Kaylie took a step back. “You know, I don’t really need to see the dungeon. I’m not a dungeon kind of girl. I don’t like dark spaces,” she rushed on, talking faster and faster. “I’m a little claustrophobic. I need a lot of natural light. I think I might even have that seasonal disorder. You know, the one where you get depressed when it’s dark and gloomy during the winter?” Kaylie knew she was babbling but she couldn’t help herself. “So, I’m good staying up here,” she finished with a smile, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “So, what else do you have to show me? I know we need to keep on schedule. We have a lot to do and I didn’t see dungeon on your mother’s list. So, let’s go.”
When Kaylie continued to walk down the hall, the prince called out after her.
“First things first,” he said, pointing at the staircase again.
She gave him a long look. “I’d really rather not.”
“But you will. After you,” the prince said. His expression was impossible to read.
Kaylie took a deep breath and walked slowly over to the bookcase and peered into the darkness. She got out her phone and turned on the flashlight app to light the way. But this only made her more nervous when she saw the stairs leading into what looked like a dark hole.
“Prince Alexander, what are you doing?” Kaylie whirled around when she heard Elsa’s voice.
“Just giving Kaylie her tour,” the prince answered.
Kaylie turned to Elsa for help. “He’s insisting I go into your dungeon because I hit him.”
“What?” Elsa asked, concerned.
“I was only kidding around,” Kaylie tried to explain. “It’s what we do in America. We slap each other on the arm or pat them on the butt…”
The prince’s eyebrows arched.
“But I didn’t touch his butt. I swear!” Kaylie realized she was only making things worse. She took a deep breath and tried to get a grip. “When I hit his arm, it was just a playful thing, a light tap, really. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“So, you’re taking her to the dungeon?” Elsa asked the prince.
“Yes,” the prince said proudly.
Elsa slapped the prince’s arm. “You stop giving Kaylie a hard time.”
“Ouch!” The prince rubbed his arm.
Kaylie’s jaw dropped. She pointed at Elsa. “You just slapped him, too!”
“I did and I’ll slap him again if he keeps this up,” Elsa said. “It turns out we have the same tradition here in Tolvania if someone is being a pain.”
The prince gave Elsa a look. “Looks like I need to take you both to the dungeon.”
“I’d like to see you try it,” Elsa threw back at him.
Kaylie was fascinated watching them banter. “You two sound just like brother and sister.”
Elsa laughed. “Can you imagine?”
“Oh, no, never,” the prince said, making a face like it would be the most horrible thing in the world.
Then the prince and Elsa both started laughing.
Kaylie was fascinated to see how the prince’s whole face changed. He looked younger, happier, like a completely different person.
The prince surprised Kaylie even more when he put his arm around Elsa. “Actually, Elsa is like a sister to me.”
“And he’s the big brother I never wanted,” Elsa continued as she put hers around the prince. She looked at Kaylie. “Okay, I agree, you need to show Kaylie the dungeon.”
“What?” Kaylie sputtered. “I thought you were on my side.”
Elsa was already walking away from them. “Have fun.”
“Elsa, wait. I’d rather go with you,” Kaylie called out after her, but Elsa had already disappeared around the corner.
“Come on,” the prince said. “Like you said, we have a lot to see.”
When he stepped into the stairwell and flipped a switch, the stairs were flooded with light that came from a stunning chandelier.
Kaylie breathed a sigh of relief to see the staircase was actually quite beautiful and had stopped looking like something out of a horror movie. She breezed by the prince, slapping him on the arm again, as she headed down the stairs. “I bet you got a kick out of scaring me,” she said.
He nodded as he followed her. “I did.”
When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Kaylie found herself standing in the entryway of a magnificent dining room. Kaylie took it all in. It was festive and fantastic, decorated for Christmas with fragrant evergreen garlands and wreaths. Overhead there was a canopy of white twinkle lights strung across the beamed ceiling. There was also a giant Christmas tree in the corner that was decorated with shiny gold bows to match the gold Christmas lights. There was also a unique garland that was made up of wine corks that were strung together and had little red bows separating each cork.
Running the length of the dining room was a shelf that displayed empty wine bottles that were filled up with tiny white lights that glistened and glowed. In the center of the room was a giant, gorgeous, live edge wooden dining table that was set for two dozen people in an enchanting Christmas theme. There was a table runner made up of evergreens, pinecones, and boughs of holly with bright red berries. There were gold candelabras with white candles waiting to be lit, crystal wine glasses waiting to be filled, and regal tall back red velvet chairs waiting to be sat in. As Kaylie moved closer to the table, she couldn’t resist picking up one of the white china plates that had the two golden swans embossed on it. They were the same swans that Kaylie had seen on the door knocker and on her bathrobe, where the necks were gracefully arched facing each other to form a heart.
The prince joined her.
“That’s our family crest,” he said with pride. “You’ll see it all around our Tolvania village.”
“It’s really cool,” Kaylie said. “And clever. I like how you have two swans making the heart.”
“You know, swans actually have quite the royal history, and not just for our family,” the prince said.
“They do? How so?” Kaylie asked.
“There are stories of swans dating back more than 10,000 years ago,” the prince explained. “They have always been very prestigious, and owning swans was a sign of nobility, just like having a hawk or hounds for hunting. The swans were celebrated for their elegance and beauty, representing the idea of tranquility and grace.”
Kaylie looked skeptical. “Tranquility? Really? Because all I know about swans is from the ones in Central Park in New York, and they’re not tranquil at all. They’re mean. If you get too close, they come after you and hiss at you.”
The prince nodded. “They do have a reputation for being very protective of their young, but that is a good trait, is it not?”
Kaylie gave it a thought and nodded her head. “Yes, I guess so, but that still makes them a little scary.”
“They’re also delicious to eat,” the prince added.
“What?!” Kaylie asked, grabbing her stomach, looking disgusted. “You eat your pets? Oh, that’s just wrong…”
The prince laughed. “First, I didn’t say anything about the swans being pets and I personally don’t eat them, but back in the day, in some royal circles, swans were very popular to have for a feast, especially at Christmas. In England there’s even the story that Henry III had forty swans at his Christmas celebration at Winchester in 1247. It was popular to have a swan feast up until the eighteenth century.”
“That’s both fascinating and disgusting,” Kaylie said. “I mean, I can understand eating a Christmas goose, but a swan, no thanks.”
“That’s too bad, because that’s what we’re having for a dinner,” the prince said.
For a second, Kaylie believed the prince until she saw the twinkle in his eye. She pointed at him. “There you go again, trying to make a joke.”
When they shared a smile, Kaylie felt that spark again that sent shivers all the way to her toes. Confused and embarrassed, she quickly looked away and mentally checked herself. Just because the prince was handsome, and even more so when he smiled, she couldn’t allow herself to fall under his spell, especially because she knew she’d be the last person he would ever try matching up with a glass slipper.
She turned her attention back to the plate she was still holding. “Does this crest mean anything in particular for your family?”
“It does,” the prince said, gently tracing the outline of the swan crest with his fingers. “And it’s also connected to Christmas.”
Kaylie waited for him to explain more but instead he walked over to a small, black, shiny panel on the wall that lit up when he touched it. Christmas music filled the room.
Kaylie looked around in surprise. An orchestra was playing “Silent Night…”
Silent night, holy night
All is calm and all is bright…
The prince turned the music down a little. “This is one of my mother’s latest additions with the remodel. It’s a high-tech in-wall stereo system.”
“Wow, it’s impressive,” Kaylie said, looking around for some huge speakers, but she didn’t see any.
The prince nodded. “She loves music, especially Christmas music, and she wanted to make sure it could be heard everywhere. You even have it in your bedroom, and a word of warning—the only thing that’s playing right now is Christmas songs.”
Kaylie laughed. “Well, I won’t be listening to any Christmas music, that’s for sure.”
“Not a fan of Christmas music?” the prince asked.
“Or Christmas,” Kaylie said quickly. It came out before she could stop herself. “I mean, I’m no Scrooge, contrary to what some people might say, but Christmas just isn’t my thing. I’ve always worked during the holidays, so it’s like any other day for me. I try and avoid all the holiday hoopla and can’t wait for it to be over. It’s such a distraction. My favorite day is December 26th.”
“Interesting,” the prince said, studying her.
Kaylie squirmed under his scrutiny. “What?”
“I thought all you Americans went crazy for Christmas,” the prince said. “The amount of money you spend every year on decorations, and food, and presents is in the billions. It’s legendary. And if you don’t like Christmas, why in the world would you accept a job to write a Christmas fairy tale for my daughter?”
When Kaylie stared back at the prince, she knew she needed to pick her words wisely, because the last thing she wanted was for the already-suspicious prince to think she was there for the wrong reasons. She knew that could be disastrous.