by Eustacia Tan
“She’s our god-daughter,” Grandmother Marie said. “I’m begging you, spare them.”
“And I have. All they have to do is to give the kingdom to me and prove their loyalty.”
“And all traitors should die anyway,” Marcelle said quickly. Lady Bella beamed with pride as the Nutcracker shot her an approving look.
Traitor?
Her dad. Lizzie was already standing but Laura grabbed her shoulder and shook her head. She knew what it meant. She swallowed the scream and sank back down to the floor.
“What did you see?” Laura mouthed.
She would explain later. Lizzie turned her attention back to the room.
“My husband is not a traitor,” Snow White was saying. “He has a hot temper, but as long as I’m alive, he won’t dare raise a hand against you. Please, Godfather, you’ve been so kind to me all this time, why are you doing this?”
The Nutcracker got up and walked to Snow White. He grabbed her by the chin and wrenched her upwards.
“My dear, dear goddaughter,” he said affectionately. “Of course I trust you. It’s your family that I don’t trust. Elizabeth still holds some affection for me and can be redeemed, but your husband is long gone. Take my deal and you two can live.”
“But what will I tell her?” Snow White struggled to speak the words and the Nutcracker let go, causing her to stumble backwards.
“That her father is a traitor. Or if you feel that is too harsh, lie. Tell her that he will join you later and never speak of him again. I don’t care if she thinks he’s alive, as long as you make sure that doesn’t lead to thoughts of rebellion.”
“Your Majesty,” Marcelle stepped forward and Lizzie felt like strangling her. But a look at the prone figure of her mom stopped her. She couldn’t let her mom know she was here.
“Why are you bothering with these traitors?” Marcelle said, her voice sickly sweet. Lizzie knew that voice well, it was the voice that Marcelle used whenever she wanted to endear herself to others, mostly to make Lizzie look standoffish in comparison. “With your power, you could make my mother Queen and I, Princess. You could rule through us for a couple of years and then we would abdicate in your favour.”
“And why would I get rid of one queen only to have another stand in my way?”
“The people would rebel,” Marcelle said otherwise. “There are so many ears in the palace and the last thing that someone as important and busy as you needs is another rebellion. Since my grandmother is widely known as the leader of the council that held the regency, the people would accept us. And once they are used to you, you would assume the throne. It would let you focus your forces on Beauty’s Kingdom.”
What a liar.
The Nutcracker considered this for a few moments before shaking his head. “I doubt the people would accept you. Bring me some proof and maybe I’ll reconsider. Now leave my sight before I have you arrested as traitors.
“Traitors?”
“Are you not trying to usurp my goddaughter’s throne? Now leave, I’m still talking to my goddaughter about her succession plans.”
Marcelle gave the Nutcracker a sweet smile as she and Lady Bella curtsied. But as soon as they turned around, her face became as black as liquorice.
“Don’t stomp,” she heard Lady Bella murmur as they left the room. They didn’t even glance in their direction. “And would it kill you to put a smile on your face? What if his soldiers see you?”
As soon as the two of them left, Laura pulled Lizzie backwards and the two of them scrambled away from the room. They ran down the corridors until they were back in her bedroom.
“When you leave,” Laura said as soon as she closed the doors, “take me with you. I can’t work for him.”
“I can’t,” Lizzie said. “Didn’t you hear him, he’s going to kill my dad.”
“Well, he said it, but did he look like he meant it?” Lizzie glared at her and Laura blushed. “Sorry, it’s just that a lot of nobles like to bluster. Like your father, sometimes, when he threatens to fire us for breaking a plate or something.”
“They are nothing alike,” Lizzie said. “Don’t you dare say that again.”
“Of course, my apologies.”
The two of them sat in silence for a while.
“Well,” Lizzie said, “I guess I know what those rumours are.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t find out about them earlier,” Laura said quietly. “I didn’t think they were important. I was too focused on the market. The Goblin Market!” She jumped up. “We have to go there.”
“Wait, why?” She knew that Laura got scolded for asking about it, but she didn’t get what all the fuss was. After all, it was only rumoured to hold magic items.
Magic items.
“You mean?”
Laura nodded. “We could find something to kill the Nutcracker there.”
“Kill?”
She was thinking ‘defeat.’ She didn’t know if she could kill.
Laura nodded earnestly. “Kill. I mean, if you don’t kill him, he’ll kill the King, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have to kill him first. And there’s no way you can kill a doll without magic.”
That was true. She had dropped a candle on the Nutcracker once, when she was very little, and he hadn’t even been singed. Although he had beaten her until her father grabbed her and ran out of the room.
She couldn’t let him be killed.
“Alright,” Lizzie said. “Let’s go to the Goblin Market.”
Chapter 7
“You do-good dwarf!” Marah spat the words out. Her face was red and she towered over him. Fin looked around but all he saw was hatred. “Why did you scare that customer away? I hope you and your friends enjoyed your cottage because the next place you live in will make it seem like heaven.”
“I’m sorry,” Fin said.
“Stop lying,” Marah said. “You know what? I’m going to sell your soul and then I’m going to sell your body to the Nutcracker. Or perhaps he’ll pay for both and I can have the pleasure of watching him torture you to death.”
Fin decided not to say anything.
“Or perhaps I should bring you to that girl. Then again, I’d have to give you your name and memories back for that to work. No, I’ll just sell you and all your friends. I hope you’re happy knowing that their suffering will be all because of you.”
Marah paused and raised her hand. A thud echoed throughout the market. And then another one. And another. Soon, a house on chicken legs came into view. It was grimy with soot and there were streaks of dried blood on the walls.
“Step on him,” Marah ordered.
The house lifted its foot and Fin dove to the ground. It came down hard on his lower back and he couldn’t help but scream.
“Don’t be a baby,” Marah said. “It hasn’t even stepped on you yet. After all, your body is still intact.”
With great effort, Fin managed to stop screaming. He wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. Not if he was going to die anyway.
“Well? Are you going to start begging for your life?”
Fin tried to look at Marah but he couldn’t move. The sun felt unnaturally hot, and everything was just so loud. He could hear the goblins laughing at him, the animals as they fled from the market and the wind as it rushed through the trees. The house was so heavy, and it wasn’t even stepping on him yet. He closed his eyes. Everything was so bright all of a sudden.
*******
He had been kneeling that day. Kneeling in front of the people he thought he could trust. Well, he wouldn’t trust them as far as he could throw them, but he had assumed that at the very least, he would be safe inside the market.
“Well, ____” Marah’s voice faded out as she mouthed a name, “what do you have to offer us? The Nutcracker gave us a very good offer for proof of your death. Your heart on a plate would do nicely, or so he said. After all, the debacle with the princess and her heart gave us quite a lot of trouble.”
> He kept his eyes down. He had to keep her safe. He couldn’t say a word. Marah’s hand connected with his face, and he realised that she was talking to him. He wanted to reply, but instead, he found himself looking away. His eyes searched the crowd, ignoring the gleeful laughter of the goblins around him. Instead, his eyes came to rest on an old lady, who was packing her wares. Fin wanted to scream out to her, but she looked at him and shook her head. “I told you so,” she said, and again, sound faded for a moment. “I told you the market was dangerous. I’ll never come back again.”
“Well, Tsura, why did you ever come back? Out of sympathy for poor Daji, long gone?” Marah cackled. “This day is turning out better and better. If it weren’t for the promise I made to her, I would have never allowed you in my market. ”
The old lady turned to Marah and fixed her gaze on her. Fin could see Marah flinch, just a little. “We used to look up to you.”
Marah lifted her head high. “Stop lying. You were always afraid of me. Only Daji dared to follow me and embrace her nature.”
“No, you made her embrace the dark side. Let me tell you this, once word spreads, and it will spread, you will find yourself with less and less customers. One day, this market will not be able to support you.”
“Send her away!” Marah stamped her foot as she spoke. A couple of goblins rushed forward, but the old lady rapped them sternly on the knuckles, causing them to jump back.
“Don’t touch me! I already said I was leaving, didn’t I? Good luck, _____” the world went soft again, as she said his true name. “You’ll need it.” All her wares in her bag, the old lady turned and disappeared.
At that moment, Fin felt his last hope slip through his fingers.
Turning back to him, Marah smiled triumphantly. “For all her talk about sticking together and loyalty, she still turned her back on you. Well, you haven’t given me your answer. What do you have to offer that would be more attractive than what the Nutcracker King has?”
The sun felt so hot. It was so hot. Fin tried to find the words, but they refused to fall out of his mouth. But he had to speak. He had to. He had something to do. Someone to save. He wanted to save...
*******
Fin felt something wet fall on him and he looked up to see a goblin holding an empty bucket.
Urine.
“What is that stench?” a high pitched voice demanded. Fin didn’t even have to look up. He knew that voice. He had just saved her soul and she was back.
“Lady Marcelle, what are you doing here?”
“Is that your house? Why does it have legs?”
Suddenly, the weight on him was gone. Fin tried to push himself up but failed. But he managed to lift his head, where he saw Marcelle in a dark blue dress. She was holding her nose and staring at the house as it walked back into the woods.
“What business do you have here?” Marah asked. “I thought you found my prices too steep for you.”
Marcelle opened her mouth but shut it instantly and pointed at Fin. Marah sighed and waved her hand. A moment later, it rained on him.
“That’s so much better,” Marcelle said. “I don’t know how you can stand the stench. And I changed my mind, I’ll pay the price.”
“Wonderful,” Marah said, clasping her hands together. “Let’s go to my stall so that you can sign the contract.” She turned but another voice rang through the market.
“Marcelle?”
Marah sighed deeply and turned around to face the newcomers.
“Isn’t it Miss Laura. And isn’t this Princess Elizabeth?”
It was that girl from before. The one who had hid among the crowds the first time Marcelle was here. He had thought that they were friends, but she had such a look of anger on her face when Fin convinced Marcelle to leave. She had stood there at the market for a long time, ignoring the calls from the goblins, until she suddenly turned and left.
The brunette next to Laura nudged her. “Who’s that lady and why does she know our names?”
“That’s Marah,” Laura told her.
“And she can hear everything you say,” Marah said, walking up to the two. “Welcome to my market, Princess. Is there something that you’re looking for?”
To Fin’s surprise and dismay, she nodded.
“I need something to kill the Nutcracker.”
Marah cackled in delight. “Well, what a coincidence! Lady Marcelle is here for something to kill the Nutcracker too. And luckily for the two of you, I have just the thing.” She reached into the sleeve of her robe and pulled out a shiny, red apple. Immediately, all the girls stepped back. “What smart girls. So you know what fruit does to you.”
“Is it true that we can’t eat it?” Marcelle asked, her eyes fixed on the apple. “It looks so much better than our sugar ones.”
“Not if the first curse was poisoned correctly. I didn’t have the time to make it, so I’m not sure. But I did make this and I know it works.”
“But my mom didn’t die from the apple.”
Marah rolled her eyes. “Because it wasn’t meant to kill. This one, however, was made to kill any unnatural being. And I only have one.”
“Like the Nutcracker,” Princess Elizabeth said immediately. “You have to sell it to me.”
Chapter 8
“No,” Marcelle said immediately. “I’m going to buy it. We have a contract.”
“Not yet,” Marah corrected her. “And if the princess decides to give me a better offer, then well, I’ll just sell it to her.”
“What’s Marcelle paying?” Lizzie asked. She couldn’t let Marcelle have the apple. Who knows what she was going to use it for?
Marah turned to her and gave her a wide smile. “Her body, when she’s done with it.”
“Her body?”
“For her to sell, obviously,” Marcelle said, rolling her eyes. “Human bodies are worth quite a pretty penny here. You can possess it, you can cut it up for spells, you can use it to get revenge for your dead friends, the possibilities are endless.” The words were spoken in Marcelle’s usual haughty tone, but Lizzie saw her hands shake.
“And why do you want it?”
“None of your business.”
Laura nudged her. “Don’t get drawn into an argument. It’s Marcelle, what else would she want it for? Just focus on getting the apple.”
She was right. Lizzie turned to Marah, who looked bored.
“I can pay more.”
“Pay more how? Are you going to sell your soul as well?”
Her soul?
“Or perhaps you don’t mind selling your people. You can start with Lady Marcelle, since you have no love for her. One person every year, for as long as you reign. And I won’t even be picky — you can send me your criminals and enemies and all those other inconvenient people.”
“I can do that,” Marcelle said immediately. “As soon as I become queen.”
Marah turned to Marcelle and narrowed her eyes. Immediately, Marcelle’s mouth closed itself.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Anyway, I’m talking to the princess, not you.”
Angry blotches appeared on Marcelle’s face. Lizzie giggled to herself but stopped once Marah turned back towards her.
“So what’s your answer?”
Her people or her soul.
The lowest criminals or the most important part of her.
A queen had to make hard decisions.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
Lizzie took a deep breath. “I’ll give you my soul when I die. I can’t give you my people, I wouldn’t be a good queen if I did”
Marah shrugged. “Suit yourself. Laura, do you have anything to say? After all, your friend didn’t accept the deal like we planned.”
Laura?
She turned to her friend and didn’t recognise her. A hard, hungry look had come into Laura’s eyes and there was a small smile on her space.
“Poor, poor Lizzie,” she said, giving Lizzie a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “For a mo
ment, I thought that you had what it takes. Didn’t you, Marah? But now you’ll have to stay with Marah. It could have been all those worthless criminals.”
“You’re working with her?” Marcelle shouted, her eyes widening. “This is not what we planned.”
Laura gave Marcelle a half-smile. “Well, I had to go to one of the back-up plans after you ran away. Thanks to you, the Nutcracker has had time to establish himself and his men in the castle.”
“Did you hear what they do with human bodies here? You must have, if you’ve had time to plot with this witch!”
Marah hissed and Marcelle jumped back. Laura looked unfazed.
“Sacrifices have to be made. You knew that and you failed to make them.” She turned to Lizzie and for a brief moment, a look of sadness came into her eyes. “I’m sorry about this, Lizzie, truly. I thought we would be able to become sisters. You would have loved the Princess.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She’s slow, I don’t know why you kept insisting she would be worthy.”
“Don’t be such a goblin-witch,” Laura said. The other goblins quickly took a few steps backwards. “I meant fey, whatever. I’ll come back with your granddaughter soon.”
“I don’t care about her. Just make sure you draw Meihui out of the city and somewhere vulnerable.” She tossed the apple to Laura, who put it in the bag they had brought along and started to walk away. Lizzie tried to follow but her feet were stuck to the ground.
“You don’t go anywhere, Princess. Part of the deal is that the two of you stay here.”
“Remember not to hurt her,” Laura shouted as she walked away. “I will be back for Lizzie. She’s just a deposit.”
There was a scream and Lizzie saw Marcelle rush towards Laura. Or rather, she saw Marcelle shuffle towards Laura. Her feet looked like they were glued to the ground as well, but somehow she was dragging herself across the ground.
“What an annoying girl,” Marah said as one of the goblins handed her a club. “Stop trying to move,” she said, punctuating each word with one blow from the club. Each blow landed on her and made her fall to the ground.
Marcelle made a muffled scream and then clawed at her face. Finding her mouth still shut, she reached into her pocket and took out a small fruit knife. Before Lizzie realised what she intended to do, Marcelle jammed the knife into the corner of her mouth and pulled it sideways.
