A Curse (The Love Story) GL

CHAPTER XLI

"The Day of Choice, The Echo of a Name"

Celeste's POV

Some time had passed… enough to let the world believe that peace had returned, that wounds had healed, that love could once again be a choice and not a curse.

And today, of all days — was that day.

> The day of my swayamvar.

The day when pixies from every part of the realm, from beyond the Seven Fairylands — from distant, sparkling lands I had only heard stories of — would arrive to stand before me, hoping to be chosen.

But my heart… wasn't ready to choose anyone.

Still, I played the part.

They dressed me in a breathtaking white gown — soft as clouds, flowing like water. Every thread shimmered with moonlight, and the delicate flowers placed gently into my hair released a fragrance so enchanting, it could lure even silence itself to sing.

I stood by the window of my chamber, watching the scene outside slowly come alive. The gardens had never looked more beautiful — adorned in silver dew and sparkling frost. The sky wore a gentle golden hue. Everything seemed perfect.

But perfection often hides storms.

Suddenly, a flutter of wings broke the stillness, and Flash — as always — swooped in without warning, startling me.

> "Flash!" I gasped, placing a hand on my heart. "You scared me again! Why do you always do that?"

"Where's Chiko?"

But instead of answering, Flash posed dramatically.

> "Forget Chiko! Look at me — how do I look?" he grinned.

I narrowed my eyes, amused.

> "What's new? You're wearing the same clothes as always."

He crossed his arms with mock offense.

> "You need to talk more like a Queen, Cel. The way you speak still sounds like a little girl."

I laughed, light and easy.

> "Of course you wouldn't like the way I speak. You only like how Caelum speaks, don't you?"

The moment I said her name… the air shifted.

Flash's smile faded. His wings slowed.

A stillness fell between us, as if the name Caelum had reached deeper than we meant it to.

I looked at him, suddenly serious.

> "Will Caelum come today?"

He didn't hesitate.

> "Yes," he said quietly. "She will."

And just like that… my heart skipped.

There was no reason to hope, no reason to dread — but still, I felt both. That name wasn't just a name. It was an entire story still unfinished.

Before I could say anything more, a soft giggle echoed from the hallway, and in floated Chiko.

Today, he wore a beautiful white outfit — simple, elegant, but glowing against his shadowy fur. A black moon pendant hung from his neck, and in that moment, he looked like a miniature prince — a black dot in a sea of white.

> "You look adorable!" I smiled, lifting him into my arms.

> "Of course I do," he said proudly. "I have style!"

Then, just behind him… came Rira.

Her steps were soft but full of grace, her silver-threaded dress fluttering like wings, and her eyes shimmering with the joy of someone who had finally tasted freedom after lifetimes of waiting.

She had returned from Frosthevan — a realm of icy beauty — her cheeks kissed by its winds and her aura even brighter than before.

She smiled at me, arms open, and we embraced without a word.

> In her hug, I felt warmth.

In her eyes, I saw memories.

And in that moment, I realized something I hadn't admitted even to myself.

> I wasn't waiting for a prince today.

I wasn't searching for a fairy tale.

> I was waiting for a storm.

> I was waiting for her. That fairy who is Vorgath.

And somewhere far away, I knew she was already on her way.

> With promises.

With danger.

And with love twisted in lies.

"The Blessing of a Mother, The Weight of a Crown"

Just as the soft excitement of the moment wrapped around me, the chamber doors opened once more.

In walked one of the royal fairy attendants — delicate, graceful — her wings glistening with dust from the sacred gardens.

And beside her…

> Came my mother.

The former Queen. The ruler before all this chaos. The heart that once held this realm together.

She had once stepped away from the throne to allow peace to rise, and now… here she was again, returning not as a ruler, but as a mother — with eyes full of pride and memory.

Anyone else would call her "old."

But not here.

Not in our Fairyland.

> In our world, when fairies age, they drink the sacred Holy Water of Renewal — a shimmering elixir made from the first light of dawn and the tears of the Moon Tree.

And with it, they are reborn in their youth again — skin soft, eyes bright, wings stronger than ever.

It is why we fairies live for centuries — not cursed with immortality, but blessed with longevity.

We choose when to leave. We choose when to rest.

> And she… had chosen to stay, for me.

As she stepped into the room, every fairy in the space instinctively bowed — not out of duty, but reverence.

> My mother. My queen. My protector.

She came to me and smiled — a smile that still carried the warmth of lullabies, of firelight, of childhood dreams.

Without a word, she lifted her hand and gently brushed it in a circle over my face — casting a protective charm to ward off jealousy, evil, and ill fate.

> She was "removing the evil eye" — as fairy mothers do.

And then… she reached into the folds of her gown and pulled out something radiant.

A crown.

> Not the one I had worn before.

Not the one the Mother Fairy had placed upon me.

This… was hers.

Glistening with age-old gems, glowing with the magic of ten thousand sunsets, this crown was the one worn by generations of queens — and now, she was passing it to me.

> "Come closer, Cel," she said softly.

I knelt slightly, and with the grace of history, she placed it gently upon my head.

A warm pulse ran through me.

As if every queen before me had whispered:

> "We're with you."

Then, a hush fell over the room as dozens of fairies — noble, young, old, wise — gathered around me.

They stood tall, their gowns like flowing light, their wings stirring soft gusts of blessing.

I looked at my mother, and she took my hands in hers.

> "Celeste," she began, her voice carrying not just in the room, but deep into my soul,

"Today is one of the most important days of your life."

Her eyes gleamed with a thousand unspoken hopes.

> "Today… you choose a life partner. A soulmate. Someone who will walk with you not just through love, but through storms, through victories, through loss."

She paused.

> "This is a rare chance — and I don't want you to choose with duty… I want you to choose with heart."

Her thumb gently stroked my hand.

> "No crown, no realm, no throne… is worth more than the love you carry inside."

Tears threatened to sting my eyes, but I smiled through them.

> "Don't worry, Mom," I whispered.

"I'll choose someone truly right for me."

She smiled, kissed my forehead, and stepped back.

And in that moment, as I stood beneath the sky of Frosthevan, with the crown upon my brow and love surrounding me, I knew…

> My life was about to change.

Whether with love…

Or with betrayal.

But it would be my choice.

And no one else's.

To be continued...