Page 10

Chapter ten

Alexander

Alexander was in his study, trying to apply himself to paperwork and pretending that he hadn't let himself be vulnerable with his wife when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” he called, and Guinevere walked in and closed the door behind her.

He raised his eyebrow. “May I help you?” he asked.

“I hope so.” She stepped forward and made her way to the front of his desk. “I have a rather impertinent question, my lord, and I’m hoping that you will help me with it.”

Alexander’s eyebrow couldn’t get any higher. He waited for her to begin.

“Do you know what caused the fire?” she asked.

Alexander didn’t say anything. When he continued to remain silent, Guinevere nodded. “I see. And do you by any chance know of a magic spell that prevents people from saying things?” she asked.

Alexander’s heart began to beat faster.

Guinevere knew about the spell.

He didn’t say anything, merely leaned back in his chair.

Guinevere let out a huff. “And one more question, my lord: are you deceiving your wife as to the reason why you needed a hasty marriage? If you’ll forgive my impertinence.”

Alexander frowned at her but still didn’t say anything.

“Well,” Guinevere said, “I was afraid of that.” She frowned back at him before adding, “You are still capable of speech, right? You haven’t gone mute?”

Alexander shook his head. “I have not gone mute,” he said.

The fact that she had so quickly realized something was amiss was both concerning and heartening. Perhaps she would be able to help his wife figure out what had happened. “I don’t suppose you are able to give me any other details?” Guinevere asked.

He shook his head.

Guinevere sighed. “You know, I’m not a miracle worker,” she said. “Plants are one thing, but secrets and curses are another thing entirely.”

Alexander shook his head. “What do you mean, ‘plants are one thing?’” he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. “Surely you’ve noticed that the plants in your gardens and greenhouse are always far better off than they should be,” she said. “Even the best gardeners should not be able to keep roses in bloom for this long.”

Alexander thought back to the day he had found Rose under the bush. “I assumed that it was a dragon,” he said offhandedly.

Guinevere’s eyes widened. “You’ve seen a dragon?” she asked.

Rose appeared from underneath his desk and let out a meow. Guinevere narrowed her eyes at the kitten. “And just where do you think you’re going with that attitude?” she said, addressing Rose.

Alexander didn’t know what to say to that. “You can understand her?”

“Of course I can,” Guinevere said. “It’s one of my specialties. Although they don’t usually speak quite so plainly, which leads me to assume that this is not, in fact, an ordinary kitten.”

Alexander watched as Rose transformed from her kitten self to the young dragon that she really was.

Guinevere’s eyes widened. “I was not expecting that one,” she admitted, staring down at the dragon. “Hello,” she said, bowing slightly to the young dragon. “I am Guinevere.”

Rose let out a series of chirps and squawks that sounded far more like a chicken than the kitten noises she usually made. “You can really understand her?” Alexander asked, looking between Guinevere and his pet.

“Of course,” Guinevere said. “She’s telling me how you found her under the rose bushes, which would make sense if you assumed that the roses were the result of a dragon. She may have helped, but no, the roses are my handiwork.”

Rose let out a puff of air and turned her back on them, making her way to a patch of sunlight on the floor and curling up in it.

Alexander took a deep breath. “I don’t suppose you know anything about—?”

His mouth closed of its own accord, and he sighed.

Guinevere shook her head.

“No,” she said, “I don’t know anything about curses, and even if I did, I have a feeling that the one you’re under is far above my talents anyway. I’m not good with magic.”

Any hope that had been beginning to stir in his chest disappeared. “But you said—”

Guinevere shook her head. “I am only good with plants and animals. All the tinctures that your healer uses come from me,” she said proudly. “And they do a fine job, but they will not work on a silencing curse without me doing some incredibly difficult work.”

“Can you do it?” Alexander asked, the words pouring out in a pleading tone before he could stop them. “Please.”

Guinevere bit her lip. “Is there a time limit?” she asked.

Alexander nodded. He couldn’t force the words out.

Guinevere sighed. “A year?” she asked hopefully.

Alexander shook his head.

“Less than that?” she asked in a glum voice.

Alexander nodded.

She grimaced. “Six months?” she asked.

He shook his head and pointed down. “Three months?” she asked.

It was Alexander’s turn to grimace as he continued to point down.

“Two months? A month? Three weeks? Two weeks? A week?” Guinevere’s voice rose incredulously when he finally nodded. ‘You want me to figure out how to break a curse in a week?”

“Less,” Alexander said miserably.

Guinevere frowned. “Your birthday?” she asked, her tone suggesting that she’d given up expecting anything other than the worst news.

Alexander nodded, and Guinevere took a deep breath. “I can’t promise anything,” she warned.

“Anything would be better than nothing,” Alexander managed before the words caught in his throat.

“How bad is it?” Guinevere asked.

“Bad,” he admitted.

“And I’m going to assume that your need for a wife had something to do with that?” she asked.

Alexander nodded his head, the movement triggering the lump in his throat.

Guinevere took a deep breath. “And she knows nothing?”

“Unfortunately,” Alexander said.

The maid took another deep breath, and her fingers began drumming the surface of his desk. “Pen and paper?” she asked.

After a moment of rummaging, Alexander pulled out a pencil and a notebook, ripping out a sheet of paper for her.

“You know, I can't promise anything,” she warned.

“You already said that,” Alexander said.

“And you know that she needs to know,” Guinevere said.

Alexander nodded.

“But you can't tell her,” Guinevere guessed when he didn't say anything.

Alexander shook his head.

“And you can't tell me anything,” she added. After a moment, he shook his head again.

“Stupid magic,” Guinevere muttered under her breath as she began scribbling things on the paper that he'd given her. “You don't have any books on magic in the library, do you? My grandfather taught me what little he knew, but it’s been years since he passed, and I don’t know anything about curses.”

Alexander thought about it for a moment. “Probably not,” he said. “But you never know. After it was outlawed, I think most of the books were destroyed.”

Guinevere pursed her lips. “I'll have to see if I can find anything,” she said. “But again, I can't…”

“Promise anything. I know,” he supplied for her before she could finish her sentence. “But like I said, anything is better than nothing.”

Guinevere nodded. “I imagine so. Do you wish me to say anything to her?” she asked. “I think she should know.”

He shook his head. “Give yourself a day or two first,” he said. “If you are able to find something that will help, then there's no need to worry her.”

“Is she in danger?” Guinevere asked quietly.

The words stuck in Alexander's throat. How could he admit that he had chosen selfishly and put another human being in danger without her knowledge or consent? What had seemed like such a good plan a few days ago suddenly seemed like the worst plan ever.

His silence seemed to be answer enough, because Guinevere simply sighed.

“I will give you a day,” she said quietly, “but she deserves to know.” Guinevere made her way to the door, then paused and turned back to him. “I am going to trust that you had a reason, but I hope the deception will be worth it.”

She slipped out the door, and Alexander stared down at the tiny dragon basking in the sunlight in the corner of the room. “You revealed yourself,” he said, his tone almost accusing. “Like her, huh?”

The dragon purred, and the sound of satisfaction coming from an animal other than a cat was so comical that Alexander couldn't help a small smile. But it quickly vanished as he thought back to the dilemma at hand. “What am I going to do?” he asked Rose. “She needs to know, but I can't tell her, and Guinevere doesn't know anything else yet.”

The dragon simply continued to purr, her tiny green snout twitching.

Alexander sighed. “You're no help,” he said.

Rose opened one eye long enough to stare at him as if to say, what did you expect? before closing it again.

If the fact that he was cursed wasn't enough to drive a man crazy, the fact that he was reduced to talking to a dragon might just be enough to send him over the edge.

But then the door opened again, and his wife slipped through the doorway.

She looked up at him and smiled, but her gaze was drawn to the corner of the room where Rose sat still in her dragon form. “What's that?” Beatrice asked, her eyes wide.

“I…um…it’s a dragon,” Alexander said, with what he hoped was a winning smile. “Meet Rose.”

Rose opened her eyes and instead of simply ignoring Beatrice, decided to stand up and scurry over to her. Beatrice knelt down and reached her hand out to pet the dragon with wonder on her face. “You have a dragon?” she said quietly. “Who knows about this?”

“Almost no one,” Alexander said.

“Does Jenkins know?” Beatrice asked. “He didn't tell me.”

“Jenkins doesn’t know about her,” he admitted. “He thinks she's just a kitten.”

“Wait, she’s the kitten?” Beatrice asked, laughing as she looked down at the little green dragon. “You’ve got everyone fooled, don’t you, little one?”

Beatrice sank down into a seat, and the dragon immediately climbed into her lap, settling in with a decidedly catlike purr.

“She purrs?” Beatrice said in a high-pitched squeal.

“Yes, she purrs,” Alexander said, with a sigh.

“She's perfect, Alexander,” Beatrice said, looking down at Rose, and Alexander couldn't help the smile on his face. There was something about the way Beatrice was so excited about his secret pet that made it impossible not to smile.

If only she would be so excited for his other secret. But she wouldn't be. No sane person would find themself excited to be involved with a curse. And the fact that he had to find a way to tell her dampened his mood.

But he would wait for tomorrow and pray that Guinevere would be able to find something first.

If anyone could help him break his curse, surely it would be the girl who had admitted to using magic under his nose. Perhaps she assumed that since Alexander was under a curse, he wouldn’t turn her in to the king for using magic, and she would be correct.

Perhaps she was exactly the person he'd needed to break the spell, and he would never have to break the news to his wife. Perhaps he could always keep the smile on Beatrice's face. It was a lovely smile.

He made his way over to his wife and knelt next to her to show her how Rose liked to be scratched under the chin. Her delighted gasp made his whole day better.

He’d never imagined that marrying the librarian would be the best thing he’d ever done, but he couldn’t imagine life without her now.