Sleeping Roses

Goodbye, Kilan

"So here you are."

Briar looked up from the book she was reading and smiled.

Vanessa stood in the doorway to the parlour, her hands folded neatly in front of her, a soft smile on her face.

"I thought you'd be with Edward," Briar said, marking her page in the book and closing it.

"Edward and I have been apart for a very long time, a few minutes apart won't cause us any strife, we still have duties to perform after all," Vanessa said.

Briar laughed slightly. "But those duties do not include checking up on me. You are Beldon's maid now, not mine."

"I will always be first and foremost my lady's maid," Vanessa said, walking in and sitting in the seat opposite when Briar gestured for her to do so. "I hear you're leaving us," she said once she was settled.

"I've decided to see the world," Briar said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Vanessa said, "Who knows what wonders lie out there for you."

Briar smiled slightly, looking at the dozens of books that surrounded her. "I'm starting to get an idea," she said, "and Kilan told me about a great many wonders that I intend to see for myself."

"And we'll be here for you when you decide to return, even if it's just for a visit."

"Luka has ordered me to visit on occasion," Briar said with a laugh, "he says I must report my findings on curses to him in person every once in a while."

Vanessa laughed at that and nodded. "Yes, I can image. He'll miss you when you are away."

"He'll be just fine," Briar said, "With Beldon here, he'll survive without me, and Beldon certainly makes him far more agreeable compared to that rakish rogue I knew before the curse."

Vanessa covered her mouth, hiding her smile. "I don't know what you mean, Princess," she said and Briar grinned. "And what have you been reading up on, I see that's not a book about planning a holiday."

"Curses," Briar replied.

"Oh yes?"

"The basics. The two most common ways to break a curse. One: the original curser reverses the affects. Two: the conditions set by the curser are met. For more detailed explanations, please refer to chapter six, page thirteen," Briar recited and Vanessa laughed.

"I see," she said, "And what does that mean for Kilan?"

Briar's smile faded at the question as she looked at the book.

"It means... It means I may have to track down Mother," she replied.

Vanessa's face instantly paled in horror. "What?" she whispered.

"Either Mother, or The Thirteenth Fairy," Briar replied. "They were both involved in the curse upon my hands. It has now been set that I must find 'True Love's Kiss' to break that curse, and if I break the curse, it should break Kilan's curse, but that could take too long, I don't know when it'd happen, or if it'll even happen, so I need to find how to break Kilan's curse specifically and for that, the curser needs to break it. Since I don't know which one that is, I'll have to find them both."

"But Briar, what if that woman curses you again?" Vanessa said and Briar looked up.

"I'm not scared of Mother anymore," she said and her eyes were so strong and steady Vanessa drew back in surprise as she stared at them, searching.

She would admit that she was searching for the child she had last seen when she looked in those eyes, but that child wasn't there anymore.

There was a young woman looking back at her now, one who might just be ready to take on the world.