about the words or the formalities, just like it didn’t care about status and titles?
What if it meant I had to have the noblest of men’s actual love?
The Summer King’s failure to break the curse proved this theory. The curse might have even retaliated at what it had considered my attempts to fool it by giving me tastes of eternal punishment.
But if this was true, this made telling Robin even more difficult.
He would do anything to break my curse. But it would be obligation. Duty. Chivalry. Maybe even affection. None of those were based in love, but the very thing that made him The One. His very nobleness.
So did those two issues conflate? If he declared his love for me out of his promise and need to help me, would it work? Or would the curse consider it born of nobility, not specific love for me?
There was one thing to do. Tell him, and he would try, and if what he felt for me was enough, I’d be free. If not, I’d be out of time, and nothing would matter anyway.
But—if it worked, what of our lives after the curse broke? Wouldn’t I be taking advantage of his nobility by tying him to me for life? At the expense of his own happiness, his own choices? After all we’d said about no longer living our lives for other people?
The curse’s conundrum felt like a serpent biting its tail, a noose choking sanity and life out of me.
The only solution would be if he loved me.
But he didn’t. Not like I needed him to love me. Like I loved him.
And if he didn’t, how could I tell him?
There had to be a way to go about this, so he would save me, while ensuring his freedom to pursue his own destiny and desires in the future.
I had to think of something by the time we exited from this cave.
“They’re over there.” Robin pointed to the right, thankfully oblivious to my inner turmoil. “They sure love butting their heads together.”
We turned a corner to find Will and Meira bickering and pointing in opposite directions.
“Where did you two go?” Meira beat Will to a tirade, looking worn out. “The moment we left the path to look for you, we kept going in and out of passages that led nowhere.”
Robin smirked. “At least we haven’t stumbled on any crystal ghouls.”
Meira glanced around warily. “So far.”
Will glared at her. “You should know if there could be any. How did you live here this long, and not see this place before?”
Meira humphed. “King Yulian himself didn’t know if there’s anything here. What I do know is we need to get out of here fast before Fairuza loses another limb!”
Will prodded her onward. “Lead the way, then.”
Meira dug her heels in. “You mean in case something lives here, so it can attack me first?”
“Why do you always assume the worst of me?” Will griped. “You’re the only fairy here, you ought to know more than we do.”
“Well, I don’t!”
“If I were born here I’d have explored this land, even the whole continent several times over!”
“That’s because you have nothing better to do,” she snapped. “I have a job!”
“A job you’re so good at, you did this to Fairuza!”
“Can you not bring me into whatever this is?” I passed through Will and Meira bringing their debate to a sputtering end. “I’ll go first.”
Robin stayed close, putting some distance between him and our bickering companions. “How do they have the energy for all this?”
“Some people find great entertainment in arguing,” I said. “My mother thrives on conflict.”
“Your mother needs a hobby.”
“If you say that to her, she’ll act like one of your arrows pierced her heart.”
“I’m starting to see why the Spring Queen lost her temper.”
It was meant as a joke. But it stirred my resentment of everyone involved in my curse all over again. I wanted it broken, now. Wanted to get out of here with everything in me, so I could tell Robin everything, come what may.
Like a path had called to me when I’d wanted to run and hide, now I wanted out, I found myself being drawn to a certain passage.
Soon, I could see light at its end, not the cool tones of the crystals, but the warm gold of daylight. As we approached it, the temperature rose, and the sounds of pastoral life came from beyond.
We had reached the Spring Court!
I rushed towards the light, feeling I’d suffocate if I didn’t get out of