CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN THE WITCH OF EASTPHALIA

Eastphalia’s market is a bustling place. Wooden carts drive down narrow walkways filled with rich red carpets, woolen caps, beautiful wicker furniture, and all varieties of fabrics. On each side of the walkways are wooden booths selling everything from marbled cuts of meat to lush vegetables and herbs to the most fragrant flowers Gretel’s ever smelled. She’s been eyeing one booth in particular: It has a stack of silks she’d love to take a closer look at, but just as she touches the silks to determine if they’re real (she has a great sense about these things), Hortense yanks her away.

Now, Gretel, Alistair, Hortense, and Hortense’s pet frog—aka her husband, aka cursed Prince Charlie—are all following page boy John down a narrow alleyway.

“Are you sure we’re allowed in this area?” Alistair says, tapping John on the shoulder.

John turns around with an impish grin on his face. “Oh, definitely not. We’d get in so much trouble if anyone saw us walking over here. But don’t worry, that’s why we came at the busiest time of day. No one will even notice, they’re too busy hawking their goods!”

The group weaves through alleyways for a few more minutes in silence. Not total silence, since around them is total chaos, but none of them speak, weaving and winding in single file. This is really reminding Gretel of the ancient Greek myth of Daedalus’s labyrinth. She really hopes that Hori trusts this John, because if he ditches them, Gretel will have no idea how to get out of here.

Finally they come to a small wooden hut tucked between two rowdy booths serving street food. John motions for everyone to stand back, then knocks on the door with an elaborate sequence of taps and pauses that sounds like an advanced Morse code. They wait.

Then a frail woman opens the door, squinting. “Johnny!” she says, her arms flinging open in a welcoming hug. “What are you doing, my boy? I thought I told you to visit me here only in emergencies.”

“I know, Obasan, but this is an emergency, actually.” He motions to the alley’s shadows, where Gretel, Alistair, Hori, and Charlie are standing. Except for Charlie, who’s actually squatting.

“Oh my, what is going on? These are friends of yours?”

“Yes, they’re very kind. This is Hortense, princess of Eastphalia.”

John’s aunt’s eyes widen. She motions for them to enter and disappears into the hut.

Once inside, Gretel feels immediate calm. The scents of tea leaves and essential oils are in the air. There are beautiful tapestries on the walls, large rugs on the carpet, and many books and instruments that look meant for cooking or something else. Spells?

John’s aunt says nothing, doesn’t mention sitting, asks them no questions. She begins to putter around, ignoring them. John looks at Alistair and nods toward his aunt.

“Excuse me, but we’ve brought you a small offering,” Alistair says. He holds out a plate with a pyramid of delicious-looking tiny round treats of various colors, each dusted with soft powder. Green, black, pink. “These mochi are our humble offering to you,” Alistair continues, bowing.

John’s aunt eyes the mochi for a moment, then plucks a black one from the platter and takes a bite.

“Black sesame.” She smiles. “Well done. I’m Eichi. You may sit down.”

Gretel is impressed; Ali’s cooking skills have come in handy yet again. He whipped those mochi up in no time in Hori’s kitchen!

“What do you children seek from me?” Eichi asks.

John lets Hortense take the lead. “Eichi, thank you so much for seeing us. John works with me at the castle, and he graciously led us to you, thinking you may be of help to a very difficult situation I’m in,” Hortense says.

“Yes, yes, I know why you’re here,” Eichi says. “I asked just as a formality, dear. I saw the announcement like everyone else. You’re in trouble, are you not?”

“Yes, we are, Eichi. You see this frog on my shoulder? This is my husband, Prince Charlemagne. The ogre queen Olga turned him into a frog, hoping to prevent him from becoming king and me from becoming queen! The prime minister thinks the monarchy should be stopped, but it will be a reign of terror if the ogres take over in our stead. Please, we need to know how to break the curse and transform Charlie back into a human so we can be crowned before the summer solstice.”

Eichi eats her mochi in silence for a moment, considering what to say next. Finally, she speaks: “While the prime minister has many faults, he is right in one regard: Monarchy is a complicated way to run a kingdom.”

Gretel feels panic bubble in her stomach. Is Eichi against them?

“The right to rule is a serious thing, and it is complicated, monarchy. To be quite honest, we were all uncertain as to what Charlie will be like as a king. But marrying you, Hortense, shows that he has more gumption than we thought.”

Hortense seems confused. If Gretel could read frog expressions, she’d say Charlie looks mortified.

Eichi continues: “Hortense, I know you, on behalf of the citizens of Eastphalia, have been battling certain traditions that Charlie’s parents uphold. You fight for fairness and for the rights of your citizens even though you don’t have to. I can tell you feel accountable to this kingdom.”

“I do, Eichi. I really do. And I know Charlie does, too.”

“If he doesn’t, I expect he will learn from you. And perhaps being a frog will have taught him what it’s like to lose control, to have no power over your circumstances.” Eichi looks directly at Charlie now. “Maybe you will remember this the next time you make a decision for those less fortunate in the kingdom. Remember what it’s like to feel powerless.”

Charlie ribbits in agreement. Gretel bets he’s too petrified to say anything and is capitalizing off the fact that Eichi doesn’t know the curse maintained his ability to speak.

“Now, in terms of breaking the curse … Let me take a look,” Eichi says. She places her hand on Charlie’s head and closes her eyes. “Ah, yes.” She chuckles. “This makes perfect sense. This will be a good test, Prince Charlemagne. You will have to see what your citizens are made of and what they are willing to do for you. Only one elixir can reverse this curse. You must consume something your citizens make for you of their own free will.”

Gretel glances at Ali. Something his citizens make for him? That seems so cryptic. But Eichi doesn’t say anymore. She seems to believe that everything they need to reverse the enchantment has been said. She gives a little bow and wishes them the best of luck.

The four kids plus one frog file out of Eichi’s hut, bowing to her one by one. Then they’re back in the harsh daylight, trying to figure out what exactly she means.