The Secret of the Seven Princesses

Suspense Chapter 18

The first couple nights after their agreement were difficult. Though they knew the danger of the curse, the princesses still felt the ever-present pull of the trapdoor. They found themselves yearning to disappear into their hidden room, even though its sanctuary was no longer needed. It took great self-possession to resist opening it once more.

And then suddenly, on the third night, the feelings disappeared. Eralie sensed none of the anxiety that had emerged immediately after separating herself from the cursed magic. Her heart felt lighter, as though a heavy weight had been lifted. A short discussion with her sisters revealed that they, too, had felt the change. In a moment of curiosity, Eurielle peeked under the rug, only to inform her sisters that all evidence of the trapdoor had vanished completely. The floorboards had merged together seamlessly once more, as if it had never been there at all.

"I can't believe it's over," said Callia. It was not the first time one of the princesses had expressed this sentiment since the trapdoor had disappeared the night before. Eralie, who had been immersed in her own thoughts, returned to the present reality only long enough to respond with a noncommittal "Mmhmmm..." before falling prey to her own reflections once more, which were interspersed between romantic daydreams and doubts about...someone.

Reclining relaxed on her bed, Callia looked up from the journal that she'd been reading when she'd made the offhand comment. She clearly wasn't altogether satisfied with Eralie's distraction, because she attempted once again to engage her in conversation.

"You know, Eralie, I've started a new story now that we've finished Diamond."

She had picked her new topic well. With her love of drama and romance, Eralie had always been intensely interested in her younger sister's creative endeavors, even more so than their other sisters. There was little else that could have distracted her so completely, and she welcomed the opportunity to dwell on something other than her personal anxieties.

"Really? Do I hear the making of another drama?" Eralie asked eagerly, angling her chair away from the window to face her sister more fully. Callia closed her journal, seeming to ponder the question.

"Nooo...no, I don't think it would make a good drama. Not for us anyway. It'll be a real romance this time, and I think that would probably be a little too uncomfortable even for Thaleia to tackle as the hero." She and Eralie exchanged amused smiles at the very thought.

"So, what is it about then?"

"Well, the main characters have known each other for years, and they've loved each other from afar for about as long. But neither of them knows how the other feels. But I think what I'll be doing with the story is taking it from the girl's point of view, and making it seem like her feelings are entirely unrequited, so that not even the reader will know whether he loves her in return. That way, I'm hoping that I can pull off a measure of uncertainty and hopelessness."

"And how does it end?" Eralie asked, not entirely sure whether she liked the idea of a story that spoke of hopeless love. "Do they have a happily ever after?"

"You tell me."

Callia shot her a knowing, commanding look, then gathered up her journal and hid behind it, burying her nose in its pages once more. Eralie stared at the cover of her book for several seconds, her mind frantically trying to catch up with her thumping heart as she processed the meaning of her sister's hints. She felt an urgent desire to be alone to gather her thoughts, and almost hoped that Callia would leave, but she showed little inclination to do so. It would be up to her to seek solitude, and she knew where to find it.