Cursed (Watty Awards 2012 Short Story)

Chapter Six

Tess is out of breath by the time she reaches the door at the end of the corridor on the top floor. Without hesitating, she pushes through, no longer afraid of the unknown. Like the first time, two heads swivel in her direction.

One belongs to an amused dragon, the other, a bewildered prisoner.

Tess runs to the corner of the room and kneels in front of Sebastian's cage. He cowers under her pitiful stare. “Why are you locked up?” she asks.

The dragon crawls over, his ferocious demeanour replaced by what Tess guesses is guilt. She turns to him and says, “But you granted us our freedom. I won your challenge.”

“Only for you and the Prince,” the dragon explains. “I told you every soul that enters the castle must win in order to be free. You accepted responsibility for the Prince...but not the crow.”

Tess grits her teeth together, “But that's unfair!”

The dragon lifts his massive shoulders in a tired shrug, as if he's a victim of the rules as much as Sebastian. Tess licks her lips, unwilling to give up. “Well, I'll do another challenge then,” she offers.

The dragon sighs heavily, “If only it were that easy, little kitchen girl. I'm all out of riddles today.”

“But...?” Tess grips the iron bars and looks at Sebastian. “Why didn't you tell me?” she begs him. “You knew about the white stones, and every part of this castle...you must have realized you'd be cursed if you entered.”

Sebastian's wings fall to his side, defeated. For once his silver tongue fails him.

His silence makes her blood rush, she shakes the cage. “Tell me! I won't leave unless you tell me the truth!”

“Excuse me!” Prince Bryant stands in the doorway with one hand on his hip. “As the only noble in this room, I order my future wife to leave the caged creature alone and return to my side!”

The dragon straightens up, his eyes begin to glow brilliantly. He stares down at Tess. Intuitively she shrinks away from him, leaning closer to Sebastian's cage. “Actually, kitchen girl,” the dragon begins, his tone high and excitable. “You do have the power to change your choice. I promised freedom to you and your Prince.”

“And?” Tess frowns back at him.

The dragon can't fight the smile any longer. He waves a clawed hand at the bird cage. “My I present, Prince Sebastian of Orion the third...legendary spoilt royal.

Sebastian's head droops. He makes no sound to dispute the dragon's claims. Tess stares at him, and her eyes grow wide. “You mean the boy in the tapestry?” she asks breathlessly.

Sebastian does a low bow, “Guilty as charged, my lady.”

“In all my centuries roaming the land,” the dragon explains, “I'd never met a royal so selfish...so pampered....so corrupt...”

“Thank you!” Sebastian interrupts, “she gets the picture. “Don't forget to add cursed to that list as well,” he says.

“Huh?” Prince Bryant's faced is screwed up tight. “I don't understand.”

Sebastian rolls his eyes, and gives Tess an imploring look, “I may have been all those things, but at least I wasn't stupid.”

She starts to ask him a question, but he holds up a black wing, making her pause. “My ways were well known throughout this kingdom,” he begins. “It used to be a beautiful colony. This palace was once magnificent and full of laughter and great parties.” He looks at the stone walls as if seeing the room how it once was.

Sebastian drops his voice, “But then the dragon came. He tried to teach me a lesson by imprisoning me here in this room. But no one—not even a kitchen girl tried to save me.”

“Everyone deserted the castle,” the dragon continued. “A year passed without any attempts at a rescue, so I transformed him into the shape you see now. It was the least I could do,” he reasoned. “By that time it was obvious no one loved him or missed him. A new life was my way of giving him freedom. He never ages, he can fly, and he is free to go wherever his heart leads him.”

“Kind of backfired, don't you think,” Sebastian adds sarcastically.

“On the contrary, I find you much more agreeable in this form,” the dragon argues. “And since the castle was empty I started to use it as my own. Many a kidnapped royal have me to thank for their new found philanthropist ideals.”

“Sadistic,” Sebastian growls.

The dragon looks unfazed, “Everyone needs a hobby.” He sighs and looks around the crumbling room.

Tess closes her eyes trying to fit all the pieces together, “Why didn't you tell me the truth?” she asks Sebastian.

He reaches through the bars and touches her finger tip with his wing. “I watched the knights leave your village, one by one,” he says. “I traveled with a few of them, and even tried to help, but they all succumbed to the dangers. By that point I was indifferent to plight of Prince Bryant—he is a spoilt royal after all, but when you decided to leave the castle that morning, determined to help him...,” Sebastian stops and ruffles his feathers self-consciously. “I couldn't let you go unprotected.”

Tess feels her head grow heavy, nothing makes sense anymore, “How long have you been watching me?”

“Long enough to know you were in love with the wrong Prince.”

She lets out a breath, trying to gather her thoughts. “But that morning,” she says, “I saved you from the that mangy cat.”

“Set up,” he simply replies. “I knew from your gentle nature that I could earn your trust by making you feel responsible for me—not the other way around.”

She tries to be angry with him, but there is a small ball of warmth growing in her chest she cannot ignore. From the very beginning, Sebastian has been caring for her. Tess reprimands him, “It was reckless.”

“Look who's talking, my lady.”

She drops her chin, torn between desperate hope and complete devastation of her situation. Not even his smart remarks can talk them out of this mess.

“You are too good for me,” he continues, urging her to leave again. “Please, my lady, go with your golden boy, he needs you. At least one of us should be happy. And we both know, I don't deserve it.”

Tess is incensed. “How do you expect me to ride off with Prince Bryant, knowing you're stuck here in this creepy castle?!”

“It was once very beautiful,” he defends.

“Flying away from scary bats, doing nothing all day but tossing bits of broken stone about—”

“—the chandelier in the ballroom alone was worth a peasants yearly wage.”

“—with only a surly carnivore for company.”

“I beg your pardon!” the dragon looks insulted.

Tess takes a deep breath and locks eyes with Sebastian.

“My love,” Prince Bryant prompts. “The King may not look upon this hesitation in flavor of blessing our marriage.”

She straightens up and runs a hand over her messy hair, then Tess turns to the Dragon. “You said I could change my choice.”

“Of course,” he grins, making a row of perfect fangs appear.

“My lady,” Sebastian begs. “Don't!”

Tess steps closer to the dragon. “If I cannot be free with him, I wish to be a prisoner alongside him. Dragon,” she orders, “turn me into a crow.”

“NO!”

Sebastian's scream is engulfed by a wall of smoke. A roar fills her ears. Tess drops to her knees. She tries to breath but the air is stuck in her throat. She bites the inside of her cheek...waiting.