They arrived at the gate Hannah had fled through a few hours ago. A few steps later, they came to the fountain, and immediately the bear bent over the fountain’s edge and roared into the splashing water: “Godmother Friederike! Why did you send Hannah? How is she able to save me?”
No answer.
Hannah ran toward the fountain and brushed against a rose bush along the way. As the rose petals glided onto the water, she looked down at the water’s surface. Where were her children? But there was nothing to see except their own reflections, that of the stars in the night sky, and the red rose petals gently floating back and forth.
“Where are you, Godmother Friederike? Show yourself!”
The bear was roaring so loudly and wildly that Hannah’s heart nearly stopped. But then she remembered who was hidden beneath the fur and did not move an inch from his side. “Frieda!” she cried. “Come here right now and show yourself! We need to speak with you! And I want to see my children! Now!”
But the water remained the same. No magic penetrated through, and no voice drifted up from below. No face appeared on the water’s surface.
Hannah felt her chest constrict. Why wasn’t Frieda appearing? Was something the matter with the children? WasFrieda harming them after all? Oh, why had she broken her golden rule and entrusted her children to a stranger?
“Emi? Leon? Marco? Are you there? This is Mommy. If you can hear me, listen closely. I’m coming back to you. Don’t be afraid! Mommy will be back soon!” Hannah stared at the water, but nothing stirred and she didn’t hear any sounds from her children... when all of a sudden, a mighty splash made her jump and rained water down all over her dress.
The bear had struck the water furiously with his paw. “Damn it all! Why doesn’t she come? What did you say to her earlier that would make her not come when I call?”
Hannah thrust her hands on her hips and raised herself up to her full height in front of the bear as though he were nothing more than a harmless kitten. “This isn’t just about you! That woman has my children!”
The bear growled loudly, as only a real bear could.
“Now stop growling and concentrate. We won’t get anywhere if you don’t help. All I know is what Frieda told me about the night your father humiliated that poor girl Mirabelle. Frieda said I needed to find out what the curse was all about. Do you know who pronounced it? And when and where?”
The bear bowed to her, and Hannah couldn’t help but smile. “Pardon my rage,” he apologized, fixing his gaze upon her. For a moment, a hint of green flashed from his dark eyes, and he sighed as no bear had ever done before him. Then he began to talk.
“My father never spoke of the curse. He liked to pretend that it didn’t exist. I think he was ashamed of his behavior on the night of that ball or simply of what had happened. In any event, he didn’t want anyone or anything to remind him of it. But one afternoon, when I had just turned nine, I heard my parents arguing with each other. There was nothing strange in that—my parents weren’t happy together... but that’s another story. Thatafternoon, my mother screamed at him more loudly than I had ever heard her do before: ‘You must finally tell him. He has inherited your curse!’
“Curious, I crept closer to the library, where the two of them happened to be, and I was peering inside through the partly open door as my father, who was furious, replied: ‘No, he has not. The curse was averted by our marriage! I demand that you never speak a single word about it again! I forbid you to breathe even one word to him—or you will sorely regret it!’
“My mother was close to despair, and she threw herself at his feet. She seized his red mantle and looked up at him, pleading. ‘We must not leave him in the dark. His godmother told me at his birth that he carries the curse that once hung over your head!’
“‘Enough!’ my father shouted, and in his fury, he took a vase of flowers from the table and threw it on the floor. Then he stomped over to the door, and I managed to hide behind a pillar just in time before he stormed past me.” The bear looked up at the stars as if he were recalling the fear he’d felt back then.
Hannah was watching him closely. “Your father’s curse was transferred to you when you were born? And what did you learn from your mother?”
“Nothing. Not a word. She was truly afraid of my father.”
“Excuse me? I can’t believe that! A mother wouldn’t do that!”
The bear looked up in anger. “My mother was a good woman. But my father was the king, after all, and she had to obey his command.”
“Which means that you didn’t know what would happen until the time arrived? Until your father died and you were transformed?”
“No! I knew about the curse because my mother was a very clever woman. She devised a ruse to circumvent my father’s command. I had a governess at the time, one Miss Siebenstein,who was my teacher. And my mother confided the truth to this woman.”
Hannah nodded appreciatively. “Excellent. And what did this Miss Siebenstein reveal to you about the curse?”
13
A long, long time ago
And so King Ludwig von Lichtenberg arranged for another ball, which he invited the maidens of the land to so that his son, Prince Gustav von Lichtenberg, might choose a spouse. There were more candles than at the previous ball, and the number of servants attending to the guests’ well-being was increased. The wine and the food that was served were more exquisite than the last time. The king wished at all costs to prevent the embarrassing incident of the previous ball from taking root in people’s minds. The memory had to be trumped by greater pomp and splendor, more dancing and more merriment, so that no one would ever remember that ugly affair.
Prince Gustav would have preferred to remain in the background, but his father had taken him to task even before the ball had begun. “My son, so that our guests may no longer think of those most unfortunate events of the past month, it is imperative that you mingle with them. Lead the ladies onto the ballroom floor, laugh, jest, show your most winning side. Begenerous and noble, and honor the reputation of our royal house with your gallant ways and charming smile.”
Prince Gustav agreed to mingle with the ladies, and soon there was no one left who still spoke of the unfortunate events of the previous ball. He blossomed under the admiring gazes of the young women, leading one after the other onto the ballroom floor. The mood got better and better, with the gentlemen jesting and the ladies giggling and casting alluring glances from behind their fans... when all of a sudden, a powerful storm broke out.
The doors and windows flew open, and the raging wind extinguished all the candles. The ladies screamed and hid behind the men, who stared as if spellbound at the dark being that burst through the balcony door. It was misty and black, and no one could distinguish a face or any other feature. Was it a human being? Something was blowing around the apparition—whether it was long hair or a wide cloak, it was impossible to tell. With a few menacing moves, it approached the prince and lifted its hands.
