Withering Rose (Once Upon A Curse Book 2) Read Online Free

louder.
    Someone next to us grabs my father, pulling
him in for a hug. My father instantly turns off the panic in his
face, flipping his expression to a jubilant smile, hugging the man
and joining in with the cheers. He glances at me, expression
pleading.
    Blend in, his eyes are saying.
    Pretend. Join in the revelry. Don't let them
notice you are different.
    "Quiet down!" the general repeats, still
laughing.
    Suddenly, his words sound like they are
meant only for me. Quiet down. I've spent my entire life being
quiet, looking down, bowing my head to keep everyone from noticing
me. I can't do it anymore.
    My father reaches for me, but I step back. I
shake my head. I can't meet his eyes, can't stand to see his false
happiness for another moment.
    Instead, I flee.
    Everyone is so consumed by their joy, they
hardly notice me as I swerve my way between them, walking quickly
but not running. The general keeps talking, but I'm not listening
anymore. Blood pounds in my ears, and it drowns out everything
else. Magic thrums through my veins.
    When I finally reach my bedroom, I do the
only thing I can think of doing to release my anger, my hurt, my
frustration. I scream until I collapse on the floor. Then I scream
again. And when my throat is too raw to scream anymore, I finally
notice the salty tears dripping down my cheeks.
    I crawl across my carpet and reach beneath
my bed, using my shaking fingers to pull out the box I've hidden
there—the box I haven't opened in five years. My heart skips a
beat, and everything in the world turns peacefully quiet. As my
breath becomes uneven, my throat clogs, growing tight.
    I open the lid and pull out the torn,
stuffed bear I hid inside.
    Mr. Winky.
    A gift from my sister.
    It's the only thing I still have from my old
world, my old life. The crown I was wearing on the day of the
earthquake was confiscated, as were my family ring and the necklace
my mother had given me—all jewels that could be sold for profit. My
dress was thrown out when I grew too big. The trunks my father and
I had packed for our journey had either vanished during the
earthquake or were stolen from us. This little bear with a missing
eye and patches on its seams was the only thing deemed not worthy
enough to take, a toy no one had the heart to steal from a
frightened child. And I'll be forever grateful for that fact.
    I hug the soft fabric to my chest, letting
Mr. Winky take my tears and my fears as my mind opens up to a
memory I haven't allowed myself to think of in years. But no matter
how much time passes, I will never forget the day my sister gave
this to me.
    It was the last day I saw my mother and her
alive.
    It was the last time I ever felt truly at
peace.
    The last time I ever felt that I
belonged.
    It was one week before the earthquake. I was
standing in the courtyard outside our home, a grand castle at the
very center of our kingdom. The carriage door was open behind me,
and my father had already climbed inside, settling himself in for
the start of our journey. But I was afraid. I was crying because I
didn't want to go. I didn't want to have a fiancé, I didn't want to
leave my mother and my sister for so long, I didn't want to grow
up.
    "Hush, darling," my mother whispered,
kneeling down to my eye level as she wiped the tears from my
cheeks. "You'll be a queen someday, just like me. You'll have
magic, just like me. And Prince Asher will be your king, just as
your father is to me. You will grow to love each other. And trust
me, at this moment, I would bet he is just as afraid as you
are."
    I sniffled, lifting my chin to meet her
gaze. "Do you really think so?"
    She smiled lovingly. "I know so."
    "How?" I whined.
    "Because once I was just like you, a little
girl afraid of what the future held for me. And then, just like you
will, I learned how to be brave, how to swallow my fears and see
each challenge as an opportunity for growth, as an opportunity to
be a leader for my people."
    I shook my head. "I'm not brave."
    She