The darkness made her skin too pale, washed out. Her eyes shone too bright against the contrast. Truly, she looked like something that recently crawled out of a grave. How much longer until she could look in the mirror and see herself once more?
How long would this charade last?
If, when they returned, and Brielle got better, would she continue with the engagement? A pull in her stomach unsettled her. Dread. If they truly did marry, Brielle would have to be like this forever if she wanted to stay by Brielle’s side. It made nausea boil up in her chest. Pressing the back of her hands to her lips, she sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes.
It didn’t matter.
If Brielle was happy and alive, it didn’t matter. She could endure anything if those two facts were true. Even if her stomach didn’t agree, she would force it to. Midnight knew Brielle would do a lot of good as a queen. Ira had the makings of a good king, but with Lyra at his side, he would be great. A royal couple worth a thousand stories.
With an uneasy stomach and a dread deep in her chest, Luci stepped out into the inn. The hallway smelled of fresh lemon and bergamot, making her wonder if Agnes cleaned. With how wellshe kept the inn managed, it wouldn’t have surprised Luci. The real question was, though, where was Ira?
They needed to leave and not waste any more of the sun’s light. As Luci turned the corner of the winding stairs, Agnes came into view, nestled behind her front desk, a small smile on her wrinkled face while she wrote carefully onto cream pages.
Kindness radiated from her without her even trying. It was in the gentle curve of her lips and the lines at the corners of her eyes and at her lips. Lines that Ira already wore. A sign of a happy life.
When her boots hit the dark wood at the base of the stairs, Agnes glanced up with a small sound breaking from her. She recovered gracefully from it, placing a gentle hand to her heart.
“I didn’t use to startle so easily,” she chuckled. “I suppose that’s aging.”
“I’m sorry for scaring you,” Luci murmured, scanning the entryway.
No sign of stray princes.
“He’s in the dining room.” She said, “That’s a good man you have there.”
Her lines smoothed out as her lips faded, as if she wanted the words to mean more than just a compliment. Except the words weren’t for her, regardless of the lie Agnes believed. He wasn’t hers. That pit in her stomach opened a little further.
“He is a good man,” Luci whispered.
Agnes tilted her head to the side, smile faltering altogether. She moved around the counter and reached for Luci’s hands that were currently rubbing together.
“What is it, dear girl?” she asked.
Luci shook her head, but for reasons unknown to her, there began a burning in her eyes. It was just a worry for Brielle, but it wasn’t the time for tears. Sniffing loudly, she forced a smile.
“I’m fine, just not a morning person,” Luci said.
At least that was the truth. She was sick of lying to Agnes and to Ira. The best she could do was to be honest about everything else.
Agnes patted her hand.
“How long have you two been married?” Agnes asked.
Midnight, that resolve lasted a whole minute. Luci supposed that was the thing about lies, though. One lie begets another and another until it was a web that could trap anyone who happened by.
“Not long,” she said.
Agnes nodded her head and threaded her arm through Luci’s, directing her to the dining hall.
“It’s normal to feel overwhelmed in the beginning. The Blue Fairy herself knew I loved my husband more than air itself, but in the beginning days of our marriage, I wondered if I made a mistake. I never told him out loud, but sometimes I’d lie awake and wonder if I stole him from a greater love or if he would tire of me and my ramblings. Finally, it got so bad that I was losing weight, and that didn’t suit him. So he worked up his nerve, and he asked me if I was regretting him, and if so, he wouldn’t hold me to nothing. Sweet girl, when I tell you I stared at that man like he was a giant pumpkin turned carriage from the stories. Before I knew it, we were both laughing at how ridiculous we were. We agreed to never keep secrets from each other. Even if we thought it was the silliest thought in the entire kingdom, we agreed to share it. I’ll tell you right now, a burden shared is a lot less heavy.”
By the time she was finished, they’d neared the entryway to the dining room, but Agnes stopped just before it, eyes rimmed with silver even through the smile on her face.
“I’ll tell you one more thing before I save you from the ramblings of an old woman. I can tell when two souls belongtogether, and you and that boy sing for each other. There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”
The pit in her stomach was now a cavern of darkness, swallowing anything that dared to venture too close. Her ribs, her lungs, her heart. They all fell victim to the despair racing through her. Consuming her.
Lying wasn’t something she enjoyed, especially to kind old ladies who trusted easily.