Here is part four, sorry about the delay everybody- the Maiden's set off to find and solution, and Duchess RavenWaves does what she does best...create mischief! Enjoy!

Part Four

SilkyMane’s hooves cantered down the winding forest path, leaving a trail of dust hovering in the air behind the swift and agile horse. Lady LovelyLocks’ cheeks were flushed pink with excitement as she held her mare’s blue reins, nestling into SilkyMane’s pink, flowing locks. Lady gave a giggle of thrill, feeling the wind whip back her abundance of undulating gold locks, her streaked fringe tossed back from her gleaming blue eyes. PixieShine tumbled out of Lady’s tresses as her mistress spurred SilkyMane into a wind-chasing gallop, the little rabbit-like Pixietail squeaking with fright as she clung onto a lock of Lady’s hair. PixieBeauty and PixieSparkle popped their heads out from where they nestling in Lady’s waves.
“Oh no-ix!” PixieSparkle gasped.
“Hold on-ix PixieShine-ix!” PixieBeauty called after her magical friend, the pair of Pixietails carefully clambering down Lady’s tresses, holding on tightly on this rough and rollicking ride. PixieBeauty lowered her glittering tail to her friend, which PixieShine promptly held onto and was quickly hauled up to safety. The trio of Pixietails nestled down in Lady’s hair, wiping their brows with the effort.
“Whew!”

Lady LovelyLocks, meanwhile, did not notice the danger her Pixietails were in as she urged SilkyMane on faster still. Every so often the side-saddled princess would duck her head to avoid the low-hanging hair-like branches of trees that dangled over the narrow and winding pathway. SilkyMane snorted with effort, her pink hooves clipping the gravel and pebbles that littered the pathway. Lady’s lustrous hair was tossed back in the wind, whipping and whirling, almost as if it were underwater. Lady glanced over her shoulder, one hand pushing back her sun-kissed locks. She bit her lower lip and giggled as she caught sight of the figure that pursued her.

Caught up in the clouds of dust and raining pebbles caused by SilkyMane, the swiftest horse in the land, Prince Strongheart atop his white stallion, WindChaser, spluttered and coughed. There was no hope in catching up with his fiancée as he squinted through the haze of dust, exclaiming as a heavy lock of tree-branch hair almost whacked him off his mount. Spurring WindChaser on faster, Strongheart finally emerged from the trail of dust left by SilkyMane’s galloping hooves, catching sight of Lady LovelyLocks’ radiant hair and her ruffled skirts. The white stallion edged up closer to SilkyMane and the princess of the land.
“You will never catch me, Prince Strongheart!” Lady laughed as she shook SilkyMane’s reins, “Come on girl!”
Strongheart looked on dreamily as he gazed at Lady’s smiling and laughing expression, her face glancing over her shoulder as the pair met eyes.

Strongheart’s blue eyes darted for one moment to beyond his fiancée, and what he saw caused his breath to catch at the back of his throat. SilkyMane was rapidly approaching a gnarled, fallen log and Lady LovelyLocks had no idea about it!
“Lady, watch out!” Strongheart shouted, slowing WindChaser as to avoid colliding with the log. Lady merely shook her hair and giggled.
“What do you mean…? Oh!”
Strongheart’s expression turned into one of horror as he saw Lady LovelyLocks gasp and almost let go of the reins as SilkyMane jauntily leapt over the log at full gallop. He saw her figure wobble as she almost lost her footing in the stirrups, then her slender fingers grasp at SilkyMane’s luxurious pink mane, her figure pressed close, hugging SilkyMane’s neck as the horse landed safely, if a little jolty. SilkyMane snorted with the effort and pawed the ground. Strongheart looked down at his hands to find them shaking, then swiftly dismounted WindChaser and raced over to what he thought he would find, a shaken Lady LovelyLocks.

“Lady, my love! Are you all right?” Strongheart caught his breath, holding his chest and panting, his face a mask of worry. The three Pixietails poked their heads out of Lady’s undulating locks, each of them shaking with fright. But, strangely, Lady LovelyLocks lifted her head and shook her shining hair back from her face, hardly fussed.
“What are you so worried about, my love?” She shrugged her shoulders naively. Strongheart spluttered with shock.
“What am I worried about!?” He choked incredulously, “Lady, SilkyMane only just managed to just vault that log! You could have taken a fall and hurt yourself!”
Lady blinked at him wonderingly, her blue eyes wide and child-like.
“Why would I be worried? SilkyMane is the best horse in the land. She would not let me fall!” Lady patted SilkyMane’s neck, cooing to her royal horse. SilkyMane snorted, shied and pranced, still spooked by the sudden leap. Strongheart shut his gaping mouth, shaking his head. He held his hands out as he felt drops of rain fall from the looming black clouds.
“Perhaps we ought to head back to the castle, the weather is taking a turn for the worse.” He put his foot into WindChaser’s stirrup and swung himself onto his white stallion’s back, turning him in the direction to the castle. SilkyMane’s sleek pink tail swished and flicked, the horse chomping at the bit, urgent to return back to the castle. Lady struggled to control her struggling horse as SilkyMane gave a slight half-rear in anticipation.
“Whoa there girl! But I do not want to return to the castle! It is such a lovely day!” Lady protested in the tone of a child. Strongheart looked over his shoulder, a look of sheer incredulity upon his face.
“Maiden FairHair was right!” He whispered to himself, “Lady LovelyLocks is not herself at all!”

As the pair returned through the village of LovelyLocks, the two horses trotting side by side, the storm clouds grew darker, the sparse rain drops pelting heavily. Lady hardly seemed bothered that she was getting wet, her streaked fringe clinging to her forehead, whilst Strongheart squinted ahead, trying to make out the way back to Castle LovelyLocks. As the royal pair trotted through the village shutters were opened revealing curious faces, doors unlocked hurriedly and families peered out as the engaged pair passed. A concerned and hostile murmur hovered over the sound of the rain, causing a shiver to pass up Strongheart’s spine. Lady smiled and waved at her people, not at all noticing that she was almost soaked to the bone. As she smiled at a wide eyed family, the children shrank back into their mother’s skirts. Lady shrugged her shoulders, smiling vacantly. Strongheart could sense an ill-mood coming from the people of the kingdom…an ill-feeling directed to the royal pair! A shout came from above as a shutter window was thrown open.
“There they are!”
Strongheart gasped as he saw villagers congregate before the mounted pair. WindChaser pranced, his eyes rolling back with fear as the mass of people advanced and SilkyMane reared. The townspeople, disheveled and wet, encircled the Lady and her Prince. Prince Strongheart looked down upon their searching faces…they looked wet, cold, miserable…and hungry. Large eyes looked up at him and the Lady.

A rotund lady pushed forwards, followed by a burly shepherd. She carried wicker basket covered by a checkered kerchief.
“My Lady,” She hastily curtseyed, “Our crops have failed!”
The woman whipped back the kerchief to reveal a barren basket, all for a few sorry looking vegetables.
“Can you help us, my Lady, our children are hungry!”
Two soaked children with large brown eyes looked up at Lady LovelyLocks. Prince Strongheart felt his heart catch in his throat, aching with sympathy for these poor people…but Lady seemed not to notice at all!
“My love! These people need your help!” Prince Strongheart insisted and felt sick to the stomach when Lady LovelyLocks merely shrugged and smiled, her expression child-like.
“I do not know what to do.” She admitted, “What can I do? Ask my Prince Strongheart! He knows everything!”
Lady giggled and pushed SilkyMane on through the crowd, her silver-bell laughter hovering on the wind as she cantered off. All eyes turned to Prince Strongheart, who floundered, suddenly helpless.
“I promise, I will find someway to help you! But I must help my Lady first!” He stated hastily, taking off after his Lady.
The villagers murmured, concerned, a thin cry of a hungry child hovering over the distressed and concerned people of the Land of LovelyLocks.

In the recesses of a dark alleyway between two thatched houses, a distinctive cackle and guffaw accompanied two pairs of eyes.
“Huh-huh…its show time!”

Meanwhile, back at Castle RavenWaves, with the soothing drum of rain against the rooftop the three Comb Gnomes, whose duty of the day it was to guard their NeptuneWaves captive, dropped off to sleep, one by one. With the Comb Gnomes loudly snoring, Sir GlistenGill suddenly sprang into action. As Duchess RavenWaves and Hairball departed, the Duchess had made the one mistake of tossing Sir GlistenGill his Replenishment potion. His scaly, glistening skin now moist enough, Sir GlistenGill inhaled, slipping out of the binds his captors had tied around his webbed feet and hands. Holding his breath, Sir GlistenGill skulked past the lolling, snoring Comb Gnomes, scuttling out of the castle that had held him prisoner. Upon the RavenWaves bridge, GlistenGill gave a jump of joy, firstly for his freedom, secondly for the refreshing rain. He looked about for the path that would lead to NeptuneWaves…he would have to travel by foot.

“What is the matter with Lady LovelyLocks…?”
“Mama, I am hungry!”
“I know dear, I know, do not worry, the Lady will help us! Have faith.”
“The Lady knows what to do!”
“Then why did she take off like that?”

As the rain eased, the villagers gathered together, their murmurs tainted with concern. So worried were they about their Lady and their hunger, they did not notice two cloaked figures mingle within them.
“The Lady does not care!”
A voice caused everyone to look about, confused.
“What was that?”
“Who said that?”
The voice piped up again.
“The Lady LovelyLocks has her Prince Strongheart now! She no longer cares about her people!”
Everyone looked about. A murmur hovered about them like the haze of the clearing rain. As the mist cleared the two black-cloaked interlopers were revealed.

The crowd shrank back, children cowered behind their mothers’ skirts and men protected their wives. A pale, slender hand made to push down the hood.
“Now, now, there is no need to be scared.” A familiar voice chuckled. As the hood fell back, the villagers gasped. Duchess RavenWaves shook her ebony locks, a cat-like smile upon her features. A blacksmith pushed through the crowd, a determined, stormy look upon his face.
“Leave now Duchess RavenWaves! We do not want your mischief!”
The Duchess shrugged, a look of innocence upon her face. Hairball threw off his black cloak, guffawing. A little girl cried and hid as soon as the Duchess’ hairy henchman revealed himself. Hairball’s eyes popped out of his head, sparks flying as he rubbed his fingers together.
“There, there little one, huh-huh, it’s only Uncle Hairball!”
The mother gasped, scooping her daughter up and hurrying away from Hairball. RavenWaves shot a look at her companion.
“Hairball! Find me something to stand on.” She hissed.
“Right away Duchess!”
Hairball hurried off and came back dragging a wooden crate. RavenWaves bowled Hairball over as she hitched up her skirts and mounted the crate, opening her arms to her suspicious audience.

“People of LovelyLocks, I have come to offer help!” The Duchess announced, “I can see your misery! I can see that your crops have failed! I can see that your children are hungry! And I am here to offer a solution!”
A general skeptical murmur followed, people looking to one another and shaking their heads.
“How can we trust you?” A man called out from the rear.
Hairball clambered onto the crate besides his mistress, stroking his moustache, his eyes alight.
“Huh-huh, have we ever lied to you?”
The murmuring got louder- this time it was hostile.
“Well, there was that one time when you kept Lady LovelyLocks away from her kingdom…”
“And that other time when you trapped her in her castle…!”
Hairball laughed nervously as the people of LovelyLocks grew restless. He looked up at the Duchess with an apologetic smile. She was livid, her swimming halo of black tresses surrounding her furious expression.
“Huh-huh…forget that I asked!” He stated hurriedly. RavenWaves grabbed him by the scruff.
“Nice going Hairball!” She seethed, then drop-kicked him face-first into a puddle of mud.
“Argh!”

RavenWaves gave a sharp breath, composed herself, turning back to the crowd.
“People of LovelyLocks, consider the past the past!” She appealed in her sweetest voice possible, holding her hand to her heart, “You are tired, you are cold, you are hungry…and the Lady LovelyLocks is doing nothing to help you!”
“We have faith in our Lady!”
“She knows what to do!”
Comments flew back in Duchess RavenWaves’ face. RavenWaves rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Hairball spluttered, wiping mud from his front as he returned to her side.
“These people must be simpletons!” RavenWaves whispered incredulously with utter disdain for the people of Lady’s land. Despite these comments, the Duchess was determined, raising her voice once more.
“Oh yes, you may have faith in your Lady…but does she care for you?” RavenWaves raised her eyebrows, her lips curling as she saw the crowd mutter in confusion.
“You saw with your very own eyes how she did not stay to listen, how she did not care that your bellies are empty, that your livelihoods are ruined! And why…? Because she cares more for her own happiness and her Prince Strongheart than the welfare of her own people! She has her husband now and she no longer cares about you!”
The muttering continued and RavenWaves’ smile grew wider as people finally became convinced with her argument.
“It’s working Hairball! It’s finally working!” RavenWaves clapped her hands and whispered with sinister glee.

The villagers discussed amongst themselves.
“You saw Lady LovelyLocks…”
“She did not even stop to listen!”
“Perhaps Duchess RavenWaves is right…”
“No! We cannot give up on Lady LovelyLocks! She has solved our problems before, this time is no different!”
“Do not believe the Duchess’ lies!”
“But who will feed us and our children?”
“Lady LovelyLocks is doing nothing!”
“Duchess RavenWaves is right…she cares more for her Prince than us!”
“Duchess RavenWaves has the solution!”

RavenWaves’ almond shaped violet eyes gleamed as she rubbed her hands together, strands of her raven hair whispering about her face.
“Perfect!” She purred.

“You were right, there is definitely something wrong with Lady LovelyLocks! I am sorry I did not listen to you earlier…I was a fool!”

Prince Strongheart gave ShiningGlory an apologetic smile as he stared at his feet, his shoulders slumped. ShiningGlory gave the Prince a warm smile, comforting him.
“It is nothing to be ashamed of Prince Strongheart…it is perfectly understandable that you thought Maiden FairHair was overreacting. But now we need you as part of the solution.” The wise wizard raised his silver brows, staring out at the threatening black clouds that blanketed the entire kingdom. The pair turned their attention to a dazed Lady LovelyLocks who was curled up in her rocking chair with a daisy in her hand, idly plucking off the petals.
“He loves me…he loves me not…” She frowned, the petals fluttering to the floor. A white petal descended onto PixieShine’s head, the Pixietail struggling to shake it off. Lady brightened as she reached the last petal.
“He loves me!” She exclaimed, sinking into the cushions with a sigh, holding the bare stem to her heart, her blue eyes dreamy.
“Surely something can be done?” Strongheart asked, his expression heavy with concern at the worsening situation of the kingdom and the progressive haze his fiancée was being enveloped in under this spell. Just as he spoke, the doors to the observatory were opened.

Maiden CurlyCrown and Maiden FairHair rushed in, their cheeks flushed.
“I have the map to NeptuneWaves, ShiningGlory!” Maiden CurlyCrown announced, spreading out the dusty map on the table. PixieBeauty sneezed as the dust settled upon her.
“And I have everything we need for the journey!” Maiden FairHair held up two cloaks, one dark red and the other navy blue, both fringed with twisted gold cords. She also pointed to two brimming saddle bags. ShiningGlory briefly surveyed the map to NeptuneWaves, his wrinkled finger tracing the route from Castle LovelyLocks to the faraway kingdom.
“It seems everything is in order. Maidens we must make haste.” ShiningGlory stated urgently but was interrupted by Prince Strongheart.
“Maiden FairHair and Maiden CurlyCrown cannot make this journey alone! It is long and could be hazardous- surely I should go instead!” Prince Strongheart interjected, striding forwards. ShiningGlory shook his head.
“I am afraid you cannot, Prince Strongheart. We cannot afford any delay, the Maidens know exactly what to do. And besides, I would not consider it wise for you to leave Lady LovelyLocks’ side, she needs you…”
“She is under an enchantment! That is not really my fiancée, I must get her back!”
“…believe me, Prince Strongheart, I have seen these types of spells before. When the object of their desire is absent, those enchanted have been known to fall ill with grief…or worse.”
Strongheart folded his arms, not convinced, huffing a sigh.
“Very well then.” He exhaled sullenly, his blond fringe falling over his blue eyes.
“Do not-ix worry-ix Prince Strongheart-ix!” PixieSparkle twinkled about the Prince, settling on his shoulder. PixieShine perched herself on his other shoulder.
“Lady-ix needs you-ix!”

No time was wasted in preparing the maidens for the journey to NeptuneWaves. The Maidens threw the cloaks about themselves, mounted side-saddle upon their horses, ready to depart on LovelyLocks bridge. The afternoon sun was hidden by the dark clouds…it looked as if evening had descended upon the land early. Maiden FairHair pulled her hood over her brown waves, patting her mare with deep blue ringlet-ed waves for a mane on the neck reassuringly. Maiden CurlyCrowns’ horse with ginger curls pranced excitedly, as lively as her mistress.
“Do not worry ShiningGlory, we will not let you down!” Maiden CurlyCrown stated confidently, trying to cheer everyone’s spirits.
“This is not for me, Maidens, remember, Lady LovelyLocks and her kingdom needs you!” ShiningGlory replied, a cold gust of wind buffeting the old wizard. Prince Strongheart supported the aged sorcerer.
“We must make haste, it looks like the storm may be worsening.” Maiden FairHair stared up at the rolling black clouds that hung above them, tendrils of her brown hair whispering about her face.
“You have the map, you know the way- Princess AquaCrest will have the solution.” ShiningGlory reassured the nervous pair, standing away from Strongheart’s support.
“Look after Lady LovelyLocks for us.” Maiden CurlyCrown added whilst turning her mount away.
“Good speed Maidens, and good luck!” Prince Strongheart waved the pair off.
“Farewell- we have faith in you Maidens. The Lady has faith in you.” ShiningGlory added.
FairHair and CurlyCrown exchanged looks, taking a breath and drawing their shoulder capes closer over them. Maiden FairHair shook her pink reins, spurring her horse into a spirited canter and Maiden CurlyCrown followed suit.

Prince Strongheart sighed heavily as he saw the two maidens disappear into the distance in a cloud of dust. ShiningGlory sensed his doubt.
“Have faith Prince Strongheart, the Maidens will solve this.”
Strongheart nodded his head.
“I know…but I cannot help but doubt.”
Footsteps behind the pair caused them to turn around. Lady LovelyLocks was descending the grand staircase, a look of quizzical wonder upon her features.
“Where is Maiden FairHair? And Maiden CurlyCrown? Why have they left without me?” She looked genuinely hurt. Strongheart sighed and went to her side, taking her small frame into a tender embrace.
“Do not worry my Lady. The Maidens will have the answer.” He whispered softly.
“The answer to what? Why is everyone acting so strangely? I do not see what the matter is at all!” Lady shrugged her shoulders cheerfully.
“Prince Strongheart…” ShiningGlory’s voice by the Castle LovelyLocks entrance sounded strained and worried. Strongheart looked up from his embrace to find his heart clench with fear.

Steadily approaching were the people of LovelyLocks, their expressions now angry and questioning, led by none other than…Duchess RavenWaves!