Chapter 108

MILA

There was something Felix was not telling me. I could sense it deep in my soul, that despite everything, there was still some sort of secret my husband was refusing to let me in on. When he looked at me now, there was a deep sense of haunting in his eyes, like he was looking at a ghost.

I knew better than to press him about it. I had a feeling that whatever he was hiding from me had to do with his curse. The dark magic was making him feel weak and vulnerable, and if there was one thing Felix hated more than anything, it was feeling weak and vulnerable.

My late-night conversation in the kitchens with Esmeralda kept me up at night. The good news was that my sleep was no longer torn apart by my strange visions, but the bad news was that I wasn’t sleeping at all.

What the witch had said–about sensing something in my blood–had lodged deep into my brain. Was she right? Was there something in my heritage, lurking in my bloodline, that I was clueless to?

I needed to research. My thoughts were growing more and more obsessive, and there was only way I could get relief from what was bothering me. I needed answers, and fast.

As a non-magical being, I had no way of accessing the fabled Library of Magic, where it seemed Esmeralda spent most of her time. However, I did have access to the Royal Library, which contained a detailed history of Fresonia and all of its past and present citizens. There were even books on immigration to other kingdoms and countries.

A part of me wondered if I had been adopted from one of the magical kingdoms, and what Esmeralda could sense was just some sort of lingering magical protection in my blood. Felix had once told me that even ordinary civilians had traces of magic in their genetics due to the presence of a significant number of Dragon Knights.

If my theory was right, then maybe I wasn’t such an outsider to all of this after all.

I burrowed into a corner of the Royal Library, armed with a large mug of tea and my most comfortable lounge clothes.

I knew what would make this process faster, but I could not bring myself to pick up the phone and call my family. Now that I was Queen, especially, they would not hesitate to descend upon me like wolves. I wasn’t even sure if they would give me the answers I was looking for. My parents never said where they adopted me from, and I knew better than to ask.

Now, a part of me wished I had. What was so unique about my heritage that made Esmeralda react that way?

As I looked through the census texts, I was able to find a few listings of adoptions that occurred between Fresonian biological parents and American families. They were rare–apparently the rate of children being put up for adoption was quite low in the kingdom, but that only made it easier for me to find each one.

There was nothing that indicated that there was a girl adopted from Fresonia and brought to the United States approximately two decades ago. I sighed in frustration and banged my head against the book.

Everything just felt so… hopeless. Not two months ago, I had been so happy and full of hope. Now it just felt like everything was so overwhelming. Pointless, even. What was I really contributing to helping break Felix’s curse by researching Fresonian adoptions?

Nothing. The answer was nothing. I was as useless as my research.

I made my way to Felix’s study, dragging my feet along the stone corridors of the castle. At the very least, I could spend time with him while he worked.

Now knowing the secret of the Dragon Knights, the strange carvings on Felix’s door made much more sense. Maybe he would even let me read one of his books on dragons while he worked, so I could learn more about the fire-breathing breasts I was now permanently attached to.

When I walked into his study, however, I was met with a dreadful sight.

Felix was groaning, doubled over in pain over his desk, clutching his left arm to his chest. His face was contorted with agony, and he was only able to breathe in short, desperate pants that surely were only increasing his panic.

“Felix!” I cried out, racing over to him. “Felix, what’s going on?”

He looked at me with horrified eyes. He gritted his teeth, finally able to muster out, “My arm.”

I tried my best to bring him to a seated position on the floor, but his muscular body was too large.

“I’ll run and get a doctor!” I said, scurrying over the doors of the study.

“No! Wait!” Felix called out after me. I turned to see him propping himself against his desk. He was still wincing in pain, although some color had made its way back into his face.

I rushed over. “My god, Felix, what was that?!”

He sighed and ran his good hand through my hair. “Just an attack of pain, my darling. Nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about?” I couldn’t help the extreme high pitch my voice came out at. “I’m extremely worried, actually!”

Felix pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “I appreciate your concern, Mila.”

I sat back on my heels to look him square in the face. “I don’t like this, Felix. Don’t try to make yourself a martyr. How long has this been going on?”

Felix looked down at his left arm and quietly said, “Since last week. Today has been the worst episode of it by far, though.”

I pressed a hand to the side of his face. “You should have said something. Does Esmeralda know?”

He shifted against the desk. “She knows that there is pain, yes, but not the extreme.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked softly, even though I knew the answer.

Felix smiled crookedly. “For this exact reason. I can’t stand the idea of you suffering on my account. Sometimes I wonder if I did a terribly selfish thing by marrying you. Maybe it would have been better for you to find someone who wasn’t going to die a month after your wedding day.”

I playfully smacked his good arm. “How dare you say that? I would marry you a million times over, no matter the circumstance. I love you, Felix. And don’t worry. We will find a way to break the curse and put all this mess behind us, forever.”

His eyes grew sad at the mention of the curse.

“Has she found a cure yet?” I asked quickly. Anything to get that sorrowful look off his face.

Felix’s face darkened for a moment, although I couldn't quite understand why. “Nothing we can actually use.”

He was being vague on purpose. But why?

“We’ll keep looking,” I promised. “It’s you and me against the world, Felix. As long as we’re fighting it together, we will never lose.”

He leaned forward and kissed me, his lips moving against mine in that familiar, loving pattern. I settled into his side and held him, hardly daring to breathe, terrified of interrupting the moment. My brain was whirring at a million miles an hour, but I kept as quiet as I could.

Was I about to lose the love of my life?