The Faerie Curses

Chapter Forty: The Ball

Once the door clicked softly shut, blocking out Glen and his mother from my view, I heard Queen Titania's heated whisperings.

"How dare that pitiful creature," she seethed. "Thinking that she has the right to kiss my son."

I pressed my ears against the wood, straining to hear their conversation.

"When did you ever begin to care about me, mother?" Glen chuckled. "Did you finally decide to notice my existence the moment a marriage contract found its way into your grubby little fingers?"

"Do not speak to me that way," Titania warned him as her heels paced across the floor outside. "You know nothing of what I've done for you. What I've sacrificed for everyone."

"Sacrifice? I don't think you know what that word means, mother. Ever since father died, all you've done for this kingdom is become its party planner. Don't you understand? Summer Court is threatened by a powerful enemy, and you refuse to treat the sprites as if they're even worth your time!"

"They are not! Those rotten criminals cannot dethrone our realm, not even with an Object of Power. And spending your time with that knight makes you not much better, my son."

Queen Titania's words were venomous, like drops of poison being spilt into my blood. I bit down on my lip until it bled to contain my rage.

"You have no right to control me." Glen snapped. "And the truth is, being a fugitive with Marissa is something I would take far over following in your corrupted footsteps, mother."

There was a long silence in which tension sizzled in the air outside. The shadows beneath the door were still as I held my breath, waiting.

"Well then," Titania finally said, her voice dropping dangerously low. "You're going to have to start taking your title seriously very soon. It's a good thing your knight will be dead by tomorrow."

My jaw dropped in utter outrage, and what followed from my lips was an impressive string of quiet curses. Glen's footsteps echoed loudly as I listened to him storm off, but what he whispered next was unmistakable.

"I'm ashamed to call you my mother."

Then, the sound of his retreating boots faded down the corridors. For a moment, all I could do was strain my ears for any sound coming from the summer queen. All that buzzed in my ears was static silence as her shadow slithered away from the door.

"You must be Marissa!" A voice chirped, causing me to leap away from the door in surprise.

My ear jerked from the wood as if it had suddenly caught fire. I turned around to find a freakishly chipper maid, her plump body hobbling across the carpet towards me.

"Uh, hello." I greeted her with a slightly guilty smile.

The maid had a flushed, round face and kind sparkling eyes that twinkled merrily as her meaty hands grasped mine.

"You're even more breathtaking in person!" She gushed, locking me in a frantic handshake. Clearly she hadn't noticed me eavesdropping. Or she simply didn't care. "I'm Rosalyn, my dear."

I smiled, amused at how her fluttering wings were much to small for her body.

"Thank you, Rosalyn." I replied politely. "It's nice to meet you."