Page 41 of Enchanted in Time
“Are you Mirabelle?” Maximilian asked flatly. Hannah could feel the muscles working beneath his thick fur as if he were prepared to flee at any moment.
The old woman laughed softly. “So you are the prince of the castle.”
“Yes, I am. My name is Maximilian Heinrich Ludwig von Lichtenberg. The curse struck me, even though what my father did to you was not my fault. However, I still wish to offer you my formal apology. How he treated you was horrendous, and the way he forced you to reveal your face was beyond shameful.
“He did pay for his arrogance. He spent his life with a woman he never loved, and when he died, he did so knowing that I would have to answer for his evil deed. I am here to beg your forgiveness on behalf of my entire family. I hope you can accept our apology.”
The old woman was silent.
“My family destroyed your life, and I sincerely ask your forgiveness. If there is a way to right this wrong, then I beg you: speak!”
She still did not answer but averted her gaze from his face and examined Hannah. “And who are you, my child?”
Hannah shuddered but sat up straight and looked unflinchingly into the old woman’s dark eyes. “I am Hannah, and by no means a child anymore. I’m here to help the prince. I beg you from the bottom of my heart to accept his apology.”
The old woman raised her hand. With her long, bony forefinger, she motioned to the two of them to come closer. Grateful for Maximilian’s presence, Hannah clung to his thick fur as he cautiously tramped over to the aged woman. She beckoned them to follow her into the house, but it was far too small for the bear prince. He stood before the door as they peered inside the small, dingy home.
“This is where I have spent the past decades. Alone in this forest. Hardly anyone knew I was here, and the magic of the forest kept all unwanted visitors away.”
“I can’t undo these past years!” Maximilian’s muscles were tensing as he stood there, and Hannah stroked his fur to calm him. Frieda must have sent her along because she had guessed that Hannah would have to keep his impatience in check and support him in his apology.
“It’s terrible what you’ve had to endure,” he continued. “A life of utter loneliness and isolation—that’s something no one deserves. If I could, I would undo that accursed night. But sadly, I have no power to do so. All I can do is to once more offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of the entire von Lichtenberg family and to hope for your generous pardon.”
The old woman looked up and turned her gaze toward Hannah. “Come, come.” Again, she raised her bony finger and beckoned to Hannah to enter the meager hut.
Never follow a witch.The thought flashed through Hannah’s mind. Still, this was not a witch but a bitter old woman. Slowly, Hannah slid off Maximilian’s back. He wanted to block her way, but she stroked his powerful shoulders and resolutely wound her way past him and into the barren dwelling. It smelled of mushrooms and herbs interspersed with the scent of something musty and stale. In the middle stood a small open hearth where a large, steaming cauldron was dangling over the fire. On the ceiling hung numerous bunches of dried leaves and roots, and in one corner lay a makeshift bed made of moss, leaves, and twigs.
It was inconceivable how Mirabelle must have lived and dwelt here all alone as a young thing. How afraid had she been? How many tears had she shed? How many times had she cursed the prince and his family for the life they had condemned her to lead?
Hannah pulled herself together. She stepped toward the old woman, and, overcoming all her revulsion and doubts, she took the lonely woman in her arms. The stranger seized up in the warmth of her embrace, but a moment later, Hannah could feel her relax a bit.
After a while, Hannah broke away and held her by her stooped shoulders. “You don’t need to stay here all by yourself. Come with us to the castle. Forgive each other,” she continued, turning toward Maximilian, who was watching from the doorway, “and both of you will feel better.”
For a moment, the aged woman’s eyes grew wide, but then her shoulders slumped. “Oh, how good and kind you are. I wish it were that simple. I wish an apology were enough.”
“But my godmother said—” Maximilian burst out, his anger flaring up.
Hannah was beside him in three quick steps and immediately put her hand to his snout. “Shhhh,” she whispered resolutely. He must not spoil the moment! “Why is an apology not enough?” she asked, turning back to Mirabelle.
“Back at the time that the curse was cast, I was overwhelmed by how powerful it was.”
“Who put the curse on my family? You?” interrupted the bear.
“No, I don’t have the power to do that. I’m neither an enchantress nor a witch—I cannot curse anyone. But the powerful being who cast the curse warned me.”
“Of what?”
“That being able to break the curse requires specific skills.”
“Tell me—now!” the bear prince burst out again. “How can I break the curse?”
“If I’ve rightly understood the laws of magic over all these years, we need to brew a potion.”
“A potion?” Hannah let out a loud groan. How much longer would it be before she could finally be back with her children?
“But Friederike the Enchantress—” Maximilian interjected.
“Here I am, my godchild,” Frieda’s voice crooned from the cauldron that was hanging over the fire, but then it instantly turned stern. “Mirabelle, what is going on?”
