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brIDGETTE HELD AS TIGHTLY AS she could to the horse’s reins as it raced down the dirt road. She had never ridden a horse before, so she was very grateful Edgar had it already saddled and ready to go, perhaps anticipating the need to flee quickly. She also felt lucky Senara was able to get her out of the manor without alerting Doc and Edgar. The beautiful sorceress had also helped her get on the horse, as Bridgette felt on the verge of fainting from her loss of blood.
Bridgette willed herself to stay conscious as the horse bolted after Senara in her bird form. The ride was jolty and rough, and Bridgette knew her muscles would hurt her later. But at the moment, the only thing that mattered was getting the rose and destroying it. How could she destroy it if Senara had already tried and failed? Bridgette had watched it fall to the floor without shattering. She was sure Senara had already tried many things, including magic. There would be time to figure it out; she just had to get the rose first.
The white dove soared high, then flew low, making sure they were still following. She took them through some familiar roads, close to where Bridgette’s burnt cottage was. Her stomach flipped when she saw something lying in the road ahead of her. The horse drew closer, and Bridgette saw the slit throat of the fallen guard. Not too much farther up the road was the guard’s deserted horse, grazing in the trees.
“We are getting closer,” Bridgette said out loud to herself. “I feel very ill-prepared, but who am I if I don’t find myself in outrageous situations every now and then? I wouldn’t be Bridgette, that's for sure.”
Bridgette passed two more fallen guards: one with a slash through his belly and the other who looked like he fell directly on his head after diving off his horse. Her stomach twisted at the sight, but she kept moving forward. They were getting close to the communal well. Bridgette looked at the sky. It was a little before noon, which meant the well would be crowded. That would make things interesting. They approached the last bend in the road before the well. Bridgette gasped when she saw the royal carriage on its side, with a horse crushed beneath it. No one was in or around the carriage, but she heard shouting and screaming in the distance.
They rounded the turn, her horse tried to slide to a stop, but ran into a small, old woman. Bridgette apologized as she slipped off the horse. The area was more crowded than she had ever seen it. She couldn’t even see the well and wouldn’t have been able to find it if she hadn’t been there at least a hundred times before. The dove landed on her shoulder and tweeted. Bridgette nodded, understanding that Senara was going to head back to the manor. “Take the horse with you so they can use it.” She turned the horse around and smacked its rump to get it trotting after Senara. Bridgette turned and started to make her way through the crowd. “Excuse me, sorry,” she said as she slipped between people, trying not to bump into anyone. The closer she got to the well, the more people were murmuring to each other about something. Someone caught her arm. Bridgette froze in terror, but it was only Charles.
“Bridgette, are you alright?” He looked down at her ruined clothes. His eyes widened. “Holy Fates, Bridgette! What happened to you?”
Bridgette sheepishly covered the dagger hole in her blood-soaked dress. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
Charles looked bewildered. “Bridgette, what is going on? Jack said he was going to find you to talk about something, but he never came back last night. Then someone said your cottage burned down.”
Bridgette grabbed his hands tightly. “Look, there is a lot going on. I can explain later. For now, it is really important that I find the king and his sorceress.”
“Is that what that carriage accident was about?” he asked. Commotion came from the other side of the square. Bridgette stood on her tiptoes, but couldn’t see anything. “Fates, I think there is a sword fight happening.”
“Are there guards involved?” Bridgette asked desperately.
“No, just two men,” he said. “But there are some guards standing nearby.”
“Do you see a woman with them?” she asked, trying to see with no luck.
“Uh,” Charles said, squinting his eyes, looking over the crowd. “There are a lot of women here. You might need to be more specific.”
“A sorceress. Long dark hair and enchanting beauty.”
“Would she be holding a glowing blue object?” he asked, his brows furrowed.
“Ah, bird droppings! I need to get over there without them seeing me,” Bridgette cursed.
“I’ll lead you around,” Charles said and grabbed her arm to pull her through the gathering crowd who were watching the fight.
“Ah, brother, it has been too long since we clashed swords,” Vincent said loudly. “I have missed it.”
“You are the only one,” Bridgette heard Thane reply. Metal clanked on metal several times before there was a break. “I don’t want to have to fight you, Vincent.”
Charles led Bridgette around to a spot where there were a few steps that people sat on to wash their clothes. She stepped up onto them and was able to see over the crowd. Thane and his brother circled each other like vultures with their swords at the ready. Madame Rajani was off to the side, surrounded by four guards, and in her hands was the glass rose. How was Bridgette supposed to get it with the guards around?
“Charles, can I ask a favor?” she asked. He nodded. “Can you punch one of those guards in the face?”
His nose crinkled like he had just smelled something awful. “You want me to do what?”
“Punch one of the guards in the face or cause a distraction of some sort. I just need to get that glass rose the woman is holding.”
“ The glass rose?” he asked with emphasis.
“Yes, the very one from the stories,” she said, frustrated. “If I don’t get it away from her, then she will eventually be able to force people to do things against their will.”
“Okay,” he said slowly, “a distraction. I will see what I can do.” Without another word or glance, Charles made his way to the guards. Bridgette followed behind. Swords clashed again. “Excuse me, my good sir, do you by chance have a handkerchief? I think I have something in my eye.”
Bridgette put a hand to her forehead in embarrassment.
“Get out of here, boy,” the guard ordered.
“Well, in that case—” Charles brought his arm back and punched the guard squarely in the face. Three of the four guards lunged for Charles, including the one he hit. Bridgette stepped back and then dodged her way through the affray. Bridgette tripped over someone's foot and grabbed the glass rose in the process. She hit the ground, but kept a firm grip on the rose. Unfortunately, so did Madame Rajani. The sorceress looked down at Bridgette with murder in her eyes and a malicious smile on her lips.
“What do we have here? The pretty little girl still has some fight left in her. Too bad it isn’t enough,” she cooed like an evil nanny. Madame Rajani stepped on Bridgette's stomach and pulled the rose free. Bridgette gasped in pain and grabbed at her middle. There was no new blood, but it still hurt. “You make sure she can’t get up again. The rest of you follow me.” Rajani left, and three of the guards followed. The fourth guard pulled out his sword and pointed it down at her chest. Bridgette scrambled to get out of the way at the same time the guard was knocked off balance by Charles. Bridgette got to her feet. Charles grabbed her hand and they ran. They made it out of the crowd and into the trees, before Bridgette turned to look back and saw that the guard hadn’t chased them. Instead, he had gone with the rest of the guards, who were following Madame Rajani through the crowd watching the continuing sword fight.
“Charles, what were you thinking?”
Bridgette turned around and faced a group of young men. She took a step back, feeling anxious. Some of the faces were familiar, but not in a good way. She recognized them from the time they were with Jack when he was tormenting the goose. “Bridgette, it's okay,” Charles said. She looked at him, confused. “I actually thought a lot about what you said. About Jack and how he might not be the best person to follow. I asked him why he treated you so poorly. He said he would apologize to you last night. But then he didn’t return, and your cottage burned down. Bridgette, did Jack do that? Did he burn the cottage down?”
Bridgette blinked, startled by the questions. “I, um, no, he wasn’t the one who started the fire, but I think he was a part of it.” She swallowed and looked at the faces of the young men around her. They looked ashamed.
Charles cleared his throat. “I wanted to tell you that we have been trying to find you to apologize and see if we can help in any way to fix what Jack did. We realized we have all been idiots, and even though his father is the richest man in the town, and he has the best connections, Jack is not a good person. And we want to stay far away from him.”
“We are sorry for our inexcusable behavior. How can we make it up to you?” one of them asked, and the rest nodded and offered their apologies.
Bridgette looked at Charles. “Oh no, your nose is bleeding.”
“Ah, it's nothing. One of the guards got a good hit before I got away,” he said, dabbing at his nose. “We are at your service if you accept it, Bridgette.”
Bridgette looked out to try and find Madame Rajani to form a plan. If she had several strong, capable young men on her side, it would change things. Her eyes landed on Madame Rajani, who was standing three heads above everyone else. She had to be standing on the edge of the well. Madame Rajani held the glass rose to the sky. A dark blue mist swirled around her arm, spiraling down, and out among the people surrounding her. No one seemed to notice the mist, but something was happening. The crowd was getting angry. A few people broke into the clearing where Thane and Vincent fought. They lunged for Thane, who was not prepared for the ambush. He lost his sword and started punching the angry townspeople. Bridgette looked back at Madame Rajani, who was moving her hands around and saying something that looked like a spell. She was making the people attack. If she could turn everyone against Thane, he would be killed.
“I need to get to that sorceress. If you can take care of the guards, that will help me focus on her,” she said hesitantly. She turned back to look at them. “And if a few of you could help Thane—I mean, Lord Thornwood—that would be much appreciated as well,” she added.
“Adam, Edward, and William, go help Lord Thornwood. The rest of you are with me,” Charles said.
“Also, try to stay away from the blue mist if you can,” Bridgette added.
Without complaint or hesitation, they rushed off to do what they had been asked. Bridgette silently thanked the Fates for the unexpected miracle and hurried to keep up with them. By the time she joined them at the well, Charles already had someone’s wash bucket over a guard’s head and had kicked his feet out from under him. Two of Charles' friends had another guard pinned to the ground. Another one had the third guard in a headlock. The fourth guard was clashing swords with yet another friend of Charles. She had no idea where he had gotten the sword. From one of the other guards? It didn’t matter. It was time to act.
Bridgette took a deep breath and ran for the edge of the well. The sorceress was too focused on getting more and more people to attack Thane, she didn’t notice when Bridgette managed to get up right behind her. There was no time to waste, so Bridgette wrapped her arms around the woman and jumped into the well.
They hit the water with a loud splash. Bridgette found the bottom and pushed herself back up. The water was deep enough that she had to tread water to keep her head above it. “You little rat!” Madame Rajani screeched. “Where is it?”
It was dark at the bottom of the well, but there was a glow beneath them. The rose! Bridgette took a deep breath and dove down. The rose could not hide in the darkness with its eternal light. She grabbed the rose, then a hand grabbed her hair and pulled hard. Air escaped as Bridgette opened her mouth to yell in pain. Water filled her mouth, and she choked. Madame Rajani blessedly pulled her up by her hair until her face broke the surface. Bridgette coughed up water and lost the rose to the sorceress. By the time she sucked air into her lungs, Madame Rajani was trying to find a way to climb up the slick wall of the well. “Help! Help, you useless bastards!”
Bridgette looked up. The usual bucket was tied to the rope which was hung over the pulley. There was nothing else around. Bridgette swam over to Madame Rajani and pulled her down. “Charles!” Bridgette yelled, as she tried to keep Madame Rajani’s head under the water. “Charles!”
Madame Rajani struggled for a moment before grabbing Bridgette’s dress by the neckline and pulling her down under the water with her. Madame Rajani kicked Bridgette so hard in the stomach, it stunned her. Bridgette tried and failed to get out of Madame Rajani’s grip. Her lungs wanted air to cry out in pain. Bridgette could tell Madame Rajani was using her body to push herself out of the water. The pain in Bridgette’s stomach made her limbs weak. She couldn’t fight back. This couldn’t be the end. She needed air.
Something thumped loudly, and Madame Rajani’s grip went slack. Bridgette broke through the surface and gasped. Madame Rajani floated in the water, looking dazed, and a metal bucket hung in front of Bridgette’s face. “Got her!” a voice echoed down the well. Bridgette looked up. Charles was smiling down at her. “Hurry! I will pull you up!”
Bridgette grabbed the rope the bucket was tied to. “Wait, the rose!” Bridgette looked at Madame Rajani, but she didn’t have it. The deep water was glowing again. Bridgette took a deep breath and easily retrieved the rose a second time. She dropped the rose in the bucket and grabbed the rope, yelling, “Okay, I am ready!”
Charles heaved, and she rose several inches out of the water. Her arms protested immediately under the weight of her body and wet clothes. She was so exhausted and did not feel like she had the adequate strength to hold on long enough. Charles kept pulling until Bridgette’s feet were the only thing left in the water. He heaved again, but something grabbed her ankle. Bridgette kept hold of the rope, but Charles yelled out as the rope ripped through his hands. Bridgette and the bucket splashed back into the water. Madame Rajani grabbed the rope and started climbing up, the rose between her teeth. Bridgette wanted to cry with how slow her fatigued body moved. She looked to the top of the well and didn’t see anyone. Someone had to be keeping the rope from falling. Madame Rajani continued to climb, and it was all Bridgette could do to get her feet in the bucket and hold on to the rope. She watched as the sorceress made her way to the top of the well, feeling hopeless as her own body shivered violently.
Madame Rajani reached the top and grabbed the lip of the well. Bridgette hung her head in defeat. She had tried her best, and it wasn’t enough.
“I'm sorry, you have not been granted passage out of this well,” a polite voice said. Bridgette’s head snapped up in time to see the end of a fire poker stab Madame Rajani in the eye. Madame Rajani opened her mouth to scream and released the glass rose. Bridgette caught the rose right before Madame Rajani’s body hit the water. “Miss Bridgette, are you okay?” Edgar asked as he leaned over the side of the well.
“Yes, Edgar. Your timing could not have been better,” she called up. “What happened to Charles?”
“He is engaged in a fistfight at the moment. Actually, it is absolute chaos up here. I am going to try my best to pull you out, but I think the guards we fought at the manor may have broken my wrist, so we will see,” he said, and disappeared out of view. The rope rose an inch, and then another. Bridgette clutched the rose to her chest while she was pulled up out of the water. All hope was not lost—not yet. As she got closer to the top, the sound of the chaos grew louder. Metal clashed against metal. People screamed and yelled. Suddenly, the rope lifted a few feet. She yelped in surprise, but held to the rope and the rose tightly, while standing in the bucket. She was lifted the rest of the way quickly. Many strong hands grabbed for her and pulled her onto the top of the well. Edgar stood with Charles and his friends, keeping her from falling back down the well. Bridgette looked around at the madness. Villagers fought other villagers. Men, women, and children were throwing punches and pushing each other to the ground. All four of the guards lay on the ground, either unconscious or dead.
Where was Thane?
Bridgette used Charles' hand to steady herself as she stood up on the well and looked around. Doc was crouched over a woman on the ground, who was bleeding from her forehead. Bridgette looked farther and saw a large group surrounding something. A white bird hovered above the mob of angry people. Vincent was standing nearby, looking smug as he watched others do his dirty work.
“Stop,” she called. “Stop!” No one listened. The white bird landed next to her on the well, and Senara materialized out of thin air as the bird disappeared.
“May I?” Senara asked, with a hand held out. Bridgette readily pressed the glass rose into her hand. “Try it again. I’ll help this time.”
“Stop it!” Bridgette yelled, and her voice carried out to everyone. She felt an energy within her, which accompanied her words. The crowd quieted, many eyes turned to look up at her. Bridgette glanced back to Senara, who smiled and nodded for her to continue. Bridgette turned back to the crowd. “Stop, please. I know many of you don’t think much of me, but I am begging you to stop. The man you are hurting is your rightful king, who was cursed and made to flee by his brother, who stole his crown.” All of the mob was now looking up at her. Bridgette pointed to Vincent. “He cursed his brother, and he stole the crown. He is the reason for the increased taxes you cannot afford and will be the reason for many more unfair and unjust treatments if we let him continue to rule.” Everyone stared at her silently. “Where is the true king?” Bridgette called out.
A figure pushed out of the crowd and held up his sword. “I am here.”
Bridgette’s heart swelled when she saw him. His clothes were torn, and his skin was bruised, but he was standing. “That is your true king! He is fighting for you. Will you fight for or against him?”
“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Vincent yelled. “Are you going to listen to this nobody? Do you even know where she came from? She is filth and will lead you astray! Take her down! Fight with me, and I will give you peace! My sorceress will show you what I can give you and what I will force on you if you disobey!” Vincent called out.
Bridgette smiled. He didn’t know Madame Rajani was dead, or close to it. “I regret to inform you that your sorceress is indisposed at the moment,” Bridgette said.
Vincent looked around for Madame Rajani, his eyes widened slightly when he saw his guards on the ground. His eyes found Senara, and the rose in her hand.
“You are doing well, Bridgette.” Senara said softly. “Keep talking to the people and help them understand, so they will choose to stand with Thane. I will not be like Madame Rajani and take away their choice. But I will help them hear you. I cannot hurt Vincent because he is a part of the royal family, and I would be breaking my oath if I did.”
Bridgette shifted on the well so she was between Senara and Vincent.
“Well, well, Senara, you are not dead after all,” Vincent said, starting to stalk towards them, his sword still in his hand. “If Madame Rajani is no longer useful, you will do.”
Vincent was stopped by a sword at his chest. “Don’t take another step, brother,” Thane said. “You came here to finish me off. So do it.”
Vincent caught Thane’s sword with his own and used his block to twist back around and distance himself from Thane. They clashed swords again, causing the people around them to back away. Some people cheered for Vincent, while others looked frightened. Vincent and Thane danced around each other with their swords, like they were putting on a performance. Each step was beautifully placed, and the arm movements were large but precise. They matched each other perfectly. There was no telling if one was better than the other. Thane stumbled over a rock stuck in the ground and gave Vincent a chance to slice his arm. Blood bloomed across Thane’s white sleeve, and Bridgette almost fell back down the well. Edgar and Charles kept her up and encouraged her to step down, but she declined.
She shook her head. She needed to focus. She needed to get the people to help Thane, and she needed to destroy the rose. Thane lunged back at Vincent with no sign of being in pain. “People of Oakwater Kingdom. People of Cold Stone Hollow. Hear me when I say your rightful king is a man of skill and virtue,” Bridgette called out. People looked up at her, with fear and doubt. “He cares for people individually and would rule justly. Don’t you want to be able to live without having to give all your earnings to taxes? Don’t you want to live without fear of upsetting the king? Fight for him, and you will get to experience a life without extra stress. If you don’t fight for him, you will find out what kind of king seeks his own brother’s demise.”
Charles raised a fist in the air, and yelled, “For the true king!” His group of friends who stood around the well joined him, chanting, “For the true king! For the true king!” One by one, the villagers who watched raised their fists and their voices. Bridgette felt pride growing inside her with each person who chose to support Thane. She even saw Doc raise his fist in the air.
Not everyone joined the chant. There were several villagers who separated themselves from those who had their fists raised. They looked disgusted at the thought of going against Vincent. It didn’t surprise Bridgette, but it did make her nervous that their numbers were only a little less than Thane’s. Once there was a clear line of separation, with the two kings dueling in the middle, Charles stepped forward and declared one more time, “We fight for the true king!” People cheered and charged toward their opponents. Punches and buckets were thrown. Those who had swords used them. Hair was pulled, and feet were tripped. Bridgette stared at the scene before her, unsure of what she should do.
“Miss Bridgette, will you please come down now?” Edgar asked, looking rather exhausted. Bridgette let the man help her down. “That was impressive.”
“Thanks, Edgar. To be honest, I can’t even remember what I just said,” Bridgette admitted.
“Would you please let me lead you to a safer location?” Edgar said, motioning toward the trees.
“No, Edgar. I still have things to finish,” Bridgette said as she turned to Senara, who held the glass rose out to her. Bridgette took the magical object and cradled it in her arms.
“Do you know what you will do?” Senara asked.
“I have an idea,” she said. “I can only assume you have tried everything in your power to destroy it, but there was something you were missing.” She looked softly at Senara. “The glass rose was born from love and sacrifice, and I think that is how it is destroyed. With your love having been lost, you have not had a chance to end the magic.” Bridgette looked to where Thane fought his brother. “But I do.”
Bridgette made her way through the battle of villagers, glass rose in her grip.
“Miss Bridgette,” Edgar called from behind. “Where are you going? You are going to get yourself killed.”
Bridgette glanced back at the butler and said, “I have to do this for Thane. This is the only way to get rid of the magic.”
“Miss Bridgette, please,” he said, trying to keep up through the madness.
Bridgette ducked when a man was thrown over her head. She sidestepped two women wrestling on the ground. She kept one eye on her surroundings, and one eye on Thane. His arms shook as he blocked Vincent’s blows. She could tell he was getting tired. His shirt was more red than white. She was almost there; just a little bit further.
Someone was pushed into Thane’s way, which made him step back in surprise. The person wasn’t hurt, but Vincent used the distraction to disarm Thane. Vincent’s supporters rushed forward and forced Thane to his knees before his brother.
“No!” Bridgette gasped and pushed harder through the chaos.
Vincent grinned as he raised his sword above his head, while Thane struggled to get free. Bridgette dove forward as the sword came down. She knelt in front of Thane and held the rose horizontally with both hands, using it to block the blow. She yelled out when the force pushed her back into Thane, but the rose stayed in one piece.
“Bridgette, no,” Thane grunted in her ear.
Vincent pulled the sword back, his expression dark. He moved quickly. Bridgette only had time to clasp the rose to her chest and cry, “For the true king!” Vincent thrust the blade forward, and Bridgette closed her eyes. This was it, this was the end of Bridgette, she thought. Thane would be able to rule without the mess of magic, and he would care for the kingdom. He would be the best king the Oakwater Kingdom would ever know, and she was grateful she had gotten the chance to truly know him.
The weight of the rose disappeared. Bridgette opened her eyes to see her hands empty. It worked. She breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked, and she was remarkably in no pain. The air was still, and time was frozen. Maybe she was dead already.
Something fluttered in front of her face. It was a white dove. Senara. “Thank you, Bridgette.”
Bridgette wasn’t sure if the bird had said it or if she was hearing things. Senara gave a final flap of her wings, then disappeared right before her eyes.
Time resumed, and her five senses hit her like a runaway carriage. The air felt sticky and smelled of blood. People were yelling in a panic. Bridgette opened her eyes and blinked while she tried to comprehend what was before her. She still knelt in front of Vincent, but there was someone else between them, with the blade of a sword sticking out his back.
Bridgette scrambled forward. “Edgar!” she screamed. “EDGAR!” Vincent pulled the sword out, and the old man stumbled. Bridgette caught him and fell back on her knees. She cradled her friend in her arms.
Commotion happened behind her. She barely noticed Doc and a few of Charles’ friends fighting off the men who held Thane captive. With their help Thane broke free and was on his feet, sword in hand. He was charged with a new energy that Bridgette could almost feel. The brothers clashed swords once again. Bridgette held her breath as Thane swung, and Vincent struggled to keep up. “You should not have done that,” Thane growled through his teeth.
“Don’t blame me when the useless man ran in the way of my sword,” Vincent snarled. Thane's eyes flashed with vengeance, and he rushed forward. He swung low. Metal clanked, and Vincent's sword fell out of his grip. Vincent lunged, but Thane was quicker. With one last thrust, Thane's blade sank into Vincent's chest. Blood spurted out of his mouth as he fell to his knees. He looked up at Thane with hate in his eyes. “It wasn't supposed to be like this,” Vincent said as he spat out blood.
“You’re right. We could have worked together,” Thane said, grief apparent in his eyes.
Vincent opened his mouth to retort, but his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped forward. Bridgette didn't watch as Thane lowered his brother’s body to the ground. Her eyes were fixated on Edgar’s pale face. His breaths were rapid and shallow. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth.
“Oh, Edgar! What did you do?” she cried.
“For the true king,” Edgar gargled, with a weak smile. “And for the lady who made him so.”
Thane fell to his knees next to Bridgette and looked down at Edgar with great despair. “Edgar, no.” He gripped the dying man’s hand and wept.
“Do not cry for me, Your Majesty,” Edgar said, closing his eyes. “I have lived a full life…serving you was an honor.”
“Edgar,” Bridgette sobbed. “Please—” Her words cut off as she jolted in pain. Bridgette touched her stomach, her hand came back covered in blood. “Oh no,” she whispered.
Thane lifted Edgar off Bridgette and set him gently on the ground. His arms encompassed her, and she felt at home. Her eyelids were heavy, so she let them close. If she had to die now, at least it was in his arms.
“Don’t you leave me, Bridgette Meadowbrooke,” Thane ordered as he picked her up off the ground. “You do not have my permission to die.” He was running now. She didn’t know where he was taking her, but he was in a hurry. “Doctor! Where is the doctor?!”
“I’m here!” she heard a familiar voice call. “Bring her over here; I have my instruments in my bag.”
“Hang on, Bridgette. We are so close,” Thane whispered into her ear.
“However it ends, just know…I have no regrets,” she managed to say before everything went black.