Page 15 of Cursed By Gold

King Remme looks intrigued, and I can see the curiosity burning in his eyes. "What kind of surprise?" he asks.

I reach down to the hem of my skirt and pull out a small bag. "This," I say, swinging it between us.

"The Bodian crown," he says. "I'm afraid you won't be leaving with that. How about a trade? Anything else in the room, but you give me that."

I look between him and the bag. What exactly is this that he is willing to trade for it at such a hefty price? Anything? Only a fool would make that kind of offer.

I hesitate, weighing my options. The crown is valuable, but so is my life, and I can't risk staying here any longer. I toss the bag in his direction, watching as he jumps out of the way, refusing to catch it. That's odd; why isn't he interested in looking at what's inside?

Scooping up an identical bag from the floor, I'm already on my way out the door, running as quickly as possible.

The bag I tossed was a decoy; I always have a backup plan.

As I sprint down the hallway toward freedom, my ankle rolls, and I fall. Cursing under my breath, I scramble to my feet, feeling one glass slipper slip off in the process. Without pausing to think about it, I opt to leave it behind, choosing my life over a shoe-- for now at least.

I run through the castle, desperately trying to get as far away as I can. The guards and other masquerade guests are rushing around, making it difficult for me to stay out of sight. I duck intorooms and hallways, waiting until everyone has passed before continuing on my way.

Finally reaching the entrance of the castle, I pause for a moment to take off my other glass slipper before continuing on my way. Holding both the bag and slipper in one arm, I run through the courtyard and out into the streets beyond. As I emerge from the wealthy part of Fallwatch, I'm relieved to see that there is no one following me.

When I stop to catch my breath I open the bag to take a closer look at this crown everyone seems to want. A wave of dread washes over me as I realize what has happened. It's the wrong bag. How could I have been so stupid?

I curse under my breath as I realize that all my effort has been for nothing; now King Remme will undoubtedly hunt me down for stealing from him and probably kill me for disobedience.

I stared down at what little remained in my hands - a glass slipper and a bag filled with a dirty rag and an old horseshoe- realizing I only had two weeks left to get this crown and that there may never be a chance this good again. Sighing heavily, I tucked them away in a pocket before heading back to Fairy Godmothers home to report my failure. She was going to kill me.

A Shoe and a Plan

Remme

The bag lays on the ground taunting me. I can't open it myself, but I need to know if the crown is inside. I know there is no point in trying to chase after the woman. She has proven her skill the last time she escaped my castle, and tonight will be even easier with the crowd.

A tight coil of tension remains in my gut, despite the thief's escape. While we were clearly playing one another, my traitorous body reacted as if it were real. I let out a dark chuckle. To think my first kiss was with an unknown thief trying to rob me. How pathetic.

I blame this weakness on years without human contact, thanks to my wretched curse. Deprived of even the simplest touch, it seems I've become starved for intimacy. Still, longing for a connection with that thief is foolish, no matter my isolation.

I should feel only fury at her continued defiance and audacity. The woman has made me a fool twice over, evading my grasp. Next time, I won't be so lenient. When I catch her, there will be aheavy price to pay for her games. She will learn what happens to those who steal from me.

My hands curl into fists.

Slowly breaking that fiery spirit promises to be satisfying...

I force my rage into cool calculation once more. First, I must find her. Then, her true penance will begin.

My personal bodyguard and confidante, Sofia, rushes up to me, panting. She holds a delicate glass shoe in her hand.

"I saw her!" she exclaims. "The woman with the red dress running from your room. I chased after her, but she got away! At least she left this behind." She presents me with the shoe.

Inspecting it, I ask tentatively, "A shoe? She left behind a shoe? What do you think it means?"

Sofia shakes her head. "I don't know," she replies. "It probably fell off while she was trying to escape. But if we can find who it belongs to..." Her voice trails off as our minds race with possibilities.

“Sophia, please check the bag and make sure the crown is in there."

She picks up the bag and opens it. “It’s here.”

Relief floods me.

"This thief is no ordinary criminal. She managed to evade some of our best guards twice now."

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