Page 44 of Of Curses and Beauty

Snow had come to Maribonne.

It would be beautiful on any other day, but today it was a chilling reminder of what awaited. At last and all too soon, the day of her wedding had arrived.

Her skin grew cold where it pressed against the glass, but she remained staring out her window as the tiny flakes became a fine dusting that coated every surface.

Her attention snagged on a single black speck floating in the sea of white. She watched as it grew larger and larger until the lone raven perched on one of the branches outside her window. It was near enough that if she opened the window, she could stroke a finger along its oil-slick feathers.

They stared at one another and the raven cocked its head to one side. Feeling only slightly foolish, Alaine waved to the bird. It gave her another little twitch of its head in response and hopped in place to turn away from her. When the bird spread its wings, preparing for flight, it gave one final look over its shoulder as if inviting her along. Alaine shook her head and a sudden pang of longing made her chest ache as the bird soared into the sky without another glance for her.

The house was quiet. She must have been the first to wake, for surely her mother would have swept in to dress her already if she knew. Alaine collapsed against the windowsill, everything in her screaming to take her chances and run, her family be damned. She wondered if she could find Daric again. Wondered if he’d gone far away from here the first chance he’d gotten.

Could they piece together a life from the feelings between them? How would her family survive in her absence?

If only they cared enough about her to give up their life of status. Daric was starting over. They could all start over. If Eudora was truly on their side, she could lead them to the cottage. It might not possess the same enchantment, but they could get on just fine with a roof overhead and a forest to hunt and forage. They’d be stronger together, especially with love guiding them instead of fear.

Alaine almost convinced herself, optimism eating away at her anxiety. Her mother would never agree, her stubborn pride like an iron wall. But her father, perhaps he could be persuaded to her side.

She’d have to try.

Walking the aisle to Baxter would be that much harder if she didn’t exhaust every possible option first.

As the sounds of the stirring household wafted through the crack beneath her door, Alaine took up a brush, slipped off her bonnet, and began untangling her tresses.

Her mother arrived several moments later in a flurry of ruffles and excitement. She’d had her finest gown embellished with lace and pearls for the occasion. A fur stole completed her winter wedding ensemble. She had clearly dressed in a hurry, her hair still hanging loose around her shoulders in a way that suddenly reminded Alaine how young her mother was.

Alaine had often suspected that her parents’ marriage had not been a love match. Though they’d fallen into a sort of mutual appreciation and camaraderie, they had likely been matched for social gain. She knew her mother resented being matched with a craftsman. Alaine’s paternal grandfather had been one of the most affluent artisans in the province, but if she had to guess, her mother probably hoped to wed someone like Baxter—perhaps even the senior Lord Baxter. It didn’t change how Alaine felt about the marriage, but it helped paint her mother in a new light.

Her mother chittered enthusiastically, lost to the task of readying her only daughter for her wedding day, wholly ignorant to the tension that had existed between them since her fitting.

In no time, Alaine was pinned, lacquered, dusted with powder, and stuffed into her wedding dress, now altered to fit snug to her curves. When she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she had a flashback to her first day under the curse’s power. For the second time in her life, a stranger stared back at her. Only this time, there was no sense of relief, no anticipation of the unknown. There was only this body she’d been forced to inhabit, dancing to the strings of her puppet master, forever bending to the whims of others.

She was going to be sick.

“I need some air.” It was the best excuse she could muster as her stomach heaved.

“We are expected at the Town Hall at noon!” exclaimed her mother, her hands on her hips.

“I’ll only be a moment.” That was a lie, but there were still several hours until noon. She pushed past her mother, nearly falling in her haste to slip on her boots. Somehow she maintained enough sense to grab her fur-lined cloak on her way out the door.

After several deep breaths of crisp, cool air, her nausea ebbed. Fearing it may return if she stepped back inside, she let her feet carry her away. She was grateful she’d insisted on boots as her feet sank into the fresh snow. It crunched beneath her feet, a steady rhythm to match the ticking of the clock that chased her, her freedom drawing to an end.

She stopped at the fork in the road, once again coming to a crossroads in her life. Glancing east, she saw the tips of the forest trees. She didn’t think she would ever be able to step foot in those woods again without thinking of Daric and the too-brief time they’d shared.

The silence was deafening, the world holding its breath as she struggled to decide her course.

Growing up, the first snow had always felt like magic, a blanket of glitter to decorate the dead landscape of winter. Today, it felt like a beautiful shroud being pulled over her head, like the end of joy, of youth, oflife. How strange it felt to be mourning what she lost when those around her celebrated. It was perhaps the most out of place she’d ever felt in her hometown.

Alaine lifted her hand in silent farewell, then turned her back to the forest and trudged toward the town. With any luck, the other townspeople would not be out and about in this weather. Marrying Baxter wouldn’t mean she had to leave town, but she desired closure on this aspect of her life and she didn’t need an audience for the task.

As the town grew closer, she realized she had avoided it completely since her return from the forest. Aside from her brief time in the woods with Daric, she’d been confined to her parents’ home. Visiting now felt like returning to the scene of a crime. She remembered the burning stares, the harsh words, the possessive touches. What she struggled to remember were the good moments, for surely there had been positive memories created here too. Alaine delved deep within but was unable to recall anything other than pain and disappointment.

She thought if she was the main character in one of her novels, she might just burn it all to the ground. However, though she resented the people of Maribonne, she couldn’t bring herself to cause them harm. Just like she couldn’t stand to be the cause of her family’s suffering.

As she walked, the time-worn footpath became a wide avenue. The houses grew taller and closer together, interspersed with businesses of all manners, all closed to the inclement weather. As suspected, there were very few others milling about the town. Two small children laughed and played in the freshly fallen snow, their guardian observing from beneath a nearby overhang. A man rushed past her so quickly she didn’t get a look at his face before he stomped away. A couple stepped out from the Magistrate’s office, whispering to one another as they huddled close together.

No, not a couple.

Daric and Eudora.

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