Page 43 of Once Upon a Woven Wish
She flipped pages, looking for…what, she did not know.Something.Anything that would give her what she needed.Then she stopped on the chapter calledThe Weaver of Wishes.
A quiet gasp escaped her.She’d found it.
There are tales of the Weaver of Wishes, a Fae prince of the Seelie Court, once known by the name Caedon Lyserian.Proud and noble, he broke the first law of Fae magic—gifting power without barter, giving freely to one he loved.For this, the Well of Wishes bound him in eternal servitude, to weave what others desired at the cost of memory, secret, or soul.Legends say his curse may be undone only if a mortal speaks his true name, for a name is both lock and key in the realm of the Fae.
She sucked in a breath and then his name escaped her on a whisper.“Caedon.”
The name curled over her tongue like a dangerous secret.For a moment, the air in the library seemed to thicken, and she swore the flames in the hearth flickered higher.Unexpected tears burned her eyes.She’d found it.She’s foundhim.He was not merely a Fae.He was a Fae Prince of the Seelie Court.
Shaking with her newfound discovery, she closed the book with a thump and clutched it against her chest.
The noise startled the prince awake.He sat up, the book sliding from his chest to his lap as he blinked sleepy ocean-blue eyes.For a moment, he looked disoriented as he glanced around the room and then looked at her.A sleepy grin tugged his lips.
“You’re still here,” he said.“You’re shivering.Are you cold?”
He rose to stoke the fire.
She wasn’t shivering because she was cold.She was shivering because she hadfound the answer.She couldn’t tell him that.
“A bit,” she lied, teeth chattering.
Once the fire was going again, he rose and turned to her, his brows creased.“How long was I asleep?”
“A while,” she said.“I think you needed the rest.”
He noticed the pile of books next to her and grinned.“It must have been a good long while if you’ve read all those.”
His stomach rumbled then, and he flushed.“My apologies, my lady.You must be famished.Could I escort you to dinner after we change?”
Court rules.They always dressed for dinner.
Serena got to her feet.Admittedly, she was hungry, too, but she would never say so to the prince directly.It was the least of her worries.She was much more interested in finding out the stranger’s name.And now she had it.She continued to clutch the book to her chest.
“I wonder, your highness, if I could borrow this book?”
“Of course,” he said without hesitation or asking what it was.He held out his arm to her.“Shall we?”
She took it.He was so formal, it was difficult for her to relax in his presence.As he escorted her back to her room, her mind whirled.
Caedon.His name was Caedon.
Caedon Lyserian.A Fae Prince of the Seelie Court.Weaver of Wishes.Ruler of her heart.
The thought jolted her.She hadn’t expected it.Nor had she expected to have any sort of feeling for this man who had come to her aid on more than one occasion.She had no right to feel anything for him and yet…
Yet, her heart fluttered as she turned his name over and over again in her mind.
She couldn’t believe she was able to find it in the massive library in the palace.It was as though it was here, waiting for her to discover.Waiting for her to learn his name and bring him back to life.Release him from his terrible bondage.
Now more than ever, she wanted to flee the palace and return to her village, climb the mountain, and announce to the Well of Wishes she knew his name.If it saved him from certain death, she would do it.Because he had saved her.
At her door, the prince bid her farewell with the promise to return.She nodded, anxious to get past dinner and back to her room so she could practice saying Caedon’s name aloud.
The hours crawled.Dinner dragged on.She did her best to pay attention, smile and nod, and reply when asked questions.But dining with the royal family was never something she aspired to do.Maris, on the other hand, would have loved it.
The prince was attentive.Sitting next to her.Keeping her close.Leaning in to whisper when his father said something brash.
A sudden awareness struck her.The way he sat so close.The way his hand brushed hers when there was no need.The way he cast her surreptitious glances and gave her soft smiles.
