Mark Allan Gunnells is 31 years old and still lives in his hometown of Gaffney, SC, with his lover of four years. He has a degree in English and Psychology, and has held an variety of jobs from social worker to security guard. He has sold around thirty of his short stories to various markets and dreams of being a published novelist.

"Someday my Prince will come," Princess Lilac said to herself as she stared out the barred window of her prison cell. "And when he finally gets here, I’m going to kick his ass!"

She turned as she heard the bolt on the large metal door disengage, the door swinging open on squeaky hinges. Miranda, the nastiest witch in the Kingdom, walked in, carrying a tray heaped high with sandwiches and snack cakes and a small ceramic tea set.

"Good morning," Miranda said, placing the tray on a splintery wooden table. "Hungry?"

"Famished," Lilac said, taking a chocolate cake and cramming it into her mouth. "Any word from Prince Verrick?"

"Not yet," Miranda said, pouring two cups of steaming tea.

"It’s been two weeks since you took me captive," Lilac said, licking her fingers. "What’s taking him so long?"

"Well, I did spend my spies out to check on his progress. . ."

"And?"

"He’s still trying to figure out who took you."

"What? How can that be? I thought you left your broomstick as a calling card."

"I did."

"Did Prince Verrick not find it?"

"He did. He placed it in the cupboard with the mop."

"He’s such an idiot," Lilac said, grabbing a sandwich and finishing it in two bites.

"I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you bring it up. . ."

"Oh, that’s quite all right," Lilac said. "I’m well aware that my betrothed is an idiot. Is he at least close to figuring it out?"

"My sources tell me he thinks you have been abducted by the troll that lives in the Dark Forest."

"The troll that lives in the Dark Forest is a peaceful creature. Why ever does Prince Verrick suspect him?"

Miranda shrugged and sipped her tea. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, this is just great," Lilac said, pacing the cell. "Here I am, being held captive by a mean old witch, no offense—"

"None taken."

"—and my beloved Prince isn’t even close to rescuing me."

"I’ll tell you what," Miranda said, "we’ll give him two more days to get on the right track. If by then he still isn’t on the trail, I’ll send him a few more clues to point him this way. Deal?"

"Sounds good," Lilac said, slurping her tea. "It is much appreciated."

"Not a problem, I’ll see you at lunch."

Miranda pulled the heavy door closed behind her and locked it.

Miranda studied the cards before her, examining the patterns and meanings of them. Reaching a decision, she looked up with squinted eyes and said, "Do you have any fours?"

"Go fish," Lilac said.

"Damn," Miranda muttered, drawing a card from the pile. It was the Jack of Spades, and she already had the Jack of Hearts and Diamonds. She placed the three Jacks on the scarred table, now covered with a lace cloth.

Lilac had been in Miranda’s dungeon for over a month, and Miranda had put up a few pictures, a floral-pattered curtain, and a nice bedspread to make the dank cell a bit more homey.

"Do you have any Aces?" Lilac asked.

Grunting, Miranda handed over her two Aces.

"Any news on the Prince front?" Lilac said, placing her four Aces on the table.

"Sorry to say, none of the clues I’ve sent his way have hit the mark. Currently he is investigating your mother. Do you have any nines?"

Lilac handed over the nine of Clubs. "My mother? Why would he suspect my mother?"

"Apparently he thinks she may have hidden you away because she doesn’t want you two to marry."

"My mother likes him better than I do, for crying out loud. Do you have any twos?"

"Go fish. Not to worry, tomorrow I will be sending him a clue that he cannot ignore."

"Really? What kind of clue?"

"A note that reads ‘I have Princess Lilac,’ and I signed it ‘Miranda the Witch.’ Any Queens?"

"Go fish. The note won’t do any good unless he gets someone to read it to him."

Miranda paused with her hand above the deck. "Prince Verrick can’t read?"

"Not even his own name."

Miranda sighed, rubbing at her temples. "This is so much more complicated than I had anticipated."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault. How about this? I’ll send the note to your mother, she’ll read it and tell the Prince what it says."

"Sounds like a plan. Do you have any sevens?"

Miranda handed over the seven of Diamonds and groaned as Lilac placed her last three cards on the tabletop. "Looks like you win again."

"Dumb luck. Want to play another game?"

"No, I really need to get going. I have to run by the herbalist shop before it closes for the day."

"Okay. Do you mind leaving the cards so I can play some solitaire?"

"Not a problem. Would you like me to pick you up anything while I am out?"

Lilac considered this for a moment then said, "Some crossword puzzles would be nice."

"See you later, and I’ll make sure your mother gets the note by the end of the day."

Lilac shuffled the deck and lay the cards out as Miranda left the cell, closing the door behind her.

The candles burned in the darkness, illuminating Miranda’s face in a grotesque Halloween glow. She leaned over the heat of the small flames and prepared to start the chant. Smiling, she began: "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Lilac, happy birthday to you."

"Oh, thank you," Princess Lilac said, clapping her hands, looking down at the large chocolate cake Miranda had baked her, the birthday candles burning brightly.

"Make a wish," Miranda said.

Lilac closed her eyes and bent over, exhaling air in a rush that extinguished all the candles on the cake.

"What did you wish for?" Miranda asked.

"I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true."

"Well, let’s dig in."

Miranda cut a big slab of cake and placed it on a plate, handing it to Lilac. She cut a smaller slice for herself.

"That’s all you’re going to have?" Lilac asked.

Miranda patted her stomach and said, "I’m watching my weight. I’m trying to get in shape."

"Good for you," Lilac said. "Any word on my mother?"

"I’m afraid she’s still in jail. When I sent her that note six months ago, I never imagined Prince Verrick would accuse her of fabricating it to cover her tracks."

"Don’t blame yourself. I think we both underestimated the extent of Prince Verrick’s stupidity."

Miranda nibbled at her slice of cake and said, "I am hesitant to send any more clues lest they backfire on us as well."

"This cake is delicious," Lilac said, digging into a second slice. "I didn’t know you were such a good cook."

"Well, it’s not just potions and powders I whip up in that kitchen of mine. When I was young, I wanted to be a chef."

"Why didn’t you pursue it?"

Miranda shrugged. "Familial expectations. My mother was a witch, her mother before her, my great grandfather was a powerful warlock. I was just expected to follow in their footsteps and be an evildoer myself. I never had much of a knack for it, however."

"I think you’re quite good at it. You kidnapped me, after all."

Miranda smiled at the Princess and said, "That’s sweet of you to say, but we both know you came along with me a little too willingly."

Blushing, Lilac said, "Yes, well, the wedding was fast approaching and I was suddenly anxious for a bit more time to think things through. And, to be honest, the notion of Prince Verrick swooping in to rescue me held a certain romantic charm. How could I not want to marry a brave Prince who saved me from certain death?"

"Little did we know. . ." Miranda said and both women broke into laughter.

"Thank you for the gift," Lilac said, pulling the new fleece shawl around her shoulders.

"You’re quite welcome. I know how chilly it gets down here. You know what would go great with this cake?"

"More cake?"

"Ice cream."

"Mmm," Lilac said, licking her lips. "Have any strawberry?"

"I’ll go check," Miranda said, leaving the metal door open as she left the cell.

Miranda led the Princess by the arm, taking her down a dark stone corridor, torches burning low in wall sconces. They stopped before a wooden door at the end of the hallway.

"You don’t have to do this," Lilac said with a tremor in her voice.

Miranda turned and stared at Lilac, the torchlight catching in her eyes and shining back, as if the inside of her skull were on fire. "Yes, I do," she said. "I have waited long enough. You have been imprisoned in my dungeon for well over a year now. It’s time this came to an end."

Miranda reached out a hand and pushed open the wooden door. Light spilled out into the corridor. The two women crossed the threshold into a lavish bedroom with thick crème-colored carpet, a large bed with a billowy canopy hanging above it, and a vanity table cluttered with face creams and perfumes. A crystal chandelier with at least a dozen candles hung from the high ceiling. A fire crackled in a stone fireplace in the corner.

"Oh, this is too much," Lilac said, her eyes drinking in the beauty and warmth of the room. "I don’t need anything this extravagant."

"Nonsense," Miranda said. "After spending all that time in that cell, you could use a little luxury. Besides, it’s the least I can do after the makeover you gave me."

"All I did was give you a haircut," Lilac said, thinking that the witch did indeed look much better. Her diet had paid off, her new hairdo framed her face beautifully, and a new face cream had cleared up all those unsightly hairy warts. She was actually quite lovely.

Miranda opened the drapes and chilly winter sunlight poured into the room. "If you get bored and want to read something, there is a small library down the hall to the left."

"Thank you, I just might do that."

"You make yourself at home and settle in, and I’ll be back soon to prepare a celebratory feast to mark the occasion."

"Where are you off to?"

"Well, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I am going to interview for the cook's position at the local tavern."

Lilac squealed and hugged the witch. "Congratulations."

"I don’t have the job quite yet."

"You’ll get it," Lilac said. "No one is a better cook than you; they’d be a fool not to hire you on the spot."

Miranda blushed. "It’s not a classy place or anything, but it would be a start, you know. A first step."

"Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you," Lilac said.

Miranda smiled and walked out into the corridor, leaving Lilac to admire her beautiful new room.

"I cannot go on," Lilac said, sweat covering her forehead, weariness infusing her words. "You go on without me."

"Nonsense," Miranda said, bustling with energy. "We only have three more hens to prepare, then the salad, and we’re done."

Lilac sighed, gathering her strength, and returned to the task of rubbing the spiced oil onto the miniature hen before stuffing it with dressing. Miranda had started her own catering company just under two years ago, and Lilac sometimes helped out with the larger orders, as a way of earning her keep.

Glancing out the window, Miranda said, "I think we will just make it on time. The wedding begins at sunset with the reception to follow immediately after."

"Can’t you just—" Lilac waved her arm above the food laid out on the countertop. "Just go poof and make it all be done?"

Miranda frowned at the Princess. "I’ve told you countless times, I have given up witchcraft. My heart was never in it."

"I know, I know, and it was a good decision. Just seems sometimes it would come in handy."

Miranda opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a loud and insistent knocking from the front of the house. "Great," she said. "Someone always comes to the door when I’ve got my hand stuck up a hen’s—"

"I’ll get it," Lilac said, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "You keep working, I’ll be right back."

Lilac hurried through the house to the front door. She was wearing an old dress she didn’t mind getting messy, and flour streaked her chin and left cheek. Her hair was pulled back in a hasty ponytail, a few strands having escaped and waving freely around her face. She wasn’t exactly dressed for company, but hopefully it wouldn’t be anyone important.

"Hello, how can I—" The words died on Miranda’s lips as she pulled the door open to reveal the man on the doorstep. Tall, muscular, square jaw, eyes dark as the night sky. Prince Verrick.

"Lilac," the Prince said, his eyes widening then squinting. "Is that you beneath all that filth?"

Lilac stood with her mouth agape, unable to draw enough air into her lungs to form words.

"I have searched years for you. You just disappeared, with no clues whatsoever as to your whereabouts. I often despaired that you were lost to me forever, and yet I never gave up hope. Speak to me, fair Princess, tell me I have finally found you."

Finally Lilac’s voice unlocked. Without giving it much thought, she said, "You must have the wrong house."

"What?" The Prince's brow furrowed. "Are you not Princess Lilac, my lady love and future wife?"

"No," Lilac said with a shake of her head. "My name is. . .uh. . .Miranda. I do not know this Lilac of whom you speak."

"I do apologize," Prince Verrick said. Bewilderment twisted his face. "The resemblance is remarkable. You look so like my lost Lilac."

Lilac shrugged. "I hope you find her. Good day now, sir."

"Good day," Prince Verrick said. With a slight bow he turned and headed back into the woods.

Lilac closed the door and leaned against it. After a moment, a small smile curling her lips, she walked back to the kitchen.

"Who was that?" Miranda asked, not looking up from the hen she was placing in the oven.

"No one," Lilac said. She took a knife and began chopping carrots for the salad. "No one at all."