by Lisa Dawn
I spent my days off in the village recruiting older mages to train the next generation of magic users. Of course, Edgar was my first recruit. With Henry and Denise’s blessing, we reopened the mines and began excavating runes and assigning them to the most skilled wielders. Frederick became captain of a brand new army of powerful mages. Within a few months, the kingdom was just as prosperous as it had been before Mercer tore us apart during the war. Henry, Lily, and I attended beautiful shows where mages formed illusions of dragons, unicorns, and mermaids all in our honor.
I also looked forward to frequent visits from Braydon. As busy as he was restoring order to Dorraine after his father’s death, he never failed to set aside time for me. He came to me often for advice on being king, but he picked up on it much faster than Henry did. Now that they both had a shared goal, Braydon and Henry were finally beginning to get along, as much as they refused to admit it. I often saw them practicing their fencing together in the arena, and they even convinced me to practice with them a few times as well. After everything I’d been through, I was grateful for the opportunity to learn how to defend myself better.
A full year had passed before Denise determined that Henry was ready to take her place on the throne. Lily opted for an outdoor wedding in the gardens. We were happy to comply. It was nice to have a change of scenery. Lily looked lovely in a lavender silk gown embroidered with cream-colored flowers. I was given a formal satin robe that was embroidered around the edges with the familiar symbols of all the runes. I led the procession of mages down the aisle to stand by Lily’s side as she gave her vows. Henry stood ready and proud as he watched her traipse gleefully down the aisle. I could not have possibly been happier for the two of them. As much as I had wanted to become queen, it felt so much better to share my knowledge and power with the people I loved.
The priest was about to begin the ceremony when the sky darkened and thunder boomed loudly, causing us all to jump. Henry shielded Lily from the downpour that drenched our guests. This was my chance to prove to Denise that magic could be used for good. I sprang into action and walked down the line of mages to Clarisse, a weather mage I met when Henry and I passed the new laws. On my command, she held up her glistening white rune and pointed it toward the sky.
In an instant, the rain vanished, and the sun beat warm and bright over all of us. Vibrant rainbows filled the sky, and I was reminded of my favorite painting in the royal gallery. Denise smiled at me. After all these years, I had finally earned her approval. I removed the glistening diamond crown from the display and placed it on Lily’s head.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty,” I said.
She responded with her usual giggles. Henry bent down for Denise to crown him. Everyone cheered for their new queen and king. Braydon approached me from Henry’s side of the wedding party and wrapped his arms around me. When the excitement died down, I leaned up and whispered into his ear.
“I think I’m ready now.”
He pulled me in for a kiss and held me tighter as we celebrated the first day of our happily ever after.
Acknowledgements
Thank you so much for reading about Charlotte’s adventures! This is the longest period of time I have ever spent working on a story, and I hope it shows. I have so many people to thank for allowing me to bring my personal fairy tale to life. It started out as a screenplay for the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting Online, so I’d like to thank my teacher, Brian Price, and my classmates—Cathy, Courtney, Curt, Gayla, Kate, Patrick, and Shonnese—for helping me to mold it into the best story it could possibly be.
Thank you to Claerie Kavanaugh, a wonderful editor I met online who suggested that I look for beta readers. Amber, Biancalice from Fiverr, Victoria, and Lily, you have all helped me tremendously in cleaning up my typos and inconsistencies before releasing this book to the public. Last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank my very first and favorite beta reader, Kae-Leah Williamson, whose support for my work knows no bounds, as well as my husband, Derrick, and my mother, Judy, for all of their continued love and support.
It is my hope that anyone who reads this book will learn that like Charlotte, one mistake does not define who you are as a person. We all have something beautiful to contribute to the world regardless of what may have happened in the past.
About the Author
Lisa Dawn is the author of several fairy tale and fantasy novellas. She was brought up in New Jersey and currently lives in North Hollywood with her husband. She has been writing for most of her life and enjoys all formats from poetry to screenwriting. If you love princesses, you will probably enjoy her blog, The Princess Blog, where she reviews the latest princess movies, shows, and books. You can sign up for her mailing list to learn about her future works.
Books by Lisa Dawn
Novellas
Elf Princess Roweena
Of Land and Sea: The Untold Story of The Little Mermaid
Most Wanted Knight
Rebirth: A Faery’s Tale
Blood Red
The Stolen Jewel
Poetry
Castle [and other poems about growing up in a fairy tale world]