Princess and the Pea Chapter 9

Nine rhymes with dine, fine, and Einstein.  But sadly, it does not rhyme with 'happy readers'.  But oh well.  Enjoy anyways.

Chapter 9:
Linda smiled, and suddenly, Helen Crosby appeared beside her. “So, you’ve done it, hmm?” Helen gave her daughter a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. “Now, ready for step three?”
“Step three already? Hmm, I never knew we’d be so successful.”
Helen clicked her fingers, and an unearthly black mist appeared before her, slowly forming into the shape of a bowing henchman. “Go,” she commanded it. “Go and take care of King Henry and Queen Lily’s allies. Make sure they don’t hear anything about what happened here today.”
The black mist answered slowly, its voice low and hearty. “Yes, mistress,” it answered. Then it disappeared.
One hundred miles away in Ruby Cross, Marilynn’s kingdom, the black mist appeared again. It looked around, slightly startled by how grand the whole place was. The castle itself was gleaming, shining brightly and luminously. The gardens smelled wonderful, and everything projected blithe and happy images of life. The black mist growled. It hated happy things. If it was to touch just a tad of happy, he would get seriously burned. And today, it was vital that he was to remain completely unharmed. Mistress Helen wouldn’t like it if it failed. Mistress Helen would probably torture it if it failed. So the black mist decided that nothing was going to stop it today.
Marilynn was in her room, musing and rubbing her forearm. She was frustrated that she was so bored. A princess shouldn’t be bored, she thought. A princess should have royal friends, a loving family, riches, a prince to comfort her…A prince. She just didn’t have a prince.
She got up from her chair and headed out the door. She made her way down the royal stairs, her red curls bouncing. She exited the castle, and before she made her third step onto the pavement outside, she fainted. The black mist had seen the open door, and passed through her accidentally. Marilynn’s eyes closed as she fell into a deep sleep.
The black mist continued on, pass the door and into the castle. It made its way to the King’s room.

-Vociferously yours, Vicky.