Rose, Wilted: Book 1

Chapter 27 - Broken

It took us a little while, with a few stops along the way when Adam stumbled, but he could mostly walk on his own by the time we reached the side door.

Adam grunted.

"There's no hole where it caved in anymore. It must have repaired the dungeons too."

I blinked. He was right. The grass, once broken and rocky, was smooth and innocent as ever.

I shoved open the door and led Adam inside. The castle was gorgeous. The dawn light streamed inside, turning the white marble to gold. As we wandered inside I saw the statues had faces again. They were whole again instead of defaced. Everything gleamed, clean and free of spiderwebs or dust. It was light and spacious and perfect.

"You're back!"

Before I could turn around I was nearly tackled in a hug by a girl with long, sandy hair. As quickly as she hugged me she drew away and held both of my hands in hers, a grin lighting up her face, hazel eyes shining. It took me a moment to recognize her. After all, I had never seen her fully opaque before.

"Rowena! You're- you're-,"

She let go of my hands and twirled in her maid's dress.

"I know! Isn't it wonderful? Everyone else is back too! Oh! Your Majesty! Terribly sorry, Sir. I didn't see you."

Rowena dropped into a deep curtsy and Adam smiled at her enthusiasm. She popped back up.

"Welcome back, Your Majesty."

Adam nodded to her.

"Thank you, Rowena. The same to you."

My maid beamed at me.

"I can't believe you really broke it."

Adam slipped his hand into mine. My breath caught and my heart fluttered. I looked up at him, his eyes, oceans deep, gazing into mine.

"I can," he said.

I blushed and my eyes found the floor.

"I'm going to go look for Lord Denver," Rowena said. "He's sure to reappear now."

I felt Adam's hand twitch in mine and looked back up at him. His smile slouched and then found its way back up. He looked back to my maid.

"Good idea, Rowena."

She kept up her smile, nodded to each of us, then ran off.

"I don't think I've ever seen her so happy," I said, as she ran outdoors and out of sight.

Adam said nothing, only watched the place where she had vanished, smile gone. My eyes flitted back and forth between the place he watched and his expression. My own spirits fell.

"She's not going to find him, is she?"

He took a deep breath.

"Denver was my friend. My best friend. But he's...under a curse of his own."

I squeezed his hand.

"One step at a time, remember?"

Adam nodded and tore his eyes away.

"Right."

"Come on."

I guided Adam up a familiar staircase and through the halls of the castle. As it turned out, it wasn't just the statues that had been repaired. A mirror, once shattered and bloodstained, shone on the wall once again next to a statue of an angel.

The only time I'd seen the mirror was when it was in pieces, and it was tempting to look away now as I had done so often before, but this time something stopped me. My reflection was different. Adam stood next to me, taller by a few inches, gold hair, green eyes and all, the perfect picture of a King. Maybe too perfect. But the woman standing next to him was stunning. She stood straight and tall, and an air of certainty, an air of regality surrounded her. Her chocolate hair was long and lustrous, and her eyes were clear, crystal blue. There was a look of surprise on her gentle lips and no deceit in her calm beauty. I reached out a hand to touch the mirror and the reflection did the same. There was someone else in the mirror. Or a trick of magic. It had to be. Magic. Of course.