by Aya Ling
Twice Upon A Time
Aya Ling
Contents
Copyright
Introduction
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Afterword
Books by Aya
About the Author
Copyright © 2016 by Aya Ling
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Introduction
Seven years have passed since Kat left Athelia. Through the intervention of the goblin king’s baby daughter, the book is re-opened and Kat is transported back to Story World. Upon learning she is given a second chance, Edward is determined not to let her go this time. His chance of succeeding, however, seems like nil. Kat doesn’t remember anything of their past, she loathes life at court, and she’s anxious to return to modern world. Not to mention that there’s a price to pay for tampering with the book again…
Prologue
“And they lived happily ever after.”
A happy sigh rose from the baby goblin girl. She was sprawled on the floor, face upturned, her large, yellow, cat-like eyes shining with joy. Next to her sat a middle-aged goblin wearing spectacles with a book propped on his legs, the binding creased and the pages worn. Except for the sparkling golden crown sitting askew on his head, he looked rather ordinary.
“How many children did they have, Daddy?”
“The book doesn’t tell us, sweetie. It just ends with their wedding.”
“But what about Kat’s family in her human world? Did she ever see them again?”
“Of course she did. She returned to the human world once she completed her mission.”
The child gave a horrified gasp. “So, she just left Edward standing at the altar like that?”
“He wasn’t left alone, pumpkin. The original Katriona returned to her body, so he still has a bride. Edward arranged it so that no one would suspect Kat had switched places with the storybook Katriona. And Kat remembers nothing about her life in the fairy tale, so she is spared the pain of losing her true love. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”
Said pretty little head was now shaking in pure outrage. “That’s not a happy ending, Daddy! You lied to me! You lied!”
“Pippi!” The goblin king exclaimed. “Do stop bawling, angel.”
“You’re such a meanie! I’m never trusting you again!”
Barthelius tried to calm her down by ruffling her hair, but his fingers grew tangled in her mountain of extraordinarily curly hair—hair that reminded him of that corkscrew-shaped pasta humans called fusilli. “Really, there’s no need to be so distressed about the ending. Let’s read another story together, shall we? Or do you want to see the new doll Daddy got for you?”
He looked around at his court, silently pleading for one of them to offer a helping hand. Unfortunately for him, it was the goblins’ nature to take pleasure in another’s misfortune. Most of them only shrugged innocently or tried to mask their grins behind knobby hands.
Barthelius had no choice but to exert his absolute power as king.
“Krev!” he barked. A long-suffering goblin slunk slowly to his side. He had a face that looked as though he were squashed and ironed as a baby. “Take the princess down to the nursery. Give her another book or toy or candy—it doesn’t matter. When I come back, I want to see her pacified.”
Krev looked alarmed at the prospect of calming the little princess. “But Your Majesty . . .”
“It’s all your fault,” Barthelius muttered. “You should have united the real Cinderella together with the prince, instead of letting Katherine Wilson continue to interact with him.”
“Who, me?” Krev raised one thick, worm-like eyebrow. “Your Majesty was the one most amused when the plot went awry. We were taking bets every time I had a new report to make. Why, the queen even won a purse of gold!”
“That was before I could anticipate this—” Barthelius jerked his thumb at the spectacle on the floor beside him. His daughter was now rolling across the floor, her wails filling the air. “I had no idea she would be so fixated on that damn book. It’s been how many—six years?”
“Seven.”
“Hmph. It seems like only yesterday that we witnessed the completion of that book.”
“Can’t we rip up The Ugly Stepsister instead?”
Barthelius raised his eyebrows and jabbed a finger at Krev’s chest. “To borrow a human phrase: You. Are. Nuts. First, how are you going to track down Katherine Wilson after so many years? Second, how is she going to tear up the book when it’s only seven years old? You can’t compel a human to act unless through forbidden magic. You know the rules. Third, let’s assume she re-entered the book. The prince is already married to the real Katriona Bradshaw—are you asking him to divorce his wife and marry the human? Even if he risks the wrath of the entire kingdom by leaving a wife who did him no wrong, Katherine Wilson will still have to return to the human world once she has completed the happy ending! You’re going to break the prince’s heart twice.”
Krev heaved a sigh. His ears and shoulders drooped. “Come along, Your Highness,” he called to the little goblin princess. “Want to hear a secret story of Kat and Edward—one that didn’t appear in the book?”
Pippi asked so many questions that Krev suspected that were she living in the human world, she’d be one of those diehard fans who created book trailers and wrote fanfiction and dressed up as characters in the story. He pictured her wearing a ball gown and acting out a court presentation to the queen . . . no. The dumpy figure of a typical goblin was simply unsuited for huge frilly dresses. They usually wore plain, sack-like clothes. Goblins weren’t known for their fashion sense.
“Why is your face all scrunched up, Krev?” Pippi asked, her eyes alight with curiosity. “You look like you’ve swallowed a lemon.”
Like a child being caught stealing from a jar of cookies, Krev tried to look innocent instead. Most goblins would have declared him a poor actor, but fortunately, the little princess wasn’t that perceptive. Yet. “Nothing, Your Highness.”
Pippi hugged the book close to her chest. Of all the books Barthelius had created, it was this messed-up vers
ion of Cinderella that she enjoyed most. She belonged to the post-office—or wait, was it post-modern?—category of readers who preferred their heroines strong and feisty. The damsel-in-distress was a thing of the past.
“Did you actually see Kat return to her family?”
Krev scratched his head. A couple of long, mottled-green hairs fell off. Dang, his premature baldness was speeding to the finish line.
“Did you?”
“Well . . . yes. There wasn’t anything we could do about it. The spell works automatically. Once she fulfilled the happily-ever-after requirement, she was compelled to leave. She had no choice but to return to her mother and sister in the human world.”
“But why couldn’t she go back for a while to say goodbye, and then come back? Oh, the poor prince! You can’t leave him stuck with a girl he doesn’t love!”
Krev heaved yet another sigh. He lost count of how many times he’d sighed when talking to Pippi. Really, it was entirely Barthelius and Morag’s fault for spoiling her and giving her whatever she wanted when she wanted it. Every toy she demanded had to be given to her, and every candy she coveted had to be procured. “Once the book is completed, it stays that way forever. It’s permanent.”
Pippi banged on the table with a fist. A crack appeared on the surface. Krev made a private note to mention to the king that the princess’s strength was showing early. “You’ve got to get them back together! It’s so UNFAIR to keep them apart!”
“Your Highness, unfortunately, the spell doesn’t work that way—”
“I don’t care! I want a happy ending for Kat and Edward! I want it NOOOOOOOW!”
* * *
Pippi stalked to her room, sniffling. Everyone was useless. Why were they all okay about Edward and Kat being apart? How could they be so heartless? Didn’t they all tell her that fairy tales end with happily-ever-after?
“Liars,” she muttered, scuffing her small foot on the ground. “Why didn’t Daddy stop Kat from returning to America? I don’t want Edward to marry another girl—he and Kat were perfect for each other! And how could Kat agree to leave him? Why couldn’t she remember him anymore? Did somebody put a spell on her?”
“Your mother did.”
Pippi whirled around so fast that her short legs got tangled into each other and she landed on the floor with an undignified bump. “Who–who are you?”
Another goblin, who seemed around her father’s age, hovered above her, his wings flapping. He looked friendly, but Pippi wasn’t sure that she liked his crooked grin.
“Morag put a strong memory charm on the human being because she knew the girl could become seriously depressed if she went home with the prince on her mind. It was hard enough that she had to choose between her family and him.”
“But what about Edward? Did Mommy also make him forget Kat?”
The goblin wagged a finger at her. “Morag offered, but he refused. The real Katriona would return to her body once the human girl’s soul left, and he needed his memory intact to deal with her. Besides, he didn’t want to forget Katherine Wilson.”
Pippi promptly burst into tears. “That’s so cruel!” she wailed. “Kat should be the one with him, not the other girl!”
“That can be accomplished.”
The wailing stopped. Pippi stared at the goblin with huge, suspicious eyes.
“What did you say?”
The goblin tilted his chin upward. “I am Borg the Invincible, elder brother of Barthelius. Your father was afraid of my powers, and he feared that I’d overpower him and take his throne one day, so he devised a plan and stole most of my magic away.”
Pippi gasped. “Daddy wouldn’t do that! He always said it’s wrong to steal.”
“He told you that you shouldn’t steal, but did he say it’s wrong for him? Parents.” Borg sneered. “Always nagging at the kids while failing to set a good example themselves. Anyway, do you or do you not want to see the human girl reunited with the Athelian prince?”
“Of course!” Pippi jumped up. “Can you really do that, Uncle Borg?”
Borg’s eyes gleamed. “With enough magic, it shall be no problem. However, Barthelius would never agree to perform the spell, so it will depend on you.”
Pippi didn’t understand. What did this have to do with her? She was only five. She didn’t know how to cast any spells. Barthelius and Morag refused to teach her until she was at least a few years older and had a better grasp on her magic.
“Barthelius doesn’t want to see me,” Borg said. “He knows I’ve been trying to get my magic back, so he will try to banish me from court as soon as he lays eyes on me. But you, the daughter of the king, can get it.”
“You want me to steal?”
“It isn’t called stealing, sweetie, just returning an object to its rightful owner.”
Pippi frowned. “If there was a spell that could send Kat back to Edward, why didn’t Daddy tell me about it?”
“Because it’s forbi—because your father isn’t confident in his abilities to wield so much magic. It takes a truly powerful spell to send a human girl from one realm to another. And if you want Katherine Wilson to return before the prince is married, you will need to perform a time reversal spell as well. All this together will cost big magic—enormous magic, I tell you.”
Pippi chewed on her lip. The book, still tightly grasped in her arms, seemed to grow warmer. What would Daddy say if he found out? He’d be mad, for sure, but if he did steal from Uncle Borg in the first place . . .
“How am I going to get the magic?”
“Easy. It’s sealed in that emerald green ring your father has on his forefinger. Get it and bring it to me. I’ll regain my magic in an instant.”
“How do I know you are telling the truth?”
“Suspicious little thing, aren’t you?” Borg held up his hands. He had short, stubby fingers—quite a contrast to Barthelius’s long, slender ones. “Suppose we do a simple pact that won’t need much magic? Repeat after me: I, Princess Pippi, daughter of King Barthelius, will retrieve the emerald ring for Borg the Invincible. In return for your efforts, I, Borg the Invincible, swear to transport Katherine Wilson to Athelia, and also to revert Athelia to the exact moment when Prince Edward’s wedding takes place, in order for Katherine Wilson to resume her relationship with him without further complications. There, are you satisfied?”
Pippi hesitated. Yellow-green light glowed from Borg’s hands. Then, with a determined nod, she held out her chubby little hands, and the light twisted and wove around their hands like a pair of serpents.
1
Life sucks.
Of course, it is rare that anyone can go through a day without any frustrations, but today, everything seemed to go wrong in epic proportions.
It started early in the morning. I was walking down the street, clutching my scarf around my neck, balancing my umbrella in one hand and making sure to keep my bag clamped tightly under my arm, when a car whizzed past and sent a wave of muddy water into the air, most of it landing on my jeans.
It wasn’t just any pair of jeans. They fit me perfectly, snug but not too tight, hugging my thighs in a way that made me feel sexy. For me, they were the equivalent of the jeans in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The first day I wore them, I was asked out by Jason. And now, they were drenched. On a cold, windy day in downtown Portland.
“Damn!” I pulled out a tissue and tried to clean up the best I could, but some nasty brown stains remained no matter how hard I scrubbed.
I glanced at my watch: 7: 45. I was running late for my morning shift.
When I rushed into the café, it was already packed. Typical Monday morning.
“Kat, over here. Right now.” My colleague, Paul, didn’t even bother to ask why I was late. There wasn’t time to yell at me. Right then, the most important thing was to take care of the customers. Most of them were glancing at the clock, their watches, or their cell phones, their expressions full of frustration mingled with impatience.
“I�
�m sorry.” I hung up my coat, washed my hands, and started my first order—all in five seconds. And because I was trying to keep up with the orders, I bumped into Paul right when he’d finished pouring a full cup of coffee.
As expected, the hot liquid splashed on my blouse. My new lilac blouse that Paige got me for my birthday. Great.
“Jesus, Kat, are you okay? Did you get burned?”
“I’m fine.” Grabbing a cloth from the table, I dabbed on my blouse, wondering why I had been such an idiot. No matter how busy I was, I should have donned that ugly brown apron we’re given. In less than three hours, I’d managed to get muddy water and coffee on me. And it wasn’t even lunch break yet.
By the time my shift was over, I was so ready to collapse. I sank into a chair and took out my phone, glad that I had bought a waterproof case for it.
I swiped on the screen and discovered a blinking text message from Jason, my boyfriend of two years.
Although I had long cured my tendency to stutter and stare in front of hot guys, my relationships with boys hadn’t been completely smooth-sailing. Gabriel was my first real boyfriend, who also happened to be a super sexy exchange student from Australia. We dated for a while, and he was surprisingly decent for a guy who looked like a magazine model, but when he went back to Australia, things cooled off pretty fast. He went to college a year earlier than me, and he soon found another girl. Later, I went out with a couple of guys, including a real jerk who had the nerve to cheat on me with my roommate. It burned me out on relationships for a while. Until I met Jason.
Jason is everything I could ask for. Tall, but not so tall that I had to crane my neck to look at him. He’s good-looking, but not so gorgeous that I’d feel like I was going out with a movie star. He’s loving, but he didn’t try to get laid too soon, taking our relationship slow and steady. He’s fond of animals and volunteers at a pet shelter. And he’s studying for his PhD in physics, which especially made Mom (who dropped out of college when she got pregnant) approve of him in the beginning.
