It may be wondered where the rest of the household was during all this commotion. And the answer was that they were in other parts of the castle. Some were in their rooms, some were in the dining halls, and some of them were just in a different part of the castle altogether. The commotion in the courtyard was not by itself enough to draw others over. A certain amount of commotion in a castle this big was not unusual.
But eventually, hearing the commotion continue to go on for some time, Benevois started to make her way to the courtyard to see what was going on. And her daughter Vivian was close behind.
They arrived just about this minute, and saw the huge snake trying to get down the small mouse hole.
“Talon, what is going on here?” said Benevois. “What is that snake doing in the castle courtyard?”
“Oh, hello Benevois,” said the snake.
“Catherine!” gasped Benevois and Vivian at once.
“Talon, how did you do it?” asked Benevois. “How did you change Catherine into a snake?”
“You misunderstand,” said Talon. “I didn’t change anything. Catherine turned herself into the snake.”
“Then how did Catherine--.”
“I let her into the castle. Catherine and I have come to an arrangement.”
“I don’t understand,” said Benevois.
“I do,” said Vivian. “I knew we couldn’t trust Talon after what he tried to do to Robert.”
“Talon, change me back,” Catherine demanded.
Talon waved his wand, and Catherine changed back into a woman. “Behold,” she said. “Your rightful queen. Restored at last to the throne.”
“You’re not the rightful queen,” Benevois snarled.
“But technically, she is,” said Talon. “And you know it. Your husband was the usurper. Catherine was the eldest child. The claim to the throne was always hers.”
“And since there’s only room for one queen in this castle,” said Catherine. “You can share your husband’s fate.” Catherine pointed her wand and uttered the incantation, and Benevois was turned into a frog.
Vivian screamed, and that scream brought everyone out of their rooms. George, Rufus, Jason, Penelope, Helen, Sandi, Katherine, Robert, Henry, Grace, General Graten, the two dragon rabbits, and all the other children came either running in, or slowly walking down the hallway out of curiosity.
“Turn her back,” Vivian demanded angrily.
“I will not,” said Catherine. “She’s lucky I don’t eat her, like I ate her husband.”
Vivian cried in anguish upon hearing this, but Talon added, “Tried to eat her husband, you mean.”
“I’m not finished with him yet. I know right where he is. He’s not getting out of that mouse hole.”
The whole household was beginning to assemble, so Talon decided to make the announcement. “There are going to be some changes around here,” he declared. “Behold, your new Queen.”
“Your new old Queen,” Catherine corrected. “I’ve reigned once before in this castle, remember.”
“I remember,” said Talon. “Behold, your returning Queen, at long last. You are all welcome to continue to live in this castle, as long as you recognize Catherine's rule.”
“And if we refuse?” asked Vivian.
“I am a gracious queen,” said Catherine. “You can go on your way in peace. But you must leave this castle if you refuse to recognize me.”
There was a lot of commotion. George and Rufus began shouting. Henry drew his sword.
General Graten, who had been standing near the back, walked up to Henry when he saw that Henry had drawn his sword. He put his hand on Henry’s shoulder. “Put it away, boy,” he said quietly. “You can’t beat a witch with a sword. You’ll only get yourself killed. This isn’t what I’ve been training you for.”
Henry didn’t listen, and charged forward with his sword drawn.
Talon saw him coming a long ways away. He uttered an incantation, pointed his staff at Henry, and Henry was knocked backwards by a very strong gust of wind. The gust knocked him against the wall so hard that there was a loud thud, and everyone thought Henry’s bones must have been shattered.
Henry collapsed on to the ground as everyone ran to tend to him. Both Alicia and Amanda both bent over him with worry. Henry, it turned out, had not suffered any serious injuries, but he had had the wind knocked out of him, and he needed a lot of help getting back up on his feet.
“Anyone else?” asked Catherine challengingly. “You’re lucky Talon saw him before I did. I would have used a fire spell instead of a wind spell.”
George and Rufus marched up angrily. “You have no right!” George shouted.
“Actually,” Talon said, “She has every right, and you know it. She is the eldest child. She has always been the legitimate heir to the throne. Your father had no legal right to throw her out.”
George and Rufus both reddened in the face, but neither could think of a return argument.
“I know this is difficult to accept,” said Talon. “But there is nothing you can do. Catherine has all the ancestral rights of this castle. By ancient law, this is her possession. And I, in my position of the castle sorcerer, have reversed all the charms that I once laid to keep her out. She is in the castle now, and in full possession of it, and all the magic of the castle, both hers and my own, is working on her side. You can’t get rid of her.”
“But you’re welcome to stay on in the castle as my guests,” Catherine said sweetly.
“Thank you, no,” said George. “I’d rather take my chances in the forest.”
Rufus grabbed his arm. “Not so hasty George,” he said. Then he said to Catherine, “Yes, we will stay. We are still the royal family after all, as your nephews. And you have no heirs of your own.”
“Clever boys,” said Catherine. “Yes, I have no heirs. So the line of succession will still go to you and yours once I’ve passed on. All I ask is to live out my days as queen, and then, after I’m gone, you can succeed me. Only… It’s not you, is it George? Nor you, is it Rufus? It’s Vivian who is the eldest. The crown will go to her. Are you trying to cut out your older sister, just like your father did to me?”
Vivian stepped forward at this moment. “Indeed, yes, the throne does go to me. But I don’t need your help Catherine. When I am queen, I will throw you into the dungeon.” she said.
“The only way you can become queen, Vivian, is if I die. Which I will, someday. Not for many years to come, but someday I will die, and the castle will be yours. And at that time, if it makes you feel better to throw my old dead bones in the dungeon, you can go right ahead. I certainly won’t need them anymore. But, Vivian, until that moment, I am queen, and you will obey me. You will all obey me.”
“Turn my mother back into a human,” Vivian demanded again.
“She’ll stay just like she is,” said Catherine. “And I will not discuss the matter further. Now, is there any more business? Because if there is not, I have something very pressing to return to.”
Stuart and Sandi, the cardinals and Bartholomew the fly, who were still present, watching everything (they had retreated to one of the branches of the rose bushes to watch the family squabble play out), at this point shouted, “She’s trying to eat King Carlyle. Don’t let her turn back into a snake.”
“Troublesome birds,” said Catherine. “Where is my wand? I’ll show you.”
“Catherine, you will not eat my father,” said Vivian. “The moment you try to change yourself into a snake, I’ll step on your head.”
“Don’t you threaten me,” said Catherine. “If I wanted to, I could change you into a frog as well. But out of the love and respect I have for my nephews and nieces, I’ll not harm you today. Fine, King Carlyle can live to hop another day. If he ever finds his way out of that mouse hole.”
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