Page 35

CHAPTER 35

AURORA

A urora woke alone in a cold room. She panicked for a moment, remembering she wasn’t supposed to fall asleep. But she was still alive. The throbbing in her head and the ache in her ribs reminded her of that. She rubbed her face. The night’s events played out in blurry memories. Nieve’s voice always brought her back from the edge of permanent darkness. In those cold hours before the dawn, Aurora realized what she needed to break the curse. Love . Nieve would need to love the queen.

She sat up, startled by the silent Grace standing at the end of the bed.

“Gods above, you frightened me.” Aurora groaned as the rest of her aches caught up with her. “ Where is Nieve ?” Aurora shivered, pulling the blankets up tighter around her neck.

Grace shrugged her shoulders, pointing to a tray of tea before she pulled back the heavy curtains that covered the windows. The weak gray light tried to push past the frost that still covered the windows. Aurora , still dressed in wool trousers and a tunic, took her tea to stand by the small fire. The room was old and faded. The rugs, once bright colors, had faded to muted grays. The wallpaper was curled and sagging. Even the curtains that surrounded the bed had not been spared from time’s brutal touch.

“Thank you for the tea,” Aurora said. Even though it was watered down, the warmth spread through her. “ Where is the que—” Aurora stopped. “ Never mind.” Aurora turned away from Grace , yawning. What little sleep she had gotten last night had not been restful. Between bad dreams, the freezing temperatures, and the king waking her up every so often, she was lucky if she got a couple of hours.

Grace tapped Aurora on the shoulder and pointed to a black dress that had been laid out.

“I don’t want to wear that.” Aurora shook her head. It was a black ball gown with lace and beading.

Grace shook her head and pointed to the dress, then to a painting above the fireplace.

The painting portrayed the queen of sleep. She wore all white and was holding a rabbit. A lush green background had been painted. It showed a fairy-tale queen in a fairy-tale kingdom. But a closer look showed the truth. The painting was cracked with time, and the queen’s white dress had turned yellow. It was like everything in the castle. At first blush it looked fine, but the closer one got, the more cracks one could see.

“Fine. Let’s get it over with.” Aurora let Grace help her dress. The black gown, with its tight beaded bodice and voluptuous skirts, had gone out of style years ago. But the fabric was still crisp and beautiful. It was so black it seemed to suck what little color filtered into the gray room. Grace quickly brushed and pinned up Aurora’s hair. When the older woman was done, Aurora looked like she was ready for a fairy-tale ball, minus the bruises and cut on her lip. At least the black thread matched the gown.

As they stepped into the cold hallway, the thin silk sleeves of the dress did little to protect against the cold. Grace led Aurora down the faded hallway. In the dim light, the muted colors of the walls and floor mirrored the blustering white mess of snow and ice outside. If Aurora did somehow break the curse, she’d still need to survive the weather. And the guards.

Grace paused outside a large room. Its warm light slipped out into the hallway. Aurora stepped into a lavish dining hall. Gold touched every surface, from the chandelier that hung from the gilded ceiling to the cushions on the elaborate chairs. Nothing had been spared to make this room look and feel decadent. Even the queen was dressed in gold.

The queen squealed in excitement as Aurora entered the room. “ I knew it would fit. It looks amazing on you. I thought since you somehow survived the night, we should celebrate with a meal fit for a queen.” Queen Sove rushed forward, clasping Aurora’s hands. “ I so rarely have guests. Come .”

Aurora took in the young queen that led her to the table. Her movements were stiff, like a woman three times her age. The color that had been added to her cheeks settled into the fine lines and cracks in her skin. There was still no glow of her soul. No pull to even tell Aurora if the woman had a soul. “ Where is the king?”

“He is indisposed right now. But he will join us later. Please , have a seat. I had the cook prepare a meal.” The queen was giddy with childlike excitement.

The large table was laden with more food than two people could consume. Large candlesticks held blood-red candles. The wax pebbled on the linen tablecloth. “ This is more like a feast. Are you expecting more people?”

Queen Sove walked the length of the table. “ No , but you are the first to survive the night. So I thought we could celebrate. And you could tell me how you managed to beat me. Wine ?”

Aurora didn’t move from her place. The warm glow of the candles did little to chase away the cold. “ No , thank you.”

“Suit yourself.” The queen pouted, flopping down on a gold embroidered chair. “ I know you spent the night with my husband. He won’t give you want you want.” The queen looked longingly at the food. “ He’s incapable of love. All men are. He’ll fill that empty little head of yours with all his sweet words.” Her painted lips thinned into a snarl. “ I know this because he did it to me. I didn’t even want to be queen. I just wanted him to love me.” She looked around the room as if there were a chance she’d find his love waiting for her. “ He’ll do the same to you. Take what he wants, and then he’ll get bored and set you aside. And you’ll be stuck here, watching him do the same to others. Isn’t that right, Grace ?” The queen sneered at the servant.

“But enough of that silly talk. Please eat. There is quail and duck. Venison in a creamy mushroom sauce. Peas drenched in butter and herbs. Are you sure you don’t want any wine?” Queen Sove poured two glasses of wine.

Aurora sat down at the table. “ You first.”

“Clever little thing. It’s not poisoned. Poisoning you would be too easy. There are so many other ways to end your life,” Sove said, bringing the wine glass to her nose. “ I miss so much about life. But what I miss the most is the taste of wine. My days drag on without the sweet taste.” She set the glass down, watching the flames dance.

Queen Sove was such an odd combination. She had the looks of a young girl but spoke as if she had lived many more lives. Her face held a youthful radiance, but her skin looked as if it would crack under closer inspection. “ You cannot taste the wine?”

“That should not be your concern,” the queen snapped. “ Now sit and eat before the food goes cold.”

Aurora slid into a chair. The food looked so much better up close. The juices ran off the roast and the vegetables that surrounded it. The peas were shiny in the rich butter sauce. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since she left Manere . Aurora was about to reach for the spoon when the king entered the room.

“It’s not real.” Nieve threw himself into a chair and poured a glass of wine. With a snap of his fingers, the food vanished. “ It would have turned to ash on your tongue. Up to your old tricks again, wife ?”

Aurora didn’t hide her disappointment. “ I was so looking forward to a warm meal.”

Queen Sove crossed her arms over her small chest. “ Why do you always have to ruin my fun?”

“Because I hate you.” King Nieve took a long drink of the wine. “ Aurora , I will have Grace bring you something to eat.”

“Aurora?” The queen stood. “ You must think I’m simple to believe your lies. This little trick will not work on me, dearest husband.”

The king calmly sipped his wine. “ It’s not a trick, my vicious little pet. That is the girl’s name. How did the riddle go?” Nieve tapped his chin. “‘ On dawn’s early light, you will find the end to your plight.’”

The queen threw her head back and laughed. “ She is not Dawn . She is a silly girl who thinks you love her.” Sove strolled around the table. “ Isn’t that right, Aurora ? What did my handsome husband whisper to you last night? Did he promise that if you killed me, the two of you would be together forever?”

“No.” Aurora shook her head. “ He did not. In fact, he said nothing about you. We had other things to discuss.” Aurora smiled at the queen. The hint of something lingered under the facade the queen tried to hide behind. Fear .

Nieve laughed as he leaned back, placing his boots on the table. “ I almost wish this would last longer. It’s been so long since I had entertainment.”

“You think you will win?” Sove screamed. “ I will outlive all of you. Including Death . I will drink wine from his skull.” The queen knocked the candle holders over on the table. The flames hissed in the wet wax.

“Enough,” Aurora yelled, standing. “ I will take your soul because you traded it to Death .”

“Never.” The queen walked over to Nieve and grabbed his chin. “ If you had just loved me, we wouldn’t be stuck in this frozen kingdom. Just a simple kiss, and we would be free of this curse.” The young queen picked up a knife from the table. “ You turned me into this!”

Before Aurora could move, Sove rammed the knife into Nieve’s chest. “ No !” Aurora cried, rushing forward. She shoved the queen back. Nieve’s blood bloomed brightly on his white furs. “ What is wrong with you?”

“You missed,” Nieve grunted, pulling the knife out, causing more blood to pour out. “ Maybe next time, my love?”

“Gods above.” Aurora placed her hands over the wound, the warm blood pouring through her fingers. “ Don’t just stand there. Get me something to stop the bleeding,” she yelled to the queen.

Sove laughed. “ Your love for him will not break the curse. No matter how many sweet words he whispers in your ear, you will not win,” the queen whispered, backing out of the room. “ Enjoy these last moments, Aurora , for there will be no tomorrow in your future.”

Aurora turned her attention back to Nieve . “ Gods below, what is wrong with her? Don’t move. I’ll go find Grace .”

“Aurora.” Nieve placed his hand over hers. “ I’ll be fine. She stabs me at least three times a month.”

“What?” Aurora didn’t move. His warm blood turned to ice as it slowed.

“See?” Nieve lifted Aurora’s hand. The bleeding had stopped.

“What are you?” Her steps faltered.

“Sit before you fall down.” Nieve slid a chair out for Aurora . “ I am stuck. That’s what I am. I am her curse.” Nieve poured a goblet of wine and pushed it closer to Aurora .

Aurora took the golden goblet and drained it. Her hands shook as she poured more. She wanted so badly to leave this place and all its oddness with it.

Nieve opened his shirt, examining the wound. “ The reason there is a curse on this place is not because of her. It is because of me. I was the selfish prince, and she the maiden. She sold her soul for my love. But Death didn’t tell her that he cannot make someone love another. And I did not love her. I had a duty to marry another, so I did. That’s where it should have ended. Death should have reaped her soul. I should have lived and died. But like in all fairy tales, there is a consequence for breaking a heart. Sove was the daughter of a witch. And when her mother found out what Death had done to her only daughter, she was furious. The witch pled with Death . But Death? —”

“Must be paid.” Aurora poured herself another glass of watery wine.

“To protect her daughter, she froze her soul and put a curse on my kingdom that not even Death could break. This curse can only be broken by a kiss. And that is where you come in.”

“But there must be love. The reason for the curse was because you didn’t love the maiden.” Aurora felt her chances slipping away.

“The witch never said who I must love. Just that it must be love.” Nieve sat forward and touched Aurora’s hand. “ And I have loved the dawn since I was a child. I was always the first to rise and watch the night sky fade away. And now that you sit before me, my love is even stronger for you. I love you my sweet, truly and without conditions. Will you let me love you?”

Aurora inhaled his words, letting them become the truth of the fairy tale. Letting his love shape how this would end. She had never been loved by a mortal. It was an odd sensation, a pleasant dizziness. No wonder her mother and father chased this feeling. “ Yes .”

Nieve stood, pulling her up with him. “ You will not have much time to reap her soul, for she is old, and the castle is made from her tears. I will get you safely past the guards and away from the castle.” Nieve caressed her cheek. “ I love you, Aurora , with my last breath. You are my one true love. And I prove my love for you with this kiss.”

Aurora leaned into the king. At first it felt like a normal kiss, but then time stopped; the air around them froze.

Somewhere, the stars cried, and Fate smiled.

There are consequences for breaking a heart.