Page 82 of Once Upon an Enchanted Kiss

“Someone altered my spell. Someone from one of the other Courts,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “I will not rest until I discover who that was. My vengeance will be swift and deadly.”

“Yes, my queen.” Ferrin bowed his head low. “There is more news, my queen.”

She turned her dark gaze on him. “More?”

“The curse was broken.” His voice was a low whisper as though he were terrified to tell her.

She clenched both fists tight. “Broken you say.”

“Yes, my queen.”

Her breath quickened as she stood there, staring at the young Fae who had brought her this dark and terrible news.

“Be gone,” she said with a wave of her hand.

It was best she dismissed him before she released her fury on him. He scurried out of the room. As he did so, she knew what she had to do.

She had to pay King Stephan a visit once more.

Chapter 30

Thedayspassedina whirlwind. After her father reconciled with King Reginald, wedding preparations began at an accelerated pace. Royal decrees went out announcing the upcoming nuptials to both Woodhaven and Myst inviting the nobility and the gentry. There was some debate on whether to invite the Fae royals, but Rosamund had decided she’d had enough faery magic in her life and so the matter was dropped.

Much to her dismay, she hadn’t seen much of Phillip in the preparation days. Only a few moments in passing. She missed him. She wanted to tell him everything and nothing and she wondered what he was doing while she was off having wedding gown fittings and brunches and meetings with the royal baker about the wedding cake.

Her mother kept her busy with other engagements with the ladies of the nobility including Queen Adele. Rosamund suspected it was her clever way of keeping her away from Phillip before the wedding.

Rosamund wasn’t interested in the wedding cake or what food would be served at the reception afterward. She was only interested in marrying Phillip.

Apparently, there was also a lively debate about where the newlyweds would live. Her father wanted to build a small cottage for them near Myst Hall. King Reginald wanted to commission a castle for them near Haven Castle. Neither agreed on the final destination.

When Rosamund heard of the great debate, she asked, “Why not both? We can split our time between kingdoms.”

The solution was agreed upon by both kings. Immediately, plans were drawn up for each home to begin the building process.

Initially, the wedding was to take place inside the royal chapel, but the list of attendees grew exponentially daily. There was simply not enough room inside the small Myst Hall chapel for the entire congregation who wanted to witness the marriage. So, it was decided they would move the ceremony outside to the royal gardens where there was an abundance of spring flowers in bloom allowing for the perfect backdrop.

An arbor was erected at the far end of the garden. The lattice was covered with greenery and flowers climbing up and over the top. Gossamer curtains were attached to each side, giving it a romantic look and feel. Her mother had the last say in the décor including flowers and approved the arbor with a wistful smile.

Everything was coming together. It was all perfection.

Guests began to arrive. Too many to house them all in the castle save for a few of the highest nobles which included King Reginald’s brother who was a duke. Rosamund caught bits and pieces of conversation about where to house them all and how many more chairs they would need for the outdoor affair. There was even talk about who would attend the post-wedding reception and limiting the guest list to only the highest ranking in both kingdoms.

Rosamund was not interested in any of that detail. She left it in her mother’s capable hands.

The night before the wedding, she was banished to her bedchamber, forbidden to see Phillip. Her mother felt it was bad luck for her to see him before the wedding. She spent her time roaming the area of her rooms, trying to find something to occupy her mind. She was too restless to sleep. Butterflies were in her stomach with the excitement of the coming day.

She paused a moment to stare at the gown on the dress form, her heart ramming hard in her throat. It was the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. It was a deep shade of green damask silk and the softest material she had ever touched with bell sleeves and a three-foot train. She had never seen so much beautiful material on one dress in her life. Across the neckline of the bodice was intricate beadwork that sparkled and must have taken hours for someone to sew in place.

Her mother’s eyes pooled with tears when she put it on for her final fitting. She said the gown brought out the color of her eyes.

She ran a hand down the length of the gown and sighed with appreciation. As she stood there staring at it, imagining wearing it, there was a knock on her door. Startled, she stared at it in shock for a long moment. The knock sounded again. She hurried to it, wondering who would be visiting her so late in the evening. Who would the guards allow to visit her?

When she cracked open the door, a man in a hooded cloak stood on the other side in the hallway. His hands were clasped behind his back as though he held something.

“Yes?” Suspicion lanced through her.

He pushed the hood up a bit to keep the guards on either side from seeing his face. But she saw who it was. A grin erupted.

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