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The grand duke looked relieved. “When she was turned into a lizard, she did seem quite harmless—cute even, if I can say so, Sire. I hear lizards make good pets.”
Ben was noncommittal and the grand duke remembered the pressing business he had to communicate to Ben. He pulled up a few scrolls. “I received this just before you arrived. Other than the report that Merlin received of a creature spotted off Charmington Cove, it appears there hasn’t been any fire damage or livestock stolen, nothing of that sort. However, there was another incident this morning down by Cinderellasburg.”
“What kind of incident?”
“A creature was spotted in a chicken coop early this morning,” said the grand duke. “However, the farmer reports that the animal did not resemble a dragon. More like a purple snake.”
Snake. Dragon. Lizard. It was all part of the reptilian family, Ben thought. “It could still be related to what I’m looking for; let’s check it out.”
Ben left Chad back at the castle, snoring away, and the grand duke and a team of his footmen accompanied him to the pretty little village that Cinderella had once called home. The farmer and his wife were expecting them, standing nervously in front of their homestead. They bowed and curtsied when they saw Ben.
“I understand you saw a strange-looking snake on your farm this morning?” he asked.
“Yes, Sire, it came out of nowhere and took three eggs from the coop!” the farmer’s wife told them. “Largest snake I’ve ever seen, for sure, and very purple. I screamed my head off.”
“Great fa
ngs too,” said the farmer, shivering. “We’re lucky it didn’t take a sheep…or a cow.”
“Would it be possible to see the coop?” Ben asked.
“Of course, Sire,” the farmer said. “This way.” The couple led them around the house to where a tidy-looking chicken coop stood in the middle of their backyard. Several fat fluffy chickens were pecking seeds on the ground.
The farmer opened the door to the coop and Ben knelt down to look inside. It smelled like straw and feathers, and something not entirely pleasant.
“What are you looking for?” the grand duke asked, lifting his monocle. “I can send the footmen to search.”
“No need,” said Ben as he had spotted something glittering in the nearest nest. He picked it up with his fingertips, careful not to crush it since it was very delicate. “I think I’ve found what I was looking for.”
“What is it?” asked the grand duke.
Ben stood up and held it up to the light. It was a glittering scale. Purple. The exact shade of the dragon he had seen in Camelot. He put it carefully in his handkerchief and slid it into his pocket.
“Thank you, you’ve been very helpful,” he told the couple. “My staff will send you a dozen eggs for your trouble.”
“Thank you kindly, Sire,” said the farmer, tipping his hat.
“Yes, very good, very good indeed, thank you for your quick response,” said the grand duke. “And do let us know if you see it again.”
Ben turned to leave, but the farmer’s wife stopped him. “Please, Sire, there’s a rumor going around that Maleficent isn’t as securely imprisoned as we think. That she’s been attacking Auradon again. Might she have something to do with the snake I saw today?”
“Where did you hear that?” he asked, worried.
“My cousin lives in Camelot Heights, said there’s a purple dragon over in their parts causing havoc and making a mess of everything.”
“Ah.”
“Is it Maleficent?”
In answer, Ben pulled up his phone and showed her the feed from the dozens of security cameras installed around the room that showed the tiny lizard napping on a rock. “What do you think?”
The farmer’s wife didn’t look convinced. “She could be getting out and then coming back in. Crafty, she is.”
Ben had to agree with that. “Let us know if you see the snake again, but please try not to worry. I’ve sent several troops of imperial soldiers to Charmington to keep it safe.”
Ben returned to the castle to pick up Chad and took his leave of the grand duke, who promised to alert him should anything else purple turn up in the area. Chad was in the kitchen petting a brown puppy from Bruno’s latest litter.
“All set, old man?” he asked.
