Chapter 19
Later, Snow would tell me the whole story, her eyes wide as saucers, and her voice bubbly with excitement.
How she and Mother had been sitting by the hearth, mending a torn sleeve, when the sound of wheels and hooves startled them both.
They had gone to the door expecting a peddler—or perhaps some villager come to trade.
Instead, there it was: a golden-painted carriage gleaming in the sunlight, its trim catching fire like dawn.
Mother had been speechless. Snow confessed she hadn’t been much better, but when the liveried guard bowed and announced that King Roderick and Prince Derrick wished for their company at court, she nearly fainted with joy.
“Mother went quiet,” Snow whispered to me, “but I… I could hardly breathe. I thought, This is it. The fairy tales are real. They’re here for us.”
And now here she was, by my side, practically glowing in silks she had never dreamed of touching, much less wearing.
She spun in place, the skirt of her gown flaring, her pale cheeks flushed with delight.
“Rose, just look at these dresses! I feel like I’ve been plucked right out of a storybook.
And there’s a ball tonight, a real ball! ”
Her laughter rang like bells. Then her eyes widened even more as she clutched my arm. “And you—you said you’re marrying Prince Derrick? Oh my God, Rose! Who would have thought that shaggy old bear was a prince?”
I laughed with her, even as tears stung my eyes and my heart swelled. “I did,” I whispered. “I thought he was more than a beast from the very beginning.”
Snow hugged me, fierce and tight, and for a moment, the years of fear, hunger, and struggle melted away. We were just sisters again, standing on the threshold of something wondrous, the weight of curses finally lifted.
A few hours later, the ballroom blazed with light.
Chandeliers glittered with a hundred candles, their flames caught and multiplied in mirrored walls until it felt as if we stood in the heart of the sun.
Music swelled from the corner, violins and lutes weaved a tapestry of sound that set the courtiers spinning in their silks.
I had never seen anything like it. Never imagined I would stand in a place like this, gowned in satin, my hair braided with pearls, Derrick’s hand warm around mine.
At the far end of the hall, King Roderick stood tall, the very image of strength returned.
And beside him—my breath caught—was Mother.
Dressed in pale blue, her hair pinned with jeweled combs, her cheeks glowing with so much color I had never seen before.
The King held her hand as if it were the most precious jewel in the room, his eyes fixed on her with a love so fierce it made my chest ache.
When the music faded, he lifted his free hand, and the hall stilled.
“Tonight,” his voice boomed, filling every corner, “we celebrate our freedom. We celebrate life returned to us after twenty long years of stone. We celebrate this Day of Waking. And tonight, I declare before you all that joy has returned to my house in full.”
He turned, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and then down to Derrick and me.
“My son, Prince Derrick, has chosen a bride. Rose Red, daughter of Serilda, who saw past a beast and found the man within. She is courage, she is light, and she is the woman who will be our future queen. I give you their betrothal!”
Gasps rose, followed by applause, cheers that shook the hall. My cheeks burned, my hand trembled in Derrick’s grip as he drew me closer, and pride shone in his golden eyes.
And through it all, the King did not release my mother’s hand.
His thumb traced the back of her knuckles, his gaze drank her in as though twenty years had not passed, as though stone had not separated them.
Love, raw and unhidden, poured from him in every glance.
His curse had ended, but so had hers; the long years of loneliness had been shattered at last.
Standing there amid the splendor, I felt it, the curse was broken, truly broken, not only in stone, but in the hearts of everyone here.
The music swelled again, brighter and faster, and Derrick tugged me gently toward the center of the floor. My feet balked; I had never danced like this, not in satin slippers, not beneath a hundred watching eyes, but his smile steadied me.
“Trust me,” he whispered, golden eyes alight. “I’ll never let you fall.”
And he didn’t. His arm was strong around my waist, his hand sure in mine, guiding me through each turn, each step. The world blurred into candlelight and laughter, but all I saw was him, his smile, his warmth, the wonder in his eyes as if I were the only person in the room.
“You’re perfect,” he murmured, leaning close so only I could hear. “My Rose. My heart. My forever.”
Tears pricked my eyes, but I laughed, dizzy with joy. “I love you, Derrick.”
“I love you more,” he answered, spinning me until my gown flared like fire.
Around us, the hall bloomed with life. Courtiers clapped in rhythm, servants cheered from the edges, and children laughed as they darted between gowns and boots.
My breath caught at the sight of Mother, radiant in the King’s arms, laughing brighter than I’d ever heard, as King Roderick looked at her as though nothing else in the world mattered.
Snow darted to me when the music paused, throwing her arms around my neck. “You’re going to be a princess,” she whispered, her eyes shining like stars. “And I get to stay here with you. With all of you.”
I hugged her tight, heart aching with happiness. “Not just a princess,” I said. “Your sister. Always.”
When Derrick reclaimed me for the next dance, I saw King Roderick and Mother still moving together, his hand reverent on her waist, her cheek flushed against his shoulder.
Snow clapped along with the music, her hair catching the light like spun frost. The court sang, voices rose together, no longer fractured by fear or silence.
I rested my head against Derrick’s chest, letting the steady beat of his heart lull me into peace.
We were free. We were whole. And we were together.
Love had won.
And in that glittering hall, with the people of the kingdom laughing and dancing, with my family around me and Derrick’s arms holding me close, I knew this was the happily ever after we had fought for.
Forever.