Briar

Ch. 5 Miscalculation

Jonas wasn’t seen for a few days, locked up in his tower scribbling notes about the transformation. He didn’t really expect Perky to still be hanging around when it finally dawned on him to head down stairs. He figured that she would get scared and take off to some far off land where she would fall for a prince dumb enough to take her and break the spell.
What Jonas certainly did not expect was when he went down stairs on the third evening, Perky would be waiting for him. She even ran into him at the base of the stairs leading to the West Wing.
“If you wanted me to stay then all you had to do was ask!”
Jonas tried to respond.
“And you did have to stay holed up for three days either. I was barely angry after the first day.” Jonas was being heartily squeezed now and was having trouble breathing as Perky found it necessary to also make them swing about as she hugged him. His fingers clutched at her slim shoulders trying to pry her off of him, but Perky was stronger than she looked.
Jonas firmly planted his feet in the ground, “Wait a minute. Princess I think you have my intentions wrong. I did this so that you would go away.”
“No. You didn’t this to test me. To see if I would stay with you even when confronted with magic.” She looked in completely in the eye, completely sure of herself.
Jonas couldn’t help it; he laughed. Her reasoning was so completely ridiculous. He tried to stifle his laughing as he said, “And why pray tell would I do that?”
“Because you love me,” was her immediate answer.
Jonas stopped laughing. He looked her levelly in the eye, “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Princess, but that’s not possible.”
She looked right back at him before spinning on her heel, “You do love me, Jonas. And you can’t convince me otherwise.” She sauntered down the hall, wagging her little butt. Jonas might have been tempted to check out that derriere if he wasn’t deeply afflicted for one that didn’t even touch the cloth of her dress.
It would have saved everyone a lot of pain if Rose had seen this little exchange. She wouldn’t have been as dumb as Perky to completely disbelieve Jonas’s words. Well, I don’t think she would have been, but love does have a tendency of making everyone an idiot.
Instead of stalking Jonas’s tower like Perky, Rose had taken to talking and reading with Jillian. They had become fast friends. Jillian had even deemed it alright for Rose to call her by her the nickname that she never used (The ladies found it unsuitable to shorten a proper name.), Jilly.
The world that Jonas found after three day was one that had changed and not in his favor. The older couples would barely talk to him. They didn’t see the point in using magic when he could have just booted her out or told her he loved her. Mrs. Fonderal also didn’t like the hair brained princess, and her picky food choices. Not to mention that June hated onions, but Janni wanted to have them with every meal. Where Jenny only wanted meat soups; Jane would only eat vegetarian ones. And yes, they still expected to have meals as humans even though they ate mostly as birds. Mrs. Fonderal was definitely not happy about staying up to make their every delectable desire. Somehow, Jonas’s soup had a garnish of hair instead of leeks. Mrs. Happershap would tear up a little and make sighs about how romantic it was whenever Jonas came into a room. This, of course, confused and disoriented Jonas. So he left her alone.
But Rose’s attitude was the biggest and most hurtful change. Jonas couldn’t understand it. She had started to avoid him. If he entered a room she would leave it. If he ever had an instruction or a helpful bit of information for her new duties, she was painfully brief. And instead of hanging out with him, like they usually did she was always with Jillian. Even when geese, the ladies kept them apart. When he went to go visit her by the lake the birds would crowd around him, tripping him up until he had to go back inside. So, I see how it is. She has finally found a friend who won’t come on to her. A friend who can teach her womanly ways. Jonas’s hurt was not helped by the fact that an annoying little blond kept following him. He thanked the gods that at least now he had the day to himself.
Rose was in constant pain. She ran into Jonas at every turn. She would be in the library reading, and he would show up. Throbbing in her heart even worse with Perky trailing him like a little lap dog. And the only times he talked to her was when he wanted to give instructions on how to treat the geese. How are they getting along? Are they adapting well? Has the Princess gone in the water yet? He seemed to be completely obsessed. He had even come down to the water a few times to check on her. After being surrounded for a while, he would get his fix and go back inside. The only consolation Rose now had was Jilly.
They had fun together. Like peas in a pod. Jilly was teaching her to embroider, and Rose was teaching Jilly how to kick back, swim in the pond. At the very beginning Jilly had even offered to teach Rose how to read. Rose had only laughed. Jilly didn’t understand until they went to the library for the first time and found out that Rose could read better than she could. The girl made no demands on her. Although they never talked about her heartache Jilly knew. And it was Jilly who held her when it became too much.
There was also the serve miscalculation on Jonas’s part in that Victoria and the ladies were horribly ashamed of their new halves. To be a swan was perfectly respectable, but to be turned into a goose! Now that was just silly and embarrassing. They felt in imperative that no one know of their infliction until they had broken the curse. When clients came to the castle, the girls hid themselves in the mostly abandoned East Wing. Most of the people were too distraught to want to explore the place.
So time passed in Numberland. The girls frolicked and bickered and did much of the same when in human form. Everyone except for Jonas was convinced that he was in love with Victoria. Before anyone knew it six months had passed in this manner, and it was spring.
Victoria’s father sent a messenger to see if Vicky was safe. At Perky’s incessant begging and treats, Jonas told the man that she had left right before winter. He took this news with stride. Apparently Vicky had a tendency to run off without notice. He asked the direction that she had taken off in and after a day of rest he headed out in that direction too find out where his dimwitted princess had gone to now. Jonas just wished that this supposed habit of hers would kick in soon. Very soon.


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So there's the new one. I do have the tendency to make time pass like kind of quickly, but it's better than drooling on for chapters about how much Rose hates Vicky right?

And please tell me if I'm doing anything horribly wrong with the story. or if my grammar is becoming too strange to bear.

But thanks for reading!