"Why did it not work?" Vienna moaned as Alex helped himself to more than his fair share of the sandwiches Mistress Deborah had prepared.
"I don't know." He picked a bit of salad off his plate and scowled. "Maybe we should try it on someone else."
"Like who? Are there any other prisoners?" she asked.
"None safe enough to approach. We could however kidnap a guard, I suppose..." Alex said.
"That does not seem like a great idea. If we get caught, the queen will hear about it surely. It is too risky," Vienna said.
He observed what remained of his cucumber sandwich. "I wish I understood more about how your power worked. The only time it worked was the only time when you were threatened."
"Maybe you can have Mr. Nicholas yell at me," Vienna suggested.
Alex shook his head. "It might have t
