Page 64 of Vanish

When Shale turned to face the waiting crowd who were tense with anticipation, a communal shout rang out and the people began to press forward. Mothers held out their children and begged Lucien to restore them, several exclaimed their hopes of reuniting with loved ones, and even the vanished animals began to add to the cacophony.

As joyous as this single restoration, the miner was only one of many of this kingdom’s subjects that had succumbed to the curse, this village a single structure that had been erased from Brimoire’s vast landscape. The task of traveling across such a large kingdom initially felt insurmountable, but the land of the vanished had not only erased our need for food or sleep, but the constraints of time after Lucien entrusted one of his restored subjects with a message for Prince Ryland concerning our mission.

Though I hadn’t dedicated the same amount of effort as Lucien had for his kingdom, my love for Brimoire deepened as we traveled and experienced the vanished land and its people for ourselves. As we used the processed phanite on each affected person and village, we discovered our subjects’ joys and heartaches, and learned about the details comprising their lives on an intimate level as we triumphed over the curse one individual at a time. Each person was a privilege to meet, but my greatest joy was seeing the full restoration—after the last person in each village was healed, the land would shimmer and buildings, animals, and the landscape would flicker back to life.

My world within Father’s court had been limited to the few books he’d allowed me to read, offering me only a small glimpse of the world that existed beyond the palace gates. But during our tour of Brimoire I discovered there was so much more—bakers, weavers, seamstresses, blacksmiths, farmers, masons, housewives…people from all walks of life whose lives created an intricate tapestry, their personalities as varied as the colors that comprised the once colorless world.

But it was more than their stories—it was the burdens they carried and the trials they’d endured, most far different than the shadows filling my own past. Though their pain was something only they could carry, none was any less meaningful than another. All we could only do our best in trying to understand their sadness and lend our support, giving them someone to depend on so they didn’t bear their burdens alone.

At the very least, we could alleviate the emotional burden borne by those who’d fallen victim to the hopelessness brought by the despair of being trapped by the curse. Each interaction deepened the love I felt for the people I would one day serve, allowing me to fully accept my role as the queen I finally believed myself capable of becoming.

The journey did more than restore our kingdom and allow me to become better acquainted with my mother as she accompanied us, but served as an extension of our courtship. We had infinite time to share the stories, hopes, dreams, and even fears that comprised our lives, allowing us to deepen our relationship one conversation at a time. I also never tired of seeing Lucien’s developing relationship with Mother—he continuously ensured she was comfortable, while she doted on him like a son.

We used the last particles of phanite—leaving only trace residue along the sides of the basin—to scrawl the name of the last afflicted individual, finishing with Aira and my mother with the promise that we would shortly follow. After their invisibility melted away from them and they regained access to the visible world, we slowly took in the market square where we stood. This village resided far enough from the palace that we might never have traveled the vast distance if not for the curse bringing us here, causing us to almost miss discovering such a charming place.

Like the other places we’d visited throughout our journey, we’d spent days familiarizing ourselves not only with its residents but the details of every structure until we knew every house, shop, and detail of the landscape. Each shop was owned by one of our subjects, each home provided the hearth where another not only resided but had built their life. Every story had become our own, a treasure trove I wouldn’t trade for all the jewels in the world.

Lucien examined the map worn from use as it guided us throughout our kingdom, looking for any vanished pockets we might have missed. During our travels this past month, he’d had sent frequent delegations back to the visible world with instructions for his family to send soldiers to guard each mining village that hadn’t yet succumbed to the curse to protect it from Thorndale’s interference.

After a moment’s perusal his shoulders sank with relief. “This village was the last village affected by the curse, which means all that remains is the curse on ourselves.”

His fingers laced through mine. “Thank you for supporting me throughout this long journey. I couldn’t have done it without you. I am comforted knowing that whatever challenge I might one day face, you will always be at my side.”

I shared the sweet sentiment, grateful for the support I’d found in him. We’d drawn closer during our second courtship, but that was nothing to the depth we created after our shared journey together…a love far more real and beautiful than I could have ever imagined in my earliest fantasies.

“I love you.” I whispered the words that still felt foreign on my tongue, but sweeter than any I’d ever spoken. “Also…I think I’ve discovered your secret.”

He looked at me, puzzled.

“The pastime you enjoy above all else,” I explained. “You may have thought that a hobby needs to be something universally considered enjoyable, and you may have thought you didn’t deserve to have one due to your many responsibilities. But just as you knew my love of art without my telling you, I know that you love researching and historical writing—it’s no accident that our courtship was so comfortable as we worked in the library and study.”

He smiled in acquiescence. “I’d never considered that a true hobby, and admittedly I’ve often felt ashamed to spend so much time on it. But I’ve always been fascinated with our nation’s history and harbored a dream of continuing the work of previous historians. Perhaps I can take my detailed journals and finally turn them into a volume…beginning with this curse and adding all the names of our subjects that we’ve gathered.”

“Your choice is an admirable one,” I said. “But no matter your hobby, I look forward to being by your side as you explore it. You once told me that it’s never too late to choose for myself the life I want, so now I’d like to say the same to you.”

His eyes softened in appreciation as he stared down at me before we returned our attention to the nearly empty bowl of phanite. We each ran a finger along the basin wall to gather the remnant of the powder, and Lucien opened his notebook to a new page. But rather than immediately write each other’s name, we paused to stare into one another’s eyes.

I saw beyond the reflection filling his tender gaze to his own story that had become intricately woven with my own, allowing me to love him enough to access the power we needed to break the curse upon ourselves. His own care allowed him to be able to do the same for me, not only uncovering the hidden corners of my heart but accepting every part of me with the promise to cherish me forever.

We were truly seen by one another.

I found meaning in each curvy letter of his name as I used the reddish-brown powder on my fingertip to carefully write it across one blank page while he simultaneously wrote my own across the page opposite, our shoulders brushing companionably as we triggered the magic that would restore us to the visible world now that we’d completed what we’d set out to do.

Lucien closed the notebook and tucked it back in his pocket, then entwined his fingers with mine as we waited for the power to take effect. Soon my body began to tingle in the familiar way I’d experienced when I’d partially emerged from the shroud of invisibility, only this sensation was stronger—different than the temporary cover of visibility I’d once fought so hard to cling to, but now a permanent part of my very being.

Details of the real world gradually emerged like brushstrokes of color and shape as the visible world settled around us, but I only had eyes for Lucien. I hadn’t realized how much of him had been faded beneath my cursed sight until the filter had been lifted, allowing me to see him more fully like a cloud parting to reveal the sun.

My touch slowly explored his dear features, finding particular pressure in the dimple I could now clearly see accompanying his bright smile. He seemed equally fascinated, his fingers playing with my hair, marveling at the softness that hadn’t previously existed beneath his touch while my body had been transparent.

Lucien’s eyes bulged as he stared at me, looking as if he’d just awoken from a dream. A tear slid down his face and I reached up to softly dab it away. “Lisette…” He lifted a reverent hand to caress my cheek, his touch gentle as he explored my face like a blind man who’d just been granted sight. “It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”

“Yet it was during my moments when I was invisible that I have never felt more seen. You taught me what it means to be truly loved—not just admired or appreciated, but understood and unreservedly cared for.”

“I promise to always see you, not just now but for the rest of our lives.” He bridged the remaining distance between us and I stood on tiptoe to meet his lips to share a tender kiss, a symbol of our promise for the courtship that had finally healed our past and brought us together to extend into forever.

EPILOGUE

Islowly looked around the glistening splendor of the vast ballroom that served as our reception hall, marveling that I was finally experiencing my own happily ever after after I’d spent my entire life dreaming of this moment. A flutter of anxiety tightened my chest, but it was nothing to the joy and gratitude I felt on this occasion…especially with my new husband’s calming presence beside me.

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