Chapter 33 And They Lived
Chapter thirty-three
And They Lived
Over time, the story became glitter and gowns, midnight spells and royal balls. But long before all that, there was just a girl who loved another, a borrowed dress, and a heart meant to hope.”
-The Vencia Archives, Volume II
They snuck out much like that first night, but this time Luci wasn’t worried about the gossip that would come after. Whatever stories they concocted were most likely true anyway. At least she certainly hoped they were.
By the time they made it to the Glass room, Luci was breathless and her mind hazy.
Once again, standing on the precipice of something new, something that would change everything.
This time, though, one thing was different.
Ira’s hand in hers was unrelenting. One word radiated between them. Together.
Meeting his gaze, he waited for her. This was her choice. No fancy words, no promises, no what ifs. Simply hers.
Which was why she stepped forward, pulling her in with him. What should have been a ruin of glass, unrepaired from the first time she entered, was exactly as she remembered it. Unbroken and endless.
“She fixed it,” he said, staring in awe.
The door shut behind them, and for the briefest of breaths, Luci remembered the panic of being trapped, but when Ira squeezed her hand, she knew she wasn’t alone.
A clock chimed in the distance.
He pulled her into him, and she wrapped her arms around him, counting his heartbeats in the dark of the room. His breath was the sound she lived by. And so it began, a trail of shimmering blue magic and that all too familiar smell building.
Just as it was the first time, the magic danced over her skin, but instead of the pricks of before, it was a gentle caress, a welcome. It ran over her and danced above her, the magic growing.
“You were always enough, Lucinda. For the gift you’ve given me and the world alike, I give to you what you’ve always longed for.
Though the story is unwritten and the words may change, the future is yours for the making if only you are brave enough to take it.
” Elowen’s wrapped around her like a hug.
The blue magic leapt from her skin and sparked into the air before them, illuminating the room. Ira and Luci reflected in every panel just as they were. Stepping back, Luci spun in a circle, careful not let go of Ira’s hand.
The blue spark ran over her shoulders and down her arm before leaping into the mirror, and the world shifted.
Where Ira and Luci once stood, Gladys, resplendent in a golden gown, knelt, Ira standing before her.
As she bowed her head, Ira slipped a golden diadem inlaid with rubies onto her head.
The image blurred and shifted, revealing a small gathering of the people Luci loved best in the world.
The room edged, and Brielle stood before her, holding out her hand.
“You look beautiful, Luci,” she said, emotion inlaid throughout each word.
A hand gripped hers, and Luci saw herself in a sleek white silk dress, a veil in her hair. She stepped forward, moving through each panel until she reached him. Ira stood tall and proud, eyes silvery as he took her hand.
The images disappeared in a hazy smoke before the village of Hazelbrook formed throughout the room.
The sounds of hammers on nails drew them to their right, where Ira was on a thatched roof, hammering beneath the sun.
Sleeves rolled up and sweat dripping down his face.
Further down, Luci was kneeling in a garden, Agnes talking away about something while standing over her.
The image sped forward like the passage of time, and when it stilled, Ira sucked in a breath next to her, squeezing her hand tight.
Hazelbrook was alight with life. The buildings were freshly managed, and the muddy streets turned to cobblestone with greenery every few feet, accenting the beauty of the town. Children ran through the streets waving flags while a procession moved forward, smiling and cheering faces alive with joy.
Darkness consumed them, Hazelbrook disappearing, but the shine of blue zipped around the room, and this time it was like a dragon in flight above Meridea.
Its shadow falls over the sunlit ground.
It ebbed and dipped, flying over towns rich with life and natural beauty before a familiar sight came into view.
The manor house was just as it always was, except where strawberries used to be, midnight flowers flowed in the wind.
Luci and Ira stepped through the flowers, age showing in the lines in their faces, but still young, still holding on to each other.
A laugh she knew better than herself came from her right, and when Luci turned, she nearly lost her balance.
If it weren’t for Ira wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her against his chest, she would have fallen to her knees.
Brielle stepped through the door of Blythe, a glow to her skin that shouldn’t have been, as if time hadn’t touched her, despite the evidence of its passage zipping past her feet.
A little girl, around seven years old with long blond hair and baby blue eyes, ran towards Luci and Ira, barreling into them with a surge of love known only to the luckiest of people.
Not far behind her was a little boy, two years old and clumsy on his feet, chasing after his sister. He had the Vencia cheekbones, but the smile was all Brielle. Ira snuck forward and scooped him up in his arms before swinging him around, earning a giggle that could heal anything.
Tears fell down Luci’s eyes as she watched Brielle reach her and pull her in for a hug; she felt it in her bones. Time promising to protect them.
The image faded, and the loss of it was gut-wrenching, a shaky sob breaking from Luci. What she would have given to live in that image for just a little longer. But life wasn’t lived for a single moment, but instead a thousand tiny moments that made something infinite.
Time passed with the dance of blue magic until a small cottage came into view.
Smoke billows from a chimney stack. The wooden door opened, and inside, Ira sat by a fireplace, a small bundle in his arms. Luci covered her mouth as she watched him speak to what was undeniably their child.
Sure enough, Luci stepped into the frame and sat on the edge of the chair, looking down at the life they created.
Exhaustion pulled at the corner of her eyes, but there was no denying the contented smile that played on her lips as she bent and pressed a kiss to Ira’s forehead. His answering smile was a beacon in the night.
The image darkened, and Ira sniffed behind her, holding her to the point of breaking, but it centered her.
The world blurred and sped for some time until that same cottage appeared once more, worn by time, but still loved.
This time, when the door opened, there by the fireplace in one long plush sofa sat two familiar souls.
Ira has white hair and wrinkles on his face. Luci’s hair is gray and thin, tucked into a braid. Skin weathered with age. But his hand was still in hers, and there was a peace that time couldn’t take away.
When the image faded, that beautiful blue danced over to Luci and caressed her cheek.
“The story remains yours to tell, but now you never have to doubt. Only believe.” Elowen said.
And then she was gone. The door opened once more, and light poured in from outside, reflecting Luci and Ira pressed together.
Twisting, Luci faced him, her face wet with tears, but her heart full from a lifetime of love.
She reached up and wiped a tear from his eye, but he grabbed her hand and held it to his face, closing his eyes and breathing in.
When he opened his eyes once more, and a tear fell through his defenses, Luci didn’t doubt. It turned out that believing was easier when one had all the answers. The truth was that she didn’t need the answers. The future was written into the air they breathed.
Ira released her and stepped out of the room before turning and holding out his hand to her. A small smile showcasing a tell-tale dimple. A request and an offer.
Luci knew by now that when a prince reached out his hand, it always ended in trouble, but also adventure. A life of adventure didn’t seem like such a terrible thing after all.
She placed her hand in his, and just as before, she realized she’d seen this image before.
“You’re everything,” he said.
And so began the beginning of everything.