The Doll Prince

Chapter 2

Cherry and Forte came out of the guest bedroom. They wanted to make sure Felicity was okay and not extremely homesick. They were happy to see their daughter sleeping soundly on the couch with the pillow, and cuddling Ludwig.

"Maybe we should wake her and take her home before she has nightmares about being away from home..." Cherry suggested, turning to her soul mate.

"And spoil a cold-blooded dream?" Forte sighed. "No, let her sleep."

"I can't believe how fast she's grown," Cherry lifted one of Felicity's arms and gently stroked her baby skin hand. "I bet she'd be a very beautiful woman."

"She's just like you," Forte snaked his arms around Cherry's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder as they both looked down at their daughter. "She's a very adorable, sweet and innocent child, and would grow into a very beautiful, violent woman. I knew that from the moment I first laid eyes on you..."

Cherry raised an eyebrow and looked him in the eyes. "How could you had seen me? You didn't have eyes!"

Forte raised a finger to hush his wife as Felicity stirred in her sleep. "Come, let's get back to bed... We all need our rest, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow..."

"I guess you're right," Cherry looked at Felicity and stroked her hair. "Good night, my daughter..." she said in almost whisper, then followed Forte back to the guest room.

The lights clicked off and Felicity continued to slumber, completely unaware her parents came to check on her. However, once the doors closed, there came familiar looking mice who scattered across the floor. It also seemed as if Ludwig had come to life and he jumped down to the rodents. The mice were dressed in royal clothing, one of which was the Mouse King that Cherry had encountered when she was younger. Ludwig darted his eyes at the Mouse King and jumped down at him, wielding a tiny plastic sword.

"Back off, you don't belong here!" Ludwig growled in a thick Elizabethan accent.

"You're not nutcracker, but you are nuisance!" the Mouse King growled, recalling past events.

"You better have mercy on Christmas Eve!"

"Mercy? HA! Sorry, all out of mercy!"

Felicity's eyes flickered and she yawned to see the Mouse King and Ludwig alive and fighting. Felicity wasn't sure which was more surprising and weird. Ludwig being alive or that there was a mouse dressed like a king and actually speaking and talking!

"I must be dreaming..." Felicity mumbled to herself. She then got out of the bed and glared down, bent and picked up the Mouse King by his tail. "Listen here, you better leave to a hole or something before I call my Maman and Papa!"

"Little brat! Why I oughta-" the Mouse King then looked at Felicity closer and noticed how much she looked like her mother in some ways. "Wait... Is your mother named Cherry?"

"Papa calls her 'Cerise'..." Felicity shrugged. "You know my maman?"

The Mouse King chuckled. "Indeed I do, insolent human!" he took out a glowing scepter and aimed straight for Felicity. "Meddling human, towering tall, let me scepter shrink you small!"

The scepter glowed and Felicity's hands grew loose and the Mouse King landed on one of the Christmas presents left under Ken and Bianca's tree. Felicity then looked to see her hands grew smaller and she was shrinking and she was about the size of an average mouse. She looked all around and felt more afraid than she had for a long time. The Mouse King laughed menacingly with a wicked Cheshire Cat grin, one of his registered trademarks.

"Oh, d-d-dear!" Felicity stepped back, holding herself as she was now small and trapped this way for a while now.

"Not so fearless now, huh?" The Mouse King laughed. "You're just like your mother when she was a child! Mice! Get her!"

Mouse minions emerged, ready to take Felicity.

"Oh no, you don't!" Ludwig hissed and charged for them, trying to take them down so they wouldn't get Felicity. Ludwig tried to get them to go to the fire in the fireplace, but that didn't work out and he tried to protect Felicity as he fought.

Felicity couldn't just stand in the background, she had to do something. She looked all around and saw the fireplace poker. She took out the loose ribbon from her nightgown, tied a knot in it and lassoes the poker. She pulled it down as a spark jumped onto the end of it, making it steam. Felicity smiled mischievously as the mice were trying to defeat Ludwig.

"BACK!" Felicity barked as she scared the mice with the poker. "Back, I say! BACK!"

The mice all scattered in fear and ran off. Even the Mouse King seemed afraid and ran after them. He took his scepter with him so Felicity couldn't change back to normal and she wondered where they all ran off to. Felicity walked to Ludwig and saw he had a little rip in his arm.

"Thanks for your help." Ludwig smiled at her.

"Your welcome," Felicity smiled, but then frowned as she saw the rip. "Are you okay? I can sew you back up, you know."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

The dark-haired girl let the doll rest as she took out a thread and needle she kept in her pocket. Felicity hummed Alouette as she tried to treat the doll who was like her knight in shining armor. Once Felicity was done, she allowed Ludwig to stretch his arm and he was happy to see he was back to his normal put together self.

"Thank you for nursing me, Felicity, I really owe you one." Ludwig smiled.

"Votre accueli," Felicity assured him. "This has to be a dream though!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's all real, Felicity," Ludwig explained. "I also should get to Parthenia before the Mouse King takes it over like he tried over 10 years ago."

"Ludwig, if you don't mind, could you turn me back to my tall self before you go?"

"Sorry, but the only one who can undo the Mouse King's magic spells is the Sugarplum Fairy Princess."

"The Sugarplum Princess?" Felicity wondered.

"Hasn't your mother ever told you the story about her?" Ludwig took her hands as she shook her head in response. "The Sugarplum Princess has all sorts of powers and knows everything about our land. She went missing long ago, she was found again by your mother and a friend of hers, but no one has seen her since last year. The Mouse King was even the one who turned me into a doll."

"You mean, you're not really a doll made by Tante Bianca?" Felicity asked with her eyes widening.

Ludwig shook his head. "I was actually made from magic and her doll making, yes I was a doll, but she fixed me up. I'm really a prince from Parthenia. My brother was also turned into a Nutcracker from the Mouse King when I was given as a present to an orphan girl your mother knew named Clara. I best be on my way to find the Sugarplum Princess."

"Maybe I can help you," Felicity volunteered with a smile. "Maman and Papa say it's always good to go on an adventure to test your bravery and courage."

"I don't know," Ludwig was thrilled of her enthusiasm, but was worried something might happen to her along the way. "What if you get hurt or something?"

"Sil vous plait, Ludwig, I hate to put a friend down." Felicity begged.

"Well..." Ludwig thought about it, then smiled. "Alright Felicity, you can come."

"Oh, Merci, Ludwig!" Felicity beamed.

"Come, we have a big journey ahead of us," Ludwig showed Felicity a mouse-hole in the wall. "Watch your step."

"Ludwig, that's just a mouse-hole." Felicity pointed out.

"I know, but come in." Ludwig took Felicity's hand and they walked through the hole.

Felicity's eyes were brightened by amazing color of a winter wonderland as they came from the other side of the hole. There was a village inside the hole with all sorts of sweet smells and wonderous sights. The snow-covered trees even looked like they were happy just to be sprouted and planted. Felicity marveled at the sights and she squeezed Ludwig's hand as they looked out to the winter wonderland.

"Come now, let's get going." Ludwig advised.

"Oh, wait," Felicity held her dotted arms from chills of goosebumps and the nippy weather. She then went out, then came back in her winter jacket and signature black boots. "Now we can go!"

"Alright." Ludwig smiled, took Felicity's hand and led her around the winter wonderland to set things right.