Luci opened and closed her mouth as she convinced herself it was better not to retort with the words that were stewing on her tongue. Instead, she did what she always did when she felt burdened by tension. She ate. The pie was the perfect blend of sugary sweet that told her brain everything was fine. It was a lie she was happy to continue with.
“Thank you for not murdering me with a fork,” he said, with a roguish grin. “My brother, Max, yes, I concede he is young, but he is an old soul trapped in a young body. He has more knowledge and drive than most of the men I know. By the time he was four, he could read and was voracious. Once he learned about magic, it was practically a frenzy. He has dedicated his life, albeit short, to learning everything there is to know. Over the last year, he has compiled all that knowledge into writing. What he found is that prior to the breaking, there was magic in everything. It was wild and free and could be harnessed for the most mundane tasks. The great fairies were the source of this power and shared it freely. Somewhere along the way- and it isunclear why- they began hoarding their power. Granting it to only those they deemed worthy, or more likely, for those willing to pay.”
“He got all this through books that no one else could have in the last few centuries?” Luci asked, swallowing the last bite of pie.
“It was all fragmented. His dedication to piecing it together has been remarkable.” Prince Ira said, pride radiating through his words. “My ancestor hoarded that power. He broke what was there somehow. Brielle is the answer to righting that wrong.”
“The Cinderella.” Luci snorted.
“You mock, but what she is could change the course of many people’s lives. Our people could see the prosperity they’ve only dreamed of.”
“Or they could be accosted by angry and vengeful fairies.”
“If I am being honest with you, which I intend to be. I believe the fairies may be gone. It is unclear what my ancestor did to them, but it sounded fatal.”
“What of the one in the mirrors, she said that we would meet again.”
The prince tilted his head, and Luci quickly realized her blunder.
“That’s what Brielle said she said, ‘we will meet again,” she said, hurriedly.
“Oh,” Prince Ira said, cheeks turning crimson as he tapped his finger to his thigh once, twice, three times. “She had said it was difficult to recall what happened.”
Oh, light above, Luci was going to ruin this if she didn’t learn to keep her mouth shut.
“Of course, it was something she said tonight before bed. I think it’s coming back in pieces.”
Prince Ira shook his head and ran his hand over his face once more. “Of course. I hope she knows how sorry I am. I hadn’t intended to put her in danger. If I could go back-.”
“You wouldn’t change it, though.” Luci cut in. “You may be sorry, but I can see that you are eager for this path.”
A long sigh worked its way through him as he hung his head. “It’s true, but I would have done things differently. I would have been much more honest. I understand why you can’t believe me, but I truly am sorry.”
Luci remembered the way he’d said his cut hands were the least he deserved. He had shown regret from the moment he found her in that room, how he had raced towards her. Maybe he was sorry in his own way. Just because one was sorry did not mean they were owed forgiveness.
She’d been scared inside those glass walls. Walls he tricked her into. If it’d been Bri instead of her— well, no amount of remorse would be payment enough.
Dipping her fork down into the pie, she dug for just the right combination of filling and flaky crust. A sort of melancholy fell over her that was made from midnight rendezvous with sweets, though the added prince was a strange addition. It was a loneliness that the dark whispered in her ear, telling her the fears that kept her from sleep.
“Bri— she’s better than anyone and everyone. You could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve her.” Raising her eyes to the prince, she let him see the truth of her words, “If you asked her to ruin herself in pursuit of your hypothesis, she will. She will smile even if it kills her, and you won’t ever know she’s suffering. You will never deserve her, but if you insist on this path, I’m holding you responsible for how far she goes.”
Prince Ira swallowed, eyes bouncing back and forth as he searched for the underlying message. The night was a silent witness as he reached over and stole the fork and perfectlybalanced bite, stuffing it into his mouth. Despite how much she meant every word, the strange reaction drew a bubble of humor from deep within.
“You are terrifying.” He said, swallowing.
Luci didn’t much appreciate the smile that tugged on her lips, so she hid it by stealing the fork back and taking a rather unbalanced bite of pie that was too much crust. Deciding her message was well-received, it wouldn’t do any good to spend more time with him. After all, he was Brielle's fiancé now.
“It’s your job to protect her now, too,” Luci whispered as she stood.
The statement’s integrity was lost slightly with the crumbs that tumbled off her. Refusing to acknowledge them, she turned her back on the prince and walked as if her legs weren’t shaking. She conquered the stairs much like the heroes of Brielle’s stories. It wasn’t until she made it to Brielle’s room that she shut the door and slid to the floor, legs giving way.
Her heart ached because the truth was worse than any fantasy. Their world was irrevocably changed.
Chapter eleven
The Carriage
What makes someone worthy of being chosen by a fairy godmother is unknown, but one thing is always consistent: love.