810. Chapter 810

After Poof! You're Dead

Episode 3.13

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Poof! I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

She slowly approached the large, darkened castle, noticing that a huge cloud hovered over the place, lashing it with rain and shooting lightning bolts in all directions. She heard a roar of thunder and hugged her thin and worn garments about her as she ran through the rain. I can do this. She thought. I have to do this.

She reached for the solid brass doorknocker, but it moved out of her way. "Do you seek entrance?"

She gulped and then nodded. "I do."

The doorknocker laughed. "Are you sure?" The brass object looked to her left. Her gaze followed his. There, by the door, were two top of the line Ferrari brooms.

"Yes. Open the door."

The door opened and she entered. No one was there, but she saw a cheery fire in the fireplace. Being cold as well as wet, she went and stood before the fire. She sighed and relaxed, feeling the welcome warmth.

"Who are you?" Demanded a stern voice.

She turned to find a woman with unnaturally blonde hair scowling at her. She curtsied. "I'm the new housemaid, ma'am. I'm Kate Cindereckett."

"And you're already wasting time lounging about in front of the fire. Well, I won't have it, girl. Now get outside and clean my broom off. And I expect it to be spic and span in ten minutes."

Kate nodded and headed for the door.

"Stop right there, Miss Cindereckett." Commanded another voice.

Kate turned about again. The speaker was a tall and not unattractive older redhead, dressed in the colorful garb that marked her as a master magician.

"She's walked a long way from the city and is obviously cold and wet, Gina. Your broom can wait." She turned to Kate. "Come with me, dear. I'm sure we can find something in the kitchen."

The kitchen was the most amazing thing Kate had ever seen. There were magical devices to keep food fresh, to cook the food and to wash the dishes. In no time at all, Kate had made a bowl of soup and some sandwiches which she shared with Martha. The woman had introduced herself as the mother of Castello the Great, the greatest magician in all the land.

"Now, about your clothes, dear. They seem a bit worn and shabby."

"Oh, I promise I'll buy something suitable as soon as I get paid."

"Well, that won't help you now, will it?" She looked at Kate. "To be honest, I don't think my style would suit you. Perhaps my granddaughter will have something?"

Martha took Kate to a device which magically lifted them to another story of the castle. She soon found herself in the room of a redheaded teenaged girl, who sat on her bed, petting a cat.

"Alexis!" Said Martha. "Do you know what your father will say if he finds you alone with your familiar?"

The girl looked stubborn. "And why shouldn't I play with my pussy if I feel like it?"

Martha just glared at the girl.

"Oh, all right." She clapped her hands and the cat turned into a teenaged boy. "Time to go, Ashley." Ashley went.

"This is Miss Kate Cindereckett, the new maid. I fear she needs some new clothing. What do you recommend?"

Alexis picked up her magic wand and walked around Kate, humming and nodding as she did so. Then she tapped her on the shoulder and Kate found herself transformed. Instead of a pair of worn flats, she wore a pair of sturdy boots with four inch heels. Her patched and torn dress was replaced with a pair of skinny jeans and a form fitting white turtleneck, over which she wore a black leather hip length jacket. Her hair, once stringy and unkempt now hung in soft curls around her face. She glanced in a mirror and saw that her lips were a bit redder and her cheeks seemed redder as well. She had something dark around her eyes as well.

"Much better, dear. Now let's see about getting you settled." She took Kate down the hall and opened a door to a room that was far finer than her own back in the city.

"Oh, who lives here?" She asked.

"Why, you do, dear." Martha's eyes spotted something. "There are two mice in your room. Two familiar looking mice." She made a magical gesture and the two mice became men. "Ryan! Esposito! What happened to you?"

"Gina happened to us." Said the smaller one, with just a hint of the lilt of the Irish in his voice.

Martha sighed. "I'll talk to her, again. And I'll talk to my son." The men left and Kate was left alone with Martha. "You should begin making dinner now, dear. My son likes his dinner served as soon as the clock strikes seven."

Kate gasped. "But that's no more than fifteen minutes from now. How shall I ever prepare a meal for the whole household in so short a time?"

"Oh, don't worry, dear. Just tell the kitchen it's time for dinner and stand back and let it do the rest."

Kate hurried to the kitchen, but before she got there, something tightened around her neck. She could hear Gina whispering in her ear. "You are far too pretty, little one. I think I'll have to do something about that. A misshapen nose, a missing ear, rotting teeth with perhaps a few bald patches and you'll….."

"There you are, Gina. And who is this?"

Kate had heard that Castello the Great was not just the greatest magician in the land, but the most handsome man as well. For the first time she understood what that really meant. He was tall, broad shouldered, with a muscular torso, and long, well muscled legs. His eyes were an amazing shade of blue and his hair was brown and mussed just perfectly. The richness of his clothing marked him as wealthy and although more subdued than his mother's garb, they also marked him as a great and powerful magician.

Gina smiled at him, at once releasing the magic hold she'd had on Kate. "Why, Darling, I was just welcoming our new maid to the household. Isn't she the sweetest thing you ever saw? And I've heard she's a wizard in the kitchen."

Castello smiled at Kate, his blue eyes lighting up. "Welcome, Miss Cinderbeckett. I hope your stay here is pleasant. Now if you two ladies will excuse me, I have a bit of work to do before dinner."

As soon as Castello had left, Gina turned to Kate. Her face, young and beautiful just moments ago, was old, haggard and ugly. "So, he saved your pretty face. But, remember, cross me and you will pay dearly." Gina stormed off and Kate headed for the kitchen.

Although the kitchen could prepare a meal with no human, or inhuman, intervention, Kate felt that she should try to add a bit to the kitchen's efforts. However, she still began the meal on time with a bowl of French onion soup for Castello, Gina, Alexis, Martha, and Ryan and Esposito.

"This is amazing soup." Castello said. "Did we upgrade the magic in the kitchen again? I can't remember the kitchen ever making soup this good."

"Sir," Kate said with a blush, "I added a few things myself. My mother taught me how to cook as we were too poor to have a magical kitchen."

And so on through the remaining six courses of the meal, all the way to the dessert, Castello the Great complimented Kate after every course. It appeared that some had over eaten as first Ryan and then Esposito fell asleep. By the salad course, Martha was snoring sedately in her chair. And after eating the apple pie that Kate had made from scratch, both Castello and Alexis had nodded off.

Kate looked around and tried to get to Castello, but Gina made a magic sign and Kate suddenly felt her eyelids suddenly became very heavy. She fell to the floor.

Gina stood up with a smile of triumph on her on her face. She literally glowed with evil. "At last I am the mistress of Castle Castello and all that it holds. Demming!" She shouted. "Come in here."

A huge shambling mass, that may once have been human, but probably wasn't, came oozing in, bringing a wretched odor and an air of evil and decay with him.

"Throw all of these in the dungeon. I'll deal with them later." Gina cried.

"No you won't."

Gina turned to find herself facing Kate Cindereckett, who held a magic want on her. "I'm Detective Kate Cindereckett, Magical Kingdom Police Department. You're under arrest."

Gina laughed maniacally. "You think you can match me, little girl?" She laughed maniacally again.

Kate just smiled. "This is a Glock magic wand. I advise you to surrender before you get hurt."

Gina laughed again and raised her hands. Kate shot and Gina fell to the floor. "Told you." Kate said.

Later when uniforms had taken Gina away and the others were roused, Kate had explained what had happened.

"So she only wanted the magical secrets of Castle Castello?" Castello the Great said sadly.

"I'm afraid so, sir. Oh, and the dark cloud has been hovering over your castle is gone now. That was Gina's doing."

Castello looked around him. Outside he could see bright sunshine, birds singing and cheerful forest denizens running about. "That's amazing. Ever since that cloud arrived here, I've had a terrible case of magicians block. Do you suppose I could follow you around for a bit? You seem to be quit a remarkable magician yourself."

"I think we can arrange that."