A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(96)

“Lieutenant,” General Marquis said in a soft but threatening tone. “I want this mirror to be taken out of my tent at once and destroyed, and if you disturb me with garbage like this again, you’ll be next.”

Rembert and the other soldiers quickly removed the mirror from the general’s sight. Although he hadn’t even raised his voice, none of the men had ever seen the general so affected by something before. The general continued staring into the corner even though the mirror had been taken away.

“Colonel Baton,” the general said sharply. “I do not want to wait until dawn—send the armies out to the kingdoms as soon as they’re organized.”

“Yes, General,” Colonel Baton said. He left the tent, and the Masked Man and the general were alone.

“What kind of magic mirror was that?” General Marquis asked.

“It was a Mirror of Truth,” the Masked Man said. “It reflects who someone truly is rather than how they appear.”

The general became very quiet and very still.

“I assume you must have grown up very poor,” the Masked Man said. “I guess that explains where your drive comes from—a lifetime of having to prove yourself—”

The general jerked his head toward him. “Don’t you dare analyze me,” he barked. “You think you know me, but you don’t know the first thing about me. You have no idea where I came from, what I came from, or what I had to do to become who I am today. That boy in the mirror is a reflection from the past and nothing more. He will never have to prove anything to anyone again.”

The Masked Man knew better than to play with fire. “You’re right, I don’t know you,” he said. “So please allow me to ask you this—a question I’ve had since we first met. Why conquer this world? Claiming a different dimension must seem a tad extreme even where you come from.”

The general walked to his desk and pulled out a thick book he kept in the top drawer. He flipped through the book and the Masked Man could see the pages were filled with maps and portraits—it was a history book.

“Where I come from, each era is defined by the greatness of one man,” he said. “Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, William the Conqueror, Genghis Khan… they were the greatest conquerors of their times. Soon a man named Napoleon Bonaparte will join that list of men… unless another man conquers something beyond Napoleon’s wildest dreams.”

“Ah, I see,” the Masked Man said. “You’re trying to outdo him. But surely you’ll both be remembered as great contributors to the French Empire?”

General Marquis slammed the book shut and put it away in his desk. “Perhaps,” the general said. “But there is only room for one man in the history books.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE





THE ELF EMPIRE


Half of the Happily Ever After Assembly armies are in hiding while the other half stand guard over their kingdoms,” Alex explained to the Troblin Army. “Once we’ve recruited the Elf Army, all the armies in hiding, as well as the ones left guarding the kingdoms, will unite and charge the Grande Armée together. Wait for my signal, and then join us in the Fairy Kingdom. Any questions?”

The Troblin Army consisted of a little more than eight hundred out-of-shape trolls and goblins, many of whom had recently joined, just out of boredom. They were seated in front of Alex in a wooden amphitheater that looked like a doughnut floating in the Great Troblin Lake.

Only one troll raised his hand with a question regarding Alex’s explanation.

“Yes, you with the bone through your nose,” Conner called on him. “What’s your question?”

“If we join the armies of the Happily Ever After Assembly, what’s in it for us?” the troll asked.

The troblin soldiers started exchanging whispers with one another. Alex hadn’t mentioned anything they would get in return for helping them.

“What do you want?” Conner asked. “We could hook you up with some sheep or maybe some solid ground?”

“We want our freedom back!” a goblin in the back row yelled.

“Yeah! We want the right to leave our kingdom!” a troll in the front growled.

The entire Troblin Army agreed. “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” they chanted.

“Silence, troblins!” Queen Trollbella demanded. The amphitheater went quiet. “I am insulted you want to leave the water world I have built for you! Especially since we just recently gained our sea legs!”

A goblin in the center of the amphitheater leaned forward and vomited all over the troll sitting in front of him.

“Well, most of us have gained our sea legs,” Trollbella corrected herself.

Conner rolled his eyes at their request for freedom. “You were put here because you wouldn’t stop enslaving people! My sister and I were enslaved not once but twice by you! Do you really expect us to grant you your freedom?”

Trollbella crossed her arms. “I’ll never understand why humans take being enslaved so personally,” she said. “What if my troblins promise to never enslave anyone again? Will you reconsider, Butterboy?”

Conner looked over at Alex. They didn’t really have a choice—they needed the troblins.

“I guess,” Conner said.