Page 11 of Of Curses and Beauty

“Ah, of course. Pardon me. A shirt, if you please.” He addressed the last bit to the cottage itself, which provided a simple tunic that he pulled on quickly. “Better?”

Her eyes flicked to him as though afraid to subject them to too much skin. Upon seeing him fully dressed, she exhaled in relief, a shy smile appearing between her still-ruddy cheeks.

“Sorry—“

He halted her with a raised hand before she could finish. “There’s no need to apologize. I’ve spent too long away from the rest of the world. Please excuse me if I forget myself from time to time.” He gestured to the spread before them, eager to change the subject. “This is quite the feast.”

She ducked her head, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

“I didn’t know how specific I needed to be with my request. I just asked for some breakfast.” A nervous laugh escaped her and Daric smiled in response.

“It must be showing off for you then. Whenever I ask for breakfast, I’m lucky if I get toast.” As if to prove a point, a small plate of slightly burnt toast landed in front of him.

Laughter burst from them both and he marveled at how quickly he had come to feel at ease with this woman. Perhaps it was the lack of social construct, but he suspected he would enjoy Alaine’s company, even if he’d met her in the rigid confinement of the court.

She leaned forward as he took the seat across from her, curiosity crinkling the edges of her eyes. He was surprised to find himself curious about her in return. Who was this self-proclaimed former beauty who’d been caged with the beast? What had she done that warranted being cursed alongside him?

Thinking of the curse reminded him of the witch and his mood soured. In the end, his mistrust of the witch won out against his desire to learn more about Alaine and he held his tongue, taking a large bite of dry toast instead.

Seeing her in the morning light, he found he deeply regretted his hasty assessment of her appearance the day before. His angry words had been for the witch and Alaine had gotten caught in the crosshairs, an innocent victim to his rage. She wasn’t beautiful by any stretch of the word, but neither was she homely. She had kind eyes that shone with intelligence, and a strong jaw that, when thrust forward in a bout of stubbornness, could almost be considered cute. He took another bite before any of the words in his head could escape. The last thing this woman needed was his judgment.

All this time, she observed him. He could see the questions dancing on the edge of her upturned lips, but she waited—albeit impatiently—until he finished his meager meal. He had nothing against talking during meals, but found he rather enjoyed watching her squirm. If there was one thing he had learned in over three hundred years of cursed solitude, it was patience. He didn’t even try to hold back his laughter as she practically vibrated with excitement while he washed down his last bite with a gulp of water.

“Go on,” he said, still chuckling. “Ask away. I know you want to.”

Alaine laughed.

He liked her laugh, liked how she didn’t try to hide it behind her hand or wrestle it into something dainty and polite. Her whole body laughed and it made him feel lighter than he had felt in years.

“Well, I know you can’t speak about your curse, so will you tell me what you can about yourself?” She fidgeted with her fingers, twisting her hands together as she spoke. “I tossed and turned all night, thinking about how I was sharing a roof with a man who is practically a stranger.”

At the mention of Alaine lying in bed, Daric was reminded how long it had been since he’d last shared a bed with a woman. He hadn’t thought aboutthatin a long time and he refused to give consideration to the idea now. He shifted uncomfortably, aware of Alaine’s eyes upon him. Inexplicably, he felt some measure of comfort knowing they had both lay awake, thinking of the other. This situation had to be as surreal to her as it was to him—likely more so.

Alaine rushed to fill the silence that had stretched too long. “What I mean to say is, you don’t have to share every intimate detail of your past life, but I would be grateful for anything that would help me know you better.” She smiled nervously. “I would be happy to reciprocate, of course.”

Daric nodded and leaned back in his chair, scratching the stubble on his chin as he stalled for time.What could he share about himself?His life here was not a life at all. And his life before? He wasn’t sure how much of that he wanted her to know. That he was a prince of a land that no longer existed? That he’d been haunted by the thought of entering a loveless marriage, much like she had? That he’d had women literally begging to make them his queen before they knew a single thing about him?

No. Some things needed to stay buried.

“A truth for a truth?” he asked.

Her shoulders dropped as she loosed a breath. “Sure.”

He took a moment to consider his three hundred and thirty-four years, before deciding the best opening truth. Placing one forearm on the table, he pitched forward for dramatic effect. She instantly mirrored him, angling toward him as though they were sharing intimate secrets.

”Ihatehats.”

Her eyes widened for a split second before she burst out laughing again. He grinned, satisfied that he’d reduced her to another fit of giggles.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping a tear from her cheek. “You what?”

“I hate hats. I’ve never been able to find one that fits just right. I have a rather large and impressive head, you see.”

“Yes, I can tell that you do have a rather inflated head.”

He cast her a sidelong glance and she pulled her lips between her teeth to contain the laughter that still shook her shoulders. His cheeks hurt and he knew he was using muscles that hadn’t seen much use in recent centuries. He waited for her to settle then gave her a pointed look, raising his eyebrows to indicate it was her turn to share a truth.

“I don’t know if I can top that.” She bit her lip as she cast her glance around. “Oh!” She leaned forward, mimicking his earlier movement, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “I can wiggle my ears.”

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