Chapter 10 The Astute Princess
742 Words
Elena nodded. So, her frog transformation was tied to Alucard.
Even though she had dodged his curse earlier that day, she knew she couldn't avoid him forever. When the ceremony kicked off, she'd have to confront him.
"Okay, then tell me," she pressed on. "How do I break this curse?"
"Tricky." The mirror's eyes spun around. "The witch's heart has to rot or shatter. But it doesn't fear water, fire, lightning, or blades. Only a curse can take it down—and no one here knows curses."
Elena: (｡ŏ_ŏ)
Again, I really hope it's lying.
"Alright then. Next question." She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Am I missing a guest?"
"Obviously." The mirror scoffed at her. "The Count is raging about it. Your mom's prophecy says exactly one hundred guests are needed—too few or too many and disaster hits! But he'd never let that happen; he loves you way too much."
That lined up with what her dad had said.
But both the mirror and her dad could be spinning tales.
Mary's first rule: The third corridor painting always lies.
Her seventh: Don't trust your father.
And in that first vision? That other Elena had said:
"I'm your hundredth guest."
That went against what the mirror just claimed.
Elena remembered that blank name card—how it changed into showing her own name.
"How many Elenas are there in this castle?" she demanded sharply.
The mirror paused for a moment before its eyes locked onto hers like lasers.
"That's something you need to figure out yourself, Princess. How many of you are there?"
A chill ran down Elena's spine.
How many of me?
She knew there was only one—but she'd seen another version of herself!
Grinding her teeth together, she hid her hands behind her back.
"Last question: How many hands do I have?"
This was a test! If the mirror answered "two," then Mary's first rule applied to the painting—not the mirror itself.
If it lied…
"Two, obviously." The mirror grinned widely at her.
Elena let out a breath.
"Hey, honest mirror!"
"Clever princess!"
"If I invite you over as my guest, will you give me your blessing for real?"
"Of course! My blessing would be spot on. But…"
"But what?"
"I have to say no." Its eyes flicked around nervously. "My game of hide-and-seek isn't done yet. Shh! I think the girl with the teddy bear is close by… Maybe next time, Princess."
The eyes and teeth disappeared, leaving just silence behind.
"Master!" Nini's voice rang out from down the hall. "Nini's feeling lonely! Wanna play hide-and-seek?"
"Nope."
"WAAAH!"
[Nini's Favorability -3]
Elena looked at the blood-stained walls—still exactly the same. Nini's screams couldn't drown out this mess.
Just like that mirror said: her chances of making it were zero.
"Giggle! Master's portrait looks funny!" Nini pointed at the wall.
Elena turned—
And spotted her own portrait.
Silver hair. A smug grin. A long nose like Pinocchio's.
[Portrait: The Clever Princess]
That annoying mirror…
________________________________________
Elena walked into the banquet hall while Nini bounced off, laughing to herself.
Torches lit up the room, casting spooky shadows on the blood-splattered walls—only visible to Elena. She brushed them aside and headed straight for an empty seat at table seven.
The name card was still blank.
No guest here after all.
But in her first vision, that other version of herself had teased:
"I've been right here this whole time. Why couldn't you see me?"
Even after inviting Bloodbloom over, that card stayed blank—until her own name showed up when she turned into a frog!
Was my invitation not good enough?
Or has that "guest" been lurking here all along…
Waiting to take my place?
Holding her breath, she plopped down in the empty chair—
Nothing happened.
"Elena? Just checking if everything's set?"
Stepmother Marguerite came out from the back, dragging the steward along with her.
Elena stood up and curtsied. "Aunt, have you just seen Dad?"
Marguerite's smile stiffened a bit. "Yes. I take it you've noticed your missing guest? Your father is really upset."
"I'll go talk to him."
"Good." Marguerite glided past but then stopped short.
"Oh! You did meet Alucard this morning, right?"
Elena's bright red eyes looked up. "No, Aunt."
Marguerite's calm demeanor shattered. "That's not okay! He has to stick by your side—every second until the ceremony!"
- Writer
