by A. W. Cross
Kara pushed Ming away. “Shut up. How else would she come here if she didn’t face the storm?”
Claire nodded and nibbled on her lip. “Does the prince know that I’m here.” She looked around again, noticing that she was in her old room, but there was no one else there but her and the fairies. “Did you tell him that I’ve come?”
The fairies shared a look.
Sighing in defeat, Claire brushed her tangled hair. “If he doesn’t want to see me, I’ll leave as soon as I can travel again.”
“Nonsense,” Tasha declared, hovering in front of her with folded arms. “William has become insufferable. Well, more than usually. He knows that you’re here.”
“And?” Claire probed.
“He wants us to tell him when you wake up.”
“Can I see him now?”
“What did I tell you?” Tasha looked at Ming and Kara. “She came to see him, not us.”
Claire lowered her face in shame. “I’m sorry. I missed you too, but I miss William more.”
Kara and Ming giggled as they flew closer to the girl’s face.
Tasha sneered and flew away. The door opened, and the prince came inside.
The fairies and Claire stopped. The giggling halted, and even Tasha hovered a few feet from the door as if waiting for the prince to give her permission to breath.
Claire’s eyes roamed William’s face. He looked pale, and his lips were almost blue. He seemed anything but happy with her return.
“Leave,” William ordered, stepping aside to show them the door.
Time unfroze to the fairies that fled the bedroom with a daunted expression. Yet Claire could barely breathe and she watched as the door closed, and William walked to her side of the bed.
Before he could scold her, she blurted, “I am sorry to have worried you, but I’m not leaving.”
William’s eyebrow raised, and he folded his arms. “And what makes you think that you have a saying in this?”
“I don’t care. I’m not leaving.” She folded her arms too and faced his glare. “I’ll turn into an ice statue outside your door if I must.”
“Yes, since nearly committing suicide on my front door wasn’t enough the first time,” William muttered.
“How else would I come back to you if I didn’t face the storm?”
“Why did you think I wanted you back?”
Claire clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know, maybe because it’s bloody freezing outside!”
William took a step back as if he needed protection against her outburst. “It’s not that cold.”
“Maybe for you, but the rest of us can’t endure much longer.”
“Then you returned to save your people not because …” He cleared his throat. “Never mind. I’ve called for a carriage, and you’ll go back home.”
“I won’t.”
“It’s not open to discussion.”
“No, it’s not. I’m staying.”
“I’ll throw you out.”
Claire moved on the bed and faced him. “You’ll have to kiss me if you want me gone.”
William frowned and recoiled back when she leaned closer to him. “What are you doing?”
She puckered her lips. “I missed you.”
“Stop doing that, Claire.”
She pouted. “I won’t get in your way or go into your secret garden. I won’t do anything that you don’t want. I won’t touch you, hold hands, or breathe closer to you. We don’t even need to dine together if that’s too much for you.”
“Have you lost your mind? Are you running a fever? Should I call for the fairies?”
“I can move to the stables and be your servant if you think that I’m here because of your riches.”
“Stop with the nonsense,” he requested, turning his back on her. “You’re going to rest for today, and I’ll send you home tomorrow.”
“I’ll come back again. Aren’t you worried that I might die on the road, this time?”
William sucked a breath and turned around with an upset face. “Of course, I’m worried. Do you think that I was pleased to know that you might have died coming here? Didn’t I tell you to go back home and be happy?”
“How can I be happy if you’re not there with me?”
Her words made him narrow his eyes.
“You’re not happy without me, either,” she claimed.
Climbing out of bed, she almost fell on the floor. Caring hands grabbed her waist, and she looked down to see his gloved-hands holding her.
“We don’t need to touch to be together,” she said in a lower voice. “But I can’t be happy without you. I tried. You can’t be happy without me, either. Unless … you’re hoping that they send someone else to make you happy and you never cared about me.”
“I care about you,” William said, helping her sit on the bed. He sat beside her. “I care a lot about you.”
“But we don’t need to stay away from each other.”
“It’s for your safety.”
“I’ll die of a broken heart. That’s not safe either,” she muttered.
William smiled for the first time. His hands folded in his lap and he looked at them with pensive eyes. Tears escaped his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.
Claire remained still, watching him cry. She wouldn’t touch him because she couldn’t, and he would probably escape her if she did. Yet, she wanted to comfort him, somehow.
“William, I can’t imagine how lonely it must be for you. It must be hard to trust people, too. There are so many women who want to be your queen. You feel discouraged for the number of times you believe that you failed at love.”
He looked at her and wiped the tears with his fingertips. “Monsters like me don’t deserve love.”
“Monsters, humans, witches, or animals, everybody deserves love.” Claire’s lips stretched into a smile. “I’m just a commoner. I’m not brave, I don’t have magical powers, and I like to read books more than I like to dance or chase after a husband like the other girls in the village do. I’m not special. I’m not expecting you to love me like I love you. I’m not even that experienced in love. I’ve never loved anyone before you. You don’t need to worry about my heart. As long as I make you happy, I’ll stay with you.”
“What if you don’t make me happy anymore.”
“Mom said that you sent me away to protect me. Winter came harder and faster this time. If you aren’t sad because of me, then why are you sad?”
His eyes lingered on hers. “Winter would be ten times worse if something happens to you, Claire. It’s best if you stay away. Can’t you see that?”
“Winter is already bad, William. If it’s me that you want, I’m here.”
“For how long?”
She leaned closer. “Forever.”
“You’re mortal. You don’t live forever.”
“Until I die. Then I’ll haunt you until you die.”
He gave her a lop-sided grin. His hand raised, and he placed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Do you want me to haunt you?” Claire asked.
“You already haunt me.”
“I’m so much better than a ghost. I can bake, I can dance, sing, and tell you stories. I can skate with you on the lake and watch the stars with you at night while you tell me the stories of the constellations and the other galaxies in this vast universe.” Her hand touched his arm. “We can’t kiss, but I can hold your hand, or hug you when you are sad.”
“Is that enough for you? Don’t you want a man to love you like a husband and give you children?”
She shook her head. “I just want you. Even if you are cursed and heartless. Even if you can’t love me how I love you. I wished that you might love me as I love you, though. At least a tiny bit. Do you like me a tiny bit?”
He nodded, and Claire smiled.
“Did you miss me?” she probed.
“Yes.”
“Can I stay, then?”
He looked away, and his hand searched for he
rs. Once they held hands, he spoke again. “You can stay for a few more days. If the weather doesn’t improve, then you’ll have to leave.”
Claire nibbled on her lip before saying, “Fair enough. If I don’t make you happy, then I’ll leave and return to my family.”
He looked at her with a stern expression. “If you refuse to leave, I’ll kiss you. Then you’ll be dead.”
“Not dead, just enchanted like the rest of them. Then you can come and see me whenever you miss me.”
William frowned and removed his hand from hers. “I don’t appreciate your sense of humor, Claire. My heart would break if that happened to you. I just want you to be happy.”
Claire covered her hand with her sleeve and placed it against his lips. “Just stop complaining. I’m still weak from my trip, and I’m thirsty and hungry.”
William pushed her hand away and rose to his feet. Fixing his clothes, he announced, “Dinner will be served in a moment. The fairies will take care of your every need. Everything in this room is how you left it.” He looked at her. “Do you need me to send word to anyone that you are safe?”
“My parents. I would appreciate if you did that,” she replied, adjusting to the cordial tone in his voice.
“I’ll send a messenger. Get some rest and join me in the dining room in an hour.”
Claire bowed slightly to his orders.
Leaning closer, he whispered, “I’m happy today.”
Claire smiled as William walked away. This time she was never going to leave his side.
22
Within days, the snowstorm ended, and the sun peeked through the foggy mist.
Claire had gone back to her routine while the prince treated her with renewed affection and let his guard down. At dinner time, she did her best to talk to him and make him smile at her. She loved his smiles. His complexion improved with his happiness. He looked healthier and in a better mood. He spent less time alone and shared lunchtime with her. He even let her spend time in his library and browse the books. The majority was in languages that she couldn’t understand, but the fact of being surrounded by so many books left her happy. She was also happy to read seated by William’s side. Staying away from him, even to sleep was presenting itself as a challenge. Claire found herself longing for the physical contact that she knew he couldn’t give her. Even an embrace seemed to terrify William of turning her into a statue. Holding hands and talking until they couldn’t keep their eyes open was becoming a recurrent event.
With the good weather, outside activities were again a possibility. Therefore, when Claire invited the prince for a walk, William happily accepted.
The weather on the top of the mountain was still cold, and Claire had to wear layers of coverings that barely allowed her to walk or see ahead. Still, William was patient and didn’t use his powers to speed the process. The experience of spending time together was already a gift. Using his powers to walk around were not necessary since they had nowhere to go.
Claire looked at William and squeezed his hand. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“I am not going to like this am I?” William asked.
She shrugged. “It depends.”
“You normally ask without requesting. But since I’m in a good mood, please ask away, and I’ll promise to answer to the best of my ability.”
“It’s something that you aren’t comfortable to talk about. But I believe that it’s time for you to open up to me.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I need to understand more about you and your previous life. I would like to know why you were cursed.”
“You are right. I don’t like to talk about it. But if we aren’t going to have any secrets between us, I believe you need to know.”
“I wouldn’t like that.”
He cupped her hand with both of his as he stretched his lips in a sad smile. “What I’m about to tell you only a few humans know. I would appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.”
Claire nodded. “I will.”
The prince started his tale. “I’m a dragon. My true form is of a dragon, this form that you see is just a shell that we use to mingle among the rest of the sentient beings in this world.”
“So, you are a dragon shifter?”
“That’s correct. Most of the rulers of the neighborhood kingdoms are also dragon shifters. Including the witch who cursed me.”
“You are stuck in this form, aren’t you?”
He held her hand tighter. “Yes. I can only shift once a year.”
“That must be restraining. Is that why you have powers?”
“Yes. But the mood swings aren’t one of them. Nor are turning living things into diamond. That’s a consequence of my curse.”
“We’ve read about dragons. I’ve never seen one before. We can’t leave the kingdom, and they only exist outside. Well, you are here, but—”
He stopped walking. “Do you love me less because of this?”
“No. Of course not. I knew you were different from me. Special. I love you the way you are, not because of what you are.”
“In my dragon form, my powers are even greater. Plus, I can fly. I miss that.”
“I would love to fly one day,” Claire said, folding her hands in front of her chest.
“Perhaps one day I will be able to take you up into the clouds,” William said, looking upwards.
“Then, what happened? Why did another dragon decide to curse you?”
“My family loved the humans. We didn’t see them as inferiors. I still don’t. But not every dragon shares our point of view. Some enslave their subjects and like to use their superiority to imprison other species. Edana, that’s the Red Dragon Queen’s name, she wants to create a powerful army to conquer other kingdoms and merge them into hers. It’s more complicated than this, but I’m offering the summed-up version.”
Claire nodded. “Just tell me what you feel comfortable with.”
“I was engaged to a human princess. A decision made to continue as a species and ally us with humankind. It was the right choice, and most royals accepted the decree. But there was one dragon queen who refused to let the marriage take place. She wanted me for herself. I never gave her a passing glance, but she was obsessed.”
Claire looked at their hands. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Just listen. This is a longer story.”
Claire nodded.
William proceed. “This dragon was the queen of our neighborhood kingdom. She’s more powerful than a lot of the other dragons. More powerful than my father and me. I was still young when she decided that we were meant to be. My powers hadn’t fully grown. Dragons take longer to mature than humans. With my refusal to marry her, she challenged my father, hoping to bring the older dragon into submission. The king refused, not interested in celebrating a marriage or an alliance with anyone who didn’t respect his principles. With my father’s denial, I thought that would be the end, but I was wrong.
“The maniacal woman tricked me into drinking a potion that irremediably cursed me. My dragon shifting powers were locked except once a year. I can’t touch anyone or anything without turning them into diamond unless a true love’s kiss breaks my curse. As long as the curse is active, my kingdom will have terrible weather if I’m sad or depressed.”
“What about your fiancée, did you love each other?”
“I thought we did. With a true love kiss being the answer, I believed the princess could solve this dilemma. She did as well and agreed to kiss me without a second thought. The beautiful human princess cared about me and respected my royal lineage. When she turned into a diamond statue shortly after our lips touched, I realized that was not enough. The dragon queen mocked my misery from afar, declaring that only she was strong enough to withstand the curse. All I had to do was love her above all things and make her my wife.
“Furious, my father led a war against the wicked queen’s kingdom, hoping to destroy her and end the curse. But she was ready and
murdered him on the battlefield upon defeat. The evil creature also snuck into the palace and killed my mother. Leaving me alone and helpless. Declaring in time, I would grow to love and need her kiss.”
Claire was horrified by this revelation. She had no idea that so much pain had plagued William’s life.
“Why would anyone do those awful things and disguise it as love? This dragon queen is an evil, obsessed witch with no soul. No one who could feel anything but hatred could do what she did to you.”
“I don’t know what more to do, Claire. I’m not strong enough to defeat her until my curse breaks, and I regain all my powers.”
Claire moved closer and placed her arms around his torso, hiding her face against his chest. “I’m here for you.”
The smell of his clothes and the touch of their bodies made her feel bold and loved. Her heart ached for him. No wonder he had such a hard time trusting another and hid behind all the anger and rules. It was his way to survive and avoid another betrayal and heartbreak. Plus, she pitied the poor princess who died because she was engaged to a prince.
Claire kept hugging him. It had to be terrible not being able to have prolonged human contact. Even now, she had to be careful that there was not a slight hint of skin showing on his person. She could not imagine how he felt. When his arms embraced her, she smiled, enjoying the peaceful moment. If the best she could offer was her company and her hugs, that would have to suffice.
William suddenly cried out as he pushed her away from him. “What have you done?”
Claire looked at him, confused about his accusation when she saw the butler grinning maniacally from behind. Looking at his chest, she noticed that William’s clothes were tainted with blood. Her prince had been stabbed.
“William? No! You stabbed him! Are you mad?” Claire yelled at the butler.
“The wound is not deep, he will heal,” the butler spat. “I’ve had enough of serving this stupid family who damned us all. Edana has plans for you. She will never allow anyone to make him happy. You are doomed.”
“I will kill you, traitor,” William grunted. “Claire, run to the palace. The fairies won’t let him touch you.”