The Beast and the Enchantress by Camille Peters
Chapter 11
The faint light of dawn tumbled through the window of the practice room whose alcove I’d sat curled up in the entire night. The morning light glistened off the vase resting on the sill, lighting up the two roses it contained in soft light—the blood-red cursed rose and the violet one gifted to me by Gladen.
I’d used my limited magic to cast a spell on it so that it’d never wilt in hopes of preserving not only his sweet gift, but all that it symbolized—acceptance of myself despite my mistakes, as well as the feelings that had been blooming between us. But like all spells, this one would inevitably break.
I plucked the rose from the vase and held it close, right next to my heart. “Gladen,” I murmured. It hurt to say his name, for with it came the reminder that I needed to let him go. For as much as I loved him, true love was about sacrifice. He deserved a woman who not only saw him, but who hadn’t hurt him the way I had. And though I wished for that woman to be me, I knew it couldn’t; my past would forever stand as an impenetrable barrier between us.
I heard someone enter the room, and by the soft, pattering footsteps I knew it wasn’t Enchantress Ivy. I glanced towards the doorway and found my sister standing there, watching me with deep concern.
“Have you been here all night?”
I managed a nod. “How did you know where to find me?”
She glanced at my spellbook hovering over her shoulder and it hastily ducked out of sight. Her lips twitched. “A lucky guess.” She approached to settle on the seat beside me. “Your book isn’t the only one who’s worried. You haven’t been yourself for days. What’s troubling you, Astrid?”
Her entire expression radiated with love and sweetness. There was no one more deserving of a man like Prince Gladen than my sister, especially considering their past friendship and how much she already cared for him. Gladen deserved a good woman to love him. If I couldn’t give him that myself, then my sister was the next best thing. As painful as it’d be to let him go, at least I could know that doing so would add to my sister’s joy.
I wrapped my arm around her and drew her close. “Do you want to know a secret?”
She wasn’t so easily dissuaded. “Not until you tell me what’s bothering you; you can’t evade me so easily.”
“Nothing is bothering me,” I lied. “I’ve just been lost in thought. You see, rumor has it that the prince is finally ready to chose a new bride.”
Her eyebrows lifted at this bit of news, but her eyes didn’t light up like I’d expected. “I’m happy for him. Does he have someone in mind?”
I gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Perhaps now that he’s free of any political obligation, you could capture his interest?”
She frowned. “But he made it perfectly clear before that he wanted nothing to do with me; whatever our past friendship, it is long gone.”
“It wasn’t you,” I assured her hastily. “He simply didn’t recognize you that day in the garden; instead he thought you were another fawning woman who only cared for his title. Not to mention at the time he was already promised to another; his actions were that of loyalty to his intended.”
I recognized the excuse the moment I spoke it—it had been the very one Rosemarie had given me shortly after Gladen’s rejection of her, back when she was still brokenhearted and I was consumed with anger. At the time I’d found it ridiculous, but now that I truly knew the prince…how could I have once been so blind to his true motives?
Despite my explanation, Rosemarie’s wariness didn’t waver. “Perhaps he was right to be concerned. I was like every other maiden, dazzled by his looks and his charm.”
“Of course you weren’t,” I said. “You two used to be friends—”
She gave me a look. “A friendship I had no interest in renewing until I saw what a fine man he’d become.”
I ached to argue with her, but she was likely in earnest. “I have no doubt you would have seen past his looks. Thus there’s no one more deserving of the prince’s love than you.” I’d only been lying when I’d tried to convince myself that she and the prince weren’t suited, a way to justify my betrayal. The thought only deepened my shame.
Her eyebrows rose as she finally understood my true meaning. “You want me to try and win Prince Gladen’s heart?” Confusion puckered her brow at my nod. “But why? I thought you disapproved of him?”
“I don’t,” I said. “At least, not anymore. I was wrong about him. He’s not conceited or unkind, but instead so…” I paused at Rosemarie’s rather mischievous look. “It’s not what you think,” I amended hastily, even as the guilt that I’d fallen in love with the man meant for my sister returned; as usual it hadn’t strayed far.
“Yes, I’m certain it’s not.” But her smirk contradicted her words, causing my cheeks to burn.
“I’ve simply formed a friendship with the prince, considering we’ll one day to work closely with one another.”
By her look, she didn’t accept this excuse either. “I know you mean well, but I don’t need to be with the prince in order to be happy.”
“But you were so fond of him,” I pressed. “Don’t let the fact that his curse is still lingering be a hinderance. I’m beginning to think there is only one thing that can break it forever.” From my years of magical studies I’d learned there was no spell, charm, or potion more powerful than that of true love. Since my other attempts to find a countercurse hadn’t worked, this was my last option.
She tilted her head. “If love is what is required, perhaps the caster of the curse should be the one to break it, not me.” Her look became rather knowing.
The heat swarming my cheeks deepened. “How do you know I’m the one who cursed him?”
She rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t difficult to deduce. There are only two enchantresses in Rosileya, and I certainly doubt Enchantress Ivy is responsible.” She lowered her gaze. “You did it because of what happened between me and the prince, didn’t you?”
I rested my hand over hers. “You are not to blame. I admit that at first I thought you were my reason, but I’m the one who chose to wrongfully channel my anger and walk the path that I did. You have no responsibility for my mistakes.”
“Yet you want my help fixing them all the same?”
“Please, Rosemarie.” My voice caught. “I made a mistake and I’ve been trying to make it right…but no matter how hard I try, he’s still cursed, and I have no idea how to break it. I’m not sure what else to try.”
Compassion filled her eyes as she squeezed my hand. “I’m not sure what I can do, but you’ve always been there for me, so I will do my best to help you.”
I released a choked sob as she wrapped her arms around me. It was almost strange to be on the receiving end of comfort from the sister I’d spent years protecting, but I melted into her loving embrace all the same.
But while I welcomed it, it did little to quench my sadness at the thought of losing Gladen to her; as much as I’d always wanted her happiness, my own heart still broke at the thought of all I’d be giving up. I knew that this heartbreak would likely cause my own curse to remain permanent, but as long as Rosemarie’s love caused Gladen’s to break, then I could be content.
* * *
Rosemarie quietly watchedas I struggled to push the concealment spell over me. Due to my sadness at the thought of losing Gladen, it took several attempts for me to perform the camouflage charm that would render me essentially invisible, the perfect disguise for me to be able to watch the interaction between the prince and my sister undetected.
When I finished, I turned towards her to find her searching the air around me. “Can you see me?” I twirled in front of her, ensuring she saw every angle.
She pursed her lips as she studied the spot where I stood. “No, I can’t see you at all…oh wait, there’s a bit here.” She motioned towards my hem.
I pushed the magic further, allowing it to encase the rest of me so that it covered the hem of my gown. By the time I finished I felt exhausted, just as I always did whenever I performed any spell of late.
Rosemarie smiled. “I can’t see you at all now. He’ll never know you’re in the garden with me.”
I still wasn’t sure why my sister insisted on my presence as she tried to woo Prince Gladen, and it was only my fierce love for her that could compel me to offer such moral support by torturing my own heart.
I followed her outside and across the sunlit royal grounds, where I suspected Gladen would be. Sure enough, we found him in one of the gardens, and not just any of them, but the rose garden…our rose garden.
He sat alone on our usual bench, a book open in his lap that he didn’t appear to be reading. Instead he stared wistfully into the distance, his shoulders slumped and devastation contorting his expression. I’d done that to him, yet another offense against my conscience; the guilt was all encompassing.
Rosemarie appeared thoughtful as she studied him. “He looks…brokenhearted.”
“That’s why he’s in need of love,” I said firmly.
She glanced sideways at the spot where I stood. “And you believe it must come from me?”
It had to. If anyone deserved a prince’s love and could earn his in return, it would be Rosemarie—the sweetest, most wonderful woman I knew. “There is no one more deserving of his affections than you. Besides, I want you to be happy. Truly, Rosemarie, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Her smile, while warm, was rather wistful. “And what of your own happiness?”
I lowered my gaze to the lawn. “I’m not sure there’s any for me, so please at least let me be assured you have it.”
She reached for my hand but grabbed my invisible elbow by mistake. She fumbled in the air until she found my hand. “If this is what you need, then I’ll do all I can to help you.” Her promise was just as firm as the first time she’d given it to me.
She squared her shoulders as she turned back to the garden entrance. Jealousy wrenched my heart as I watched her make her way towards the prince, my Gladen. Despite not believing I deserved it, was I strong enough to sacrifice the future I wanted with him, even for one so dear to me?
My nails dug deep into the hedgerow I huddled beside as I watched Rosemarie approach Gladen with a dazzling smile and a deep curtsy. He seemed startled that his private moment had been interrupted before recognition lit his eyes. He hastily stood to bow, his manner friendly whatever was distressing him.
The two began conversing, Rosemarie with brightness and cheer, looking so adorable I fully expected the prince to lose his heart to her from this single conversation alone. I studied his expression hungrily, but while he was the epitome of politeness, his expression was absent its usual boyish warmth; despite clearly being pleased to see his childhood friend, he still seemed stiff and uncomfortable, so unlike the way he behaved with me.
I ached to know what they were discussing, but I was sure satisfying my curiosity wouldn’t be worth the torture it’d inflict on my heart as I heard my sister win my prince over. Even though I knew I had to let him go, he still felt like mine; a part of me felt he always would.
After several minutes, Gladen’s attention began to waver from their conversation as he cast his gaze in the direction of where I was standing. I stiffened. Surely he couldn’t see me…could he?
I hastily checked my spell to ensure it still masked me from view. It did, which made me wonder if he could somehow sense me near, despite my magic. This and the different way he interacted with my sister caused hope to penetrate my stubborn heart that his feelings for me couldn’t be as easily forgotten as I’d initially allowed myself to believe, and that perhaps we could somehow make things work between us.
But as much as I yearned for this, the thought also terrified me, for my wishes did nothing to dispel what I’d done to him, all of which seemed impossible to overcome.
In my distraction I didn’t notice that the spell masking me was beginning to fade. I scrambled to cling to it, but my weak powers made it impossible for me to hold it for very much longer, especially when I was also struggling to maintain the disguise I wore to keep Gladen from recognizing me as Enchantress Astrid. The invisibility enchantment quickly trickled off me, so that the next time the prince’s gaze drifted towards where I stood, he spotted me before I even had a chance to hide.
His entire manner immediately brightened. “Dahlia.” I saw his mouth form the surrogate name. Rosemarie followed his line of sight and smiled at seeing me, not looking the least bit upset my unreliable magic had interrupted their time together.
Gladen stared a moment more, as if my presence surprised him, before his stoic expression broke into a wide grin. After a hasty bow to Rosemarie, he hurried towards me, slowing as he neared me, as if he only just remembered the tense way we’d parted last time. He paused in front of me.
“Dahlia?” His voice was hesitant, though it did little to lessen his obvious joy at seeing me, such a contrast to his polite expression while in my sister’s presence. “I was hoping I’d see you today. What are you doing here?”
“I—” My panic swelled, making it impossible to answer him, especially when he stepped closer, bridging the much-needed distance between us. How would I be able to gather the strength to let him go and find happiness outside of myself with him standing so close?
“It’s so good to see you,” he said. “Even though it’s only been a few days, I’ve really missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” The admission escaped before I could contain it.
My words seemed to encourage him, for he stepped even closer, so that his warmth enveloped me. “I’m so glad you strolled the gardens today; I feared you’d avoid them after what happened. I’m so sorry for the way things ended between us the other day. This is all still so new and part of me is terrified of it not being real, so I allowed my fears and insecurities to assume the worst. But I should have listened to you. I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. My mouth had gone dry, making it impossible to speak. Luckily I was spared an answer at Rosemarie’s approach, drawing my attention away from the longing filling Gladen’s deep blue gaze.
He glanced towards her with clear reluctance and his soft expression was immediately replaced by princely politeness, one now foreign between us. “Forgive me for my lack of manners. Dahlia, this is my childhood friend, Rosemarie. And this, Rosemarie”—he turned to me with a smoldering look that made my cheeks heat—”this is Dahlia.”
“Dahlia?” A question filled Rosemarie’s tone as she glanced back and forth between us. I ached to assure her that whatever suspicion that was likely forming in her mind was entirely wrong, but I didn’t have the heart to do so in front of Gladen and break his heart all over again.
So instead I managed a stiff nod.
His duty complete, Gladen turned his back on my sister and stepped closer to me, lowering his voice. “I’m so glad I got to see you again so soon and apologize. Please also let me extend it further: I’m sorry if I rushed things between us. If your rejection was because you need more time, I’ll wait as long as you need me to. But I can’t let you go. Please, Dahlia.”
Despite his attempt to keep our conversation private, Rosemarie obviously heard his sweet words, for her eyebrows shot up and her knowing smile returned, as if she’d assembled the final piece of the puzzle she’d been forming in her mind.
My cheeks darkened even as shame once more curdled my stomach that I was stealing the man she was interested in. It was yet another mark on my already stained conscience.
Yet she didn’t look brokenhearted at all. Instead her eyes were bright, as was her smile, as if seeing us together only brought her joy. It grew further when Gladen stepped closer and took my hands.
“Will you allow me to court you, dear Dahlia?”
I ached to accept him, but I couldn’t until I talked with my sister and learned what her feelings were for the prince, as well as how to deal with the impenetrable problem that still remained between us—that I was not who he believed me to be. There was so much whirling through my mind it was impossible to sort it all out, especially with the distraction that came from Gladen’s tantalizing touch encircling my hand.
“I need some time,” I managed.
Although he was undeniably disappointed, his look remained just as sweet and understanding. “Take all the time you need.” He lifted my hands and kissed them, one at a time, and in those kisses I knew I was lost. I wanted him, so desperately. But would it be possible to claim him after how much I’d hurt him?
* * *
The momentwe left the garden, Rosemarie took my hand and led me to our bedroom overlooking the royal grounds, a view which only reminded me of the prince we’d left behind, making this the most unideal place for the inevitable confrontation with my sister.
She settled in the window seat and gently tugged me to sit beside her, where she wasted no time. “Prince Gladen is in love with you.”
I stilled at her words. Despite our friendship, near kiss, and the sweet, beautiful words he’d just shared with me, I hadn’t allowed myself to admit the deeper emotion they likely signified. Yet the memory of his touch, the adoring look in his eyes whenever they met mine, his request to court me…could it possibly be true?
“How do you know he loves me?” I stuttered.
She heaved a frustrated sigh. “Don’t play games, Astrid. You know it’s true.”
My shoulders slumped. “I know, but I wish it weren’t, not when he shouldn’t love me. You heard the name he called me in the garden—he doesn’t even know who I am, that I’m the one who cursed him.”
“Then perhaps you should tell him so you’ll stop allowing your fear to keep you two apart.”
I frowned. “Are you encouraging me to be with Prince Gladen? I thought you wanted his heart.”
She blushed. “I haven’t for quite some time.” Her smile became rather shy. “There’s actually someone else: one of the potion master’s apprentices, Glenn. We’ve been courting for several weeks now.”
I stared in disbelief. She was in a courtship? While I’d had a small suspicion someone may have caught her eye, this was much deeper than I’d realized. How could I have missed such a big event in my sister’s life?
My mind scrambled back, searching for any hints I might have missed, only to find the obvious signs I’d previously failed to notice—the hours she’d spent absent from the cottage, as well as how unusually happy she’d been, a joy deeper than her earlier infatuation with her childhood playmate.
Her joyous expression clouded with worry when I was silent for too long. “Do you approve of him?” she asked anxiously.
I gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. “Of course I do.” I didn’t know that particular potion master’s apprentice well, but from what I’d seen of him he was a kind and gentle man, perfect for my sister. “I just feel terrible that I missed such an important part of your life.” How could I be so wrapped up in myself that I failed to notice my sister was in love? Would there be no end to my mistakes?
“Please, I don’t want you to be upset; you had so much going on.”
It was a pitiful excuse and we both knew it. “But you’re my sister,” I murmured.
She smiled. “You don’t need to prove your love; I know you care for me. And because I care for you, I don’t want you to torture yourself over this. Please, Astrid.”
I ached to protest, but I knew it would do little good, so instead I forced a smile. “Very well.”
I hadn’t fully let go of my regret—that would take some time—but I could begin to try…at least when my mind wasn’t scrambling to make sense of everything.
“I can’t wait to hear the story of your courtship in every detail, but first I have a question: why did you agree to meet with the prince on my behalf if you’re not in love with him?”
Her grin was mischievous. “You needed me. Not only did I want to help you, but I had a theory to prove, and prove it I did. I suspected your true feelings for His Highness, and I hoped that seeing how the prince interacted with me would help you realize how devoted he is to you—his heart isn’t available to be claimed by anyone else, least of all me. I want you to also experience the happiness that comes from love, because I can see you do love Prince Gladen, don’t you, Astrid?” Her tone was so gentle.
I hesitated, almost too afraid to admit my feelings, even to my dearest sister, for as precious as they were, I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to face them—not if I couldn’t act on them.
“Yes, I do.” It was still surreal to realize this—that the prince whom I used to hate now completely possessed my heart. “Yet I’m the one who cursed him, a curse that still has yet to be fully broken. How can I expect a future with the prince after what I did to him?”
“Everyone makes mistakes,” she said. “Just because you did something wrong doesn’t condemn you to a life of misery, especially when you’ve learned and grown from your experiences. You still deserve happiness.”
I stared at my sister in wonder. Gone was the young girl I used to shelter, comfort when afraid, and protect with such dedication. “When did you grow up?”
She smirked. “When you weren’t looking.”
“Clearly. I wish I’d been there to enjoy the journey more.”
“You did,” she said. “You’ve always been there, looking out for me. But you’re not the only one who desires to protect her sister; I want your happiness as much as you want mine.” She pulled me into a tight embrace. “Be brave, Astrid. You deserve your own happily ever after. If the prince truly loves you, as I know he does, he’ll forgive you. I promise.”
Perhaps she was right. After all, hadn’t I forgiven Gladen for what he’d done to Rosemarie, letting go of my previous resentments to allow myself to open my heart to him?
Yet it was one thing to extend trust and forgiveness, and quite another to ask for it in return. But I knew that despite my fears he deserved to know the truth—to know who I truly was and what I’d done. For true love couldn’t exist without trust, thus I needed to do all I could to rebuild what my previous deceit had harmed. Would it be enough?
But then I remembered the way his smile lit up his expression whenever he saw me, his grace in turning to me despite his own fears and the obstacles that had risen between us, all of which gave me hope that even if he saw me for who I truly was—someone vain, impulsive, and magical, yet who continuously tried to be better—he’d not only accept me, but forgive me. And perhaps his forgiveness would heal the last bitterness lingering in both of our hearts and fully break the curse once and for all. Even if his forgiveness was something he couldn’t extend, he still deserved to know the truth.
I would fight for my prince. And although my fear hadn’t fully abated, Gladen meant too much to me for me not to try. Like any magic, there was always a risk in casting a spell, but if I succeeded, the reward would be well worth it.