Thunderclap

Angelica came to the first hall of the cave. Elsa had been waiting for her there.

"Well, have you found out?" she was curious.

Lica nodded.

"Then why are you so pale? Bad news?"

The girl nodded again.

"Well, come on, Madam had ordered to take you outside!" the goblin woman said.

She helped Angelica to sit on the horse and showed her the way to the mountains.

"Now you have to ride straight on and on!" Elsa pointed. "If you go to the tomb then you'll have to follow back your footprints. Beware of some enchanted paths in the Valley of Oblivion you may get lost. And do not turn anywhere!"

"Thank you, dear Elsa!" Lica said. "If it hadn't been you, I would have never got here!"

She bent down and kissed the kind goblin woman. Elsa was deeply moved and shed a tear. Then the witch's maid turned around and immediately disappeared among large boulders.

The girl pulled the reins and went back. She couldn't get confusing thoughts out of her head.

"Henry was absolutely right," she thought. "It's not Edward; it is someone else in his body... But who?"

Suddenly she saw the Goblin King's tomb ahead.

Not knowing why Angelica turned there. Fifteen minutes later she was at the entrance of the tomb and got off the horse. The building looking pretty big from the distance, in fact, it was enormous. Lica went inside and in the center of circular hall, in the moon light she saw superbly adorned gravestone. In the opposite side, on the wall she saw the portrait of a very handsome young man. The inscription under the portrait said: "The Goblin King Swein I».

The girl began to examine the portrait and then, as something pricked her, she saw that the young man in the portrait was wearing exactly the same navy-blue suit as the Prince Edward at the ball.

"And the grin of his lips! Exactly the same!" Lica remembered suddenly.

She came out of the tomb bewildered. Somehow Angelica sat on the horse and pulled the reins. She remembered the ball, Edward, his behavior, his clothes and his smile or rather his smirk!

"It cannot be true!" Lica said aloud. "Is the Goblin King Swein in Edward's body?"

Suddenly some trees branches crashed nearby. The girl started and looked around.

She was in a strange place... She can't have gone far away from the tomb. But what Angelica saw were only lots of broken trees all around.

"Well, take it easy!" Lica whispered. "What did Elsa say about the 'enchanted paths'? Oh I remembered! I should have followed my footprints from the tomb, otherwise... Apparently, I have got lost. And where am I now!"

The crackle from the fallen trees was louder and she saw a strange monster. It looked like a wolf with long hair, which was walking on its hind legs. The monster bared his mouth and prepared to attack the girl.

Angelica pulled the reins and the horse was going at full speed among the trees but the monster was chasing her behind.

"Well, my dear, come on!" Lica was whispering to the horse in its ear. "Do not let me down!"

But suddenly the horse caught its foot and fell down, the girl rolled head over hills.

She was lying on her back and watching as the monster opened his stinking mouth was bending over her. Angelica gasped and closed her eyes.

Lica did not understand what happened next. Only had she heard was the sound of an unsheathed sword then stabbed and something heavy and soft had fallen upon her.

The girl opened her eyes and saw the body of the beheaded monster lying. In disgust she pushed it off and sat up quickly. But she was shocked by what she saw next!

It was the Prince Edward himself! He was holding the sword in his hands and smirking.

"Would not they have told you that a visit to the Valley of Oblivion is a rather risky?" he asked.

"But how did you know?" Lica murmured.

"Oh! It was not so easy. I have to say; Henry is a very stubborn man. Only when had I given him the "potion of truth", I knew where you were.

The Prince came up and gave Angelica his hand. But she pushed it, stood up and said accusingly:

"I see you do not scorn the magic!"

"Sure, why not?" the Prince smiled.

"I know who you really are!" she said firmly. "You are Swein, the Goblin King!"

The Prince burst of laughing and clapped his hands:

"Bravo! You have good intuition! What made you think that?"

"I have been at your tomb."

The young man has turned pale and looked away.

"So what?" he finally asked.

"I have been at the witch; she has told me that Edward had given his soul for the Princess's "potion". And his body she had given you!"

"You are right!" the Prince said quietly. "But it wasn't my fault. While I was dying, my father took me to the witch and she had time to catch my heart. The witch explained to my father that I had to fulfill my destiny and save the people of Goblins. 'When time comes, I will give him a new body,' she said. Then she gave my body to my father to tomb. And I was buried in the Valley of Oblivion. Then I did not remember anything. The only thing I know I had woken up in the cave of the witch. She told me that it was the body of the Prince Night, who had given his soul for the "potion." Then she warned me how I should behave in order not to arouse any suspicion. In fact it has been quite difficult because the Prince and I are different men! But I have to help my people, so I keep silence about everything."

"How noble," Lica grinned. "And how have you found me?"

"When I got to the witch, Elsa told me that you had wanted to see my tomb. I followed your footsteps and here I am."

"Why have you saved me? After all, I am an unnecessary witness!"

"I like you. I have never met such a brave girl before," the Prince said. "When I remember you following me at the ball and then your kiss, I have goose bumps!"

"I did not kiss you, I kissed the Prince Edward!" Angelica flushed.

"You may tell that Henry, he will believe!" the young man laughed. "All right, let's go! It is dangerous to stay in the enchanted place for a long time. Everything changes here every minute."