She woke up slowly. Somebody was kissing her. At first she answered to the kiss, trying instinctively to deepen it. When instead of muttonchops and wild mess of a hair her hands found clean-shaven jaw and long hair in a ponytail another kind of instinct kicked in. She bit down hard the lip she had pulled between hers, and hands that just few seconds ago had caressed gently wrapped the ponytail tightly around her wrist and she yanked hard. When she heard a startled gasp and pained whimper she dared to open her eyes.
“Why did you do that?” Delicate looking young man asked, holding a hand over his bleeding lip. He was dressed to a plain, blue tunic and pants. Plain, yellow cape was draped over his shoulders, and he carried a short, simple and efficient looking sword on his hip.
“Nobody told you it’s rude to kiss unknown, sleeping people?” Marie asked, sitting up and trying to place the face in front of her. She had seen the man, she was sure of it.
“But… I was supposed to do that! I was supposed to wake you up and save this kingdom! I made my way through thick and thorny rosebushes…” She held up a hand to silence him.
“Sorry, you found the wrong princess. I already have a prince… Well, he’s more of a knight. And I’m sure he’s looking for me as we speak. I just… Thanks for waking me up. I’ll just go and find him before he gets worried,” she said, hopped down from the bed she had lain on and walked out from the room, leaving quite baffled Prince Charming behind.
She had been expecting to see the busy courtyard of the castle when she opened the door. Instead she was standing in the middle of rundown, abandoned and decaying skeleton of the castle. What weather and different animals hadn’t done to it, mean looking vines and bushes of roses were finishing. It wouldn’t take much to bring down once sturdy and proud fortress around her.
“What happened in here?” She whispered.
“Merlin. He’s gone mad. He’s started to mix storylines in a completely new way. And to tell you the truth, I’m kind of tired of it. You know, you’re my fifth princess in this week alone!” Prince had walked out after her and was standing next to her.
“Every time it’s the same. Old castle, girl sleeping in there. Have to go and kiss her to save her from under an evil spell and then save the whole kingdom and marry that girl. Kind of disrupts the mood when that girl turns in to a frog or a statue made out of salt. Or bites me.”
“I’m sorry. I got scared. I thought you were my friend and…” She really was sorry. Prince Charming shrugged his shoulders.
“At least you weren’t trying to turn me to a stone. The girl I met before you had snakes coming out of her hair, and she made a statue out of me. If one of her chamber maids hadn’t fallen in love with me and kissed me, I would still be standing in there and serving her as a coat rack.”
“But hey? Merlin’s mad? But he was supposed to be helping us!” Marie suddenly exclaimed.
“Good luck with that,” Prince snorted, adjusted his sword and glanced around.
“I have to go now. But if you happen to find another castle like this, and fall asleep, would you please not bite if you wake up with somebody kissing you?” He asked, and let out a low whistle. Huge, white stallion galloped from around the corner, and stood patiently, letting him climb on its back. Then the horse whinnied and galloped away, hooves clicking and clacking against the pavement stones.
“Crap!” She snorted and kicked the pebbles on the ground.
“Shit!” She had no idea where she was. She had no idea how she had gotten here. And she had no idea how to get back home.
“Fuck!”
“Tsk, tsk… That’s not the way to a proper lady to address her inner turmoil…” Voice scolded her. She turned to look.
Old woman, dressed to a long, billowy blue dress, carrying a magic wand, hovering few inches above the ground stared at her.
“Fairy godmother?”
“The one and only,” woman said smiling and curtsied.
“I’m lost. Could you take me back home?”
“Tut, tut… First we have to teach you some manners…”
“Manners my ass, Lady… There’s a man waiting for me, and I have to get to him before he tears this whole fucking place a part, brick by brick!” Marie noticed she was stomping her feet like a three-year-old while she was ranting, but couldn’t make herself care. She had to get back to Logan.
“And who might this gentleman be, that you’re trying s desperately reach?” Fairy godmother asked.
“Sir Wolverine. We were supposed to go home together. Then I fell asleep, and woke up in here.”
“Sir Wolverine? What are you doing in here, child? We have to hurry!” Old woman gasped and twirled her magic wand, showering Marie with small golden stars.
At first became darkness. She was gliding through levels and layers, every cell and molecule in her body evaporating, then arranging back to their rightful places and she stopped moving.
“Uhh… Help?” She was back in King’s castle. Standing in front of the throne. In front of her was standing the biggest and darkest dragon she had ever seen. Piercing red eyes studied her with great curiosity. Then it took a deep breath, testing the air and grinned, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth.
Nihil obstat. Words fell from its mouth like pieces of heavy, cold metal. She couldn’t understand a word.
Anguis in herba. Caro putridas es. Dragon hissed. She started to have a bad feeling. This probably wasn’t going according to any kind of manuscript. She couldn’t remember a tale where Dragon would have stopped to chat with the princess. They usually stuffed fair maidens on top of tall towers to rot away and sat in guard until Prince arrived and rescued their captive. Now here she was. In an empty castle with a dragon. Alone.
She didn’t dare to move, but suddenly dragon tilted its head, and turned its back on her. Somebody entered the room. Logan. Without the armor. For a moment grey mist surrounded him, and when it evaporated all seven dwarves stood beside him, armed to the teeth.
“Marie!” Logan shouted her name and dashed towards her, trying to skirt past the dragon. She could hear soft bells and see a swarm of golden, shiny stars.
“Sorry about this, my dear… Wrong address again. I’ll send you back home now…” She could hear Fairy godmother speak, and everything started to fade away. Last thing she heard was Logan’s surprised and rather loud cursing.
“What the fuck is it with this place? Huh? As soon as I managed to find her, she disappears again! I’m fucking going nuts!”
Aquila non… Dragon tried to cut in.
“Fucking save it. I’m not in the mood anymore. And speak English, for Christ’s sake! And get yourself a life! Stop bothering me!” Logan quipped and turned to look at dwarves who stared at him in awe.
“What?” He asked when they suddenly panicked and started to scatter to every possible direction.
“Behind you, Sir Wolverine!” Doc shouted.
“I already told you I wasn’t in the mood!” He roared, swirled around unsheathing his claws and swiped off dragon’s head. It had been trying to take a bite out of him. For a moment headless corpse stood in front of him, then disappeared with a loud roar. In its place stood a deathly pale woman, clad to black leather from head to toe, black silk cape swirling from her shoulders down to her ankles.
“Prepare to meet your doom,” woman hissed with a low, husky voice.
“Time-out,” Logan announced, turned his back and crouched, urging dwarves out from their hiding place.
“Who’s she?” He asked. Woman cleared her throat, and he could hear the leather creak when she shifted, crossing her hands over her chest.
“In a minute!” He roared over his shoulder and turned his attention to suddenly little too serious faces of his companions.
“Who is she?” He asked again. Dwarves shook their heads.
“We have no idea. We have never seen her before,” Doc spoke. Again woman cleared her throat. He could hear footsteps. Sharp heels clicking against the stone floor. Icy cold fingers tapped his shoulder.
“I came to take your soul. If you would be kind enough and look me in the eye…” She whispered, crouching behind him, hands trailing muscles on his sides, ending to his lower abdomen. Touch sent shivers down his spine.
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