A Curse and A Kiss - Volume 1

14

As soon as the sun approached from the window, Verina awoke; the faint autumnal sunlight laid softly on Kara's back, leaving her sweet expression in the shadows. The witch wanted, from the bottom of her heart, to bask in her beauty some more, but they had a long day ahead of them; she gave her a forehead kiss and gently convinced her to start a new day.

«It is so nice to see you, first thing in the morning...»

The two reached the dining hall as soon as they were ready; having her breakfast, alone, was just Queen Lizàr: the King often skipped it to attend the daily meetings with his counselors.

«Is the East Wing still intact, darling?» said the queen playfully, bringing a piece of pancake to her thin mouth. Verina theatrically widened her eyes, rapidly making her love bites disappear again with a small embarrassed gesture, while the other replied, amused «We slept well, mother. We are not there yet.»

«It would be odd otherwise; you have known each other for a day!»

«You and father married and conceived Laster the first time you met» she replied with heavy sarcasm; Verina's eyes widened even more, while attempting to eat her food «This is but a family that knows patience.»

«That's... different.» The Queen was outplayed.

The long trip to Tardeburgo, for once, didn't feel boring: the Princess equally liked to talk and to listen, making her the perfect companion for such a static journey. The two amiably conversed about all kinds of subjects, from books to magic, from their favorite sweets to dreams they remembered having -for example, the giant, thousand-eyed cheese wheel that judged Verina's culinary sins just two nights before, the day they met-; they would naturally drift to cuddles and kisses mid-conversation, and return to the topic at hand shortly after, as if they didn't spend several minutes making out in that shaky, claustrophobic carriage.

Verina understood something crucial, during those long hours: Kara was unlike anyone she had ever met. Compared to past and recent friends, and to her previous partners, the sparkles in her eyes, the naïve and honest dialogues they had, the way she poured her very soul into every word, and the clear fact that she didn't have hidden intents, any societal or personal way to interact that absconded the truth, made the witch realize that she had been subconsciously waiting for someone like her all life long; be it a friend or a soulmate, that was definitely the kind of person she wanted by her side from then on.

"Is it bad to fall in love this soon? Do I need to slow down? Or... am I just delaying the inevitable?" she thought, playing placidly with the princess' hand, poking it, caressing it, while the owner looked out the window ecstatic, watching the unknown horizons outside the window.

They reached Tardeburgo in the early afternoon. The usually calm village, inhabited by no more than a hundred people, rapidly became crowded, as more and more people -informed of the carriage on the horizon- amassed at its northern border; a lot more had just come from the nearby towns and settlements, knowing that was a unique chance. Almost everyone had stopped just to welcome their witch back from the Capital.

The soldiers, noticing the villagers had no intention to let them proceed forward, halted the horses.

«Say...» started Verina, with a sly expression «would you like to try something fun?»

Kara, confused, nodded unknowingly. Verina stood up as much as the carriage allowed, and with a swift move lifted the princess from her seat, holding her between her arms carefully. Kara gasped, having lost her anchorage, and clung tightly to the other's clothes, a bit scared.

The princess closed her eyes shut; for an instant, she felt as if she didn't possess any weight, completely free of the eternal gravitational shackles. When her body seemed to regain its ordinary consistency, a sudden ray of sunshine invested her, and the pleasant breeze played with her hair and dress.

«How do you feel, after your first Fuga?» asked Verina playfully, looking at the princess with loving eyes. Kara, following the other's movement, gracefully landed on the ground, slightly distraught «I... will need time to... get accustomed to it...»

The soldiers, that were going to open the doors of the carriage, looked at them in disbelief, as they had ignored solid matter and appeared outside, behind them. Common people didn't have a real grasp of what 'magic' meant for its users, and were easy to trick and surprise.

Jill emerged from the crowd with heavy breath, holding his knees. His red face scared a few of those around, fearing an imminent collapse; once he heard the Sorceress was approaching, he had run across the village to reach her as fast as his body could.

Verina gave the princess a sign, and both went to meet the Alderman. «Kara, this is Jill, Tardeburgo's chief. He's a dear friend.» The witch, finally near him, made a little bottle appear and put it in his hand; he quickly gulped the liquid down in one go, and he regained strength and composure right after. «Thank you, Lady Verina, I really needed that...»

«You didn't. And you can't abuse it, remember.»

«Yes...» he paused, adjusting his clothes, now ready to start the formal conversation: «It is an honor to have you here, Princess Kara of Romiria.»

The young girl gave a delicate bow, slightly lifting her skirt in reverence «I am happy to be here, Alderman Jill.» The villagers around them looked at the scene intently: this was the first time they were in the presence of a member of the Royal Family of their country, after all; the Princess seemed to emit a unique radiance in their eyes, that the witch would have noticed the first time she met her if her focus wasn't on the dark presence of the Curse.

Jill rubbed his big hands nervously «We have prepared the stage like you requested; please, follow me.» Verina and Kara started walking, following the path created by the alderman dividing the mass. The soldiers, as instructed previously, stood by the carriage, waiting for their chance to move it somewhere more convenient.

Kara looked at the moving wings of people following them; it was the first time she was this close to that many people -since even during big festivities and events, the Royal Family kept a certain distance from commoners-; she couldn't really give a name to her emotions, a strange mixture of uneasiness and excitement, but feeling their eyes scrutinizing her, only one thought crossed her mind. «Verina... hold my hand.»

The witch, already agitated by the amount of people around her, felt conflicted for a moment. "No one outside the castle knows about us..." What would they think, if they realized the princess was intimate with a woman? Would there be problems? "I didn't think of this yet..."

Kara, impatiently, gave her a troubled look. Verina realized she was overwhelmed, and was actually asking for help, for reassurance. Sighing, she reached for her hand, and interlocked their fingers, while a sweet little smile brightened the princess' expression, finally ready to confront that crowd.