Entirely unbothered, Brielle smiled up at her.
“He’s very handsome.”
“Calcifer?” Luci asked.
Brielle chuckled and ruffled Calcifer’s head, which earned her a deeper purr.
“Prince Ira,” she hummed. “You forgot to mention that part.”
Luci stared wide-eyed at her home, which had been the only consistent thing in her life.
“Handsome?” she mouthed before saying, “Brielle Treveon, we do not swoon over princes that waltz into other people’s homes and declare themselves engaged.”
Brielle stood and began fussing with Luci’s dark hair, running her fingers over the inky strands as if she could wipe away the dye.
“He’s kind too,” she said.
“He locked me in a room of mirrors and gave me these,” she said, holding up her hands.
“He’s very sorry.” Brielle offered, with a small smile she tried to hide.
Light above, she was going to scream. The last fever had clearly done more damage than she had realized.
“So you are going to marry him?”
The smile slowly slipped from Brielle’s face, and her eyes searched Luci’s.
“Would you be upset if I did?” she asked.
What a question. For some reason, the refusal didn’t erupt from her lips like it should have. It sat on the back of her throat, percolating and festering. No. Two letters. It was all she had to say, but she couldn’t vomit up the words.
“Is that what you want?” Luci asked instead.
If the answer was yes, she would be supportive. She would cough up the simple word and smile every time Brielle asked her to. She would ignore the sickly feeling in her gut and tell her that everything was perfect. Maybe over time, the trepidation would ease. Years of seeing Brielle happy would soothe her sore throat.
Brielle leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to Luci’s cheek.
“You are everything, Lucinda Blackthorn. There is lavender peach pie downstairs.”
With that, she turned to the dresser and proceeded to ready herself for bed, like she hadn’t just changed everything, as if Luci could be distracted during such times with the idea of pie, even if it was one of her favorites.
“Will you braid my hair?” Brielle asked, holding out a pink ribbon.
It had been years since they had braided each other’s hair. An old habit from when they were girls. Something in the request hit Luci squarely in the chest. Her eyes stung as she nodded.Brielle sat at the edge of the bed and pulled Calcifer into her lap while Luci slowly pieced out her blond locks.
“I want you to be happy,” Luci said when she was sure her voice would be steady.
“I know,” Brielle answered.
As if those words could ever be enough, Luci tied the ribbon and watched as Brielle scooted back into the bed and placed Calcifer in the middle, where he quickly stretched out his back like a cloud of fluff. Feeling broken in ways she could never express, Luci climbed into bed and lay with her eyes closed.
Within a few minutes, Brielle’s breathing steadied like she was entirely at peace. It was hard to envy something she wanted for herself, but she was full of contradictory feelings, which explained why, a few hours later, she slowly edged out of bed and tied a light blue robe over her body. Pie might be the only thing that would ease the storm inside. So under the protection of darkness, Luci snuck into the kitchen.
Chapter ten
Clandestine Meetings
Of course, fairies are not merely relegated to land; they also inhabit the seas of Brinoria. After all, the story of the young mermaid is one that reminds us that dreams come at a cost, but if you are brave enough, they are worth swimming after.