A Charm for a Unicorn (6 page)

Her father's voice grew more gentle. “Come, let's go fetch your sister. I'll try to talk to her with reason instead of rage.” His shoulders slumped. “I only hope that she'll listen, for Sir Wulfe's fury is not to be taken lightly."

Ann eyed the broken shards of crystal and a shiver ran through her. “No, apparently not,” she murmured uneasily. She looked at her father. “Can we wait a little before telling him about this?"

"It's too late, he's called a whirlwind and he'll be here shortly.” Her father grimaced and ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture, the first one Ann had ever seen him make. “I'd better go and reverse my spell. Come, Ann, lead the way and show me where they were to meet."

Renaldo tied his horse to the low branches of a hazelnut tree and made his way across the meadow. The moon, nearly full, hid behind a gauzy cloud and a light mist lay in fine swaths on the ground. The world seemed cloaked in silver, mysterious and lovely. Spider webs beaded with moonlit dew festooned the tall grass. The night's quiet was broken only by the soft gurgle of the stream and ducks quacking sleepily from the reeds.

And then, out of the night, stepped a vision. A unicorn emerged from the mist, its horn rising in a gleaming spiral from its snowy brow. Pure white and glowing, as if cast in starlight, it had delicate, silvery hooves and eyes like pale blue moonstones. It paused in the deep shadow beneath an apple tree, conspicuous as a pearl lying on black velvet.

Renaldo froze and held his breath. Nothing he'd ever seen, except perhaps Leonie, compared to this exquisite creature. And for some reason, Leonie came to mind as he watched it. He wished she could see it, for she'd never believe him. No one, to his knowledge, had ever seen one of these mythical creatures. Even in myth they remained elusive. A symbol of purity, he recalled. He dared not move for fear it would vanish.

The sound of loud footsteps made him jump, and the unicorn flicked its tiny, pointed ears as if frightened.

"Don't leave, please,” whispered Renaldo, stretching his hand out as if he could stop it, as if he could touch a dream.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Renaldo thought he'd see Leonie. Instead, Ann arrived, holding her skirts out of the long grass, her face pale in the moonlight, her eyes frightened. She didn't pause but ran straight to the unicorn, and to his amazement, threw her arms around its neck. “Leonie!” she cried.

The unicorn quivered and stood still.

"What is going on?” Renaldo managed to say after a minute of stunned silence.

Ann turned, her face stricken. “My father transformed her. She's to marry some wizard called Sir Wulfe. You must stay here, Leonie,” she said, as the unicorn made as if to flee. “Father is coming to change you back."

Renaldo took a deep breath. “Leonie? Is it really you?"

The unicorn broke away from Ann and trotted to him, laying its head on his arm. He stroked its satiny mane. “Why? Why did he transform you?” Renaldo's voice shook with anger.

"He always transforms her. He says she has to learn,” Ann said.

"Learn what?” Renaldo couldn't imagine how Leonie had suffered. “I won't let him turn you into anything else, and you won't have to marry anyone you don't want. I'll protect you,” he said to the unicorn.

Ann sighed and peered into the darkness. “There's something else you have to know, but I can't explain it. Here comes Father. He'll be able to tell you more. I'm afraid things are more complicated than they seem."

Renaldo tightened his grip on the unicorn, afraid that his temper would get the better of him. He had a vision of himself challenging the wizard to a duel ... and getting changed into a toad. He swallowed and wished he'd paid more attention to his tutor when he'd been learning about the divisions of magic, but he'd preferred his sword fighting and navigating lessons.

The wizard strode into the clearing and stared at them with his strange, frozen eyes. “Come closer, Leonie, that I may reverse the spell.” He hesitated, then said, “I beg your forgiveness, child. My intentions were good, but I see I've caused you pain and for that, I'm sorry."

The unicorn nuzzled Renaldo, and then walked daintily toward the magician. The wizard raised his wand and had just started to speak, when a terrific wind knocked them down. Leaves whirled about and the grass whipped Renaldo's face. The trees leaned, branches lashing, then as suddenly as it had arrived the wind ceased. Renaldo raised his head. Another man stood in their midst.

He recognized the man as a magician, for he wore a long black robe with stars sewn upon it, and he carried a wand. The unicorn gave a frightened neigh and made as if to run away, but the wizard raised his wand and said, “Halt!” Instantly the unicorn froze.

Ann helped her father to his feet and they faced the new magician. “Sir Wulfe, please understand that...” Ann began, but she got no further.

"Silence!” he cried, “Did no one teach you respect for your elders?” He pointed his wand at Ann and she stepped back, her expression wary.

Renaldo wanted to intervene, but at that moment Leonie's father spoke up. “Sir Wulfe. I will..."

"You will what?” Sir Wulfe snarled. “I saw the note, as you did. I came as fast as I could. This cannot be allowed to go any further. You,” he pointed to Renaldo. “Begone!"

Ann watched in horror as a whirlwind appeared, picked up Renaldo, and carried him away into the darkness. The unicorn, still frozen in place, uttered a plaintive cry, and her father gave a startled gasp.

"That was the king's son. Bring him back or face the king's wrath!” Ann couldn't stop her words.

Sir Wulfe jumped and looked at her, a frown on his face. “Silence!” he said, and waved his wand.

"You said that already.” Ann stamped her foot. “Bring him back, it's not right. You can't have Leonie, she's my sister and she loves Renaldo, not you. Go back home and leave us alone!"

Sir Wulfe turned purple with rage. He waved his wand even more, jabbing it frantically at her.

"She's immune to magic,” said her father, taking Sir Wulfe's arm and stilling it. “Don't waste your spells."

"You tried to put a spell on me?” Furious, Ann clenched her fists. “No one has the right to spellcast me, do you hear me?"

Sir Wulfe gave a frustrated cry and in two steps reached her side and boxed her ear. “No one disobeys me!” he cried.

"You're a dreadful person,” Ann sobbed, her head ringing. She held her ear and wished it would stop hurting. “If I had a wand—I'd change you into a bug and step on you,” she added wrathfully.

Sir Wulfe grabbed her arm, but then her father stepped in, his expression one of disgust.

"Leave her alone!” he said to Sir Wulfe. “You've done enough mischief here. Bring Prince Renaldo back immediately, or I will be obliged to tell King Miles what disaster befell his son. As for Leonie, I no longer honor your proposal for her hand in marriage."

Sir Wulfe sputtered a moment, then he stepped back and hissed angrily. “You will tell no one, and I
will
have your daughter,” he said. He waved his wand, and Ann's father wavered and shrank, disappearing into the grass. “You're lower than a snake and a snake you have become."

Then Sir Wulfe turned on Ann. “If you say another word, I'll make sure he spends the rest of his life as a snake. I'm taking Leonie with me. We shall marry at Winter Equinox, in three months time. After that, I will bring Prince Renaldo back—if he still lives—and restore your father to his human form. Until then, heed my words. Say nothing to the king, stay hidden in your crumbling castle, and pray I never set eyes upon your ugly face again."

With that, Sir Wulfe stirred the air with his wand and another whirlwind came and swept him, and the unicorn, away.

Ann found herself alone, with only a little green grass snake where her father had stood. The snake lay as if stunned, and she picked it up. It curled into a ball in her fist, and with a little sob, she tucked it into her pocket.

A plaintive whinny came to her ears then, and she saw a horse on the other side of the meadow. The whirlwind must have frightened it, for as she watched, it broke loose from the tree and galloped away toward the village. Ann watched until it was out of sight, then she turned and made her way back to Castle Veil.

[Back to Table of Contents]

The little grass snake ate bits of ground meat and insects, but it didn't seem to need to eat much. Ann made a box for him and kept him in the kitchen. For three days she stayed alone in the castle, alternately crying, making sure the snake was all right, and tending to the animals.

Cook had disappeared, and so had Bob. In their places were a shy brown goat and a lop-eared dog of no particular breed. The dog followed Ann about, and the goat wandered around the kitchen and surveyed everything with a mournful air.

On the morning of the third day Ann ran out of tears. She did her chores, and then turned the cow and the goat out to the orchard where the goat, who seemed to have forgotten ever being a cook, nibbled on the scarlet rose-hips growing along the fence.

Bob, for a little while, still dug with his paws in the garden and pulled the weeds out with his teeth. But after two or three days he too started to forget, and after a while he reverted to a dog, although he would often look at Ann with the strangest expression, as if he almost wanted to speak.

She still called the little snake Father, although he couldn't speak or give any sign he understood her. At first she'd begged him to blink if he understood her, stick out his tongue, nod his head or anything, but he hadn't. But he liked to curl around her wrist and so she wore him like a small, green-scaled bracelet most of the day as she went about the farm doing the chores.

The sun touched the horizon the evening of the third day. Ann was in her father's study, trying to find a counter-spell in one of his books that might give him back his human form, when she caught sight of a flash of red from outside. She went to the window and looked, and saw a young man with a red cloak walking purposefully down the lane toward the castle.

Who could that be? She tried to make out his features but he was too far away. Something about him looked familiar, though. Running a hand over her hair to smooth it, she went downstairs.

Bob had heard the stranger coming and he stood by Ann's side as the young man drew near. The young man hesitated as he reached the castle gate, then he pushed it open and strode into the courtyard. He saw Ann and stopped. Clearing his throat, he said, “My name is Prince Sylvain, and I've come for my brother. Tell me where he is, for I found your message and I know he came to meet you."

Ann blinked. Now she knew who he resembled—Leonie's prince. They shared the same slanted, green eyes, high cheekbones, proud chins, and straight noses. But instead of auburn curls, this young man had straight, seal-brown hair that glinted like polished ebony.

She dreaded telling the prince about his brother, but she managed a polite smile and said, “It's getting late. Come inside.” She held the door open and stepped back. Bob wagged his tail in a friendly fashion, and after a moment's hesitation, the young prince entered.

Ann curtsied. “Welcome, your Highness. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I want my brother, where is he?” he said angrily.

A hot flush stole over Ann's cheeks. “My name is Ann, and I did not send the note for your brother. That was my sister's doing."

"Oh.” He looked nonplussed, then his face tightened in anger again. “I demand to see your sister immediately. I've come to find my brother, and if I don't find him, you will feel the wrath of my father the king."

The nerve of him! Ann opened her mouth for a sharp retort, then reflected that she would have been mad with worry if Leonie ever disappeared. “I'll tell you what happened. Your brother saved my sister from drowning and they fell in love. But my father had already promised my sister in marriage to a powerful magician ... oh never mind! What's important is that both my father and Sir Wulfe found out about the note, and when your brother came to meet Leonie, Sir Wulfe sent him away.” She paused for breath.

Sylvain hadn't moved, and he hadn't lost his tense, angry look. Bob whined softly and nuzzled his hand. He looked down at the dog and his face lost some of its edges. “So where did this Sir Wulfe send him?"

Ann had been dreading that question. “I don't know."

"You don't know?” The anger was back, it blazed from his green eyes making them look like flashing emeralds.

"He just said ‘Begone', and a whirlwind carried him away. Whirlwinds are what magicians use to travel,” she explained, her voice fading timidly away.

"I know that.” He gave her a withering glare. “Where is your sister? I would speak to her. I'm sure she will be of more help than you are."

Ann felt the snake tighten around her wrist. “Sir Wulfe has taken Leonie. He means to marry her in three months, and after he does, he will call your brother back."

"I see."

"You do?” Ann was perplexed. He didn't fall apart and start raging around the kitchen. He didn't kick the table, as she had, and he hadn't broken a pitcher by taking it and throwing it against the wall. The wall still had a chip in the plaster where the pitcher hit it, and her foot still hurt. She sighed. He must either be made of sterner stuff than she, or he had no idea how serious the situation was.

"What are you going to do?” She had to know.

Sylvain looked surprised. “Do? I am a prince. There is a damsel in distress, and my brother is missing. My mission is clear, save your sister and find my brother. Chances are if we find one we'll find the other. This Sir Wulfe most certainly has a tower where he keeps his prisoners locked up."

Ann shook her head. “You can't risk it. If you go against Sir Wulfe, he will never turn Father back into a person.” She held out her arm. “See what he did?"

Sylvain stepped backwards. “That's a snake!"

"This is my father. Sir Wulfe transformed him."