Cursed Beauty (A Fairy Retelling #1) (6 page)

“Just Leidy will do,” Adelaide said with a smile. The Elder Prince turned and walked towards the end of the room where the king was speaking to a throng of important-looking men and woman. She decided to find some refreshment. Dancing, and talking with the prince had left her parched.

The banquet table was overflowing with cuisine she barely recognized, but looked and smelled delicious. She found herself standing near some delicate looking pastries, and glanced down to find a plate full of croissants. She took one, and bit into it. Its flaky, buttery crust instantly melted in her mouth. Divine.

“Would you like something to drink with that?” a familiar voice said next to her.

She turned. Prince Julian held out a glass of champagne for her to take. “Ah, I see you have impeccable taste in food,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye. Thankfully, having a mouth full of food gave her an excuse not to say anything.

“And I see that I have rendered you completely speechless. I seem to have that effect on women lately.”

Adelaide wondered for a moment if he recognized her, but then realized he was joking. She took the glass of champagne and curtsied. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your thoughtfulness.”

“I am nothing, if not thoughtful,” he said, with a smirk. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Julian. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”

For a moment, she teetered on the brink of telling him her actual name. But the excitement of being someone else, even for just an evening, won out. “Leidy,” Adelaide answered, realizing fully how ridiculous that sounded in a room full of lords and ladies.

“Leidy? I don’t believe I’ve ever known anyone called that before.”

“It’s a nickname my mother gave to me before she died, and it’s been dear to me ever since.”

The prince’s smile turned to a frown and his eyes darkened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.” He paused. “My mother died as well, some time ago.”

Adelaide didn’t know what to say, or how to help steer the conversation. She had imagined coming to the ball, finding Julian immediately, and talking to him about this very thing, but now that he did not recognize her, telling him who she really was would be more complicated than she had planned.

What would he say if she told him about the magic of the glass slippers? Would he call her a witch, and have her condemned for practicing black arts? Would he even listen to her? Perhaps the whole evening was a mistake, and she should have stayed at home. How was she going to apologize for her rudeness when he didn’t even know who she was?

“Although I did not know your mother,” she said, “I’ve heard that she was a very kind, and considerate woman, and treated you and brother with warm affection.”

“Oh, really? Where did you hear that?” he asked.

From my father,
she thought, and realized she couldn’t say that. Next would come questions about how her father had known the queen. The conversation was becoming more and more cumbersome.

“It seems to be common knowledge,” she finally said. “Everyone loved her.”

“They did, that’s true,” he acquiesced.

“I’m sorry if I’ve made you sad,” she said.

“Not at all. It isn’t often that I get to talk about her, actually. I love my brother and father, but they spend more time arguing than talking.”

“Oh, really? Do they have strong temperaments?”

He laughed. “You have no idea. They are both incredibly hot headed, and continually argue over how to govern the country. Stubborn, both of them.”

“Aren’t you the argumentative type?” she asked with grin.

“Well, sometimes,” he agreed sheepishly. “I swear, the both of them were meant to be born red-headed. I’ve always been warned of the tempers of red-headed people, like you. Do you find that to be true?”

Adelaide smiled, thinking of how hot her temper could be, as well as her father’s at times.

“Perhaps, on occasion,” she replied.

She wondered what he or his brother would look like if they had crimson hair like hers. She noticed that Julian’s hair was fairer than his brother’s, a warm, chocolate brown. His eyes, however, were that same shade of piercing blue, like looking through the top of a frozen lake. She’d never given thought to how handsome he was, before. Her anger had always given her reason to not acknowledge that fact. Now, as he looked at her, a tiny shiver danced up her spine, and she wondered what it would be like to be in his arms and dance around the ballroom floor. Would his embrace be as firm and gentle as his brother’s?

“Well, you seem far less likely to blow up at me than my family, or to give me the cold shoulder like another redhead I know.”

“Oh, really?” she asked, her stomach tightening in knots. “Are you in the acquaintance of many redheads?

“No,” he chuckled. “Only one, and I’m afraid that I’ve ruined any chance of truly being acquainted with her.”

“Why is that?”

“Oh, for a good number of reasons. I insulted her as a child. My family is also the cause for a great pain in her life. I’m not sure how forgiving I would be if I was her.”

“What pain is that, Your Majesty?”

Julian paused, and looked deeply into his champagne glass, as if he was considering the quality of the grapes. Finally, he spoke. “Her father, a trusted friend of my family, was killed recently while he was on his way home from the castle. I thought it would be best if I told his family, but now I realize how presumptuous of me it was to come and relay that news. My family is practically the cause of her father’s death. She must hate me. I can’t say that I blame her. If I had been in her position, I might hate me as well.”

Adelaide thought for a moment before speaking. She wanted to choose her words carefully. “Excuse me, your Highness, I don’t mean to pry, but why does it matter to you if this girl hates you? Why does what she think matter at all?”

Julian smiled. “Believe me, I’ve been asking myself that same question for weeks now, ever since the night that I told her that her father had died. The look on her face broke my heart. It was full of so much anguish. I shouldn’t have been surprised when she fainted from the shock. I barely caught her before she hit the floor.”

“You caught her?” she said in surprise. This was the first she had heard of that.

“Yes, I did. I was filled with so much guilt, I spent the night beside her, making sure she was alright. Luckily, there was no bodily damage done, though I have no idea what ruin happened to her mind and soul that night.”

He looked at Adelaide, and smiled. “You must think me an absolute horror of a man. Here I come to begin a conversation with you, the girl who so singularly stole my brother’s attention, and I spend all my time talking about someone else. I do apologize.”

Adelaide smiled broadly. “I don’t mind at all. I’m happily surprised to know that there is still such chivalry in the world.”

“Well, you are remarkably easy to talk to, Leidy,” he said.

“Tell me more about her, this girl you gallantly caught and watched over.”

“There isn’t that much more to tell. I don’t know her very well, and yet, I can’t stop thinking about her.”

Adelaide wondered why. “Is she very beautiful, this girl?” she asked. Although she knew full well what his answer would be, she found her muscles clenching in anticipation to his negative response.

“Others would say she is not,” he responded with a frown.

“What would you say?” she whispered.

“I would say that she has a fierce beauty that is sadly missed by the people who carelessly call her cursed and ugly. From what I’ve learned from her father, she also possesses a kind heart that is used to giving, with little thought of return.

“Though I haven’t spent much time with her, I grew up knowing her father. I feel like I know her, through him. That probably seems silly, doesn’t it? There have been many times, though, when I felt like I knew his family better than my own.

“When I asked him to tell me of his daughter, he happily obliged. I had met her once as a child, and I regretfully admit that I was not kind to her. I apologized to her father, for the terrible words I spoke to her, but I never saw her come to the castle again. In fact, I did not see her anywhere until a few sad weeks ago when I told the girl of her father’s death. I must seem horrid to you, don’t I?”

“No,” she replied softly. His response had taken her aback. Prince Julian knew much more than she realized. He’d said she had a fierce beauty, even with her marked face, and it seemed that he knew more about her than she knew of him.

“What did you mean, when you said people called her cursed?” she asked.

“She was born with a mark on her face. Something like that would cause most people to grow up cold and hard towards the world. As her father described her, she is anything but that, and has never used her mark as something to hide behind. I find that fascinating. I live in a world where everyone is masked, and rarely does anyone show their true feelings. She lives in a world behind a mask, but she always shows her true feelings, even to a prince,” he said, smiling. “Remarkable.”

The conversation was not flowing as she had anticipated. She didn’t know what she had expected of the prince, but it certainly wasn’t this. He spoke of her with admiration, and fondness. Her heart was confused. Just a few moments ago she had felt fully alive in the arms of Prince Leon, and now she felt herself tingling with feelings of tenderness towards his younger brother, a man she had spent many of her years hating.

“Are you quite alright, Leidy?” Prince Julian asked. “You seem upset. Did I say something to offend you?”

Adelaide felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She’d never dared hoped for someone to see past her birthmark, and he’d done it without her knowing.

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I must leave.”

“Already? It’s not even midnight yet.”

Adelaide looked at the clock. She had forgotten the time. She had only a few minutes to spare before the clock would begin to strike.

“It’s most urgent, Your Majesty.” 

“Will you come again tomorrow?” he asked. “There are two more nights of celebration. I’m sure my brother would be very happy to see you again, as would I,” he added.

Adelaide looked across the hall, and saw Prince Leon staring at her and Prince Julian. When her gaze met his, he began to walk towards her.

“I will try,” she answered, and walked out the door.

She quickly ran down the stairs, nearly losing one of the glass slippers. She placed it back on, ran to the bottom of the stairs, and found herself once again in front of her own front door.

The old woman was there, waiting.

CHAPTER 6

Adelaide stared at the fairy godmother.

“Did you dance with the prince?” the old woman prodded with a smile.

Adelaide nodded.

“And do you love him?”

Adelaide thought of how Prince Leon had looked at her. He had made her feel more beautiful than she had ever felt before. But, the face that he was staring into was a mask. It was no more hers than the clothes she was wearing. He wasn’t really looking at her, not the real her. How could she possibly love him, when he didn’t even know her?

Adelaide slipped off the glass slippers. Instantly, her clothes reverted back to her shabby cotton dress. Untamed tresses of red, curly hair fell down around her shoulders. She didn’t need to touch her face to know that her birthmark was back, as well.

“No, I do not love him,” she said, handing the shoes back to the fairy godmother.

The old woman looked stunned. She stammered for a minute, calmed, and then smiled. “There are still two more days of the ball left. There is time yet. Keep the glass slippers for now. Tomorrow night is another chance to win his heart, and for him to win yours.”

“I told you, I didn’t go to fall in love with anyone. I simply wanted to apologize,” Adelaide said, still holding the shoes out for the old woman to take.

“You did say that. And did you get a chance to apologize to the prince?”

Adelaide had been too caught up in the charade to have the chance to talk to Prince Julian as herself, to let him know how much she appreciated his kindness, and how sorry she was for her actions.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then, keep the shoes. Tomorrow is another chance. I’ll be very surprised if you’re not head over heels in love by then. I’ll see you again tomorrow at midnight, dear. Don’t be late.”

Without a sound, the old woman disappeared.

As the bells of the clock began to chime midnight, Adelaide made her way inside and off to bed.

When Adelaide awoke, daylight was already streaming through her small, bedroom window. “Oh, no. I’m late,” she groaned as she pulled herself out of bed and into the kitchen to make breakfast. Luckily, Celeste and Thalia had not yet roused themselves.

She had not heard them come home last night. It was already mid-morning, so they must have come home very late indeed.

A knock came from the front door. Adelaide’s heart jumped in her throat. Had Julian come again, wondering why she hadn’t come to the ball? Adelaide ran to the door, and threw it open.