CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Olwen Cullwich.THERE HERE WAS A burst of scurrying, straightening, and dusting off of clothing. "Queen Hesti's coming!" a voice whispered loudly near the doorway. "And she's blond this afternoon. She'll be here any minute."

"Kids," Clio said sweetly, "your mother's here. Stand straight, now, and give her nice smiles."

Erec's nerves jumbled and he felt funny, almost sick. After all this time he would finally get to meet his birth mother. And she was a 334.

queen, no less. What would she be like? He had so much to ask her.

The door flew open, and a tall, beautiful woman walked inside. Her hair was a long, curly blond, like theirs was, and she had high cheekbones and green eyes so soft that they were almost gray. Erec gasped when he saw her. Maybe it was his height, but from where he stood, she looked like a powerful Amazon warrior.

Clio bowed. "Your majesty, your hair looks lovely today."

"Thank you, Clio." The queen walked over to the little girl and knelt down beside her. "What are you coloring, honey?"

The little girl pointed. "A flying pony."

"Zoom! Zoom!" Erec's brother whipped by her, almost knocking over his mother.

"Slow down there, tyke," Queen Hesti said. She turned to Erec. "What's wrong, little Poo-Poo Head? Did you get lost? Come here, honey."

Erec slowly walked to his mother, stunned. The queen exchanged looks with Clio, acknowledging that he was acting strange. He stood before her, looking into her eyes. So this was her. He couldn't believe it. She wrapped her arms around him, and he hugged her back with his little hands. It was strange, he had never seen her before, not that he could remember anyway. But this was his birth mother. And here she was hugging him. He was glad, but it still didn't feel the same as when June had hugged him before.

"Erec, do you want to spend some time with me today?" His mother smiled. "I'd like that."

"Yes." Erec searched her eyes. What should he ask first? He didn't know where to begin. "Do you love me?" He hated the way his voice squeaked.

The queen kissed him all over his face, which made him blush. "Of course I love you, sweetheart. You're my baby." She hugged him again.

335.

But Erec pulled away this time. "Are you going to leave me?"

She looked concerned, tilting her head. "No, honey. Why are you asking that?" She looked at Clio accusingly. "What happened to him when he got lost?"

Clio wrung her hands. "I'm so sorry, your highness. I have no idea how he got out, but he wasn't gone long. One of the maids found him straightaway."

Erec didn't want to make Clio look bad. "I'm okay, really." "Really" sounded like "weally" when he said it, making him cringe.

The queen looked at him oddly. "Okay. Erec, you don't seem yourself. Why don't we go get a treat together, just you and me?"

"Treat! Treat!" his brother shouted, closing in.

Clio picked up his hand. "You're staying with me, Prince Muck-Muck. We're having a big old treat here, just for you."

Erec walked out of the playroom holding his mother's hand.

The cloud cream sundae tasted better than any Erec had ever had. His mother shared it with him, dipping her spoon into his bowl. That was fine, since it seemed three times the normal size, and he was filling up fast.

Erec was enjoying getting to know his birth mother, but he had so much he needed to ask her. "Is Dad King Piter?"

"Yes," she said patiently. "That's what other people call him. You just call him Daddy."

Now that he had confirmed that fact, Erec felt another rush of anger. King Piter really was his father, but he'd just never felt like telling him. Considering the number of times the question came up, it was practically the same as a lie.

But sitting next to his beautiful mother, his anger drained away. How would his life have been different if she had raised him? If he'd grown up knowing he was a prince? What would that have been like, 336.

rather than growing up with no money in a crowded house, moving every year?

It occurred to Erec that this woman, his mother, was still alive somewhere, in Erec's future! He knew he would have to find her when he went back. If only he could figure out why she'd left. Maybe then he could find a clue to where she was. "Is King Piter nice to you?"

The queen smushed his cheeks together. "Call him Daddy, honey. Of course he's nice to me. We love each other. And you have to be nice to people you love, right?"

"Will you ever leave me?"

"No." The queen ruffled his hair, looking concerned. "What happened when you got lost? Did you see something scary?"

"No." Erec shook his head.

It was time to try now. This was the third thing he had planned to do on his visit into the past. The most important thing he had to do here. More important than learning who his birth parents were, and even more than getting the Twrch Trwyth. After this everything would change.

Erec had to warn her and the king about what would happen to them so they could prevent it. It would stop the chain of events that would lead to all the problems. Erec would not end up doing quests alone. Aoquesth would not die protecting Erec. Everything would be different. He had to warn King Piter and Queen Hesti that the queen would be attacked, that the king would be bewitched and put the castle on its side, that their triplets would be killed....

His breath caught again when he remembered. He was one of the triplets. So they weren't killed. Of course. That's why he was supposed to do the twelve quests, be the next king. Why he was the rightful ruler. King Piter should have told him.

He pointed at himself. "I'm thirteen. I--"

337.

"No, honey, you're three," Queen Hesti corrected.

Erec wished he could speak faster. It took him so long to get words out. "I came back in time from ten years later. I'm thirteen."

The Queen stared at him in shock. Erec felt a rush of relief. He had finally gotten his message across. "I can't believe it," she said. "Can you say that again?"

It took him a while to get the words out, but he finally managed to repeat it.

She shook her head in disbelief. "Where did you learn to talk like this? That's amazing. These are such big boy words. 'Ten years later.'" She thought a moment. "You actually will be thirteen ten years from now! Did you know that? You are so smart." She kissed him. "I think we know what your magical gift is, Erec. We've been waiting to find out. You have the gift of brains, or an amazing speaking ability at least. This is wonderful."

It occurred to Erec that she was more excited about the words he was using than what he was actually saying. He tried again. "Someone will try to kill us. We should hide."

"This is fantastic," she said. "But don't talk about killing, sweetie. That's not a nice thing. I guess it will take you a while to figure out how to use your big words."

Erec sagged from the effort of trying to make her listen. "I really came back in a time machine. Hecate Jekyll is bad. She'll put King--Daddy--under a spell."

The queen pursed her lips in thought. "Maybe it's a storytelling gift." She kissed his forehead. "Whatever it is, I'm so happy for you."

Erec wanted to scream in frustration. She wasn't listening. "Olwen Cullwich," he said. "I want Olwen Cullwich."

His mother laughed. "You are full of surprises today, Prince Poo-Poo Head. You remember Olwen? That's pretty good you remember his name."

338.

"Can I see him?" Erec felt his lower lip slide forward.

"No, Erec. He is a friend of Daddy's. We don't play with Daddy's friends, okay?"

As wonderful as it was to meet his mother, the exchange had been a disaster. No matter how hard he tried, she focused only on his great vocabulary but did not believe anything he said. He couldn't actually blame her. How convincing could he be, stammering out words like a baby?

Soon he was back with his brother, who would only refer to himself as "Prince Muck-Muck," and his sister, who preferred "Princess Pretty Pony." As exciting as it should have been to meet his siblings, they were far from interesting.

He had to find Olwen Cullwich. And, angry at him or not, he needed to talk to King Piter. He had to warn him about what would happen, just as he'd tried to warn his mother. Maybe he could make him listen.

"I want my daddy," he said to Clio.

"Your daddy is busy, sweetie," she answered. "He'll come say good night later."

But Erec did not want to wait for later, when King Piter would no doubt pop his head in and whisk off again. He needed to talk to him now. It would be harder to escape, he knew, with Clio on high alert. But he waited until she was in the bathroom with his sister and then snuck out the door.

Before anybody noticed, he shut it and dashed behind a plant. Making his way forward, he darted behind statues and doors, carefully waiting until the hallways were clear. Everything seemed immense now, but he still knew the way to King Piter's throne room. He hoped the king was there.

It was hard to pull one of the heavy throne-room doors open, but 339.

Erec managed to slip through. At the other end of the room, King Piter sat on his throne. He looked just the same as Erec remembered, except his hair was brown, not white. Talking to him was another familiar figure, who looked identical now to how he did in the future: the Hermit.

At first Erec's heart leapt when he saw the Hermit. He would help him explain everything to the king. But then Erec remembered that the Hermit would also have no clue about what was going on with him. Ten years ago the Hermit only knew Erec as a tiny kid.

Erec ran across the room, which took a while. King Piter and the Hermit looked up at him with surprise.

The king said, "Erec? Is that you? What are you doing here, boy?"

Erec climbed up the Lia Fail next to King Piter's throne and said, "I have to talk to you, Dad."

Saying "Dad" to the king sounded strange. The king set Erec on his knee. "You shouldn't be running around out here, Erec."

"Dad, I came from the future." He wished his words were clearer, and that he could sound older.

The king's eyebrows shot up. "Did you hear that?" He turned to the Hermit, amazed. "He said 'the future.'" Then to Erec, "Those are awfully big words for such a little boy. Good job, son." The king looked proud.

The Hermit, on the other hand, seemed interested. "You came from the future, Erec?"

Finally, Erec thought, someone was listening. "Yes. I have to tell you. Bad guys are going to try to get us. Hecate Jekyll will put a spell on you. We have to go away for a year." Would that take care of the problem? Maybe it would just put it off. Erec had another idea. "Let us sleep in your room from now on. Then we'll be safe. And guard the door."

340.

King Piter's mouth hung wide open. "You are incredible, Erec. It's like you got super smart overnight. Can your brother and sister talk like this now too?"

Erec wanted to shake him. "Listen to me. Let us sleep in your room."

"That's amazing," the king said, stunned. And then, as if part of it finally sunk in, he said, "Good try using those big words, son. That's my Erec. As soon as he can speak well, he's trying to con his way into sleeping in our room." He laughed.

Erec closed his eyes in frustration. The Hermit watched him carefully. Finally, Erec said, "I came through your Time Bender." If this didn't explain it, nothing would.

The king bent his head toward him in amazement. "My..." He glanced at the Hermit, then lowered his voice. "You must have overheard me talk about that with your mother. I'm going to have to be a lot more careful." He shook his head. "Erec, you must never mention that thing again. It's a secret, okay? Just forget you heard me use those words."

"I have a dragon eye," Erec said, pointing at his blue eye. "I got it ten years from now."

The king could not believe what he was hearing. "And we think you three never pay attention to us. You've heard me talk about dragon eyes too? I'm going to have to be much more careful around you."

Erec sizzled with anger. Same old King Piter, not listening to him, not trusting him. And not owning up to being his father later. He held back the urge to pound him with his tiny fists, which would do no good at all. At least he could make the king uncomfortable, though. "Time Bender," he said. "Time Bender. Time Bender. Novikov Time Bender."

The king grew more and more flustered each time Erec said it.

341.

"Shhh!" He held his finger before his lips. "Erec. That is not to be talked about. Secret words, son. Okay? Secret."

Erec glared at him. "Time Bender."

The king dropped his head into his hand.

But the Hermit asked, "What if he really is from the future? Maybe you should let the triplets sleep in your room awhile."

"Easy for you to say," the king said. "Then the nursemaids will be in and out. Or I'll be up half the night taking them to the bathroom and getting them drinks. No, they are fine where they are. And Erec is not from the future," he added. "He's from the same place his brother and sister are from. I happen to have known them all a little while."

Erec's respect for the Hermit grew immensely at that moment. But at least he could make one more request. "Olwen Cullwich," he said. "I need Olwen Cullwich."

"Olwen?" The king laughed. "He's a viceroy in my court." His forehead wrinkled. "I can't imagine you've even met him. You really remember him?"

Erec nodded. "Can I talk to him?"

The king looked like he was losing interest in the conversation. "No, Erec. You cannot talk with grown-ups that you don't know. Olwen is not a friend of yours."

"I need Olwen." Erec felt tears coming and could not stop them from pouring from his eyes. Ugh! He was so angry at himself for losing it. This would ruin any credibility he had. That was, if he'd ever had any at all.

"Okay," the king said, clapping his hands. "Time to go to the nursery. Sorry, Hermit. I better take him back."

"Would you like me to?" the Hermit asked.

"Yes!" Erec shouted. "I want Hermit!"

The king looked unsure. "I don't think so. I'll put him back myself, thanks." He picked Erec up.