The final installment to my second LLL fiction 'Love-Struck.' Please tell me what you think! Coming soon is a RavenWaves fiction....yes, our dark heroine deserves some stories of her own too!
Enjoy!

Part Six

Back at Castle LovelyLocks, poor little SilkyPup whimpered as she trotted up to Prince Strongheart in the LovelyLocks observatory. The pink lapdog looked exhausted from running around and playing with Lady LovelyLocks during the day. Prince Strongheart gave the little dog a warm smile, knelt down and scratched her behind the ears, where she liked it best.
“Do not worry SilkyPup, Lady LovelyLocks will be back to normal soon.”
The little dog gave a small whine as she settled down to sleep on her plush, tassel-fringed pink pillow.
“SilkyPup? SilkyPup? Where are you…?” Lady LovelyLocks’ voice floated down the hall. SilkyPup opened one eye and gave a little moan as she curled up into a tight ball. Lady LovelyLocks with a vacant smile upon her face wandered into the room, her blue eyes wide.
“There you are SilkyPup!”
Strongheart interjected.
“SilkyPup is tired, my love, maybe you should let her rest…” He took his dazed fiancée but the shoulders. Lady LovelyLocks pouted, her blue eyes watering.
“But I want to play!” She insisted.
Three exhausted looking Pixietails trailed after their mistress, their ears drooped and tails without twinkle. Lady LovelyLocks turned to her Pixietails and swished her shining, streaked hair.
“Pixietails!” She chirped, “Let’s do something exciting! We can catch butterflies…”
The three Pixietails sighed in unison.
“I am-ix so tired-ix!” PixieSparkle whined.
“Me too-ix!” PixieBeauty agreed.
Prince Strongheart bit his lower lip. He needed to help Lady’s exhausted friends!

“My Lady, it is sunset now, the butterflies will be going to sleep…perhaps you would like something quiet to do? We could read a book…” He suggested. Lady LovelyLocks looked perplexed.
“But I want something fun to do!” She exclaimed, her voice child-like.
Strongheart shook his head and sighed- he did not know his fiancée could be such a handful! He looked up as ShiningGlory entered. The socerer looked triumphant.
“What-ix is it-ix ShiningGlory-ix?” PixieShine asked as she saw the wizard break into a smile. He lifted his finger.
“I can feel magic in the air, Pixietails…very strong magic!” He said softly, “Listen!”
Everyone stopped, their brows furrowed. There was a noise. A slight buzzing faraway noise. Strongheart broke into a raidiant smile.
“Do you mean the Maidens have succeeded?” He laughed.
The noise grew louder, traveling over the hills and valleys, over rivers and meadows…towards Castle LovelyLocks. It was the sound of a trumpet note…blown from a horn.

Down in the LovelyLocks village, townspeople leaned out of their windows and peered from behind doors, looking up at the sunset streaked sky at what could be causing that loud, long noise. People murmured as they felt magic tingle in the air.
“What could that be?”
“I have never heard anything like it!”
“It’s heading towards the castle!”

The tingling note whizzed through the village, spiraling around the castle before it found an open window. ShiningGlory held out his hands.
“Stand back! It needs to find Lady.”
Prince Strongheart looked reluctant to leave her side as the ringing note from the Great Conch filled the room. The three Pixietails gasped as the powerful Sea Magic overwhelmed Lady LovelyLocks, the princess inhaling the tingling magic. Everybody in the room shielded their eyes from the blinding flash of blue light that followed as Lady LovelyLocks was finally released from the spell. PixieBeauty opened one eye as she heard the Mermaid’s Song faintly trail off into the distance.
“Oh!” Came as gasp from Lady LovelyLocks as she woke from the grips of the spell, her blue eyes looking around. Strongheart smiled as he raced to her side.
“My Lady!” He whispered, taking her into an embrace, holding her close and nestling his nose into her luxurious hair, “Welcome back.”
Lady LovelyLocks shook her head, confused.
“What…what happened?” She asked, bewildered, “ShiningGlory? Pixietails…?”
“You were under an enchantment, my love, but all is well now.” Strongheart explained gently. Lady’s delicate brows drew together as she looked beyond him to the dark clouds that swirled over her kingdom.
“My kingdom!” She gasped, “How could I have let such a thing happen to my people?”

ShiningGlory and Strongheart exchanged looks. The Lady LovelyLocks they knew was finally back with them!
“My Looking Room, I must go to my Looking Room!” Lady LovelyLocks swished her hair as she lifted her skirts, hurriedly leaving the observatory. The Pixietails giggled and tinkled after their Lady, following her down into the depths of her castle, brick walls parting before her as she made her way to her glass elevator which led to her Looking Room. Lady looked confused, but determined,
“How could I have not known my kingdom was in trouble, Pixietails?” She asked, her rosy lips turned down in a little frown, “Why can’t I remember an entire day? And where are the Maidens?”
She shook her head wonderingly.
“Such questions must wait.” She told herself, “My kingdom needs to be saved!”

The glass elevator rose upwards and as it reached her Looking Room a luminous light enveloped Lady. Her pink slippers pattered across the the white marble and black granite of the floor, polished so well that it reflected everything in the room Lady glanced at her three Pixietails as she approached the centre of her Looking Room, the glowing orange egg made of magical discs throbbing with light as she came closer. Lady sighed as her magical looking glass burst with light, glimmering bubbles attached with beams of light popping out from the radiant glass structure. Lady’s delicate brows drew together as she gazed at each bubble, within them a different part of her kingdom. The bubble closest to her revealed to her the stormy state of her kingdom, wind whipping the luxurious locks of her trees and battering people trying to seek refuge in their houses. She turned to the next bubble, her expression growing all the more concerned. Children were crying with hunger, parents comforting them.
“Do not worry, the Lady will help us.”
Lady’s blue eyes were heavy with worry as she looked up at her three Pixietails.
“How could I have let this happen, Pixietails? My people are miserable and it is all my fault!”
“It-ix is no-ixt your fault-ix, Lady-ix.” PixieShine perched on her Lady’s shoulder.
“You were-ix uunder-ix a spell-ix.” PixieSparkle added, swishing around her mistress.
“Your kingdom-ix needs help-ix!” PixieBeauty chirruped.
Lady LovelyLocks wore a determined look on her face.
“You are right, Pixietails. My kingdom must come first.” Lady smiled up at her magical friends.

The Pixietails retreated as Lady took a breath, approaching her looking glass. Magical light bathed her features as she closed her eyes, focusing her mind to healing her kingdom. The Pixietails shielded their eyes as the Looking Room was filled with light. Lady’s locks swished as she sighed, smiling as she opened her eyes. She glanced to each bubble. The clouds were parting, beams of afternoon sunlight flooding the kingdom, the wind had stopped. Families looked on with awe as feasts of food appeared on their tables, their crops suddenly revitalizing with plump, fresh produce. Lady smiled as she saw the looks of relief and joy upon their faces.
“Thank goodness things can return back to normal now!”

One person was not pleased that things had returned back to normal. Thunder rumbled across TangleLand as Duchess RavenWaves cursed softly to herself, peering through her golden spyglass.
“No! No! It can’t be! Grrr, I was so close!” The Duchess exclaimed, her raven locks suddenly becoming static with rage. Hairball and the three Comb Gnomes gulped and looked at one another, backing away from the Duchess. Failure never sat well with her, and whenever she was angry they could only expect trouble.
“I was so close Hairball! I had the people of her kingdom in the palm of my hand! They believed every word I said! What went wrong? What went wrong?!”
Unfortunately, the jealous Duchess RavenWaves had underestimated the power of friendship…yet no one was about to admit that to their seething black-haired mistress.

“It’s not fair!”

The next morning dawned bright and clear upon the Land of LovelyLocks, a day like any other. Laughter, giggles, Pixietail twinkles and SilkyPup’s yapping floated from the castle garden. Lady, the two Maidens and Prince Strongheart laid out a pink gingham picnic blanket on the soft grass, butterflies fluttering about them. SilkyPup raced around their ankles, the little pink lapdog excitedly barking. The three Pixietails strained as they lifted the heavy wicker picnic basket, overflowing with all sorts of treats from fresh bread to delightful jam tarts. Lady shook her shimmering locks and laughed, taking the basket from her three magical friends.
“Thank you Pixietails!” Her musical laughter lilted.
The wise wizard ShiningGlory smiled wistfully as he lowered himself onto the picnic blanket. Maiden CurlyCrown’s green eyes twinkled as she spied an orange butterfly that crossed her path.
“Oh look! I wonder what type of butterfly that could be!” She exclaimed, flicking through her book full of painted insects. Maiden FairHair smiled warmly towards her friend’s fascination as she poured glasses of pink lemonade, passing them around. Lady LovelyLocks and Prince Strongheart linked arms, looking into each other’s blue eyes as they sat down. Prince Strongheart drew Lady into a tender embrace, holding her close to him.
“It is wonderful to have you back to normal, Lady.” He said softly.
Lady shrugged her shoulders.
“It is wonderful to be back to normal!”

“Yes, we were all very worried for you, Lady!” Maiden FairHair stated seriously whilst she sipped upon her pink lemonade. Maiden CurlyCrown gave a muffled agreement with her mouth full of a jam tart. ShiningGlory nodded.
“I think we all learnt some valuable lessons out of this.” He stated. All eyes turned to the wise sorcerer.
“What is that, ShiningGlory?” Maiden FairHair asked, her brown eyes blinking. The sorcerer smiled wistfully to himself.
“Well, I believe you and Maiden CurlyCrown learnt of the power of friendship when helping Lady LovelyLocks.”
Maiden FairHair sighed and nodded.
“Yes we did. I did not always understand Maiden CurlyCrown before…” She admitted softly.
“But we learnt that we made a great team!” Maiden CurlyCrown, ever the optimist, laughed brightly whilst shaking her apricot curls.
“And we learnt that helping a friend in need is most important…whether it was Lady LovelyLocks, Sir GlistenGill or Princess AquaCrest!” Maiden FairHair added.
“How is Princess AquaCrest? And Maiden GoldenWaves?” Lady LovelyLocks asked with a smile.
“I am sure they are just as relieved that everything is back to the way it was, like we are!” Prince Strongheart kissed Lady on the forehead.

ShiningGlory’s pale eyes twinkled at the prince fondly.
“And I think you too, Prince Strongheart, have discovered something within yourself.” The sorcerer suggested with a smile.
Strongheart flicked back his blonde fall of hair away from his handsome face, drawing Lady closer into his embrace.
“Yes, I learnt something very valuable…I have found within me that I really am a leader, not the failure I had always thought I was.”
Lady’s Pixietails swooped into her shimmerying streaked locks as she took her fiancé’s hand.
“I always knew you were a leader. You watched over me when I was younger, and today you watched over the kingdom when I could not do so myself…”
She trailed off and paused, her rose-tinted lips curved into a small smile, her blue eyes glistening. She then lifted her lashes, her lips breaking into a wider smile as she flattened her pink latticed bodice.
“I have learnt a great deal from my friends and how valuable they are to me!” She laughed as she looked around to her friends’faces. Her gaze then trailed to the storm clouds brewing over TangleLand.

“I only wish that someday Duchess RavenWaves will learn how important friendship is, and that one day she will realize that being nice is far better than being jealous!”
Lady’s lips briefly frowned with concern, her delicate eyebrows drawing together. The Pixietails sighed in unison and shook their heads- the idea of Duchess RavenWaves being as nice as Lady LovelyLocks seemed impossible! Prince Strongheart’s expression darkened- the blackness of RavenWaves’heart had had him imprisoned in the form of the dog for years and today rallied Lady’s own kingdom against her with her poisoned words! He had almost given up in believing that the Duchess could be capable of niceness.
“We can only hope.” He whispered, his blue eyes flashing.

But Lady LovelyLocks was forever optimistic as she lifted a glass of pink lemonade.
“To friends!” She declared with a giggle.
The Maidens, ShiningGlory and Prince Strongheart looked amongst each other with smiles upon their faces as they lifted their glasses. The Pixietails twinkled and twittered.
“To friends!”