The Curse of the Moon

Two

“Catalena!” My mother exclaimed a little too loudly as I entered the room. Standing from her seat on the edge of the sofa, she extended her arms out to me. A very bright, very fake, smile stretched across her face as she waved me closer. “Everyone, I would like to introduce my lovely daughter, Catalina. Catalina, please meet the Gilles family.” I smiled in their direction, finding myself facing a family similar looking to my own. An older man with a clean shaven face, grey hairs mixing into his salt and pepper hair. His wife sat at his side, her legs crossed over at the ankles while her foot nervously bounced. If someone could compete with my mother’s anxiety, it was her. Then, on the other side of his father was a young man, my future husband.

His smile was kind as he stood to greet me. “Catalena,” my name rolled from his tongue as if he’d practiced saying it over and over again in the days before now. The same way I had rehearsed his own. “It’s so nice to finally see you again, it’s been a while,” he took my hand in his, raising my fingers to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss to the back of my knuckles, a gesture that seemed far more intimate coming from him as my future husband.

“A while? Have we met before?” I asked, taken by surprise.

“We were much younger. You probably weren’t old enough to remember, hardly walking if I remember correctly,” I nodded my head to his reply. Caleb was a few years older than me, it made sense that he remembered meeting me whereas I had no memory of him. While our kingdom’s had crossed paths a few times over the years, business was usually dealt with between our parents. Very rarely did the kingdoms gather together as they did this weekend. It had always been far too dangerous for us to all be in one spot. If something were to happen to us, all of the people in our villages would be left abandoned. For our wedding however, our families seemed willing to take the risk.

“Well, I guess I should say it is lovely to see you again,” I offered Caleb as my hand fell back to my side. The silence of the room surrounded us, both of us suddenly becoming all too aware of the many pairs of eyes watching us. I took a step back, feeling more comfortable as the distance between us grew. Caleb looked exactly like his photos, prim and proper. His dirty blonde hair was gelled back, but I imagined how it might fall in front of his warm brown eyes when he was more relaxed. Or perhaps, he might always be this serious, a man of business like my father.

“Perhaps we’d be more comfortable in my study?” My father turned his head to suggest to King Gilles. Just as I had suspected, the men were far more interested in resorting to a midday drink.

“And Marsha how about I give you a tour?” My mother suggested, her true motive coming to light as she continued with, “let these two get to know each other.” Caleb and I locked eyes again, that polite smile never leaving his lips. With the rest of our family members disappearing into different rooms in the house, the silence fell over us once more. Caleb fell so still I thought he might be a statue.

“Sorry, I guess it is a little intimidating to be finally seeing again you after all this time,” he confessed sheepishly.

“Intimidating?” I laughed a little. That wasn’t the word I would have picked for this moment. Awkward, maybe. Uncomfortable, definitely. Being several inches shorter than him, I wasn’t sure how anyone could be intimidated by me.

“You’re the heiress to the biggest kingdom of our land. Really, all the other kingdoms look up to yours, especially after you’ve been holding the wolves back for so long,” he explained himself and while at first, I felt proud, it didn’t last long. This compliment wasn’t meant for me, but rather a result of my father’s reign. He led our kingdom through the battles, he strategized and made alliances, he was the saviour. His shoes would be nearly impossible to fill, but I’d spent my entire life training to do exactly that.

“Thank you, I will assure my father of your kind words,” I replied. I wasn’t sure what else to say, or where to possibly start our next conversation. I’d spent my childhood in etiquette and conversation classes, but nothing could have prepared me for this. How exactly do you greet the man who will become your husband?

“So, maybe you can show me the grounds?” Caleb suggested, and I nodded my head, grateful he seemed to be taking the first step. If he was going to live here from now on, he should know his way around. After all, this would be his home now just as much as it is mine.

Without another word, I headed out of the grand hall and back towards the foyer. “I assume you’ve been shown this room,” I said, deciding we would begin our tour out in the gardens. I could use some fresh air, I was certain we both could. Caleb stayed quiet as he followed me out the back doors and down the stone path. His hands fell into his pant pockets, his button down shirt pulling a little tighter over his shoulders. Joelle hadn’t been wrong, he was a good looking man. I couldn’t help but think, a man who looked like a prince. There was a certain advantage to royalty, the nicer clothes, the extra time dedicated to our appearance.

Rounding the last corner of the gardens, I approached a second set of doors leading us back into the house. “This room isn’t used much, mostly for large events,” I explained as we stepped inside. “We don’t have many of those anymore, not with all the attacks. Our wedding will be the first in years.”

“About that,” Caleb’s hand caught mine, catching me in my step forwards. I spun on my heel, meeting his eyes. “I understand the circumstances of my arrival might be a little uncomfortable, but I believe in making the best of things. So, how about we start by getting to know each other a little,” Caleb’s hand gently squeezed mine. His smile was one I found myself struggling to say no to. The best of things, we really had no other choice.

Caleb and I spent the rest of the afternoon doing exactly that, and surprisingly, I was enjoying myself far more than I ever thought I would. He was as kind as his eyes told me, and growing up a child in heir of a throne gave us more in common than I ever thought it would.

I left Caleb late in the afternoon as he went to meet up with his father. I continued on to my usual afternoon activities. Heading to the castle library, I pulled a bunch of books on the history of Caleb’s village. My own village I knew like the back of my hand, having been studying its history since I was old enough to read. I forget too often though that Caleb will have his own village to rule. A wedding between us also meant the union of our two kingdoms. That meant twice the army, but also twice the people to protect.

Spending the greater part of the afternoon studying his lands, going in so much detail as to learn even the exact locations of property boundaries. Their population was nearly half of ours, but much more widely spread. Their military held just as many weapons, even if they had less men trained in the art of war. Their climates only slightly colder than ours meant less space for agriculture, and more spent on livestock and forestry.

As the afternoon came to it’s end, I wandered down the empty hallway in search of Caleb. Having quite enjoyed our time earlier I hoped I might catch him to have him join me for dinner. With our rehearsal dinner being just short of 24 hours away, my nerves were riled now more than ever. Meeting him this afternoon though, getting to know him a little better, had brought me comfort. This man seemed to be as kind as the photos Joelle had collected appeared, and with every reassurance he gave me of such, I felt more confident in my decision to marry him.

Hearing the mention of my own name, I approached my father’s study and pushed the door open just a crack. Normally, I would have announced my presence but something within me urged me to remain quiet and observe. My father sat in the chair behind his desk, King Gilles and Caleb on the chairs in the centre of the room. The three of them held stern looks on their faces, gazing over a map my father had pinned to the wall. Red push pins lined the trees, large red circles surrounding the three standing kingdoms while a large black x had been marked over the northern castle. I’d been in my father’s study many times before, but this map in particular had never caught my eyes. What did those red push pins mean?

“The war is advancing faster now than ever. For the first time in a while, we seem to be making some progress on the front lines, pushing back,” my father said, giving the glass of scotch in his hand a gentle shake to stir the ice cubes around. “My time to step down is quickly approaching, and I fear once Catalena ascends the throne the people will lose faith in her. Our progress will be lost,” my blood turned as cold as ice at my father’s next words. The people would lose faith in me. In me.

“A kingdom without a king is no kingdom at all,” King Gilles cleared his throat to say. My own father nodded his head in agreement. My father wants a king to take over the throne. He’s forcing me to marry Caleb because he wants a king as his successor. He doesn’t think I’m capable of taking on the throne.

“My son is honoured to be chosen as your successor,” King Gilles said next, his hand falling to his sons shoulder. Caleb nodded his head in agreement but I was already backing away from the door.

“Thank you,” I heard Caleb’s voice next as the room around me began to turn. All the air had escaped my lungs, suddenly feeling as if the walls on either side of me were closing in. Out of fear, I sprinted down the hallway, desperately craving the comfort of my own room.

Entering my room, I went straight to my nightstand. I yanked the hair tie from my braid, letting the frosty white locks hang down over my shoulders. Picking up my hair brush I began anxiously running it through the knotted mess, my eyes locking with my reflection in the mirror. My whole life, I’d been preparing for a task my father didn’t believe me to be capable of simply because I was a woman? In defeat, I slammed my hairbrush down onto my vanity. I was being reduced to my gender alone, but did I have any other choice?