Lady Knightley stood over her eldest daughter, watching as she slept peacefully in her bed. At five years old, Kim had not yet learned of life's hardships and so she slept soundly. Her mother envied her. She envied Kim's blissfulness and the fact that she had a mother who was willing to do so much for her, unlike her own mother who had smiled and said nothing as her daughter had been whisked away to marry a lord when she ought to have stepped forward and demanded that her daughter was fit to marry a prince, and no less.
Luckily for Kim, she was not like her mother. She was willing to take any necessary precautions to ensure that her children married into royalty. She was certain that Kim would be grateful for this in future. After all, she would be wealthy, powerful and envied. What more could a woman ever hope to achieve in life?
Folding her arms, Lady Knightley looked over at the fae who stood by her side. She knew that the male did not approve of what she was doing to her daughter, but thankfully he was not stupid enough to voice his concerns and he cleared his throat as he stared at Kim's sleeping figure.
"You wish for the curse to be unbreakable?" he said, "that she will never recognise her true mate, ever?"
Lady Knightley rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "Need I repeat myself?" she said in a flat tone, "I do not wish for my children to engage in mating folly, ever. It is a waste of time and life. I do not wish for them to have any distractions, they will marry into royalty and they will be happy. Kim's siblings admire her. Whatever she does, they will follow. I will ensure it."
The Fae swallowed heavily. "....Very well," he said quietly, "however I cannot ensure that the curse will be entirely unbreakable. It is effective, Kim will be unable to recognise her mate even if they sat opposite each other. Nothing would break that... except for a kiss."
Lady Knightley pursed her lips, staring down at her first born child. "...Very well," she said eventually, "I'll just have to ensure that she will not flirt with anyone, save for royalty. Curse her."
The Fae hesitated, but with one hiss from the lady he sighed and stepped forward, sitting at Kim's bedside. He placed a hand over the girls forehead, closing his eyes and beginning to mutter under his breath.
Kim's eyelids flickered and she stirred a bit, mumbling in her sleep. She did not wake up to see her mother smile as she was cursed, nor did she sense the brief fog settle over her mind, whisking away something that she had not yet received the chance to possess, and now never would.
Kim had no idea what she had lost. It wasn't until early adulthood when she began to court at her mother's insistence that Kim began to suspect that something was missing.
When she met with the finest of men that the world had to offer and they smiled at her before promptly ogling at her chest. When they all but ignored her during dinners and laughed when she voiced her opinions on political matters. When she caught glimpses of young couples in plain attire, their cheeks freckled and rosy from the sun, lounging in fields while giggling and smiling with each other. When she seen them whispering in hushed tones and gazing at each other, as though they were the only individuals left in the world. Only then, did Kim begin to suspect that something was missing.
She would never tell her mother for fear of seeming ungrateful for all that she had, but oh how Kim wished she could find what she had lost.
