25. Eliza

It took a few hours to sort everything out. Most of the guests, tactfully and thankfully, left. Only the green witch, Constancia, Gerald, and Edward’s friends remained.

“I’m so sorry, Edward,” I said, snuggling into his side.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” he said, kissing my temple.

“I really am Princess Eliza,” I explained. “After my mom died, our father got remarried to her.” I pointed hatefully at the still-frozen Constancia who had been Lucy not too long ago, and I realized she must have taken her form and snuck into our house to keep an eye on me and to get me to break my vow of silence.

“She cursed my brothers.” I waved my hand over them as they stood next to each other, wearing only, like Edward, a jacket or a tablecloth around their waists to cover their nakedness.

“But she”—I indicated to the green witch—“told me how to break the spell after I saved her cat from drowning.”

“She is the same witch that cursed me after I saved her cat from drowning,” Edward said balefully.

“I told you the curse would lead you to your true love. Where is your gratefulness?” the witch retorted.

Edward lowered his head. She was right.

“You’re right, I was wallowing so much in the misery of the curse, that I forgot about that detail. Had I not been a dragon, I might not have ever found out where Eliza lived, wouldn’t have seen her picking nettles with her swans, and wouldn’t have been able to save her from the ghouls. I might not have been able to save her from the ghouls had I been a mere man,” Edward said, and added, “Thank you.”

The witch smiled. “So, there, that wasn’t too hard now, was it?”

He grinned back at her.

I looked deep into Edward’s eyes, trying to convey my sorrow for not having been able to communicate with him since we met. “She told me I needed to knit eleven mantles made from stinging nettles. Alone. Without any help, collected from graveyards.” Understanding blossomed in Edward’s expression. “I also had to take a vow of silence, not to communicate anything about me, my brothers, or the curse for six years.”

“So then you are from Fable Forest?” he asked.

“Yes,” I admitted, “will you forgive me?”

“There is nothing to forgive, my love.” He drew me into his arms and kissed me.

“Hold on,” Gerald spoke up and walked toward us. “You are one of them? And you turned into a dragon?” He glared at Edward, who stiffened beside me, ready to take on a fight with his father. This had been what he had been worried about. He told me how unforgiving Gerald was regarding anything supernatural and that he worried his father would disown him. Not so much because of the money, he had enough of his own, but because of the project he was working on, which he loved fiercely. Not to mention his personal relationship with his father. They might not often see eye to eye, but Edward loved him and cherished their relationship.

“My grandsons are…” He shook his head and ran both of his hands down his face. “I can’t believe it.”

“Dad.” Edward held a hand out toward his father and my heart broke.

“Please Gerald, this is not Edward’s fault,” I tried.

“No!” Gerald straightened himself, swallowed his emotions. “I should have known building this close to these cursed places held risks and I took it for money and greed. I cannot fault my son for what has happened.”

“You can’t have me and not her and our sons,” Edward said with an edge to his tone that left no doubt this was nonnegotiable.

“Just don’t expect me to visit Fable Forest with you.” Gerald smirked. Something in his expression gave him away, told us that he would go to Fable Forest if it meant keeping his family together.

“Dad.” Edward moved forward and embraced his father who clung to him just as fiercely.

“I’m sorry, son.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, look what I gained.” Edward waved me over and Gerald’s arm opened to invite me into their hug.

Tears burned in my eyes when I entered their circle.

“It might take some getting used to, but I’ll try,” Gerald promised when we broke apart.

“Come, meet my brothers.” I pulled the two men forward.

My heart skipped a beat though, when I noticed Alexander’s feathery arm that was more wing than appendage. “Oh no.”

I must have grabbed the mantle Lucy had touched. “Oh no,” I repeated, pulling Alexander into my arms. “I’m so sorry,” I sobbed.

“Nothing to be sorry for, sis. It’s all good.” Alexander petted my back. “You’ve done so much for us.”

“Let me.” The green witch came forward. She closed her eyes and mumbled another spell. Alexander’s face scrunched up in pain, but seconds later he was all human.

“Thank you,” I said, meaning it from the bottom of my heart as I spontaneously hugged the witch.

“What are we going to do with her?” Caspian asked, pointing at Lucy/Constancia, who still stood rooted to the same spot. Only her glowing eyes betrayed that she was aware of us and her surroundings.

A smirk played around the green witch’s lips. “I’ll take care of that too.” She turned her full attention to my erstwhile stepmother. “With a croak and a warty hide, a toad’s form shall be your guide. Hop in swamp and under moon’s glow, as a toad, your fate shall flow. From woman’s grace to toad’s domain, unbreakable, the spell shall remain.”

A mournful croak announced Constancia’s fate as she shriveled in front of us, turning into a wart-covered toad. Only her eyes remained human as she viciously glared at us before hopping off to the pond.

“Good riddance,” Caspian said.

“It’s what she deserved,” George agreed.