The Prince Of Curses h.s.

Twelve

I sat on the vanity stool as Olesia brushed through my hair. 

I stared at the single brown strand that draped through my blonde hair, it was the same color as the princes' and it unbearably stood out. I asked Olesia if she could somehow cover it up or make it less noticeable. The last thing I wanted was a constant reminder of what I had done.

My chest was bare, my necklace was still broken into pieces. When I returned to my room earlier I put all the pieces I could find in an empty drawer until I had the time to fix it.

I thought about my mother and wondered if she'd known I were a witch and if she gave me that necklace to keep me safe. She couldn't have, could she? Wouldnt she had told me before? I shook away the thought as feelings of betrayal surfaced in my gut. 

I don't know what had gotten into me, but I somehow felt moodier than my normal self. It was like trying to silence a ticking bomb that you had no idea how to disassemble. 

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves when Olesia accidentally brushed a knot in my hair too hard. I could feel it now, my magic bubbling inside me, overwhelming my senses, screaming to be released. I breathed again, trying to shove it down— silence it.

It was such a foreign feeling to feel magic, my body didn't know exactly what to do with it, how to hold it or carry it.

Olesia gave me a short smile, pushing a pin through my hair to hold it steady. I watched as she reached around me, picking up the rouge.

"No," I said, holding my hand up to block her from patting it on my skin, "not tonight."

"This is a formal dinner, you must look your best," Olesia countered.

"I said no," I repeated, the words coming out a little harsher than I expected them to. Olesia flinched, setting down the rouge in its place on the vanity. I stood, walking away from Olesia and staring out the window. The sun was setting causing it to cascade a warm orange color across the kingdom.

I didn't even want to go to dinner tonight. I didn't want to chat with Evander or look at Harry, and I definitely didn't feel like dealing with Fallon's constant negativity. 

"Madam," Olesia said, making me turn. She was now holding the door open, waiting for me to follow her through.

I took a deep breath again, trying to tame my emotions before following Olesia to the dining room.

When I walked in, Olesia announced my entrance just as last time. I didn't even give her time to finish before I walked to my seat beside Evander.

"Long day?" Evander asked as I took my seat.

"You have no idea," I mumbled, shaking my head.

I heard Fallon scoff across the table. I ignored her, pushing that rising feeling of anger down into my stomach. Stay, I spoke to it. It felt almost as if it were a second being living in me, something that I couldn't control but yet reacted with my body.

The servants came around filling up our glasses and placing food on our plates. I picked up my fork, shoving it into a piece of meat before putting it in my mouth.

"Cedric," Harry called. I watched as a man at the lower end of the table turned his attention to him. He was the same man that was holding the clipboard at the tithing the day I came here. "Have you finished the paperwork I told you to start?"

"No, your majesty," Cedric replied.

"That's a shame, I might have to look into getting a new assistant," Harry eyed him. A boss-to-employee conversation.