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How do you talk to the other half of your soul when he has no idea of your existence ?

“What is your name?” he questioned, curiosity evident in his tone. “You do not seem like a commoner, if you do not mind me saying. I would like to know your identity so we can look for your family.”

Opening her mouth, she tried to speak but predictably, no sound came out. She gestured toward her throat and shook her head, hating the look of pity in his eyes as he made the connection.

“I see,” he murmured. “Not to worry, I am sure we will find your people somehow.”

She shook her head again miming being alone.

“You have no one?”

Again a head shake.

“Ah,” he said softly. “Well, miss, uhm, whatever your name is, rest assured you are quite safe here. No one shall harm you, and you can stay as long as you want.”

Gesturing in appreciation, she leaned her head forward, so that her hair would shield her tearful eyes from his watchful gaze.

“Your hair,” he continued, his tone slightly awed. “It is a very beautiful shade, like moonlight.”

Her heart constricted, painfully aware that this was the first time he was seeing her natural hair color. Trying to push away her depressing thoughts she inclined her head in a little bob to thank him.

“If you cannot tell me your name,” he mused. “Would you mind if I called you Selene?”

Selene, the goddess of the moon. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she was not quite sure what to make of this version of Grim who was quite talkative and rather charming.

Was this what he would have grown up to be like if his parents had never abandoned him and he had grown up confident and happy, sure of his place in the world ?

She mourned the loss of his childhood and innocence anew, cursing his parents, his curse, and the spirits who had mistreated him so after the death of his adoptive father.

He did not speak much of that time, but she had gleaned enough to know that he had been required to undergo some sort of rigorous training and then do various unsavory things in search of the book.

Realizing the prince—for she still could not think of him as Grim—was waiting for an answer, she nodded quickly, her heart slightly warming at how the name was so similar to her actual one.

“Selene, then,” he said with a smile that was more genuine than any of the practiced ones he had been putting on, and her heart squeezed, for that was her Grim.

He looked around the room then, seemingly scanning for something.

The door opened again, and the same maid who had been next to her when she woke up, hurried in carrying a bundle of clothing.

She curtsied to him and spoke deferentially.

“Your Highness, I managed to get the dresses as you asked.”

He nodded, and then stood up. “Then make sure she is dressed appropriately for tonight.”

The maid’s eyes widened. “Your Highness,” she said, her voice slightly cracking, “do you mean you would like for her to—”

“Attend dinner tonight with me and Thea? Yes.”

The girl clearly wanted to say more, but faced with the prince’s cool expression, she simply curtsied again.

Throwing her one last charming smile, he swept across the room and was out of the door before she could even blink.

Shortly after, the freckled girl burst into motion, flurrying about the room half chattering to her, half to herself.

When she realized that Serena was simply staring at her with wide eyes, she stopped dead and hurried to the bed .

“Apologies, milady, I tend to get carried away sometimes. My name is Molly, and I’ll be your lady’s maid from today on.”

Molly was short and round, with mousy brown hair and cheeks that looked like they were no strangers to beaming. Her open grin and cheerful demeanor thawed Serena’s grief slightly, and she managed to return her smile.

“Why, don’t you have a lovely smile!” Molly gushed. “Come along then, we need to make sure you’re all dressed before dinner, and we have a lot to do. I’ll have my work cut out for me, especially with that beautiful head of hair of yours.”

It was then that Serena remembered her curse and what would happen when she tried to get out of bed.

Molly mistook her hesitation for shyness, and before she knew what was happening a sheet was wrapped around her body, and Molly gently tugged her out of bed.

As soon as her feet hit the lush carpet, she let out a wordless cry as her muscles felt like they were being torn apart.

Collapsing on the rug, she heaved pained breaths, as Molly fussed over her in worried tones.

“Oh my goodness, you poor dear, you must have been injured in the shipwreck! I’ll let the prince know, I am sure he would understand the necessity of you having dinner in your chambers instead.”

A flash of Grim’s distant, pitying look at her muteness crossed her mind, and she shook her head roughly.

She needed to make sure she made him see her as someone he could love, not pity.

Something she would have no chance of if he saw her as an injured fawn he needed to tend to.

Besides, it was important that she be around him as much as possible if this was to work.

“No?” asked Molly doubtfully. “I don’t know, milady, he said to apprise him of any problems. ”

Grabbing the maid’s hands, she implored her with her eyes, until she got a resigned sigh in response. She tried to get to her feet once more, and winced when the stabbing pain began, however she was ready for it this time, and she managed to keep herself upright.

Molly kept up a steady stream of chatter as she ushered Serena toward a marble tub filled with hot steaming water.

Even that short walk was agony, and she was grateful for Molly’s distractions.

As soon as she slid into the tub, she heaved a sigh of relief as the pain vanished and she relaxed; the hot water doing its job splendidly.

Once she was sufficiently scrubbed down, it was another agonizing few minutes of getting the dress on before she was seated in front of a mirror.

The dinner was not a very formal affair, Molly explained, so she would not have to dress too extravagantly.

Her hair was braided in a simple hairstyle, green ribbons weaving through it.

The dress itself was simple but pretty, with long fitted sleeves that hugged her arms and a bustle skirt that was forest green, bringing out her eyes splendidly, according to Molly.

Once she was dressed, she gritted her teeth, and followed Molly out the door, praying that the distance to the dining hall would not be too far.

Luckily it was not, and after only a two minute walk, she was announced into a high ceiling room with a large ornate dining table.

What took her breath away, however, was the presence of the stone arch windows that reached from the floor all the way up to the ceiling.

Violet and blush hues of the setting sun spilled into the room, painting the entire room in a magnificent rosy haze.

Each step she took seemed like she was walking through clouds of sunset, and she almost forgot the pain in her legs.

When she reached the table, she found Grim, and a strange girl seated there.

The girl had short pin straight hair the color of chestnut, and eyes of rich chocolate.

Her clothes signaled her to be of high birth, and she was looking at Serena with a slightly mistrustful look in her eyes.

On the other hand, Grim gave her an appreciative smile when she approached, standing up to help her into a chair next to him.

Was it her imagination or had the other girl’s knuckles tightened around the fork in her hands?

“Thea, this is Selene, we found her this morning, washed up on the beach, presumably from a shipwreck. She’ll be staying here for a while.”

“This is Lady Dorothea Raider, a dear friend of mine.”

“Selene,” said Thea, in a monotone voice. “A pretty name.”

Grim gave her a sheepish grin, and it was enough to make Serena want to flinch at how uncharacteristic it was.

“The name’s on me, I’m afraid,” he said, with a chuckle. “She could not tell me hers, so I asked if I could call her that, and she agreed. Her hair reminded me of moonlight, so I chose Selene.”

“For the goddess of the moon,” said Thea, and this time Serena knew she was not imagining the death grip the girl had on the cutlery. “I gathered as much.”

If Grim felt that her answer was abrupt, he gave no inkling on it, choosing to face her instead.

“Thea and I are childhood friends,” he said. “She’s like a little sister to me.”

No she isn’t, Serena wanted to scream. It’s the curse, and it’s making you play a part you would never want to play.

But she simply nodded and sent a strained smile Thea’s way. The girl nodded in the same expressionless way and continued with her meal.

No one said much throughout dinner, except for the short conversation Grim and Thea had about some upcoming ball at the end of the week.

She scarcely paid it any mind, instead thinking of a way to make Grim fall for her.

Stars, she didn’t even know if he loved her with all his memories intact.

His outburst after she summoned Lore had convinced her that he cared about her deeply, but was that love?

For the time being, she would have to settle for spending as much time as possible around him.

She racked her brain for what usually happened in such stories to progress the romance.

An idea hit her, and she turned to Grim, shyly tugging at his sleeve.

Startled, he turned toward her, looking at the hand on his shirt.

“Yes?” he inquired.

She pointed toward the windows and then gestured toward herself, and then the windows again.

“You want to go out?” he asked, surprised.

She nodded.

“Well, I suppose I could arrange for someone to escort you,” he mused.

Oh no, this was going in the wrong direction. She shook her head quickly and then on impulse, grabbed his hand.

Realization dawned on him, and she felt her own cheeks turn pink at her boldness. He probably thought she was a crazed woman. Right as she was about to regret her entire existence, he spoke:

“Or…I suppose I could take you. How about a ride through the woods?”

Perfect, she would not have to walk that way.

Glad that her plan had worked she threw him her biggest brightest smile, and to her surprise he turned a similar shade of pink, looking so like the Grim she knew that she wanted to throw her arms around him.

They stayed like that, staring at each other until she heard a delicate cough from Thea, which made them both jump apart.

Fiddling with a pale lock, she looked down, half embarrassed, half excited at the progress she had made.

Heartened with the realization that at the very least he was not indifferent to her, she resolved to make him remember his feelings for her as soon as possible, and find out whether what he felt for her was love.

Even if his mind had forgotten her, his heart surely remembered.

Why else would he have that look in his eyes, as if she was a puzzle he did not understand but very much wanted to solve.

Yes, she would make him remember her. The story of the little mermaid was not going to be a tragedy, not on her watch.