Part 31 In which fairy tales can come true

Marlot woke up to the sun shining in her window, Jinx sleeping on her chest, and Jack bursting through her door.

“Happy Birthday Marlot!”

She pushed Jinx off then rolled over smiling at the golem standing in her doorway. Jack had a big grin on his face and a brown paper package in his arms.

“Whaaaat’s that?” she asked, failing to stifle a yawn as she stretched.

“It’s your birthday present Marlot, the one I went to the village to get.” He sat down next to her on the bed and handed over the parcel. Marlot quickly untied the cords and pulled back the paper to reveal a dress the color of Jack’s leaf green hair. The fabric was thick and warm to protect from the cold but soft enough to move comfortably in.

“Jack, it’s beautiful, thank you.”

“I sold some of the less interesting stuff from my room to pay for it,” he said proudly.

Marlot paused as she smoothed the dress out on her bed, admiring the workmanship. “Like what?” she asked, suddenly anxious.

“I figured since they were in storage you wouldn’t miss them.”

“Jack what did you sell?” Marlot watched him closely as he shifted nervously under her gaze.

“An old beat up pair of boots, a glass jar half full of beans, a handful of ribbons, a pretty comb, an apron, a cloak ,a very fancy wine cup, and a bottle of wine. What was wine doing in my room anyway?”

Marlot looked at him in disbelief, “Jack! Haven’t you been reading those fairy tales, or were you just admiring the craftsmanship of the book!”

“Of course I have been reading them.” He sounded hurt but she needed him to understand just how serious this was.

“Do you remember reading anything about magic beans, 7 league boots, invisibility cloaks, or maybe something about a pretty little princess whose stepmother kept trying to kill her so she would be the fairest in the land?”

“Yes…” he twitched under her intense glare.

“Well that is exactly what you just sold to the villagers, not to mention that the comb, Snow White’s comb no less, is actually dangerous.”

“The one the Queen tried to kill her with?”

“The very same, if one of the villagers tried to use that they would be poisoned on the spot.”

“Oh.” Jack bit his lip and looked down at his lap. “I’m sorry Marlot, will you forgive me? I didn’t mean to sell anything important; I just wanted some money to buy you a present.”

Marlot jumped off of the bed and after looking longingly at her new dress she quickly changed into one of her black robes and folded her present into a sack. As she threw the sack over her shoulder and ran out of the room Jack called after her, “Marlot, where are you going?”

She snatched her broomstick out of the corner where she had left it the night before and threw open the front door. “To warn the villagers,” she called over her shoulder. Jack ran after her and jumped on the broom behind her out in the yard, holding on tightly as they sped over the forest below.