The Deadly Curse

24 | Flower Crowns and Butterfly Blossoms

//flower crowns and butterfly blossoms// 

          It surprised me how quickly things returned to their usual routine. Both the King and the Prince attended meetings where, I assumed, they discussed the Sprite's military. Apparently, the existence of their armed forces had been a bit of a bombshell. I got the sense that it might have been a violation of the decrees I had yet to learn about.

I'd gotten back into helping Kit in the gardens. My studies had started, too. Prince Rune acted as my tutor, though my reliance on him lessened as my ability to read Eternity's script improved.

Everything had reverted to normalcy. Almost like nothing had happened. Like I hadn't sought out Fate to reverse the sentencing on the King and the Prince. Like the Prince's magic hadn't run wild and dangerous. Like his uncontrollable abilities hadn't been a threat to Eternity, and especially to the Sprites. (Even though a treaty about Rune's magic had been put in place and they now discussed the military at length.) Like his father hadn't made a cruel decision. Like Rune hadn't been hospitalized. Everything felt too normal.

However, a few things had changed. Rune had to select a different bedroom, as his had been destroyed and was now undergoing renovations. He also donned a pair of gloves. At first, they functioned as something to help control his magic. Like training wheels. They'd since transformed into a sort of security blanket: as long as he wore the custom gloves, he couldn't accidentally poison anything. He insisted upon wearing them any time we held hands. Of course, his jewels now changed colors. And he had finally gotten a haircut, revealing his forehead and the back of his neck.

Rune remained elusive. It wasn't because he was hiding though. Rather, he had daily lessons to learn to control his abilities. He practiced on his own constantly, too. His determination and resolve to never bring harm to anyone (he often emphasized me) drove him to practice almost obsessively.

As glad as I was that he was getting his magic under control, his loyalty to evasion stung. After all we'd been through, after opening up to vulnerability and intimacy, we still spent barely any time together. I understood that he was a prince, set to inherit the kingdom shortly after our marriage. But I had hoped—expected, honestly—that he would devote time to us and our relationship.

Prince Rune locked eyes with me, his jewels a fierce yellow. Flames dominated his gaze, although the shadows put up a good fight. His eyes darted about, as though unable to maintain steady eye contact. Wrinkles surrounded his eyes, though, as if he concentrated deeply on something. He eventually looked back to his plate of food. With shaky hands, covered in his leather gloves, he tore at the leaves. He barely ate. Something seemed off with him, beyond the uncertainty he still felt about controlling his magic.

The King seemed undisturbed by his son's distracted nature—or my quiet bristling. He chomped on nugget-filled sticks and tossed in full leaves between lengthy monologues about nothing in particular. He went on about how thankful he was that Rune was healthy again, and that he was controlling his magic. Sometimes, he spoke of the councils' conversations surrounding the Sprite army. But he simply blabbed on, unaware of the atmosphere around him.

My limbs dared to shake. But my lungs forced breath after breath, encouraging my muscles to relax and my shoulders to lower.

Anger bubbled beneath the surface. King Hadeth was a heartless monster in my eyes still. I couldn't fathom any possible justification for allowing the Sprite military to chase after his only child. Maybe he assumed the Sprite army wasn't going to kill his son. But that was quite the weighty gamble. How could anyone gamble with someone else's life?