I feel my breath begin to quicken, and I dart out of the sorcerer’s room. He has to be lying. I’m perfectly healthy, and I haven’t offended any magic bearers, at least not that I know of, but his cryptic words still ring in my ears: “Tick-tock, as mad as love, as red as blood, the Rabbit is late and the Queen has a date.” None of it makes any sense; all that blasted wizard clearly said was that I was forever cursed and bound to some ancient prophecy. How could I be cursed?
I don’t know where my feet are taking me, but soon I hear voices and find myself in the great hall. My eyes dart around at lords and ladies dressed in finery, and I feel the urge to cover my plain servant’s clothes. Still my feet continue moving, pulling me through the crowd as though I am on a string. I clench my fists desperate to get out for a moment, just a second to breathe, and then I falter. Nobles circle past me, and I am stuck, my feet glued to the ground. She stands there on the marble stairs. Her eyes stare into mine and time freezes. My breath catches as I take her in: a red dress flowing behind her, black jewels sewn into her bodice, and then I see her face. Oh her face.
Heart shaped with dark brown eyes surrounded by a layer of kohl. Blood-red lipstick coats her lips, and thick, raven-black hair falls to her chest. A goddess. An angel. She is the most devastatingly beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on. If I could, I would never stop staring. Instantly, I know that I would give this woman the world if she asked for it. My heart pounds in my chest as she continues to stare at me. She lifts her head, and the spell shatters the moment her eyes leave mine. The twittering nobles continue about, unaware of what has just occurred, of how my world is forever changed–how I will not be able to rest until I learn her name. Her dress flows behind her as she continues up the stairs, and in my pocket, I feel the steady ticking of my pocket watch. My hands twitch as they ache for a quill, a pencil, anything to capture her likeness. I force my feet to move once she is out of sight, my eyes desperate for one last look before she has disappeared. One thought pounds into my head over and over as I make my way towards the kitchens: who is she?
