Cursed

33. Belle's Dress

Butterflies. Everywhere. So. Many. Butterflies. And they gave exactly zero damns about me. It didn't matter though, because they were everywhere and that was a sight I had seen before only in my dreams.

I was laughing so hard tears developed at the corners of my eyes and I found myself holding my belly for the pain. Then I heard the strangest sound erupt. It was a rough, bellowing guffaw that joined me. It began almost rusty with lack of use but seemed to grow with confidence as it went on. Sunlight escaped through the thick canopy above us and glinted off of Daurien's bared fangs, for once not bared threateningly. And was it ever a sight to beheld.

The harder my own giggles rolled out from within me, the louder his unpracticed cackles became. Soon we were both rolling shamelessly on the soft bed of the forest floor, clutching our bellies.

When we finally stopped to breathe, splayed out on our backs staring up at the spectacular display of color fluttering all around us, I felt content. Suddenly, there was a flick against my finger, so slight I would have pegged it on my imagination had I not turned my head to find Daurien staring at me with the silliest of grins.

"What?" I demanded but couldn't help his catchy smile from affecting me as well.

"Nothing. I just really like laughing with you."

"I like that that I can make you laugh." His smile faltered at my words. I felt his claw graze my finger again, barely more noticeably than before and then stop and rest itself so that our hands were just a feather against the other. At this point I was hyper aware of that feather. So much so that I wondered whether the buzzing electricity I felt zinging constantly at our point of contact was a figment of my imagination or static electricity. It ran up my arm all the way to my chest and caused my heart to beat in double time.

I remained entirely still, only daring to breathe and listen to the rabbit patter than was my heart. I would have been content to remain that way for a while longer but too soon Daurien sat up, pulling his hand away with him. My own hand felt unnecessarily cold all of a sudden and really lacking in electricity. It disappointed me more that it should have.

"We should head back," he said finally and I sat up in silent agreement, "Teapot will have our heads if we come back after dark and she will force us to supper before we enjoy our cake." This caused me to giggle.

"As master of the manor, don't you get to decide if you eat dessert before dinner?"

"Of course I do," Daurien almost grimaced as he folded his arms over his chest, "but if you decide to bring that up with Teapot, I ask that you inform me ahead of time so that I may find a suitable place to hide." I snorted and shook my head but could not keep the smile from creeping onto my lips.

I pushed myself up to stand and dusted off my behind, hair and whatever I could reach of the back of my shirt. Bristles, leaves, dirt and all manner of forest debris fell away and drifted back to the ground where they belonged. Beside me, Daurien shook like a dog. He almost sprayed me with unwanted debris but I managed to duck out of the way in time.

We began our trek back to the manor at a much quicker pace this time. The sun was getting low in the sky and I had already stopped to examine everything that was worth examining on our first trek down this very path. Besides, nothing could possibly top the butterflies from earlier.

"Where have the two of you been?!?!" hollered Teapot before we managed to step entirely through the threshold of the main entrance, "I have been looking everywhere for you both, I asked everything on the property! None of the furniture had seen you, the kitchen said you left promptly after the cake was put to bake and the roses said you had walked right off the premises! Left the manor grounds... what nonsense, one should never listen to roses." I snuck a peek at Daurien who looked just as sheepish as I felt at the scold which had yet to end.