A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(20)

After defeating Ezmia, the evil Enchantress, she had proven herself capable of leading the fairy-tale world—but perhaps she still hadn’t proven it to herself yet.

A large shadow eclipsed the balcony and Alex looked up to see Mother Goose and Lester descending from the sky above.

“Hey, kiddo! I’ve got something to tell you!” Mother Goose called down. Lester landed on the balcony and Mother Goose dismounted and joined Alex at the railing.

“What is it?” Alex asked. She eyed a questionable sack of gold coins Mother Goose was clutching to her side.

Mother Goose cautiously looked around the balcony to make sure no one was in earshot. “Now, don’t tell anyone you heard this from me, but I just ran into some friends of yours in the Dwarf Forests,” she told her.

“What were you doing in the Dwarf Forests?”

“I was playing my weekly card game with a few of my gambling buddies, but that’s not the point.” Mother Goose held the sack of gold coins a little tighter. “I bumped into Jack and Goldilocks. They had some very exciting news to share with me and wanted to pass it along to you.”

“What is it?” Alex asked eagerly. The last time she saw Jack and Goldilocks had been the night Bob proposed to her mom at the Charming Palace. She had always wondered what kind of mischief they had been up to since then.

“Apparently they’re getting married!” Mother Goose said.

Alex happily clapped her hands. “That’s incredible news!”

“I guess Jack popped the question while they were in combat with a gaggle of Corner Kingdom soldiers—he said he knew it would make Goldilocks swoon,” Mother Goose said.

“When are they getting married?” Alex asked.

“This evening! Just before dusk in the Dwarf Forests! Talk about short notice,” Mother Goose told her. “They decided it would be best to do it with as little notice as possible. You know how cautious fugitives get about their whereabouts. They asked me to officiate the ceremony and pass along an invitation to you.”

“Well, that is short notice but I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Alex was suddenly happy that her grandmother was forcing her to take the week off. “But where in the Dwarf Forests?”

“They told me to meet them in the clearing just south of the dwarf mines,” Mother Goose said with a shrug and an eye roll. “I don’t know why they want to have their wedding there—maybe all the swamps were booked? Anyway, the guest list is very exclusive; only a few people know it’s even happening, so keep it to yourself, especially around here. You know how judgmental these fairy folks get when any of us try to have a little fun now and then.”

“How exciting!” Alex said. “I can’t wait. I think a wedding is just what I need to distract myself from all this Inaugural Ball business.”

“Tell me about it,” Mother Goose said. “I hope I’m still good for it. The last time I officiated a wedding, Puss in Boots drank all my bubbly and started playing a fiddle, a cow convinced everyone he could jump over the moon, and an enchanted dish ran off with a spoon. You know it’s a good party when even the china gets into a little hanky-panky—but I’ll tell you more about that another time.”

Mother Goose hopped aboard Lester, took his reins, and they flew back into the sky.

Alex was thankful to have something to think about besides the Inaugural Ball. She left the Fairy Palace a good hour or two before dusk to meet Cornelius so they would have enough time to travel to the dwarf mines. However, when she went to meet him in the field just outside the gardens, an even greater distraction was waiting for her.

“Hello there,” said a smooth voice Alex wasn’t expecting. She stopped in her tracks. Across the field near the edge of the stream, she saw Cornelius lying on his back and Farmer Robins’s son rubbing his belly like a kitten.

“What are you doing here?” Alex asked, and placed a hand on her wand. She couldn’t be too sure what his intentions were.

“I hope you don’t mind the intrusion,” the farmer’s son said, walking closer to her.

The truth was Alex didn’t mind at all, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. “How did you find me?”

“I didn’t—I found your unicorn,” he explained. “He wasn’t hard to pick out. I assumed if I found him I would eventually see you again.”

Alex had to assess the situation twice. First, as a fairy, she assumed the boy whom she had recently helped was probably seeking her help again. Second, as a fourteen-year-old girl, hearing that a cute boy wanted to see her made her blush.

“Well, here I am. What can I help you with?” Alex said collectedly.

“I don’t need help with anything,” the farmer’s son said. “I just wanted to thank you for what you did at our farm. My father hates fairies, especially when they help us out, but I know deep down inside he’s grateful, too.”

Alex nodded. “You’re very welcome—wait, what’s your name?” she asked.

“My name is Rook,” he said. “Rook Robins.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Rook,” Alex said. “And you never have to thank me. Helping people is what we do best. Now if you’ll please excuse me, Cornelius and I have somewhere we need to be—”

“Wait.” Rook stepped between her and Cornelius. “Before you go, I have something I wanted to ask you.”