"What the hell is going on...?"
Ruby yells startled and shoves me away to be able to get up, I blink confused looking around and realize we've fallen asleep in the garden, hugging each other under one of the apple trees. It's been a hot day and we've been working nonstop this morning, pulling weeds, watering plants, collecting fruit... We had a light lunch later sitting under the tree, Ruby leaned her back against the trunk and closed her eyes while I cuddled next to her with my head leaned on her shoulder and Luna curled up in one of the baskets... till an unbearable noise woke us up a few seconds ago. And there it goes again... What's that dreadful noise? I get up staggering and follow the cat to the cave main door where my wife is waiting with her arms crossed over her chest and a furrowed brow... when the witch gets angry, bad things happen... That poor boy who's smartly dressed and riding a cute white horse doesn't know he's at risk of being turned into a slimy toad.
"Stop it! We've heard you... you don't need to play that horrible bugle again. What do you want?" Ruby clenches her jaw staring at the messenger while he takes a beautiful cream envelope with golden letters from his bag and hands it to her at the same time he yells.
"Prince Adam and his wife princess Bella are pleased to invite sorceress Ruby Rose to the baptism of their baby daughter Gabrielle Suzanne, a formal ball and dinner will be hold in the castle..."
"Okay, I've understood... you don't need to yell anymore. I'll take this..." The witch grabs the envelope rolling her eyes hard while the enthusiastic messenger smiles nodding and waves his hand goodbye before turning his horse around and leaving in a rush looking for the next guest of his list.
"What's wrong?" I ask getting closer with curiosity, my wife is reading the letter and sighing annoyed.
"They've invited us only because they need to cover the quota with witches..." Ruby looks angry and walks in the cave growling while pouring herself a glass of water, I follow her cautiously but I don't understand why she's so mad at a party invitation: I know she's an introvert witch and doesn't like social events but she's overreacting a little, in my opinion. My girl crosses her arms over her chest again and taps on the floor with the tip of her boot anxiously. "After all that mess that happened with princess Aurora, they don't dare to offend anyone and invite all sorceresses and witches living near every time a new baby is born, they don't want one of us getting furious and putting a spell on them to sleep for a hundred of years till a prince saves them. And in addition to this, they love magical presents, gifts from fairies and witches are more interesting for young princesses than getting diapers and personalized rattles with their names... They've only invited us out of interest... I never attend these events but I bet you want to go, you miss the court parties and all that..."
"I'll do whatever you decide, Ruby." I shrug and keep a straight face trying not to show any emotion but of course I'm dying to go, dance, drink champagne, I want to talk to someone that's not my wife or her cat or an angry fairy yelling at me because I'm stealing her blueberries. The witch stares at the cave ceiling lit up with candles and sighs annoyed once again.
"Do you know Adam and Bella?" she asks taking the invitation from the table and reading it one more time.
"Not personally, but my parents attended their wedding after they broke the spell and the beast turned into the prince. I think Adam's father and my grandparent were allied kings... Ruby, we don't have to go if you don't want to, seriously... if you believe that Malizia is going to..."
"I don't think that psycho witch will be a problem, she doesn't live near that castle and, even if she's obsessed with marrying a king and climbing the social ladder, the truth is that her contacts aren't that good so she won't get an invitation... But you won't leave my sight for one second..." My wife raises her hand and points at my nose with her finger, frowning. "Do you understand?"
