Page 1101 of One More Kiss

Chapter16

“I can’t believeyou’ve broken your wand.” Renora stared at me in horror and then tossed her hands in the air. “Oh, what does it matter?”

She paced the sitting room where we were huddled. “We are doomed, simply doomed.” Renora would soon wear down the marble if she continued. “I know how your mother is, and that power, it is unheard of. If I didn’t know that you were also a vessel of that sort of magic, I’d dare say we had a better chance of building snowballs in Hades than we do fighting against her.

“Her timing is also suspect, just after the magical trial? And after I’ve arrived to warn you? I find that to be no coincidence, Tatiana.” I watched Renora clench and unclench her wand within her closed fist, but for once, I felt unbothered. I was once a part of that narrative, and I’d allowed Mother to decide my entire life based on whether she’d given me worth. She’d discarded me, and now sought to use me for her own personal gain.

“There is a reason she has returned.” King Frederick practically sagged onto the overstuffed sofa. His face appearedalmost haggard. “I loved her, as love was this strange dance. She helped me to grieve your mother, Edan, and gave me purpose again. Those first few months without your mother nearly broke me, and then this fiery fairy appeared at Court.” He turned to me then. “You must know that I never meant to hurt her, or you.” His eyes grew distant. “I’ll never forget it. She arrived at Court wearing hot-pink cowboy boots, as she called them. Her hair was unruly, her laughter as warm as a winter’s blanket, and everything she said was what my pained heart needed.”

Edan turned to the king. “Father, you mustn’t recount all of that here.”

“But I must. Tatiana deserves an explanation. Beatrice had her sights set on me, and I on her, and just when I thought love was in the cards again for one such as me...things changed. At the altar, the guild arrived in full force and revealed Beatrice’s betrayal.”

“Justas they did here?” I gasped.

“Yes, but your mother wasn’t as fortunate.” Renora sighed. “She chose the king, broke her wand, and the king left her at the altar, abandoning her to pay the consequences for her actions at the guild’s hands.”

“What did they do to her?” My voice was just above a whisper. I’d heard many rumors over the years, but I’d never known all of the details.

“It was the worst of fates, to be honest. The guild sought to torture her impure heart away. They beat her, burned her fingers until they matched the crows’ feathers they’d tarred her with.”

“Oh, dear goddess.” King Fredrick sat back on the sofa and covered his mouth. “I had no idea. That is not what I was told.”

“They would never have told you the truth, Your Majesty.” Renora took a deep breath and stared ahead. “One day, she simply vanished from the dark cell. No one knew where she’d gone, or how she’d escaped. The cell was supposed to be magic-proof.”

“No, no.” Fredrick shook his head, regret seemingly heavy on his shoulders.

This new knowledge of what had truly happened to my mother maneuvered through my memories. I’d remembered her promising us a better future, her gifting me a gold crown, and leaving with the brightest of smiles. But when she’d returned, that lie had never become our truth. The happiness that had once been there was now long gone.

“The dark cell?” was all I managed to say, as words seemed to escape me.

“Yes.” Renora nodded. “They sent her to the room of darkness, the room of her greatest fears, released an angry murder of crows in the small space, and left her for dead. They singed her fingers in blackness. And the guild thought to drown her sins with her slow demise.”

“Tatiana, this is my fault.” Fredrick’s eyes were now shimmering with what appeared to be unshed tears. “I’ve done this to her—to your mother. She is not evil, as evil is not a diagnosis but a symptom. For evil to take root, it must have something to grasp onto. And that, my dear, is the trauma she has endured.” He hung his head, a tear rolling down his cheek, before he lifted it to meet my gaze. “Beatrice has returned to save you, her only daughter, from the one thing she believes will destroy you: love.”

“Don’t worry, Fredrick. I believe I have a plan.” I rose from my seat. “The wedding will proceed as planned, and I only ask that as this continues, you allow me to deal with my mother.” The king was right. My mother was not evil, not at the core of her being as I’d always believed. This was something I could work with. This meant that somewhere deep inside, she still loved me. I only had to find her again, the broken fairy the guild had tortured, and bring her back into the light. I hoped I could break through to her in time.

He stood and pulled me into an embrace. “Yes, Tatiana, of course, and for my part, I’m truly sorry.”

I stared into his eyes. “My King, Fredrick, please don’t apologize. As you said”—I glanced at everyone in the room—“we’re in this together, and regardless of what happens, love and truth will always prevail.”

He smiled down at me. “You are wise beyond your years, my dear.”

Renora walked toward us. “I need some of these hugs! I’ve missed out for far too long.” She quickly threw her arms around me, and I felt like a fairy sandwich. It was nice, though. I’d honestly missed her over the years.

“I’ve missed you, too, Renora. I’m happy you’re here.” I pulled away and turned to Edan, prepared to get back to the more serious topic at hand.

“Mother has returned for me, to save me, and even with all of her pain, I must try to do the same for her. The only way to move forward is to heal the past, Edan. She’s broken promises and left scars, but if I don’t dealwith her, she will haunt us, curse us and our happiness.”

He reached out and took my hands in his. “I trust you, Tatiana.”

“Good, because we have our vows to exchange.”

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