Day Two

Once again, Linea is waiting outside my door. She has another letter for me from Queen Sophia, or rather, she had another letter for me. She heard a disturbance at the Castle, peeked inside, and probably dropped the letter there. She’s hoping that I will help her find it.

I had been looking for a reason to return to the Castle to see if the light crystal in the Queen’s Crest was still working, but didn’t want it to appear that I was checking up on Captain Greg or seeking his company. Now I have one. Thank you Linea!

There’s no sign of the Captain - not that I wanted to see him - but outside the Castle lurks a man who introduces himself as a ‘humble peddler’. He’s heard that I’m going to restore the kingdom which pleases him but he warms me to be careful because ‘there are still some dark forces lurking in the shadows.’

Inside the Castle, the letter is easy to spot. Queen Sophia writes that she’s heard of my deeds from Linea - as I suspected, Linea does report my every move to the Queen - and thinks she was right to entrust the safekeeping of the kingdom to me.

The letter also mentions a gift. I look questioningly at Linea who then remembers to hand over twenty crystals and one thousand bolgins. The letter calls the gift a token of the Queen’s gratitude, but Linea claims the Queen hopes the gift will might help me in my efforts to oversee the kingdom.

Although the letter could be interpreted to mean the gift is intended for my personal use, I reluctantly decide to add the funds to the kingdom’s treasury. Reluctantly, because those funds would have helped me make a start paying my father’s debts. But I can’t risk being accused of misappropriating funds.

Now that the curse has been cleared from one side of the Entrance Hall, the back door, which is missing some tiles, is being guarded by a Goblin named Bouncer. He thanks me for clearing the curse but refuses to let me through the door until I find the missing pieces.

I’ve spent more time than I planned to at the Castle. I need to report to Town Hall and find out just what people expect me to do. I scoop up Lucky and run all the way there.

Captain Greg has already been there and gone. He’s managed to squeeze two desks into the room. Mine is heaped with the various items I found yesterday. His is all neat and tidy. In my mind I rename him Captain Efficiency.

Also squeezed into the room is a Goblin woman named Blessilda and a little boy named Quinn. Quinn has brought his pet squabbit Mr Vanderkins along with him and hopes my squabbit and his will become good friends. Mr Vanderkins and Lucky don’t look too thrilled with the idea.

Quinn has heard from the mayor that I’m going to rebuild the kingdom. He has a secret project and needs some golden oak and obsidian for it. I need to get Mr Vanderkins away from Lucky, so I quickly look through the things on my desk and give Quinn what he needs. As he leaves, he confides that he’s going to build a fence for the animals.

Blessilda learned about the plans to rebuild from the posters. She used to run the General Store at Gobholme but has decided to start fresh in Landsong Village. She needs supplies and would like me to accompany her to Mystic Copse to search for them.

I would like to stock up on food so I’m pleased to have a reason to go there. I would also like some information regarding why the former Captain of the Guard has been replaced and Blessilda likes to gossip. Before we even reach Mystic Copse, she wants to know what I think of Captain Greg. And before I can answer, she tells me everything I had planned to ask her about!

 According to Blessilda, during the war with Dreadmyre - in the very first battle, in fact, - the former Captain of the Guard had been killed and his son, who by the kingdom’s laws and traditions should have been the new Captain, had panicked and fled, leaving the army leaderless. Greg had assumed command and rallied the troops.

When the son finally returned, the men refused to accept him as their captain. They wanted Greg. The son went to see the King, Sophia’s father, demanding that Greg be arrested for inciting mutiny. To his astonishment, the King banished him for his act of cowardice and officially appointed Greg captain.

Blessilda continues to prattle on about various residents of the kingdom until we reach Mystic Copse. She then begins to chatter about the objects she needs for her potions. Lucky and I concentrate on finding carrots and apples.

When we return to Town Hall, I hire workers to rebuild the General Store and promise Blessilda I’ll stop by to buy something when the store opens. This time I do not give the workers crystals to speed things up. Faster is not always better if the rickety storage shelves in my office are anything to go by.

Since I now have the office to myself, I decide to spend some time moving all the things on my desk onto the shelves in the storage cupboard. I just hope I get everything balanced properly. One false move and the shelves could collapse.

I only get a few things sorted and put away before a Goblin named Gobie bursts in. The Forester, owner of the orchard in the Faire of Light, went out to forage for some herbs in the Forgotten Glen and hasn’t returned. Gobie would like me to come with him to look for clues.

At the Forgotten Glen, we find the Forester’s basket. Gobie examines the basket and tells me the thorns sticking to it are not from the Forgotten Glen. He wants to examine them further and he’ll keep me informed if he finds out where the thorns came from.

The Mayor is concerned when he hears that the Forester is missing and suggests that we put up posters asking if anybody has seen him. As I’m hanging up the posters, I notice that the General Store is now open for business. I drop in and purchase an energy potion using three hundred of the bolgins Queen Sophia has sent me.

I feel a bit uneasy about spending the money, but my instructions are to rebuild the kingdom. Surely that means I need to rebuild its economy as well as its infrastructure. Somebody has to make the first purchase and get the economy stimulated. Might as well be me.

Besides, the way things are going, I’m going to need some extra energy. Quinn is waiting for me at Town Hall. Mr Vanderkins is missing. Quinn thinks he must have followed me to Mystic Copse. I ask Lucky if he remembers seeing Mr Vanderkins there but Lucky just looks at the ceiling.

Quinn, Lucky and I go to Mystic Copse to look for Mr Vanderkins. He’s managed somehow to get himself trapped in Mossbeard’s mouth. I stare at Lucky who quickly looks away. Tonight, little squabbit, you and I are going to have a long talk.

Quinn suggests that we ask Blessilda for a potion to wake up Mossbeard. While Blessilda prepares something, Captain Greg shows up. He wants to discuss repairing the Castle’s wall.

I tell him I can’t talk now. I have a missing Forester to find and as soon as Blessilda returns with a potion, I have to go rescue Mr Vanderkins from Mossbeard’s mouth. The Captain hadn’t heard that the Forester was missing and wants me to fill him in on the details. What part of ‘I can’t talk now’ doesn’t he understand?

Blessilda arrives with the potion, asks me if I could find her some moonflowers while I’m out and offers to get Captain Greg up to speed regarding the Forester. Terrific. With her love of gossip, who knows what she will tell him about me.

Blessilda warns me that the potion’s effects might not last that long, so I’ll need to mix the ingredients at Mystic Copse. The potion works and Quinn is so relieved to get Mr Vanderkins back. I tell Quinn to go straight home and hold on tight to his squabbit. Meanwhile, I’m going to the Rose Garden to look for those moonflowers Blessilda needs.

When I return to Town Hall with the moonflowers, Blessilda and the Captain are still chatting but immediately stop when they see me. Guess I know whom they were talking about. I give Blessilda the blue, yellow, and scarlet moonflowers she requested and she hands me a jade and a pink moonflower. Does this make us best friends forever?

Gobie still hasn’t returned with any clues that might help us find the Forester so I might as well listen to what the Captain wants to tell me about the Castle’s walls. He thinks we should repair them before they crumble. He’s even prepared a work order listing cost and resources needed. Captain Efficiency indeed.

Just as I’m about to sign on the dotted line and hand over the building materials, Quinn arrives with a list of things he needs to build a Squabbit Den. I don’t have enough obsidian for both the Castle’s walls and the Squabbit Den.

I look at Quinn, who’s so afraid of losing his beloved pet again. I look at Lucky and think about how I’d feel if he were lost. Then I look at the Captain and tell him sorry, but children and squabbits come first and give the supplies to Quinn. Quinn tells me he’s so happy he could cuddle me.

The Captain lifts his eyebrow and asks if he promises to cuddle me, could he have the next batch of obsidian? And of course my new BFF Blessilda chooses that moment to return. She apologizes for interrupting us but she thought I might want to know that I could trade a set of moonflowers for ten pieces of obsidian and gives me directions to the Exchange. Too bad I have nothing that can be traded for some poster glue so I can glue the Captain’s eyebrow in place and Blessilda’s mouth shut.

When I return from the Exchange with the obsidian, Gobie is waiting for me. According to him, the thorns on the Forester’s basket could only have come from the Rose Garden. We need to go rescue him. Now!

Sounds good to me. Better than staying here and being cuddled by a man who’s involved with another woman. Guess the Captain didn’t think I had noticed the moonstone pendant around his neck. Or maybe he thinks my change in circumstances means he can take liberties with me. Wrong on both counts.

I tell the Captain to help himself to the building supplies and follow Gobie to the Rose Garden where we find the Forester lying in a ditch and covered with vines. Gobie and I remove the vines and free him. We then return to Town Hall where the Mayor joins us. The Forester tells us about seeing a cloaked man casting some sort of a spell in the forest. The man saw him and trapped him.

The Mayor tells me it’s the first time someone was attacked in this manner. He’s going to warn the citizens. Good. I’ll leave it to him to tell Captain Greg. I’m going home. It’s been a long day, so long that I can’t even remember how it started.

As I fix dinner, I tell Lucky I think I know why Queen Sophia chose me to be steward in spite of my lack of qualifications. Nobody else wanted the job.

Day Four

I’m feeling very pleased with myself. This is only the beginning of my fourth day as Steward and I’ve already helped repair three buildings, with a fourth scheduled to be repaired today, found enough food so I don’t starve, acquired a pet (Lucky) and two friends (Quinn and Blessilda), and ignited a man’s passion (Chumblepot). There’s room for improvement, especially on the last item, but over all, I’m doing quite well for a woman who never expected she’d have to work for a living.

There’s nobody at Town Hall, but I can see a steady stream of people making their way up to the Castle. Better check it out. I really need to go there anyway to look at the ‘little bit of nature’ Captain Greg wanted and see if has made the Castle seem less gloomy.

I have to admit that the trees do make the Castle look less gloomy. It’s the sight of the Captain chatting with a woman wearing a sunstone pendant that has lowered my spirits. Everybody except the Captain and Miss Sunstone Pendant are looking the empty pond. Make that previously empty pond. It now contains what looks like a purple orb which is emitting a purple haze.

The Mayor is too scared to investigate the mysterious object and wants me to do it. I sigh and step into the pond. Just as I’m about to touch what is indeed a purple orb, the Captain cries out ‘Berengaria, no!’ and pulls me out of the pond and into his arms. Seconds later, a cloaked figure rises up from the orb and the pond fills with purple vines which also emit a purple haze

My heart is racing and I can’t stop shaking. I can feel somebody stroking my hair and a voice whispering soothingly in my ear over and over "I’ve got you. You’re safe." From what seems like far away I can hear the Mayor asking if I’m all right and telling me how brave I was to check out that malevolent orb.

As the Mayor, the Captain and I stare glumly at the pond wondering how we can dispel the curse, the Peddler appears and offers his services for free. But he stresses that this is a one time offer made only because there’s a danger the curse could spread beyond the pond.

He gives me a list of things he will need from the Ancient Pond, Fairy Dragon Nest, and Rose Garden. At the mention of the Rose Garden, Captain Greg sets his jaw and declares that The Rose Garden if off limits to me until he finds out just why the cloaked stranger had been there.

I’m pretty sure I already have the things needed from the Rose Garden back at Town Hall. I look around for Lucky. He was some distance away, squabbling over a carrot with Mr Vanderkins, and had missed all the excitement at the pond.

As we walk back to Landsong Village, it dawns on me that during the entire consultation with the Mayor and the Peddler, Captain Greg had continued to hold me in his arms! Even now, as we stroll down the hill, he has his arm across my shoulders. I can just imagine what the citizens are saying about me. Seeing as how my reputation is already ruined, I leave his arm exactly where it is.

At Town Hall, the Captain watches as I gather up the items the Peddler needs and checks them against the list. Satisfied that I will not need to go to the Rose Garden, he departs.

Quinn has followed me back to Town Hall and asks me to take him to the Rose Garden so that he can see where the Forester was attacked. Not today, I tell him. Next he asks if we can go light crystal hunting. He’s sure he’s seen some at the Forgotten Glen, Mystic Copse, and Ancient Pond.

Hmm. If whatever the Peddler has got planned doesn’t do the trick, light crystals might. I agree that Quinn can come with me to the Ancient Pond, but he’ll have to leave Mr Vanderkins at the Squabbit Den where he will be safe from the curse. Quinn agrees.

Lucky looks at me. I tell him if he’s afraid of the curse, he too can stay at the Squabbit Den. Lucky decides he’d rather go with me to the Ancient Pond. I also need to go to the Fairy Dragon Nest and decide we should go there first. I only need one more rune from there and find it quickly. I also manage to grab the glass shards I need for Chumblepot.

At Ancient Pond, while I look for skycrystal earrings, Quinn searches for a large light crystal. The one he finds turns out to be an ordinary crystal, useless for dispelling curses. So much for Plan B. I hope the things the Peddler wants work.

We race back to the pond and the Peddler uses the objects to dispel the curse. Not having magic, I’m clueless as to what he did, but the vines are gone so I’m happy. The Peddler takes the purple ominous orb as payment for his services. I’m uneasy about that, but have no other ideas as to how to get rid of the thing, so I agree.

As the Peddler leaves, he warns me to keep my guard up because it seems that someone is not pleased with me restoring the kingdom. Well, I’m not pleased with someone cursing the kingdom, so I guess that makes us even.

When I return to Landsong Village, it occurs to me that I never got around to hiring workers to rebuild the Glassworks shop as I had promised. Better do that right now before another emergency crops up.

What to do next? Maybe I should find Quinn and look for those light crystals. There’s still a curse in the interior of the Castle that needs to be dispelled. And I’d like to get a few days worth of food stockpiled. The places Quinn spotted crystals are my favorite foraging spots so far.

While Quinn looks for light crystals and the squabbits fight over the carrots they find, I search for food. I pick up a pumpkin and some corn at the Forgotten Glen which I can use to make soup, and find an eggplant and a pineapple at Mystic Copse. I also remember that I’m supposed to be looking for things that the citizens might need and grab as many moonflowers, runes, pots of glue etc as I can carry.

Quinn is upset because all the crystals he finds are ordinary ones. And he still wants to go to the Rose Garden to see where the Forester was attacked. Not until Captain Greg says we can, I tell him.

The Mayor also wants me to go to the Rose Garden. He tells me the first step to rebuilding the Skyward Castle is to find out the many secrets of the Dreamless Castle. The Rose Garden is said to contain many of the secrets left behind during the Exodus.

The Mayor wonders if the cloaked man was looking for the relic ‘we’ found yesterday. I just shrug. I wonder if Captain Greg knows about the Mayor wanting me to go to the Rose Garden. Must be okay. The Mayor wouldn’t disobey the Captain, would he?

In the Rose Garden Quinn finds a cockatrice egg. We also find a fragment of cloth which might have come from the cloak of our mystery man. We stay long enough for Quinn to find three eggs and for me to catch another lobster. Then it’s back to Town Hall to show the Mayor the piece of torn cloth before heading home.

As I drift off to sleep, I relive the events at the pond and realize I have a new problem to deal with. I’m falling in love with Captain Greg.

Day 6

Last night I thought about whether to tell Captain Greg about the graffiti and decided not to. The missing moonstone pendant, the graffiti and the argument Quinn reported all added up to Miss Sunstone giving the Captain an earful about me. The last thing he needs is me giving him an earful about her. Besides, I’m already involved in a more serious triangle with the Captain and the Mayor.

It might just be my imagination, but I get the feeling that the Mayor and Captain Greg are having some sort of power struggle, possibly over which one of them is in charge, or possibly over which one of them should be advising me. I’m not at all happy about them using me to score points against each other.

When I arrive at Town Hall, before the Captain can start asking questions about why Town Hall hadn’t been expanded and the Glassworks and Squabbit Den had, and just where had I been all day, I tell him about Quinn and the animals. He grudgingly admits I made the right decision.

When I tell him that Chumblepot has offered to repair the Castle’s glasswork but needed a big shop in order to do so, he’s positively beaming. Repairing the Castle means a lot to him for some reason. When I mention that Chumblepot needs me to go to the Rose Garden, thunderclouds appear. The Rose Garden is still off limits.

Fine, I tell him. I’ll go to the Faire of Light with Quinn. The Mayor also asked me to go there. I flounce out and then flounce back in. I had forgotten I need to hire workers to expand Town Hall. I grab the paperwork off my desk, sneak a look at the Captain and notice the pendant is still missing, and leave.

Lucky is looking glum at the prospect of spending more time with Mr Vanderkins. I’m not thrilled about spending yet another day with Quinn. Maybe if we visit the Wingferry first, Quinn will want to spend some time with this grandfather and we can visit Troglid without him. Lucky perks up.

The first thing I notice when I arrive at the Faire of Light is that the Orchards are covered with a purple fog. Purple is rapidly becoming my least favorite color. Yet another area of the kingdom has been cursed. Why hasn’t anybody reported this?

Quinn’s grandfather, Old Man Seth, behaves like everybody else and pretends he has never met me before. I’m so tempted to introduce myself as Berengaria, daughter of Berengar the Crook. It’s what everybody’s thinking, might as well say it.

The Wingferry is broken..again, according to Seth...and will need to be repaired. Before it can be repaired, it will need to be stabilized. I tell Seth to make up a list of what is needed. I’ll pick it up after I visit with Troglid.

I can’t find Troglid anywhere, but I’m getting good at figuring out what is needed to repair buildings. And I can always ask the Mayor since it was his idea to start the rebuilding of the Faire of Light with the carpentry shop.

When I stop to pick up Seth’s list before returning to Town Hall, he mentions that he hopes I can find the relics missing from the Faire of Light pedestals. And while I’m at it, he’s lost his pass to visit Apricus Plaza. If I find it, I can keep it. He thinks he might have left it behind when he visited Landsong Village no too long ago.

Right. Repair the Wingferry, repair the carpentry shop, find the relics, find the missing pass, report the purple fog. Did I forget anything? I didn’t, but Quinn did. He hands me a tile piece he found while playing. Looks like it could fit the Castle’s interior door.

The Mayor then oh so casually mentions that he saw what looked like the cloaked man wandering through the orchards just before a curse fell on the trees. He thinks finding some of the relics may help dispel the curse. Before I can ask him if Captain Greg has been informed, the Mayor leaves.

I decide to check out the new office. It’s larger but not large enough to divide into two separate rooms. At least the desks aren’t facing each other and touching. What to do next? The list of things I need from the Rose Garden has grown. In addition to the two kinds of eggs Chumblepot needs, Seth needs toolboxes.

Lucky gives me a disapproving look when I mention the Rose Garden. Okay, okay, we won’t go there just yet. We’ll go ask Seth where else he might have left his pass. Maybe Mr Vanderkins will still be visiting him.

Seth gives me a list of three places where he could have dropped the pass while out for a stroll: Mystic Copse, Ancient Pond...and the Rose Garden. I tell Lucky it’s a sign that we’re meant to go there. Lucky is ready to go anywhere that Mr Vanderkins isn’t, even someplace that Captain Greg has declared off-limits.

To play it safe, I’ll check the other two places first. Maybe the pass will be found without visiting the Rose Garden. No such luck, but I do find the Pearl of Purity at Ancient Pond. The Mayor had thought its existence only a rumor.

The pass isn’t at the Rose Garden either. And although I find plenty of toolboxes and the cockatrice egg Chumblepot needs, I don’t find a single songbird egg. And I need five of those. At least I’ve managed to find myself some dinner.

I’ve had enough for one day. We’re going back to Town Hall to show the Mayor the pearl and then we’re going home. I just hope I’m not going to find more graffiti decorating my abode.

When I show the pearl to the Mayor, he congratulates me on my knack of finding valuable things and wonders when I’ll use it to purify the Mystic Pool. I just shrug. I’ll get to it when I get to it. That goes for the door tile I’m still carrying around.

I can hear a loud thumping noise coming from my office and go to investigate. Captain Greg is rearranging the desks so that they face each other and touch. The smile he gives me soon turns to a frown as he reaches out to remove a scarlet moonflower from my hair.

Caught red-handed. Or should that be red-flowered? I try to explain about all the things I needed from the Rose Garden and how it’s very unlikely that the cloaked figure is lurking there because since attacking the Forester he’s moved on to curse the pond and the Orchards.

The Captain isn’t interested in what I’ve got to say. He just keeps yelling and slamming his hand down on the desk, going on and on about how difficult I’m making his job. Difficult? I’m doing everything in my power to stay out of his way.

I ask him what has happened to the kind, considerate man he used to be. Why has he changed? He replies that he’s grown up whereas I haven’t. According to him, I’m still the same spoiled, arrogant, willful little girl who does whatever she pleases.

In that case, why ask for my hand in marriage all those years ago? Captain Greg just shakes his head. Obviously I hadn’t listened then, just as I don’t listen now. Or did I forget what my father said? He was after my fortune, the one that didn’t exist then and probably never did.

During this exchange Lucky has been cowering in the corner. I pick him up and before leaving tell Captain Greg he must be glad my father said no. He’s had a very lucky escape. We both have.

As I run home crying, cradling Lucky in my arms, I can hear the Captain calling my name, telling me to wait, claiming that he didn’t mean it. I keep on running until I’m home and lock the door behind me.

Day 8

I had hoped to get to the office before Captain Greg arrived. The time I would have spent clearing the side yard yesterday, I had used to make him a thank you gift. The handkerchief he had left behind was coarse, and the embroidery rather plain. I wondered who had made it for him. No matter, I decided that I would make him half a dozen new ones. I had found some of my father’s silk shirts, scissors, thread, and embroidery floss and spent the evening sewing.

I had been very pleased with my handiwork before I went to sleep, but this morning I wasn’t so confident. Suppose he didn’t like them? Suppose he got angry with me yet again? If I could arrive at work early enough, I could just leave them on his desk. By the time he found them, I’d already be at Apricus Plaza and I wouldn’t have to witness his reaction.

The Captain had the same idea about surprising me and had arrived even earlier than I did to rearrange the desks so that once again, they were facing each other and touching. On my desk was a glass containing a batch of various colored moonflowers. Nice touch.

I placed the present on his desk and then sat down and buried my head in papers as if I was trying to decide what to work on today, sneaking glances to see what his reaction would be. He looked stunned and shocked.

I had never given a gift to a man before. Was my decision improper, my choice of gift too personal? Why doesn’t he say something? Well, if he won’t, I will. I blurt out that I was thinking of going to Apricus Plaza today.

Just then the Mayor and Blessilda burst in. They both notice the pile of handkerchiefs, remark upon the fine workmanship and look knowingly at each other. Terrific. The entire kingdom will know about the gift before the day is over. Why not just announce it on a poster?

The Mayor eventually remembers why they wanted to see me. The Forester has had a sudden memory of his vine attack and was struck ill by magic. The mention of magic always makes me uneasy. I haven’t got any, I don’t understand how it works.

I don’t need to understand. Blessilda knows a recipe to cure him and needs me to fetch the ingredients. I pray to every deity I know and any others that might exist that she does not need me to go to the Rose Garden. Not today. Not now. And she doesn’t. The things she wants can be found at the Forgotten Glen, Mystic Copse and Dawnshadow Lake. Right. Lucky and I will leave at once.

I glance once more at the Captain’s desk. The handkerchiefs are no longer there but I can see a corner of one sticking out of his shirt sleeve. He smiles as he tucks it totally out of sight. I guess that means he likes them.

It’s turning out to be a good day, in spite of the Forester’s flu. The things needed to cure him are found in some of my favorite places to visit. And maybe when the Forester is cured, he’ll give me some advice about planting fruits and vegetables.

When I return, the Captain is gone but Blessilda is waiting for me. She still needs something else, a Blue Shard Crystal from the Ancient Pond. It has healing properties and dispels harmful magic. Sounds easy enough to find.

I’ve found enough bolgite today for the Captain to be able to repair the lamps and pathways up at the Castle. I just wish I could get time to tell him so. Maybe I’ll write a letter as soon as I get back to Town Hall and get Linea to deliver it.

Once I return, it doesn’t take long for Blessilda to make the potion and administer it to the Forester. And it doesn’t take long for the Mayor to bring the Forester to see me. It does take long for Linea to show up, too long. The Forester has remembered the man who attacked him mentioned going to the Dreamless Castle. If I go there, we might find a lead.

It’s been almost a week since the Forester was attacked. How likely is it that we’ll find any clues? And what is the Captain going to say when he finds out I’ve been traipsing around looking for the suspicious cloaked man?

The Mayor has decided to go with me and is impatient to leave. Linea still hasn’t shown up. I scribble a quick note about where I’m going and why, leave it on Captain Greg’s desk, and start praying to the gods and goddesses that he won’t be too angry when he reads it.

When we arrive at the Dreamless Castle, we catch a glimpse of the cloaked man standing by a stone statue. When he sees us he breaks the statue into a number of pieces. The Mayor urges me to reassemble the statue and when I do, the stone crumbles and reveals a man, a prince to be exact.

The man introduces himself as Prince Edric. He appears to be dazed and confused. That makes two of us. How was I able to release him from the stone? I have no magic. The Mayor is alarmed that petrify magic was used to trap the prince. Dreadmyre was already vanquished by Queen Sophia. So who petrified the prince?

I suggest to the Mayor that perhaps it would be better if we continued this conversation at Town Hall and informed Captain Greg about what has happened. But yet again I’m prevented from seeing or speaking to the Captain. Seth is waiting for me with a message from Gobie. He has something important for me and I’m to meet him at Apricus Plaza.

Looks like I’m going to visit Apricus Plaza today after all. When I get there, Gobie tells me he found a strange object which he thinks could be a relic. But he must have dropped it while waiting for me. People in the kingdom seem to have a predilection for losing whatever it is they wanted to give me.

Eventually the object is found and it turns out to indeed be a relic, a fragment of the Faire Luminous Relic. And inserting it into the Faire of Light Pedestal dispels the curse that had been enveloping the Orchards. All that remains to be done today is to return to Town Hall and hope Captain Greg isn’t too annoyed with me.

He’s waiting for me and has already been updated on my activities by the Mayor. Instead of being angry, he appears to be dazed. I’m feeling a bit tired and decide to go home. The Captain insists on walking me home and on the doorstep, gives me a kiss on the hand. His manner reminds me of how the courtiers would greet and take leave of the king and queen. How very odd.

Day 10

This morning I found two very interesting items on my desk. The first one was a notice from the auction house. The puppet I had listed with them sold for three thousand bolgins! I tell Lucky it must be beginner’s luck. Captain Greg arrives and wants to know what was beginner’s luck. I show him the notice and watch for the eyebrow to begin its ascent.

The other item is a business card which reads ‘Fahleed’s Fine Attire Emporium’. Mr Fahleed would like to discuss the possibility of opening up a shop in the Faire of Light. I certainly have time to see him - everything else I need to do involves going to the Rose Garden, and my newly appointed advisor is still against the idea.

I had pleaded my case yesterday to no avail. Last night, I spent several hours making sketches of each area that had been cursed by cloaked stranger, drew maps and noted each location where he had been spotted, listed the name of his victims, and tried to find something all the people, places and things had in common.

The conclusion I came to was they had nothing in common. The Forester and Prince Edric had been attacked because they had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If the Mayor was right, and he had been after the relic, since it’s now back in Landsong Village, the Rose Garden must be one of the least likely places the cloaked man would return to.

I dump all my maps, sketches, charts and analysis on Captain Greg’s desk, ask him to at least look at them, scoop up Lucky and depart for the Faire of Light to meet with Fahleed.

Fahleed outlines his plans for a shop and shows me samples of his fabrics. In addition to selling fine garments made to order, he would also be producing bedding, draperies and carpets. I look wistfully at the beautiful fabrics that I can no longer afford, but agree to help finance his shop. There are plenty of the kingdom’s citizens who can afford the items he will sell.

The office is empty and the papers I asked the Captain to look at are back on my desk. The word ‘No’ is written in large red letters. I sit to down to consider my options.

I could just wait here until somebody needs something that doesn’t involve visiting the Rose Garden, I could visit the various shops and see if anybody needs my help, I could go out looking for food. Or I could go to the Rose Garden against the Captain’s advice. After all, just because I’m supposed to seek his advice, that doesn’t mean I have to take it.

My mind is made up: we’re going to the Rose Garden. Lucky looks displeased. Fine, I’ll go without you. You can go visit Mr Vanderkins at the Squabbit Den. Lucky opts for the Rose Garden.

Outside Town Hall, Blessilda stops me. The Mayor mentioned to her that I was exploring the Dreamless Castle and she thinks she might be able to concoct a root potion for the carriage at the Forgotten Glen. She’ll need some moonflowers and they must be fresh-picked ones.

And what do you know, one of the places I need to pick moonflowers at is the Rose Garden. I’ll have to search quickly and get back before Blessilda has a chance to speak to Captain Greg. I’d prefer to be the one who tells him I’ve visited the Rose Garden.

When I return Blessilda thanks me and hurries off to make her potion. I hurry to put the items I’ve found in the storage cupboard. I’ve found some of those eggs Chumblepot needs but it might be a good idea to wait a day or two before delivering them. The Rose Garden might not be off limits tomorrow.

Blessilda soon returns. The potion fizzled. She needs more ingredients, including moonflowers, to try again. But this time they don’t have to be fresh ones. That’s good news. Very good news. I already have everything she needs.

Blessilda leaves but returns shortly to inform me the potion is almost complete. It just needs a bit of magic from Mossbeard. Any item will do. Lucky and I hurry off to Mystic Copse.

I’m always surprised when I go there to find Mossbeard still awake. Blessilda had said the potion I gave Mossbeard when I was rescuing Mr Vanderkins would wear off quickly. I’d hate to see a long lasting potion.

What to choose for the root potion? Blessilda said anything will do, so I’ll take the fruit and veggies for me and one of these nasty looking insects for her. It had never occurred to me that the items in Mossbeard’s mouth were magical. If I eat enough of them, will that give me magic and make me like everybody else? Do I want to be like everybody else?

Captain Greg and Blessilda are both waiting for me at Town Hall. Has she told him where I’ve been? She takes the cricket I found for her and leaves to work on the root potion. While I wait, I pretend to examine the food I’ve found, stealing glances at the Captain trying to figure out what he knows or has guessed about my visit to the Rose Garden. His face reveals nothing.

I wish Blessilda would hurry up. The sooner I get to the Forgotten Glen with the potion, the sooner I can return to Town Hall and confess my crime. At last she returns with the potion. I just hope it works.

Inside the Royal Carriage I find a bottle of perfume. I spray some on my wrist and ask Lucky’s opinion. He wrinkles his nose and squeaks. Well, I’m not looking to attract the attention of a squabbit. I think the perfume smells nice. I shall take it home.

Lucky calls my attention to another item inside the carriage. It’s a relic fragment. Looks like it might belong to the Landsong Serenity Relic. See Lucky, going to the Rose Garden was the right thing to do. If we hadn’t gone there, you wouldn’t have those carrots, I wouldn’t have this bottle of perfume, and we wouldn’t have found the relic fragment.

When we return to Town Hall, I add another wouldn’t to my list: Captain Greg wouldn’t have gone ballistic.