To Sleep, Perchance to Die by Kirstin Lund & Patti Larsen

Author:Kirstin Lund & Patti Larsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: princess, queen, fairy tale, fractured fairy tale Rapunzel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel cozy murder mystery series humor, funny, sarcasm, comedy, dramedy female detective, strong female lead Fairy godmother, magic, sorcery, curses romance, true love, heartbreak
Publisher: Mayhem and Murder Ink
Published: 2019-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

I lifted the heavy bronze ring hanging from the lion’s mouth, knocking it several times against the towering wooden castle door. Almost immediately, scuffling from inside answered my summons, the heavy portal swinging slowly, ponderously, open. The cliché of it all made my teeth ache.

“Your Highness.” Mallory peered up at me, her lined, brown face beaming in delight when her squinting eyes focused and identified me as a welcome visitor, at least to her. “What a pleasure to see you here. Come in, come in.” The maid pulled the door open wider and moved aside, sweeping me in with a wide gesture of her arm despite her stooped shoulders.

I stepped into the grand entrance hall, hugging the elderly dwarf on my way in, the warmth of her greeting making my visit at least not entirely unhappy. “It’s great to see you, Mallory.” I released her, sighing a little before speaking again. “I’m here to see King Hubert. Is he here?”

Mallory closed the door, gesturing vaguely towards the back of the castle, rolling her eyes. “Where do you think he is? I can’t get him out of the kitchen.”

I smiled and shook my head at her pinched expression. She pretended to find the king’s refusal to adhere to the traditional lines between royalty and servants a bother, but I knew she was proud to work for someone who treated her like family. “Thanks Mallory. Do you mind if I...” I pointed in the general direction of the kitchen.

Mallory puffed out a heavy breath and lifted her dark gaze toward the towering ceiling, painted frescoes intricate scenes watching over our conversation. “Of course, your Highness.”

I left her mumbling to herself about people knowing their place and went in search of Philip’s dad, my boot heels hitting the marble floor with a bit more aggression than perhaps was necessary, sending an echoing announcement to anyone listening I’d arrived and wasn’t entirely delighted about it.

Blow to my ego or not, no one seemed to be paying attention. I wandered back through the ornate dining room, through a butler’s pantry and finally into the large, and equally empty, kitchen. “Hello? Hubert? Carmine?”

I eyed the small table in the corner, chess board set up with a game in progress, but no players in the well-worn seat cushions bearing the impressions of their particular behinds. The door to the back garden stood ajar, however, just past the table, giving me a hint as to where they’d gone. As I approached, muffled laughter from outside confirmed my guess. I slipped out into the cool air of the aromatic and orderly exterior. Raised vegetable gardens lined a walkway leading into a small grove of fruit trees behind the castle. I sniffed at the tell-tale hint of forbidden scent and shook my head.

Cigar smoke. Oh, Hubert.

I cleared my throat with purpose and an immediate gasp answered, followed by some scuffling noises from the grove. King Hubert emerged first, robust and rounded form dressed plainly in beige trousers and a

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.