you look stunning.”He leaned in for a kiss.

“Klaus, you’ll make us late!”She hummed against his lips.

It wasn’t his fault they fell into bed every time he kissed her.They were newlyweds, after all!

She pushed against his chest to break the kiss.“I’m serious!”

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