Going back to the castle

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• Spider King: The Legend Begins   Seeing him for the first time

  Dark, it was so dark, but the one thing on Muriel's mind was ...What to wear? What to wear?!Muriel knew that Prince Vidar was nervous about his appearance, but she thought she was feeling the same, even though he had his fill of her image for a long time now.A formal gown with a wide skirt might be inappropriate. What if he wanted to do something that involved undressing? A more narrow skirt with a bum roll underneath would be better. She picked out a fawn colored skirt with a thick panel of ruffles bordering the hem. Then she put on a bodice in the pinkest variety of salmon. A matching overskirt was attached to it. She pinned a kerchief on the low neckline. A dark blue ribbon had been sewed on its edges. She hoped the color stood out against the rest of her outfit.She washed her face and applied only a light amount of makeup, only enough to hide a few small flaws and make her cheeks a little pin

• Spider King: The Legend Begins   The plan

  Princess Arya met Muriel and Doctor Bergson in a hallway only a few moments after Muriel's meeting with Prince Vidar. She told them to follow her to another barely used room with no servants about. And again, the doctor was a lookout for them.Facing each other, they sat down."Did he ask you to marry him?" the princess asked as she looked down at her fingernails.Muriel nodded and said, "Yes, Madam. If you feel insulted, then I sincerely apologize. I know a commoner wouldn't be worthy of your esteemed son."A tick formed in Princess Arya's eyebrow, but after a few pulses it disappeared. "Muriel, a married man is often judged by his wife. I've done everything I can to grow a fine reputation for you. You're Muriel the Kind, the Well Spoken, the Frugal, and the Just. You're also Muriel the Beautiful. Even the highest aristocrats have asked me about you. You're one of the most desired women in Norantha.

• Spider King: The Legend Begins   Desperately in love

  Muriel's feet were light, and she walked ahead of Doctor Bergson for a change. She was smiling. She was ready. Whatever Prince Vidar wanted her to do, she'd do it. Anything he desired, anything she could possibly do, she'd do it. That's how badly she wanted him to come out of this miserable state.Inside the Empty Room, Muriel skipped her way to the chair. She happened to notice that the doctor was smiling down at her. He reminded her of her father when he was feeling indulgent. He tied her ankles and wrists in their places. He tied the blindfold on her head. He asked her if she was comfortable."I'm fantastic, Sir.""Very good, then." She heard him go to the door, open it, walk out of the room, and then close that door.Muriel started humming as Prince Vidar made his typical noisy entrance. She was whistling when he knocked on the door to signal the doctor, who then said, "That's fine. I'm off."

• Spider King: The Legend Begins   'I want him to face the world'

  The day after Prince Emil had been kicked out of the castle, Princess Arya went to visit Prince Vidar alone. Of course, nobody was allowed to follow her. She stayed up in the prince's quarters for approximately an hour.Then later, in the evening, Princess Arya told Muriel to follow her to an empty room that was almost never used. The ever loyal Doctor Bergson stayed outside the door to keep a lookout. The women sat down on cushioned stools and kept their voices low."I honestly wish it was easier to find good servants," the princess said with a sigh.Quite a few servants had been questioned, and some had confessed to telling Prince Emil about Vidar's gifts to Muriel. They didn't understand why he gave her gifts. So there was only so much information they could give him. That was of little importance in the princess' mind. She had personally slapped each of their faces and ejected them from the castle. Servants were expe

• Spider King: The Legend Begins   Helpless !!

  "My heart ... my heart ... it's hurting."Normally, Muriel would have found that statement to be childish, but Prince Vidar said it with such intense pain that Muriel couldn't find any fault in his words. She didn't need to see him in order to know that he was in a bit of despair."I watched him, and I would've thrown him out a window, but the quickest route to him from the secret corridors was still not short enough. Doctor Bergson has my gratitude."Muriel turned to her left. That's where the voice was coming from. "Would you have revealed yourself in order to save her?""That was my thought. It was an impulse, but I was willing to do it. Sadly, the secret corridors were not designed with entrances to most of the rooms in the keep.""I'm certain that you would have been mortified. Your brother would likely have done what he could to humiliate you.""A far b

• Spider King: The Legend Begins   The violent prince

  Alone and quiet inside her bedchamber, Muriel suddenly thought of something.The two princes resembled each other, or at least, Muriel assumed they did before Prince Vidar was cursed.But what if Prince Vidar wasn't cursed at all? What if for some reason an elaborate ruse had been put up?What if one of the princes was dead, and the other was ... somehow ... moving back and forth and secretly claiming both identities?What if the other prince had a split personality type of disorder?Fussy and skittish, Muriel set her pale hair free and stared combing it as she paced around the room.The only reason she thought there might have been an imposter was because she hadn't knowingly seen Prince Vidar. So, maybe Prince Emil was Vidar?Muriel picked at a sudden tangle in her hair with her fingernails.No. The cold discourtesy