Cursed

Chapter 7

The next morning Valentina was aloud to explore palace grounds as along as she had someone with her. The royal family was busy with other things to show Valentina around so her personal maid took care of it. Her maid was lazy and rude. Every time Valentina tried to make conversation but 'Erika' always ignored her attempts. Valentina was always a kind person and saw everyone as her equals but she can be petty like any other. After the tour around the palace grounds it was time for a late lunch which was held in the private dining room. "Good afternoon." Regina greeted being the first to notice Valentina. Valentina smiled and went to greet Regina back but was cut off by Elijah who had kissed her cheek. "How was the tour." He asked leading her to her seat. "It was nice. Felt lonely but it was nice." Valentina said taking her seat. She smiled at Regina and quietly greeted her back as Elijah pushed in her chair. "Wasn't Erika with you?" Elijah asked looking towards Erika's nervous form. "She's so quiet I couldn't tell." Valentina shrugged brushing it off her shoulders. "Maybe we can have tea later on in the library. You're probably in the need of a friend." Regina suggested throwing a look at Erika. "It would be nice to vent to someone about everything that is happening." Valentina signed taking a sip of water. "Am I dismissed my Lady?" Erika asked seeing she was no longer needed. "The flower garden is so nice I could be there all day." Valentina hummed ignoring Erika the same way she was ignoring her. "If we can have the ceremony there it would make the day more magical-"
"Am I still needed-"
"You're dismissed! Please go." Elijah exclaimed annoyed. Nodding Erika left. "It was rude to ignore her." Elijah said looking over at Valentina. "She's been doing that to me for the whole day so way not let experience what she made others experience?" Said Valentina who shrugged her shoulders. Elijah let out a breath but said nothing clearly tired from the work he had done.

Matthew leaned against a tree resting his legs for a moment. His mother had told him that after they crossed the huge river they would be at the edge of another kingdom where the Enchantress resided. During his journey Anne told him what not to do and say around the enchantress and warned him she was sneaky and devious, but Matthew didn't care he had nothing to lose at this point. "We need to get to her before the sun is down." Anne said gliding over to her son. "Why are we in such a rush?" He groaned wanting at least an hour to rest. "The lake monster wakes up at night, son! She will eat you."Anne huffed at her son. Groaning more Matthew stood up and began walking. "You're young you shouldn't be tired." Anne jeated but Matthew was in no mood for humor, so he simply ignored her. "Fine! Be that way." Anne pouted gliding behind Matthew.

After lunch Valentina was yet again left to be on her own. Sighing she wondered the halls trying to find something to entertain her, maybe find the library. Passing paintings of passed royals made Valentina realize that she would rather be back with her family than to wonder these halls for entertainment. She would rather get to know Matthew than be his brother's bride. Elijah seems to only come to her when there was company any other times he'd be gone. Valentina would rather be in the company of the man who saved her life. "Excuse! Can you tell me where the library is?" She asked the passing guards. "Down that hall last door." The shorter guard directed towards the left. "Thank you." She smiled making her way.

"Gosh the water is freezing!" Matthew shivered. He was chest deep in cold water as Anne drifted over the water. He glared at his mother as he sludged through the water. He didn't plan on freezing his lower half that day and certainly didn't enjoy it.

"That was easy." His mother smirked floating dead and dry as her son stood alive and wet. "It was easy for you." He said rolling his eyes walking away from the water. Gravity pulling on him more with the weight of the water in his clothes. "Well on the bright side she lives over there." Anne smiled hoping that would lighten her grumpy son's mood. It didn't, Matthew was soaked wet and cold and he didn't like the feeling of it especially when he moved.
"Lets hurry up the more I move the more I want to strip." He tells her following behind Anne.
"You don't have to be so explicit towards me! I am your mother and I don't want to hear that!" Anne said holding her hand up to knock but the door flung opened to reveal a woman around the same age as Anne.
"Anne I knew it was you! It's been forever!" The woman squealed. "You know her?" Matthew asked looking between the two. "Wow I thought they killed the little one too! Hi I helped your mother and father get pregnant with you! I'm-"
"Going to help us." Anne said cutting off the woman. "I didn't say that! What do you guys need?!" The woman asked with excitement. Matthew raised an eyebrow at her behavior but quickly changed his face expression when Anne glared over at him. "Matthew is cursed. He looks like his father was a wolf-" "but his father is a wolf! A cowardly one if my sources are correct."
"Can't argue with you there." Anne laughed. "Can you reverse the curse?" Matthew asked not amused with their humor. "Oh! I can try... I'm a little rusty and undoing curses isn't something that you can fully do." The woman said turning to go back into her cottage. Both Anne and Matthew looked at each other before going in after her. The inside was out of this world. Tons of cadges with chickens, mouses, rats and frogs. Herbs everywhere. Tons of books and bugs. "When was the last time you cleaned?" Anne asked scrunching up her nose. "When I moved in! I need some of your hair." She says looking over at Matthew. Still taken back by the cottage he nodded with out thinking. "So tell me. You got a special girl in your heart? Is that why you want to change now?" The Enchantress asked. "Partly." Matthew mumbled wincing when the crazy woman snatched some hair from his arms.
"Well if she loved you she wouldn't care about your appearance. I can tell you right now that I personally like a man who is animalistic." The Enchantress smirked grabbing a nearby mouse that had escaped his cadge and crushed it pouring its blood into the bowl. "Who knows Lady you probably have a man buried under all of this." He says causing the enchantress to laugh. "I can pour this out and if you're going to be rude." She hissed spitting into the bowl next before going to pick out the correct herbs. Matthew cringed but kept his mouth shut looking over at his mother who was touching things she probably shouldn't.
"I heard that the new king is getting married to a beauty the royal family over here is pretty please considering that Queen Estelle just gave birth to a boy. Maybe the king's wife will give birth to a girl and have the kingdoms combined." The Enchantress said not knowing that the future Queen was the one that was on Matthew's mind.
"After I take the potion I was planning on taking back my rightful throne." He tells her.
"Right..." the Enchantress said in disbelief before she held out the now black potion. "Drink all of it!" She advised, holding it out for him.

His face scrunched up before taking the bowl from the Enchantress. He glanced over at his mother whose face matched his but he knew that if he didn't take the potion that the curse wouldn't be half lifted and that was better than anything. Holding his breath he opened his mouth and gulped down the vile liquid till there was nothing left. "Great now you just need the kiss of the woman you love and the curse would be halfway done." The Enchantress smiled causing Matthew to drop the bowl and screech "What!"

"Yeah! True loves kiss heals just about anything but curses but thanks to the potion I gave you you have till the next full moon until the potion loses its magic." she smiled. Matthew groaned "The girl I was talking about is going to be the new Queen."

"Oh..." The enchantress trailed off.

"Maybe I should have asked if you had a lover who loved you with all her heart..." The enchantress trailed off looking down to avoid the glares Matthew and Anne were throwing her way.