Meeting Elsa

Lica came to herself when the guests had begun to laugh at her. She pushed Edward and ran away to the room, where she had arrived with Henry today.

Running into the room she slammed the door and burst into tears. All her hopes were dashed. Not only didn't the Prince love her but he even did not remember her!

A few minutes later she heard the footsteps in the corridor. Angelica hid behind a high throne, which was standing in the room. And soon Henry came into.

"Lica!" he called her quietly. "Lica, are you here?"

Blubbered girl came out of the throne.

"The Prince did not recognize you, did he?" the man said.

Angelica nodded and began to cry again.

"And did not you see that he had changed?" Edward's servant asked.

"Absolutely everything had; if you start with his appearance and finish with his behavior."

"So, I was right. Something had happened to him on that journey... when he had gone to take a potion for the Princess. We need to know but what..."

"And how will we know?"

"You just must go to that witch, who gave him a potion, and ask her about everything. I would have gone myself if I had been able to, but the Prince does not let me go a step. I have a feeling that he even does not know anything about our castle but he is just trying not to show it anybody. So he needs me to be close all the time as a consultant."

"I will go!" Angelica said firmly.

"I would have offered you to do it before if I had known your reaction."

"No more words. Can you tell me where this witch lives and how I can get there?"

"She lives on the edge of our kingdom. You need to leave the castle and go to the opposite direction of the Nightmare Forest. Behind the Dark Canyons you will see the big City of Goblins. Passing it, you will be at the foot of the high mountains. There in one of the caves this witch lives."

"My clothes for travel are still here?"

"Yes! They are in that trunk!" Henry said.

"Give me a couple of minutes!"

"See you in corridor!" the old man nodded.

Lica changed clothes quickly and they both unnoticed sneaked to the royal stables.

"While you were dancing, I was able to prepare a horse for you."

Henry helped her to climb the horse. This time she managed to do it much easier than before.

"Do not stay in the Dark Canyons for a long time and be careful with the Goblins! They will not harm you a lot but they may play a prank. It's in their blood. All right, go! And good luck!" Edward's servant counseled her.

Angelica hugged the old man and yanked the reins.

"If she always hugs me, I'll get used to it," Henry said to himself.

The girl left the royal courtyard and went into the opposite direction of the Nightmare Forest. The Moon was high in the sky and brightly lit all around. Lica was riding at full speed. A few hours later her horse suddenly began to stumble. The girl looked around and noticed that the road was not as flat as before. Here and there she came across small ravines and ruts. And soon they turned into the canyons.

"Well I have reached the Dark Canyons," Angelica made glad. "They are not so far from the castle."

She went on choosing the road carefully. After a while Lica noticed that her eyes began to stick together and she feels dizzy.

"That's it!" the girl said in the hearts. "It looks as if it was at Sleepy Lake! I hope Henry had put some salt for me."

She got down the horse to check the food basket. To her delight Lica had found the desired bag. As before on the lake she made a cut on her hand and sprinkled it with salt. Then she thought for a while and made a cut on the horse's back. The animal was kicking but the girl managed to sprinkle the cut with the salt.

Their doze had immediately disappeared. And Lica continued going without any drowsiness. Very soon she saw the lights ahead.

"It must be the City of Goblins," she decided.

When Angelica came closer, she could see the high wall and the gate to the city. Two guards were standing at the gate, they looked very ugly and not so tall and both had very big heads and rugged features. Lica got nearer to the gate.

"Where are you going?" one of the guards shouted sharply.

"I need to ride through the city. I'm going to the witch!"

"Wait until the morning. At night the way through the city is closed!" the guards said and "snickered."

"Are you kidding me?" Angelica said raising her voice. "What a morning are you saying about in the Kingdom of Night?"

Goblins continued laughing.

"Well, you'll see," the girl said. "When I get to the witch and ask her to have turned you into frogs!"

"Go, go away!" the guards cackled.

Lica turned her horse around and pulled away from the city.

"What should I do now?" she thought.

And then she saw an old goblin woman. The woman was going towards the city carrying a large basket. Apparently, the basket was heavy because the woman often stopped and had a rest.

"Shall I help you!" the girl asked the goblin woman.

"Go on your way!" the woman answered rudely.

"I would love to but the guards do not let me," Lica replied.

"Where?"

"To the witch!"

And the goblin woman looked at the girl with interest.

"Why do you want to see her?"

"I want to know something about the Prince Night."

"Ok, help me with the basket! Just be quiet all the time whoever will come across and whatever they'll tell you!"

Angelica came down her horse and helped the woman to put the heavy basket onto the seat. Then, holding it on both sides, they went to the gate of the city.

"Who, who is going?!" the first guard shouted.

"What are you yelling?" the goblin woman snarled. "Can't you see it's me Elsa!"

"I see you. But who is the ugly mug that next to you?"

Lica flushed with anger but remembering the woman's words said nothing.

"This is my new maid! She is helping me to carry something."

"Oh, I see then, why she was going to the witch," the guards jabbered.

They opened the gates quickly and let Elsa and Lica to go into the city.

"Hey, you..." the other guard pushed the girl in the shoulder, "don't tell the witch about us..."

Lica grinned and looked at the goblins emphatically.

And the women entered the city.