Free Twice Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris

he
had
lived there for over one hundred years, and he
did
have all his collections stored there, and he
did
love the place more than anywhere else he'd ever lived. He knew you couldn't cross back over a burned bridge when you came to it, as the saying went, but some days, much as he'd liked living at Swithbert's, he wished he had his own place again.
    After a long while Magnus, in his dressing gown, came draggling down the stairs behind Winterbottom.
    "Hello, Your Majesty. Hello, Ed. I beg your pardon for my appearance. I'm a little under the weather."
    "Yes, I can see that," Swithbert said. "And I have an idea of what's wrong with you."
    Magnus gave him a startled look. "You do?"
    Winterbottom herded them into the sitting room. "I'll bring tea," he said.
    "So ..." Magnus hesitated and then tried again. "What do you think is my problem?"
    "Could it be—Olympia?" Swithbert asked.
    Magnus went paler than he already was. "Did she say something to you?"
    "No. But I know her. I know how she operates. And I know what she did to you once before."
    Magnus hung his head. "I shouldn't have cooperated with her then. But I was younger, and a little desperate, and—"
    "It's all right, Magnus," Swithbert said. "I understood."
    Magnus raised his head and looked at the king. "I really did like Marigold. But I knew all along we had nothing in common."
    "I know. What you wanted was a place to belong. I really do understand that. Which is why I made sure you got your own house. And now ... I'm just guessing, but could it be that Olympia's threatening to take that away from you unless you do what she wants? And what she wants probably has something to do with my health, just like last time. Am I close?"
    Magnus jumped. "How did you know?"
    Swithbert shrugged. "Unfortunately, I know Olympia."
    "But this time I told her no. I swear it."
    "I believe you. And that's why you're so under the weather. Wondering what her retaliation will be. I'm sure you've heard she's cleaned out the dungeons, ready for business again."
    Ed jumped in. "We aren't ones to want to wash our dirty hands in public, so we'll need to keep this conversation confidential. But we have to stop Olympia."
    "Do you think we can?" Magnus asked doubtfully.
    "That's what we need to talk about."
    So they did, spending a long time over the tea and cakes that Winterbottom brought. Ed was especially fond of the raisin scones and ate more than he should have. Trolls have very little restraint when it comes to food they love.
    Swithbert ate modestly, mostly because that was his usual practice, but also because he had had such perfectly boiled eggs for breakfast that he'd requested them again for lunch and was quite full still. Either

the old cook had finally learned how to boil an egg properly, or someone else had taken over the job.
    Magnus was too upset and bilious to eat a bite.

    A T THE END of the afternoon they'd gotten exactly nowhere. Every plan they came up with had holes even they could see through, which meant it wouldn't have fooled Olympia for an instant.
    "It'll be dark before we return to the castle if we don't leave now," Swithbert said. "But we'll keep racking our brains about Olympia, and we'll meet again tomorrow. We must solve this problem before it goes any further."
    Ed opened the door to the sitting room and found Winterbottom on the floor, held down by Rollo's boot in his back, and with Rollo's saber poised at the nape of his neck. An eight-foot-tall captain of the guards is intimidating under any circumstances, but especially when he has his blade on one's neck.
    "Rollo!" Swithbert commanded. "What are you doing here?"
    "I've been eavesdropping all afternoon," he said. "I and two of my archers followed you. Queen's orders. And she's not going to like what I have to tell her."
    "Olympia's had you spying on us?" Swithbert asked in astonishment.
    "For good reason, apparently," Rollo said. "The three of you are under arrest."
    "Me?" squeaked Winterbottom from the