The Ephemeral Bride

True Love- Taylor

Taylor:

I got out of bed before the sun arose, and I looked at my flushed face in the vanity mirror. My eyes were red, and my cheeks were puffy. I decided I looked ridiculous, and that I would never look like this again.

I spent the entire night in thought of what had happened to me, but from this point onward, I needed to look forward.

There was not getting out of this. A deal was a deal, and it would be dishonorable to slither out of one's debt, as a Dinsmorian, I'd been taught that my entire life. I was going to reap what I sowed, but it was up to me to make my harvest bountiful.

He told me I was going to be a queen, then a queen I would be.

When the fey woman came back to my room in the morning, I demanded to choose my own dress. I picked a light blue one with white lace edging. It was the same color Cordelia said she loved on me.

I would make sure to wear a dress of this color every day.

-

I first saw Cordelia on the first day of kindergarten. We were both in the ladybug class. She was so quiet, and so, so pretty. She styled her long black hair in two thick braids, and she wore pretty dresses to school every day, and ballet shoes with frilly socks. I immediately became obsessed with her.

I would beg my mom to braid my hair like hers, and to buy me long dresses with frilly socks. I would walk in her vicinity in the playground, waiting for her to come to me.

One day, I broke. I went up to her, and said, "Why won't you be my friend. We have so much in common."

She said, "Okay."

That was how we met.

-

I ate breakfast alone, which annoyed me, because I wanted to present my new and improved armored facade to Airell.

I tried to ask one of the human ladies serving food, but they ignored me entirely.

"Is there anything I can do here besides sit in my room?" I ask the fey woman once she comes back to escort me to my room.

"His Highness wants you to adjust before you go about the palace."

"Palace?" I looked around the place skeptically, "It's got more of a mansion-y feel."

"A palace just a mansion where royalty lives," The fey woman said, scowling.

I raised my eyebrows, "Good to know. So once I finish my adjusting period, what can I do?"

"There is a library where you can read, a garden to walk in, you can learn to dance, or to paint. There are many things you can do here."

I scoffed, "This isn't Beauty and the Beast. I'm not going to have a grand old time here and experience a life changing romance. If I'm here, I'm not going to be the prince's pet, I will be his equal."

This made the fey woman laugh, "You think he chose a mortal wife to be his equal, he chose one so he could have more power. There will be no split loyalties in a court ruled by a fey and his passing fancy."

I narrowed my eyes, "Then why did he tell it was because of a curse?"

"The curse is real, but he isn't going to break it by marrying you, I guarantee that."

"Why not? I'm as mortal as they come," I said.

"Because the curse says that that the next ruler of the Unseelie Court must marry a mortal with a bond of true love. I'm afraid neither you, nor his highness, love each other, and true love is far rarer."

"So I'm not going to be queen?" I ask, confused.

The fey woman cackled, "Oh, you will be queen most definitely. As to whether you will break the curse, that is the question. I believe my prince will think you enough, but I have my doubts."

"What are your doubts?" I ask.

"You ask far too many questions than you should. Perhaps if I answer, you will stop bothering me. My doubts are simple: his highness could never love a mortal, especially not one who already has the stench of true love all over her."

"I don't understand, the stench of true love?"

"That's it! I will say no more, and you will ask no more."

-

In my bedroom, I pieced together what I now knew about Airell, and my role in this world, and my role in this curse.

For an unknown reason, the Unseelie royal family was cursed, the next heir must love and marry a mortal to gain the throne. But why would someone do that? It was common knowledge that the Unseelie Court loathed humans, and would go out of their way to harm them.

What will happen if the curse isn't fulfilled? What if Airell ascends the throne, me as his queen, and it isn't enough? What will be the consequences.

As for me, I didn't care to think about why I "stenched of" true love. I would just ignore that and deal with it another day.

-

Cordelia was the one who made friends with Hope and Zahra in the third grade, I had nothing to do with it.

We had been separated into two different classes that year, and had different playground type. While I kept to myself, Cordelia decided to start playing with Hope and Zahra.

When Cordelia started going on playdates with them, I started to get mad. She was my only friend and I wanted to be the same for her.

It was summer, school had been out maybe a month, and it was Cordelia's birthday party. Hope, Zahra, and I were invited to sleep over at Cordelia's house for the party.

It was agreed that one of us would sleep on the bed with Cordelia, and two others would sleep on an air mattress on the floor.

I, of course, felt entitled to the spot next to Cordelia. "I'm her best friend," I said, "It only makes sense."

Hope wrinkled her tiny snub nose, "I'm Cordy's best friend too. Why can't I sleep up there?"

We fought like that for only about thirty seconds, until Cordelia said, "Don't worry, guys. You can both sleep on the bed. Me and Zahra can sleep on the air mattress."

Hope seemed satisfied with this, her only goal had been to sleep on the bed. I shook my head, "I want to sleep with you, Cordy."

"Then maybe I can sleep on the bed with Hope," Zahra suggested.

"That's a great idea," Cordelia said.

So we went to sleep. Hope and I each got what we fought for, triggering a realization in me:

Hope and Zahra may be friends with Cordelia, but they didn't love her like I did.

I smiled, and suddenly having new friends seemed okay to me. As long as me and Cordelia would end up together in the end.

I drifted to sleep, smelling Cordelia's hair, the hair that I'd long ago been jealous of, but now was able to appreciate. She smelled like the ocean, fresh and full of secrets. From then on, that was what home smelled like to me.