Page 32 of Cursed Evermore

I straightened at the possibility of speaking to my mother or grandmother. In my heart I hoped it was Grandmother. I prayed she’d finally accepted my apology.

I’d never had any kind of argument with her. Then again, I’d never put myself in the sort of danger I had on the night of the Phantom Moon. Us not speaking had broken my heart.

“Come in.” My voice was hoarse with a slight quiver of anticipation.

The door swung open and Mother walked in. My heart squeezed a little, disappointed that Grandmother hadn’t come, but I was happy all the same to see my mother.

Her face was softer than it had been in days. She also appeared more like herself in her pastel gown with her hair down in graceful waves. Opposite to the stern-faced woman she had to present for the likes of Chancellor Blackthorneand Friar Jamesen. I saw remnants of myself in her face when she was like this.

“Morning.” She smiled, her eyes brightening as she came closer. “I heard you moving around earlier, so I thought I’d come and check on you.”

“Thanks.”

She ambled over and sat in the space opposite me, holding up a little snowbell rose to the sunlight. I hadn’t noticed it before.

“Thought you might like this.” She held it out for me to take.

I took it and admired the blue and white twists of color before smiling back at her. “They’ve started blooming.”

“The first sign of spring. Although it will still be cold for a few more weeks yet. It may even snow.” She sounded more like herself, too.

“These are my favorites. Thanks.” I stuck the flower in my hair and Mother’s smile widened.

“Your father loved them too. They were his favorite gift to me.”

“At least I remember that.”

The look in her eyes dulled to the sadness I felt whenever my father was mentioned. “Before I left the Ravenwood Realm, he’d always bring me these flowers. They’re incredibly rare here, so he thought he was bringing me a wonderful gift.” She chuckled lightly at the nostalgic memory. “I had not the heart to tell him that they grew like weed across the realm.”

I gave her a small smile, but my stomach tensed. I hoped this conversation wasn’t her way of broaching the idea that Father could be dead again. Or that she was going to get Grandmother to strip my powers.

“I miss him.” My lungs burned as the words fell from my lips.

“Me too. I wish that things were different, but they aren’t. We now have to do what we must.”

As if I needed the reminder. “Of course.”

She reached out to take my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Be strong for today. I know your concerns about Thayden, but you’ll be in good hands. And things will be better for us here.”

I nodded but said nothing. There was nothing more to say that hadn’t already been said.

“Last night, I received the formal decree from the Master of Laws detailing Mattieu’s ascent to Regent Consort of Stormfell. It will be signed once you and Thayden are married.”

Whoa. That was fast. I’d thought the paperwork wouldn’t be done until after the wedding. Being Regent Consort of Stormfell gave Mattieu rule over the South until the rightful lord—my father—returned. It was more like safeguarding the position and my father’s lands.

“Everything is happening so fast.” I sighed.

“The speed is a relief, love. This will stop Chancellor Blackthornein his tracks from swaying King Varis before the wedding.”

“Then it couldn’t have happened fast enough.” I gave her a small smile.

“Thank the Blessed Mother King Varis was true to us.”

Although I’d often found myself beseeching the Blessed Mother, I wanted to tell my mother she had nothing to do with this. We owed our thanks to King Varis’ lifelong friendship with my father. As such he couldn’t be swayed so easily into believing Father was dead.

The king even knew my father’s disappearance was linked to dark magic—though he didn’t know about my curse. He believed Father had been taken captive somewhere. That’s what I thought too. That he was trapped against his will with no way out.

King Varis and his men searched for my father in both realms for over three years before eventually declaring the trail cold, but he hadn’t given up. He still had men who watched and waited.