“It’s arrogant,” she said. “Brielle thought- thinks it’s romantic.”
Bumping her shoulder into Luci’s, Agnes’ wrinkles pulled up with her smile.
“Maybe it’s both.”
It was true two things could be true at once, but at the end of the day, Luci wasn’t sure if it mattered. Of course, she’d felt what he felt that night. There was a connection, but now Luci wasn’t sure if all those moments were her or if it was Elowen manipulating them. What if these weren’t even her own feelings?
“Jumping into unknown waters will always be scary and of course, you may sink, but darling, what if it feels like flying and you find out something new about yourself you would have never known otherwise?”
If Luci had been lucky to have a grandmother, she would have liked her to be exactly like Agnes. The way she let silence hold them, but said just the right thing at the right time. The truth was, Luci had a choice to make. She didn’t have to make it tonight, but she could take the first steps toward it. Maybe she wasn’t a princess meant to be swept off her feet in one night. Maybe her head would always be too full of thoughts and restraints to jump in, but she could dip her toes in.
“Brielle always says this thing when I am struggling,” Luci said, wiping at her tears. “We can do hard things.”
Agnes' eyes were red-rimmed, and her lip quivered a little as she watched Luci stand. Holding out her hands to Luci, she stood in front of her.
“Allowing someone to love us and see us for all our imperfections will always be the hardest thing, but Lucinda, my dear, you are worthy of a great love. Youcando hard things.”
She’d already gone on a quest and retrieved a magic flower while also meeting an actual fairy godmother. Yet somehow, that all seemed a lot easier than letting someone in.
“When is the part where I don’t feel scared anymore?” Luci asked.
Agnes shrugged and pulled a small hoard of cosmetics from her apron.
“Goodness knows, but a little charcoal and color couldn’t hurt, right?”
Goodness knew indeed.
Step by step, Luci found herself a little closer to what was undoubtedly a terrible idea. Agnes might have been a witch for the way she conjured Luci from a dusty servant to the woman she just saw in the mirror. After riding for a day and a half, her skin was tanned and complemented the deep blue of the dress. Her face, which was usually plain, was brighter, the charcoal accenting her eyes to make them a bluish green.
Music, laughter, and conversation floated from the dining room, and a sudden roll of her stomach made her stop in her tracks. This was silly. They were stuck here till morning, but she should be sleeping,
Before she could turn around, the scent of cinnamon drifted, and a small smile found its way onto her lips.
“You are very pushy,” she murmured to the air.
In answer, the smell intensified, gathering to the point of nausea and burning her nose. As if Elowen was shouting at her. Only one fairy godmother left, and she was a very opinionatedone. Though she didn’t seem fond of the Vencia line, she clearly liked Ira enough to push Luci down the stairs towards him.
This was a terrible idea.
But she could do hard things.
She could always change her mind.
Some chances were worth taking.
Hardly recognizing herself, Luci made her way to the dining room and paused to take in the sight, leaning against the wooden frame and resting her head, careful not to mess the braids that were tied into the side of her hair and pulled back together. Midnight knew Agnes would throw a fit after all her efforts.
She easily found Ira in fresh clothes and still slightly damp hair, sitting in front of the fireplace, talking animatedly with Cochran, who petted Calcifer while he listened with wide eyes and mouth hanging open. Goodness only knew what Ira was telling him. There was a life to him that was unlike anyone she knew. Like he wasn’t scared of anything. Despite the weight of a crown, he didn’t mind what people thought of him. He lived every day like it was his last and smiled like the world was still full of magic.
Brave and kind, loyal. Willing to keep a promise despite the beat of his heart. Luci might talk about his arrogance, but the truth was it was more than that. It was a vitality and love of living that propelled him forward. In many ways, he was everything she wasn’t. Bold, loud, courageous, easy-going. He didn’t have to calculate every pro and con. He simply made the next choice without fear of what came next.
Despite the loud music and the crowded room, despite his storytelling, he turned his gaze to her, and the second he saw her, his mouth stopped moving. Instead, he stared like they were the only two people in the world. Her heart raced wildly in her chest beneath the weight of his gaze. How could two very different people be matching pieces?
He stood and gave Calcifer a last ear scratch before ruffling the top of Cochran’s bushy hair. Calcifer didn’t notice in the least and instead flipped over on his back and spread his legs in a long stretch like he was roasting himself over the fire. Content beyond words.
Luci worked very hard to remember how to breathe as Ira came towards her, weaving through tables like a maze. Just before reaching her, he let loose a violent sneeze, and sure enough, his nose was red.
“Will you never learn?” Luci asked.