by Anna Santos
Claire knew they were magical but had no idea they were able to conjure things from thin air. Yet what bothered her the most was the fact that the prince seemed reluctant to touch her. She had noticed that he didn’t like anyone invading his personal space. He always recoiled when she tried to touch him and got mad when she actually touched him.
“Are you sure you want to teach me?” Claire asked. She then spoke to the fairies. “Shouldn’t we be practicing after dinner for our show in two days? Haven’t you invited your fairy friends to come and watch us?”
“We did, but we have worked hard for the past few days. Plus, there will be a ball after the play. William needs to teach you how to waltz now, so you don’t look bad among the other fairies.” Ming twirled around on one leg as her arms raised above her head. “I don’t know if you knew this, but fairies are excellent dancers. Yet we are too small to dance with William. You’ll have to do that for us.”
Claire blinked and then frowned. Was that an elaborate scheme to force the prince to spend more time with her?
Claire leaned closer. “Will that make you happy, my prince?”
“The show, the ball, the dancing, or teaching you to dance?”
“Teaching me to dance and then having to dance with me at the ball.”
His lips curled up, and Claire felt her throat dry. “I like dancing and music.”
Claire pursed her lips, unsure of what kind of answer that was. “I’ll try not to step on your toes.”
Chapter 13
Ming had her hands holding her chin and her legs bouncing back and forth while sitting on the pillow. “Will they kiss now?”
Claire giggled, placing two fingers inside the book she was reading to mark the page. She raised her head to look at the fairies who had sparkling eyes and attentive faces as she read to them a new romance. It was book club night. On those nights, they remained in the living room after dinner. The fairies lit a fire in the fireplace, placed pillows and fur blankets on the floor, and scattered candles to create the perfect cozy mood.
Since Claire was bigger, she held the book and read to them. She felt happy to have friends to share her love for books. She didn’t dare read romantic books to her parents. Those were reserved for reading alone at night in her bed. Having female friends was something new. Her best friend was Myka, but he liked action stories more than romantic ones. Not to mention that girls often were jealous of Claire because she was friends with the most handsome guy in her village. Many expected them to get married when they were old enough. Even her parents. However, Claire loved Myka as an older brother, and she was sure he felt the same way about her.
“Claire, what’s wrong?” Tasha asked, raising her head and catching Claire’s attention.
Claire smiled. “I was thinking about my best friend and my family.”
Kara flew to her side and landed on her forearm. Her minuscule hand touched Claire’s sleeve, and she grinned, showing her tiny, sharp teeth. “Are you thinking about past experiences of kisses?”
Claire’s cheeks turned red. “No. Of course not. I’ve never kissed anyone before.”
“Is your best friend a boy?”
Claire nodded.
“Is he handsome?”
Claire nodded again. “I don’t think about him like that. We are just friends.”
Kara puckered her lips. “I wish I had found a handsome male to fall in love and live an adventure with.” She paced down Claire’s forearm and jumped off. Her wings flapped before she landed on the marble floor. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”
Tasha sat up and folded her legs. “I am. What if our friends don’t like our play?”
“It’s going to be fine,” Claire assured. “It’s book club hour. We can stress about the show tomorrow.”
Kara’s ears perked up. “Aren’t you worried about the fact that the prince expects you to dance with him?”
“Should I be? He said I’m a quick learner.”
“Did you like dancing with him?” Kara questioned.
Claire shrugged. Pursing her lips, she asked, “Do you think he’s less annoyed by my presence in the palace?”
“He’s been spending a lot of time with us. He also seems happier,” Ming replied. “I believe you’re doing a good job.”
“He still doesn’t talk much about himself.”
Ming yawned, which, in turn, made everybody do the same. Claire’s eyes felt heavy.
Kara paced to a pillow and lay on it. “I’m tired.”
“Let’s finish this chapter, so we can go to sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow,” Ming said.
Claire opened the book and stared at the page, continuing the reading.
The next day, Claire woke up with a smile. She was excited about the day. Leaving the bed, she walked to the window, wiped the condensation from the glass, and glanced outside. The fog seemed less thick that morning, and she could even see the snow-capped peaks against the skyline. Maybe the weather was improving, and the sun would peek through the mist to melt the snow.
Looking down at the gardens, she noticed a figure wearing a long white brocade coat. No one dared to go outside in that weather. At least, Claire didn’t since the palace was warm and allowed her to walk around, wearing only her long linen dresses, so she could help the fairies with their chores. She also felt more comfortable in plain clothes than overly embroidered dresses.
The previous night, though, the fairies had selected an exquisite pink dress for her to wear after the play. At the show, she was going to wear men’s clothing. William had been kind enough to let her wear some of his clothes. It had been fun to try out the beautiful brocade coats, the regal white satin shirts, and the black laced pants. The fairies even made her a fake mustache to add to the character she was portraying.
Outside, the figure stopped on the edge of the cliff and looked down. Claire’s heart stopped, and she secured both hands against the glass. Could that be William? What was he doing there? Was he contemplating jumping?
With blood rushing through her veins, she turned around and scanned for warm clothes to wear. She removed her nightgown and slipped into a wool dress and put on a pair of sturdy boots. Grabbing a pair of gloves, a fur hat, and her fur cloak with trimmed collar and cuffs, she left her bedroom. Claire flew down the stairs, stopped in front of the massive doors, and pushed them open. The chilly wind hit her face when she slipped outside. She was blind for a few seconds as the mist danced and covered the gardens.
Fastening her cloak around her neck and pulling the hat down on her head, she put on the gloves and tapped her hands to warm up. Her breathing turned into fog.
She focused on the reason why she was outside—William.
Her boots sunk into the snow, and she walked as fast as she could in the direction where she had seen the prince. The frozen lake was on her right, just behind the palace, and the cliffs were in front. If she kept going, following the path between the crystal bushes and plants, she could reach it.
It was hard to see more than ten inches ahead of her. Her stride was short, but fast. Suddenly, the mist dissipated, and the path cleared as a figure appeared a few feet from her.
“Claire?” William’s voice made her squint. “What are you doing outside?”
Claire stopped in her tracks and took in his figure. He wasn’t wearing a cape or a warm coat. His blond hair seemed pale blue, and his eyes appeared gray. His skin was as white as snow, but his lips were a pale pink.
William narrowed the distance between them, towering in front of her. “Aren’t you cold?”
Claire raised her face to meet his eyes and nodded. “Aren’t you?”
“I don’t feel cold.” He caught her arms. She noticed he was wearing silky gloves. “What are you doing out here?”
“I saw you from the window. I wanted to… Why were you so close to the cliff?”
His eyes narrowed, and he lowered his head.
Claire drowned in his eyes. The temperature rose around her. “Are you sad?”
>
“No.” His hands moved down her arms, and he held her hands. “I was watching the waterfalls.”
Her voice was a whisper. “What waterfalls?”
“The snow has been melting. The water falls down the mountain and creates rainbows in the morning. I wanted to see them.”
“So, you weren’t thinking about jumping?”
His eyebrows rose. “I couldn’t die even if I tried.”
“You can’t?”
He shook his head.
“That’s good then.”
The prince frowned. “Why is that?”
“I don’t want you dead.” Her palms turned, and she took hold of his hands. “Wait, you said the snow is melting?”
He smiled.
“Does that mean you’re happy?”
“Yes.”
Claire grinned as her heart fluttered.
“Even if you were worried about me, you shouldn’t come out on your own. You could fall, get lost in the mist, and die.”
Claire lowered her eyes to their hands. “I didn’t think about that.”
His hand moved from hers, and two fingers touched her chin. “Do you want to see the view from the cliff with me?”
“Yes.”
“Be still and hold on to my arm,” the prince instructed as he let go of her chin, moved aside, and waved his hand.
A blue glow twirled around his fingers.
Claire shrieked when her body lifted from the ground as a blue mist formed under her boots. “What’s happening?”
“Don’t be scared.” The prince’s left arm snaked around her waist. They floated above the snow and slowly moved forward.
“We’re flying.”
“Levitating,” the prince corrected. “It’s easier. Are you still cold?”
Claire turned her head to look at him. “No.”
“I put a protection around you, so the cold wind won’t reach you. I don’t want you to freeze to death. The temperatures are still too low for a human to be outside for long.”
“Is not feeling cold part of the curse?” She looked at the blue cloud under their feet. “Are these powers also part of your curse?”
“You’re curious.”
“I just want to understand better.”
They stopped, and their feet touched the ground again.
Claire peered down but wasn’t able to see anything. The mist was too thick and shrouded the view. “Are you sure the snow is melting, and it’s less cold?”
The prince waved his free hand, and the mist parted ways. Claire inhaled the pure and crisp air sharply as she gazed at the breathtaking views. The valleys were still covered with snow, frosted trees, and sparkling rivers. Nevertheless, the sunlight reflected off the spirals of the buildings of the small villages scattered in the valleys. The clouds above cast giant shadows upon the landscape, but the sunlight bathed the majority of the ridges and the ice fields.
From the mountainsides, streams of water poured into the abyss. When the sun refracted its light on the waterdrops, it created a rainbow.
“It’s really melting!”
“Do you want to take a closer look?” the prince asked, moving forward.
Claire grabbed his arm and squeezed her eyes shut. “No! It’s too high.”
William chuckled. “Are you afraid of heights?”
Claire peeked through her left eye. “No, but I can’t levitate like you. Nor can I control water.”
“I wouldn’t let you fall.”
Claire shook her head. “I can see just fine from here.”
William raised his right hand and patted her head. “You can let go now. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”
Claire reluctantly removed her hand from his sleeve and looked back. “Do you think that when the weather is better, we could finally ice skate on the lake?”
“Can you ice skate?”
“Who doesn’t know how to ice skate in this kingdom?” She noticed a shadow of a smile on his face. “Do you like ice skating?”
“Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve done it, though.”
Claire puckered her lips and turned around. The movement released her from his arm, and she raised her hand and moved her fingers for him to give her his hand. Their fingers entwined, and the mist danced around them.
“Where are we going? Do you want to go back to the palace?” William asked.
“No. I want to see the lake. I haven’t been outside since I arrived here. Thanks to you, I’m not cold, so I want to explore.” She breathed in. “Let’s race there.”
“No, you could fall. The snow is slippery.” He held her arm and made her stop.
A cloud formed under their feet, and she lost her balance when it sped forward. William’s body stopped her from falling. His arms encircled her waist, and his chin rested on her head. Claire’s temperature rose with the closeness. The trepidation of riding a speeding cloud lessened and was replaced by the nervousness generated by the intimacy of their embrace. She had been in his arms before. Dancing. Now, he was holding her, so she wouldn’t fall. No second intentions.
The cloud stopped, and her feet dug in the snow. William let her go and, she realized, he was walking on the frozen lake.
“We can ice skate tomorrow. I’ll ask the fairies to create a protective dome, so you don’t freeze.”
She folded her hands together as she took in the sight of him. Slim, tall, and beautiful. He was different from any man she had ever seen. He looked human but had an ethereal beauty like the fairies. They said they were his godmothers. Maybe William was a fairy.
“Here you are!” Kara, dressed in a tiny fur coat, flapped her wings in front of Claire’s face. She placed her hands on her waist. “We’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Claire gasped. “Oh, the party! I should be helping with the desserts.”
Kara nodded and glanced at the prince. “William also said he would help with the decorations.”
William waved his hands and floated to their side.
Claire peeked behind his back to see if he had concealed wings. Normal humans didn’t have powers.
“The snow is melting. Have you seen it?” William asked Kara.
“That’s great, but we have guests arriving, and there’s still a lot to do. You can play later.” Balling her hands and huffing, she turned around and flew away.
Claire giggled. “She’s so cute when she’s mad.”
“I can hear you!” Kara shouted but proceeded on her way.
William offered Claire his hand. “We should get back to the palace. We can play again tomorrow.”
Claire nodded and moved closer to him. “Do you realize we are going to be the only normal-sized people at the party tonight?”
“For the fairies, they are normal-sized. We are the giants.”
Claire grinned. “Then, we are going to be the only giants at this party.”
“As giants, it’s our responsibility not to step on them while dancing.”
“That would be awful,” Claire declared, her eyes widening. “I hope they’ll fly around us. Do you think it will be noisy?”
“Definitely. It’s your first fairy party, but I can assure you that they are loud, and they get extra loud when the sugar rush hits. They love sweets.”
“You love sweets, too.” She leaned closer. “Are you a fairy?”
He grinned and shook his head. “I’d be extra small if I was a fairy.”
“What are you then?”
William pulled her by the hand in the direction of the palace And whispered, “Just a cursed prince.”
Chapter 14
Ming, Kara, and Tasha were busy scattering gold, purple, and pink dust across the living room where the show was going to take place. An improvised stage with a red curtain and several seats circling the stage appeared. In the corners, tables with all sorts of candies, cakes, and cookies in a variety of colors and shapes glowed under the chandeliers.
It also reminded Claire that she hadn’t eaten breakf
ast.
William folded his arms. “Does it look like they need our help?”
“No.”
He looked at her. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Let’s go to the kitchen and let them finish here.”
The butler showed up when they were crossing the arched door.
“Your Highness.” He bowed.
William stopped. “What’s the matter?”
The butler showed him the folded paper he had in his hands. “The Regent sent you a letter.”
The prince accepted the letter and opened it. He read it for brief seconds until he folded it again and gave it back to the butler. “I’ll reply tomorrow.”
The butler bowed and removed himself.
Claire glimpsed at the prince’s face. “Bad news?”
“No. Just the weekly report. Nothing you should worry about.” He took her hand and guided her to the kitchen.
The day went by between preparations and final rehearsals to make sure that everybody remembered their lines. In the afternoon, the first fairies began to arrive. Ming and her sisters promptly found them something to help with and scouted a few fairies to be figurines in the play. They needed more pirates for the crew and a few others to make sure they didn’t run out of food and drinks.
Claire became anxious just before the show started. William was never far away, and that reassured her.
When the curtains parted and the lights aimed at the stage, everybody remembered their lines and if they didn’t, they improvised. The audience laughed and clapped. The other fairies were having a lot of fun. From behind the stage, Claire was able to see William laughing with the rest of the audience.
When the show was over, the fairies clapped and conjured flowers of all colors and shapes that they threw at the stage. The party proceeded. Claire was able to fit into her ball dress and join William in the ballroom, where a few fairies were playing instruments and singing.
“Can I join you, milord?” Claire asked, standing behind his back.
The prince turned around. His eyes widened and roamed the length of her body when he saw her. “You look very…pretty.”