Princess and the Pea Chapter 16

Sixteen is a magical number.  So I made this chapter longer.

Chapter 16:
“So this is the library. It has a marvellous collection of witch spell books, legends, and potions.” Fiona pointed at the destroyed library with pride. Samson grimaced. The once beautiful place was now coated with slime, sludge, and noxious liquids. The books (the witches replaced them) were rotting. Samson couldn’t believe the witches would do this. But he calmed himself and waited for Fiona’s continuation.
Fiona led Marilynn and Samson down the main hall, and up the stairs. Marilynn was also quite appalled. She couldn’t even describe how disgusting everything looked. She shuddered.
Fiona continued down the halls upstairs, and suddenly stopped at a rusted metal door. Samson frowned. It was once an ornate cedar wood door specially carved by Daffodil Acres’ greatest artisans. Samson narrowed his eyes. This door led to a bedroom, he remembered. And it wasn’t just any room either. This was Lila’s room, the testing room with the twenty mattresses. What was Fiona planning to show them?
“This is my Cousin Linda’s room. Since she is out at the moment, you may come in and see. Please do not touch anything, for Linda is a mild squeamish.”
Princess Marilynn and Prince Samson entered the room. They were surprised, for the room hadn’t changed at all. There were still twenty mattresses piled up sky high. The walls were relatively unharmed in any way, and the room still smelled normal. Huh, Prince Samson thought. At least Linda has a brain.
Suddenly, Fiona sighed and shook her head. “I am sorry, Susanna and Thomas, for I have to leave. I will be back very…Very soon, so you are free to stay here in the meantime. I will come back to get you, so do not go anywhere. Some of the other witches are not as tolerant as I am.” Fiona turned to leave. “Oh yeah, once again, please do not touch anything.” And she disappeared out the door.
The minute she left, Marilynn crouched down and searched under the twentieth mattress, the one on the bottom. “You’re not supposed to touch anything, remember?” Prince Samson hushed.
Marilynn gave him an incredulous look. “Stop being stupid for once, Prince. We can find a lot of precious data here.” She continued searching, but found nothing.
Prince Samson chuckled. “What? Were you looking for the pea my mother put under the mattresses? You actually did feel it, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. But that doesn’t matter anymore. I need the pea because it might be important.”
“Sure, Princess Marilynn. That weird box on the table is important too. That’s so funny.” He started laughing.
Marilynn’s eyes widened. “A weird box is on the table? That’s it, Prince Samson!” She darted to the table. There truly was a ‘weird box’. The box was lapis lazuli, with a velvet cover. It was shaped like a rectangle, and on the box, there were words carved in gold: THE KEY.
“The key, don’t you say?” Marilynn became very excited as she carefully opened the box. This was it. The key…Probably the key to the witches’ entire plan…She was going to see it.
The lid came off, and Marilynn frowned in confusion. In the middle of the box was a small, round pea.

-Vociferously yours, Vicky.