Much to the sorcerer's dismay, Prince Sebastian and Terrance set up camp alongside Hex and being an unsociable sort, this was an unwanted intrusion.

Chester, however, was delighted with the company. He chatted with the prince like a long-lost friend.

"So, Your Royal Highness, what brings you to the Forest of Foragers?" Chester stared at the handsome prince with adoration.

"I'd rather not say." Sebastian squirmed.

"You can tell me," Chester said. And seeing his opportunity, he continued, "After all, nothing can be worse than my tragic tale."

Hex groaned to himself. Don't do it! Don't ask!

"Oh," Terrance said, unbuttoning his bright red coat, embroidered with the royal Eternal Flame emblem, and dropping it on the floor. The guard's large tummy hung over his trousers, and his crisp white shirt pulled at the seams. "What tale do you speak of?"

Hex rolled his eyes.

Chester, finding himself the centre of attention, puffed up his chest and began, "I was the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the whole of the Imp Empire. I had money and status. I lived a charmed life..."

"He stole money and got caught. Prince Horace transformed him into a toad and swiftly exiled him. The End!" Hex interrupted, unable to sit through yet another rendition of how Chester became a toad.

"Hex! You ruined my story," Chester said.

"I simply condensed it. Fewer words, same story. You should try it sometime."

The prince patted Chester's back and said, "I assure you; my story is just as awful. I, too, am banished."

Hex frowned; his curiosity piqued. "Why?"

Terrance grinned at Sebastian. "His Royal Highness is not to return to the City of Kindling until he performs one truly selfless act and proves to King Cyrus that he will make a fair and compassionate ruler."

Why would any father send their only child away? Hex would give anything to have Florence back home, where she belonged.

"Seems harsh," Hex said, mostly to himself.

"The prince has a dire case of Spoiled Child Syndrome." Terrance chuckled as he sat opposite Sebastian.

Sebastian leaned forward and hissed, "Do you like your job, Terrance?"

The guard's grin vanished. "Yes, Your Royal Highness."

"Hex, you must have a tale or two," Sebastian said, changing the subject.

"He does." Chester nodded. "I'm helping him to break into the Castle of Jewels."

Hex glared at the toad. If Chester uttered one more word, he'd seal his loose lips shut.

"Why?" Terrance asked.

"To rescue..." Before Chester could finish his sentence, there was a sudden spark of light.

Terrance shot to his feet, his eyes darting between the sorcerer and the now mute toad. "What manner of curse did you place on this defenceless creature?"

Hex shrugged. "The toad talks too much."

"Hex, remove the spell at once!" Sebastian said.

"Once cast, the spell cannot be reversed. It'll wear off in an hour or two." Hex lied.

*

All night the strangest feeling had kept Hex awake. A tug on his magic and a whisper among the trees. By his side lay the brown sack and around him, his campmates slept soundly. Hex picked up the sack and crept into the forest.

Away from the camp, he knelt and brushed aside the leaves. Carefully, he positioned the crystal ball.

"Show me, Rose," he whispered.

The globe filled with white wisps, blurring the image within. Hex held his breath as the fog cleared and the shapes came into focus. The sorcerer clutched his chest, and his heart skipped a beat.

On a slab of stone, in the centre of a dark maze, lay Rose. Trapped in an unending sleep.

"She's exquisite," Prince Sebastian said, leaning over Hex's shoulder.

Hex couldn't look away, so he replied, "Yes, she is."

"Who is she?"

"My wife." A warm tear rolled down the sorcerer's cheek.

"Where is she?" Sebastian knelt beside Hex.

"The Castle of Jewels."

"Oh." Sebastian placed his hand on Hex's shoulder. "What will you do about it?"

"I'll make Horace and that hag of a witch pay for what they've done. Then, I'll bring Rose home, to Rune Hall."

The prince remained silent.

"I tried to tell you." Chester appeared beside Sebastian. Hex's spell had finally worn off. "It's the answer, you see."

"What is?" Sebastian frowned in confusion.

"Your selfless act... If you help Hex to rescue Rose, your father will allow you to return home."

"Chester!" Sebastian said with a grin. "You're brilliant!"

"That's one way to describe him," Hex muttered. "Crystal ball, show me, Cathy."

Once again, the globe turned misty.

As dawn broke, the sorcerer, toad, and prince waited for the wisps to clear.