“Any other triggers?” he asked.
Luci nodded. “Stress.”
Leaning forward, Noah carefully scrawled in his own book, and it was hard to refrain from taking it from him. For so long, Lord Treveon said that if anyone found out about Brielle’s illness, she would be ruined. Yet, watching Noah write and seeing his mind work, she thought maybe lord Treveon was wrong. What if this meant they finally found answers?
“What have you tried in the past?” he asked.
Her body filled with the kind of warmth that came when the world was new, and spring broke through winter’s clutch. Hope.
This was hope.
Chapter eighteen
Myths and Folklore
The Land of the Fae was once accessible to the humans of Meridea, but with the loss of magic, so came the loss of the fae.
-Tales from Meridea, Volume I
The dress was too tight. It crushed every rib and jammed them into her lungs, making breathing an impossible task. This was a dinner, and how she was expected to eat when she couldn’t take in air was a mystery. Not to mention, her black hair was pulled back along her scalp enough to burn while the rest ofit was in some ridiculous array of braids before finally allowing it to rest over her shoulders.
“You look pale. Here, try this.” Brielle said.
Glaring at her, Luci sat perfectly still due to the fact that she was positive that one wrong move would puncture her lungs.
“Don’t look at me like that. You are beautiful,” she said, dipping her fingers into a pink powder and dapping it onto Luci’s cheeks.
“I don’t see why I am being bullied into this. I am a servant, remember?” Luci grumbled.
Brielle sighed and placed a hand on her hip.
“You are not. Stop whining. It’s one night. I missed getting to see you all dressed up once. I am owed,” she said.
“One day I am going to forget why I love you.” Luci pouted.
Brielle snorted, clearly not believing her.
Their room was quiet except for Calcifer’s purrs from the bed. Brielle’s ladies came and went, and there was no denying they achieved their goal. Brielle was resplendent in a navy gown while gold shadow hugged her eyelids. Her cheekbones were covered in a slight shimmer while her blond hair ran in rivulets over her back and shoulders. She was everything a future queen should be. However, beneath the makeup was a pallor that made Luci want to drag her down to the infirmary to see Noah.
When she tried to suggest it, Brielle pulled tighter on the corset, so Luci hadn’t been brave enough to bring it up again. They’d made good headway today, all the same. All day was spent cataloguing symptoms and reviewing herbs and ingredients that either helped or worsened symptoms. For the first time, Luci didn’t feel as lonely in her fight to keep Brielle well. Mostly, for the first time, Luci felt that there might be something out there that wasn’t a magical, mythical flower that could be a cure.
“I can’t wait to see Ira’s face when he sees.” Brielle giggled.
It was such a pure and sweet sound that, despite herself, Luci found herself smiling even though the sentiment of them felt heavy in her stomach.
“I’m sure he will forget how to speak. You look beautiful, Brielle. Just like a princess from a fairytale.”
Oddly, Brielle rolled her eyes before pressing the rouge to Luci’s lips.
“Fairy godmother, save me from my best friend,” she murmured.
“Rude.” Luci tried to say. “I was being nice.”
Brielle huffed out a breath and stood back, admiring her work.
“Yes, well, you are exhausting,” she said.
“Me?” Luci stammered. “I’m not the one flirting incessantly with my fiancé’s brother, who, by the way, is a terrible person.”