Prince Shelldon Maritime's Arc

Chapter 3 of 5

The next morning, Shelldon left the garden with a problem he could not solve alone. He had no gift worthy of Rosalind's family. Without one, her kin could refuse him. He climbed the tall redwood tower to find Prince Jeffery. Jeffery sat by the window, holding a portrait of Rosalind and Lauren. Shelldon spoke plainly. "I want to propose. I need help." Jeffery looked up, his face still. "I just met Lauren," he said. "I can ask her to bring Rosalind to the waterfall. A surprise." Shelldon agreed at once. Shelldon went searching for a gift. He pulled out a crumpled paper covered in odd scribbles, a list of strange items he had once collected. None were worthy. A three-legged chair. A melting teapot. He crushed the paper in his fist. Jeffery hurried down the path to meet Lauren. Before he reached her cabin, he stopped behind a hedge. Lauren stood outside, confused. Frocklin the cold held out a steaming cup of tea. Lauren took it. She drank. Jeffery watched, frozen. Lauren's feet split into hooves. A pale horn pushed from her brow. She stumbled, mouth open. Frocklin smiled and slipped away through the trees. Jeffery ran. He found Shelldon empty-handed by the redwood path and gasped out what he had seen. Shelldon's shell went cold. The court would never accept this. "Guards!" he shouted. Boots pounded the stones. The betrothal would have to wait. Something far worse had begun.