The Girl Who Cried Wolf: A Novella

Nine

09 | n i n e

She wept. All the way home.

I need to see you one last time to say goodbye.

I'm sorry, Lycus. I can't.

She replayed their entire conversation in her head and she convinced herself she was doing the right thing. But why did doing the right thing hurt so much?

She flung open the doors of the cabin. Her grandmother's eyes found hers immediately. She had a visitor. Mr Fletcher the gardener.

"I'll be on my way now, Mary." Mr Fletcher stood up from the wooden stool.

"Thanks again for the flowers, Fletcher. I promise I'll take care of them this time." Her grandmother gave her the infamous when I'm done here, I'm going to murder my grandchild kind of smile.

"Red." He tipped his farmer's cap at Red in greeting and left the house.

Time for some good ol' reprimanding!

"So today, I was getting some things from the market like usual when I got informed by a certain gardener that my grandchild was spotted sneaking into the woods with some boy." Her Nana made air quotes on ‘boy.’

So, Mr Fletcher had been the tattletale this time. How great! Note the sarcasm. Something to make her feel ten times worse.

"I need to sit down, Nana." She walked past her grandmother and sat down on the bed which made a small creak when she did.

"Oh, you're tired from your little rendezvous in the woods now, eh?" Grandma Baker was pissed. "What were you doing in the woods alone with him? Do you have a secret boyfriend?" Her grandmother raised a suggestive eyebrow.

"The white wolf is the prince, Nana. Prince Lycus le Roux is the wolf I met in the woods!" Red told her grandmother.

Her grandmother was quiet for a long time before she spoke.

"I don't understand. It's treason to speak ill of the prince, Red," Grandma Baker warned.

"I'm not speaking ill, Grandma. The prince is the wolf," she repeated.

"What makes you so sure?"

"He went to the woods, got cursed by hunters at the expense of his life and now he's going to be a wolf for the rest of his life because of," she choked out the last part, "me."

Grandma Baker could tell that something serious was up. "Tell me what happened in the woods today." Her grandmother got comfortable on the bed beside her.

And she did. She told her Nana everything. How she was sure she had feelings for the prince. Feelings she couldn't confess because they scared her. And maybe because of her, he could become a wolf for the rest of his life.

"Wow," her grandma said, taking it all in. "This is huge. But before anything are you okay?" Grandma Baker asked first.

"No, I'm not, Nana. I don't want him to become a wolf for the rest of his life and I also don't want to lose him," she confessed. Her grandmother hugged her close. "I don't know what to do, Nana," she cried.

"There are two things you could do, and each of them has consequences," her grandmother told her.

"What are they?"

"First of all, you could choose to stay away from him. That would be doing the right thing by custom. A prince should marry a princess. But the consequence is that you both lose each other forever and live in pain and regret for the rest of your lives."

That didn't end well but it was a safe option.

"What's the second option?" she looked up to her grandmother and asked.

"You could go to him and give him the biggest kiss ever to save his humanity. The both of you get to keep your love. Now, the consequence, however, is that life as you know it changes. You'll lose this safe simple life you have and become a member of the royal family. You'll take on the responsibility of a princess. The entire kingdom becomes your responsibility. People will hate you and judge you but at least you get to be happy with the man you love."

That was nice but it didn't end well. She wasn't sure she could handle that. Besides, she knew nothing about being a princess.

"Why can't I eat my cake and have it?" She groaned.

"Because you're eating it," her grandmother replied. That made no sense but she couldn't tell her Nana that. "Follow your heart, Red. It's the safest way." She missed her head and walked to the sink to wash the vegetables.

"How did you cope after losing Grandpa?" Red asked out of the blue. "I know he died at a full age and all but it still hurt, right?"

Her Nana heaved a breath out loudly. "It did. It still does. I miss him but it gets better."

Red felt bad for reminding her grandma.

"What would have hurt, however, is if I hadn't given him a chance. I would have hated myself for the rest of my life if I had done that." She stared at nowhere in particular. "His parents didn't want me with him. I wasn't the kind of girl they pictured their son with, they said. But he made it clear he wanted me and I wanted him too. That was enough. The question is, is Prince Lycus enough?"

And she left it there.

For an entire day, Red kept thinking about Lycus. They barely knew each other, yes, but he saved her life. They shared a cake. She dressed his wounds. Being with him was the happiest she had been for as long as she could remember. Those memories were some of the best she had in her entire life.

He was a prince, she was a pauper. He had a castle, she had a cabin. He wore expensive regalia, she wore red hoodies and faded jeans. He said he wanted her, she did too. They were two different people but they were two different people that wanted to be together. Maybe to anyone else, they were two foolish people falling blindly and helplessly but she knew the truth.

He was enough. Prince Lycus le Roux was enough.

She didn't care. He needed her or else he would become a wolf for the rest of his life. She needed to help him. He needed her, she convinced herself again.

She knew what to do. She couldn't wait till tomorrow morning anymore. The plan was in place what was left was execution. She was going for option B.

*:*:*

The next morning, Red got up from bed earlier than her Nana. She didn't even need the stupid crowing cock. She reached for her red hoodie and ran to the only woman who could get the job done.

The streets were filled with decorations. The prince was becoming a prince today and all the women and men had fancy attires on, ready to attend the occasion.

She knocked twice and waited.

Mrs Weaver came out of the house, yawning with a baby on her left hip.

"Red, what are you doing here at this hour? The kids didn't order anything, did they?" She rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"No, Mrs Weaver. I'm sorry to bother you so early. Gosh, I never thought I'd say this but...I need a gown."