Page 79 of The Mirror and the Curse

“Nonsense, woman!” Tea’s voice was shrill. “My son is a dwarf and a commoner! He can’t possibly be the One True Love of a royal princess! What effrontery! What disrespect for her rank and worth!”

“Now, Tea, you know Kai would never disrespect Princess Eddi,” Cog objected. “He has nigh unto worshipped that girl since they were children. But you, wife, have just disrespected the Queen of Bilbao.”

A tense silence followed.

Then Tea mumbled, “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty.”

Jakinda said only, “I understand a parent’s desire to protect a child, but Kai and Eddi must choose their own paths in life.”

“Besides,” Cog added, “there is royal blood in Kai. My father’s grandfather ruled the mountain dwarfs of Eisenerz.”

“That was ages ago,” Tea growled. “As if these humans would—”

“Silence.” Although Geoff spoke in an ordinary tone, every other voice in the stable abruptly cut off. “You have bickered quite enough for the day, thank you. Now.” His voice took on a commanding tone. “Hannatea Crossbow Longthane, tell us. What is the antidote to the potion you used on the apple?”

After a brief pause, Tea said, “The cure to this particular Sleeping Death curse is True Love’s First Kiss.”

“Firstkiss? Interesting. Does the true love have to go both ways?”

“Yes.” Her voice sounded heavy, reluctant.

“Hmm. Why did you make this potion?”

“Because Miss Cambout ordered it. I also brewed the Naptime potion she used at the Sangiovese Stakes race and the Instant Terror potion she used on the saddle band. I brewed a few others for her to plant in the princess’s flight gear today.”

“Yes, I disarmed five, including Endless Tears,” Geoff said in a wry tone, “while I overlooked her possession of a common explosive.”

Eddi wondered if Geoff remembered, as she did, his joke that his final protective spell should last through an actual bomb blast. Well, he hadn’t exaggerated!

Tea continued, “Miss Cambout ordered me to administer the Sleeping Death if today’s other plans fell through. I saw the princess and her fterotó enter the stable after the race, so I sneaked one of the apples Kai was saving for her, poured my potion into it, and sent a young staffer to sneak it onto the bench outside her fterotó’s stall. I knew if Princess Eddi believed it was a gift from Kai, she wouldn’t expect foul play.”

There was a shocked hush before Kai said, his voice cracking, “Mom, why? How could you curse Eddi?”

Tea gasped as if fighting an inward battle. “The mirror said providing Miss Cambout with these potions would prevent Princess Eddi from marrying you!”

An appalled silence followed.

Geoff cleared his throat. “In Tea’s defense, she was and is under the mirror’s powerful persuasion spell.”

“Can you lift it?” Cog asked, sounding desperate.

“Not by myself. But the Gamekeeper told me to assure you that Tea can be released from the spell if she’s willing. He’s coming tonight to wrap up . . . um, details.”

Tea began to cry in deep gulping sobs. When the sound was muffled, Eddi knew Cog must be holding his wife.

Into the poignant silence that followed, Eddi heard her father say, his deep voice tremulous, “Please try to wake my daughter, Kai.”

“Yes, sir.” Hearing a rustle of clothing, Eddi thought perhaps Kai bowed. Then she felt his warm presence beside her bench and heard his unsteady breathing. “Eddi, please forgive me,” he whispered. “I’ve got to try.” His fingers lifted her chin, and she briefly saw his face before his warm lips gently pressed against hers.

Her heart leaped in her chest, and magic rippled through her body. She was free! Closing both eyes, she slid her hands up around Kai’s neck and into his hair, kissing him back. His breath stopped, and he abruptly sat upright. But Eddi held on and sat up with him until he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her the way she had always dreamed of being kissed. By him.

When that kiss ended, they gazed into each other’s eyes, noses nearly touching. Eddi found it difficult to breathe. “It worked,” she managed to whisper.

Kai’s eyes were so blue and his expression so intense that she thought she might die of delight right then and there. “Am I your one true love?” he asked, his breath warm on her cheek.

“I didn’t know it until a few days ago, but you’ve been my one true love for a long time, Kai. And . . . I am yours?”

He pulled back far enough that she could see the corners of his mouth curl up. “Always. There’s never been anyone but you, Eddi.” They simply gazed into each other’s faces, lost in wonder.

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