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Chapter Twenty-Six

R ina stared at her surroundings with no small amount of trepidation.

She was once again in a castle, but unlike the Ice Queen’s palace, the king’s vulgarly opulent castle, or the beast’s castle, which had been impeccably decorated, this castle was simply dark and gloomy.

The curtains in the halls were closed, and the walls were bare of any art or decorations, except for the tapestries that hung in the halls, each one displaying the same odd network of pink, white and crimson thread.

She cautiously made her way through the massive halls, peering into the rooms she came across.

The furniture in all the rooms was made of dark oak, and there was very little color to be found anywhere.

She had just climbed another flight of stairs when she heard someone call her name. Seeking the person who had spoken, her gaze collided with the last person she had expected to see here.

“ Mother?”

For it was her mother, although she looked very different from what Serena was used to. She wore an opulent dress of scarlet and ebony, her neck glittering with jewels. Her pale-blonde hair was pinned in an elegantly braided updo and a heavy white cape was draped over her shoulders.

She looked majestic.

She looked terrifying.

Her gaze raked over Serena with a vaguely displeased expression.

“What on earth are you wearing, child? Those rags are not fit for a princess. It is almost time for dinner, and I will not have you dine looking like a milkmaid.”

Serena realized two things at that moment.

One, the curse had created a version of her mother to play the role of the queen in this story, for whatever reason.

Two, her mother would criticize her even as an iteration in another world.

She nodded about to leave when her mother’s sharp voice stopped her.

“Are you not going to curtsy?” she asked coldly. “You might be my daughter, but I am still queen.”

Serena felt an uneasy feeling in her stomach then, but she pushed it away, and curtsied obediently, before heading down the stairs .

“Where is your head at today?” snapped the queen. “Your room is right over there, you silly girl.”

She almost jumped at the harsh tone, and then hurried to the room that the queen had indicated.

Immediately upon entering, she was struck by how different this chamber looked as compared to the rest of the castle.

First, the curtains were open, letting the moonlight stream in and illuminate the room with an ethereal glow.

Secondly, the room was an explosion of color.

Bright colored scarves were thrown around the room, and the walls were painted with merry little flowers and butterflies.

The bed was fluffy and filled to the brim with multicolored pillows and what looked to be stuffed animals.

There was ivy that was somehow hanging inside the room, creating a canopy above the bed.

She felt her heart lift as she looked around, wondering how such a place could exist in this castle.

On the bed, she spotted a bejeweled comb lying on top of an extravagant gown with a note besides them,

The queen wishes for you to wear these for dinner.

She looked at the beautiful things and decided it was no great sacrifice to obey the instruction.

A maid came in right at that moment to help her dress, and they both admired the gown in the large mirror that was placed beside her bed.

The top half was a corset laced tightly in the back, in a deep red that was almost black, with a pretty white trim and silver buttons.

The ivory sleeves were puffy creations with tiny white flowers embroidered on them.

The pure white skirt was a thing unto itself.

It flared dramatically, like the fullest of ballgowns, and consisted of layers of tulle and lace overlapping each other.

The maid pinned half of her hair back with the comb, and the rest fell down her back in a riot of pink curls.

Her lips were painted a deep red to match the corset, and ruby earrings fastened into her ears.

To finish it off, silver powder was dusted across her cheeks and collarbones, making them stand out starkly, and her eyes were lined with dark kohl.

She was led to the dining hall next, which she found empty.

Taking a seat near the head of the table, she waited, her stomach turning with uncertainty.

Ten minutes later, the queen swept in, looking even more magnificent and bejeweled than she had seen her last. She took the seat at the head of the table and snapped her fingers.

Instantly, all the servants sprung into action, bringing in plates of food and filling glasses.

The woman in front of her turned her gaze onto Rina then, and she shivered a little at the coldness in them.

“Your hair is not appropriate for a princess.”

“I like it,” Rina replied quietly.

The queen’s eyes narrowed. She made a motioning gesture toward Serena’s head and smiled in a catlike manner.

Serena gasped as she felt her hair lift and tug at her scalp, making her eyes water.

Her gaze fell on a mirror on the opposite side of the room, and she saw that her hair was now pinned up in a tight braided updo, similar to the queen’s.

A look into the queen’s eyes told her it was no use to protest, and so she remained silent, her finger tightening around the spoon in her hand, feeling slightly ill at this violation.

“There now,” cooed the queen. “You look beautiful like this, my snow-white angel.”

There was something wrong with the woman, and it wasn’t her use of magic.

No, there was a coldness to her that chilled Serena’s bones.

She thought of her own mother, fussy and overbearing, but still warm in her own way.

They might never have seen eye to eye, but contrary to what her mother believed, Serena had never doubted she loved her daughter.

Not when she remembered all the times her mother had fiercely defended her from every single person who suggested she was odd (even though she believed the same), or the times she would beam while boasting that her daughter was the smartest girl of her age.

No, this cold creature could not be her mother.

Time passed by almost torturously, the queen’s words getting more and more malicious, like barbed wires, designed to sting in the worst places. When she finally announced her plans to retire, Serena gratefully fled to the safety of her room.

Half an hour later, she paced in her room, still in her beautiful gown, her hair once again down her back, as she wondered where Grim was.

Was he in trouble, or was he on his way right now to see her?

A pebble clattered on her window. She pushed the window open, and her body melted in relief at the sight of Grim standing below in a brown tunic and dark breeches, a fox by his side.

“Grim!” she whispered. “Hold on, I’ll find a way to let you in.”

She looked around the room, wondering if she might possibly find a rope somewhere. Spotting a stray stocking on the ground, she brightened.

Five minutes later, she stood with a makeshift cord made out of all the stockings and scarves she had managed to scrounge up from her room. It took Grim two minutes to climb up, hoisting himself inside just in time, before they spotted a pair of guards making their nightly rounds.

“That was close.” Grim took in her appearance, and his eyes darkened. He slid his strong arms around her waist and drew her closer, leaning down. Her cheeks were flushed as she looked at the naked longing in his eyes.

“I know this isn’t the time,” he murmured, as one of his hands stroked her back, chills following in its wake, “but you should know, you look exceptionally ravishing right now.”

“Thank you.” she whispered with a shy giggle .

“There’s just one little thing,” he whispered in her ear and rubbed his thumb across the glitter on her right cheekbone, pressing a hot open mouthed kiss to it, “I like it better when I can see your mark.”

He kissed her then, robbing her of her breath.

His tongue found hers, and she let out a small noise that made him pull her even closer.

Back arching, she let herself fall into the heady sensation of pleasure, her mind empty of all previous worries.

Her core felt hot, and she rubbed her legs together to soothe the ache there, as Grim continued to plunder her mouth.

Pulling apart for air, he put his forehead on hers and opened his mouth to say something.

Whatever it was, she did not hear him, for her dress suddenly became too tight to breathe, and her head was aching like it would burst. Her legs gave way and she slumped in Grim’s arms.

“Serena? Serena!”

She managed to illustrate the problem by running a hand on the ribbons around her waist, trying to gasp for air.

“Fuck.” He took out a dagger from his boot and started slicing the corset ribbons off one by one until she could breathe again. However her head was still hurting, and she felt like her brain was being turned to soup.

“My head,” she whimpered. “My head.”

“Serena, what’s wrong?” he asked urgently. “What’s wrong with your head? Talk to me, please.”

She simply whimpered again, her eyes closing.

“Serena, please,” he said, voice breaking. “What’s wrong with her?”

She felt a wet snout on her face, sniffing.

“I smell bad magic on her,” said an unfamiliar voice, and then something ripped out the comb from her hair, and she heard it clatter on the floor. Immediately the pain ceased, and she managed to sit up, gasping. Grim’s arms were around her, and she could feel his heart beating, and he was…shaking.

“I’m all right,” she whispered. “It’s all right now.”

He just held her tighter.

Looking over his arm, she spotted a crimson fox sitting staring at her.

“You’re the one who helped save me,” she said in surprise. “Thank you.”