Chapter 31 Threads Undone
Chapter thirty-one
Threads Undone
They say even glass slippers grow soft in the warmth of true kindness. And some girls are not saved by princes—but by their own courage.
-From Thorns to Thrones: Fairy Tales of the Realm
Maybe it was unethical, but Luci was selfish enough that she hoarded every second with
Brielle was enough to forgo telling anyone else she was awake.
Instead, Brielle and Luci sat with Calcifer curled up in Brielle’s lap and shared Luci’s dinner, which was a ridiculous array of food once more.
Of course, this was only after Brielle forced Luci to wash up and change, stating she was conscious now and under no circumstances would she be sharing a bed with someone who avoided bathing for years.
Dramatic as always.
Yet with freshly washed hair and the scent of lavender clinging to her body, she was grateful to feel a little more human. Though that was primarily thanks to the heartbeat sitting cross-legged before her.
She watched Brielle bite into a strawberry and smiled at the way she closed her eyes and hummed with approval. Very Brielle.
“All right, now that you are clean, tell me absolutely everything. If you leave out one single detail, I’ll know,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Luci.
So Luci told her about maps, mountains, Calcifer’s adventure, Inns, and fairy godmothers.
She told her about a puzzle piece and a soul-mate.
Despite her best intentions, Luci wouldn’t confess the state Brielle was in when she returned, but she did tell her of magic flowers and healing potions.
When she was through, Brielle had eaten all of the strawberries, a block of cheese, and half a loaf of bread.
More food than she’d consumed in an entire day before.
“I told you fairy godmothers were real,” she said with a wide grin.
Luci’s heart felt light in her chest. “That was your takeaway from all of that? That you were right?”
Brielle scrunched up her nose and pursed her lips. “Obviously.”
Midnight, it felt good to laugh without guilt or worry. The world was right.
“Of course it was,” she murmured, taking a sip of tea that Brielle insisted on making.
“However, there was one thing missing from your entire story. If I didn’t know better, I
would have thought you went on the quest all alone and not with a handsome, charming prince.”
Luci snorted into her tea, choking on its warmth as she fought for breath.
“Midnight, you are insufferable,” Luci said, setting down the cup. “Are you referring to your fiancé?”
Brielle frowned, eyes darting over Luci’s face, searching for the deception.
“Is that what he said?” she asked.
“I was there when he proposed, or did you forget?” Luci countered, taking a terrible delight in torturing her.
Pressing her lips together, Brielle narrowed her eyes as Luci. Thinking over scenarios in her head. Calculating. Finally, her face smoothed over, and she gave a little hum.
“Where is my fiancé, anyway? He must have been very worried. I wonder if he will agree to move up the wedding after all of this. I should probably call for him.”
Luci forgot she even had a heart to beat.
In fact, her stomach climbed into her chest and swallowed it entirely whole.
It was a crushing sort of sensation that eroded everything Luci thought she knew.
Sitting there, carrying on, thinking she knew where Brielle’s heart lay, just to find out she knew absolutely nothing.
“Ha!” Brielle pointed a finger at her. “Lucinda Blackthorn, were you trying to tease me just now?”
And just like that, her stomach spat out her heart, and she realized that there was no point in trying to outmaneuver Brielle.
“Maybe I wouldn’t have if you weren’t always scheming behind my back.” Luci huffed out a breath.
The grin Brielle wore was life-giving.
“So are you done pretending like you aren’t madly in love with Ira?
It’s been killing me the way you act like you don’t care when I know you better than I do.
You were smitten the minute you met him.
He was with you as well, of course. In fact, I felt very bad about continuing our engagement when he was obviously tortured; however, I knew you would be too stubborn to admit a single iota of emotion, so I kept up the ruse, hoping that with enough time, you would give in.
The night of the dinner, though, I simply couldn’t keep it up.
I was going to tell him everything and let him convince you not to be a stubborn idiot, but then I got sick.
Right before you left, I confessed everything, and when I tell you that man looked more relieved and tortured than should have been possible.
I hoped he’d convince you on your quest and tell you everything, but he was so afraid of you running that I wasn’t sure if he would.
” She finished with a loud gulp of air before beaming up at Luci.
“Anyways, please don’t be mad, I love you. ”
Luci stared at the small creature before her.
The wicked and impossible creature who was more a fairy godmother than her actual one.
Scheming and plotting all without thought for the consequences.
All because she had a vague sense that Luci was interested in a man.
A ridiculous and elaborate scheme that involved many people, including a royal family.
Even now, there was absolutely no shame to be found anywhere on her.
Instead, she folded her arms and waited patiently with a smile on her lips.
She leaned forward and tapped Luci on the shoulder.
“This is the part where you say thank you,” she said.
Thank you. Thank you? Thank-
“What?” Luci sputtered.
Brielle rolled her eyes and flopped back on the bed dramatically. Calcifer also huffed out an equally annoyed sigh as he moved to the edge of the bed and resumed his nap.
“I can’t believe you are still in denial, Lucinda Blackthorn.
You know, I knew it the moment you came home.
It was in your eyes, and so the minute I heard he was on his way and announced your engagement already,” she sat up and pointed a finger at Luci, “Which, by the way, might be the most romantic thing to ever happen. I mean, the fact that he knew you were his person from one ball.”
Brielle flopped back on the bed, and all Luci could do was watch it all happen like she was at the theater.
“Anyways, I thought, how can I force the two of them to be in the same vicinity without putting Luci at the center, where she would run away at the first opportunity. Thus, I became engaged. I used every opportunity to talk about you and found all the reasons to bring you around, and, of course, Ira was more than eager. You know, I thought I was quite clever, and so I was, only one person ever figured it out.”
Still in a daze and unsure which way was up and which was down, Luci caught on a few seconds later.
“Lucien,” she said.
For the first time, Brielle showed some semblance of remorse as her cheeks blossomed a bright pink and she bit her inner lip. Wait- no, that wasn’t humility. That was-
“Oh, Glass pumpkins, you actually like him!” Luci said, mouth ajar.
Brielle covered her eyes and squealed.
“I know he used to be awful, but he’s very sweet now, and he helped me out with all my plotting and never gave it away. Plus, he’s- well, I think- I like him very much.”
Luci sniffed the air for cinnamon, knowing this alternate reality must have been Elowen’s doing, but none came.
Instead, Brielle watched her through squinted eyes like watching an impending implosion.
Funny, because Luci did feel something a bit like that.
Part of her wanted to tell Brielle what Lucien said all those years ago and what he did to her, but then the other part of her realized how close she’d come to losing Brielle and wouldn’t hold any happiness from her.
Even if it meant protecting her from heartbreak.
“He was by your side more than anyone else. He read a lot to you. Even braved my wrath just to check in on you.” Luci said.
No matter what Luci thought of Lucien, she would always remember the way Brielle lit up hearing what he’d done for her while she’d been sick.
It was like the sun rose right in the center of her eyes, and when she covered her face with the pillow and kicked her legs in giddiness, well, Brielle would have forgiven him anything.
“I’ll have to kill him if he hurts you, you know,” Luci said.
Brielle sat up and threw her arms around Luci, pillow flying to the end of the bed where it nearly landed on Calcifer. The orange cat shot them a glare and walked ot the other side of the bed before lying down and ignoring them once more.
“I told Ira the same thing! I don’t think he believed me, though. I’m much less threatening. Who would have thought? I can’t believe our good luck at falling in love with two princes. We will get our own storybooks for this!” she said.
I always like Brielle to have her head in the clouds, unconcerned about the next ten steps. It was one of the things Luci loved about her.
Luci released her from her hug.
“And what do you intend to tell your father and the rest of the nobles about why you are in love with the wrong prince?” Luci asked.
In love. That seemed dramatic.
Brielle covered her mouth, and yet her smile still peaked out the sides. All right, love it was. Leave it to Brielle to fall head over heels in love with a scoundrel.
“Father will be mad, that’s true, but I can’t keep living for him. We only have so much time, and I need to live it for me,” she said.
“Who are you and what have you done with Brielle Treveon?” Luci asked.
“I know, I know. To be fair, it was Lucien’s speech, but it doesn’t make it any less true. I won’t apologize for loving him, and I most certainly will not apologize for stepping aside so my best friend can marry her prince charming.” Brielle said with all the conviction of a dreamer.