Beauty's Bell, page 1
part #4 of Becoming Beauty Series
Beauty’s Belle
A Becoming Beauty Trilogy Christmas Story
Brittany Fichter
This story should be read between Blinding Beauty (#2) and Beauty Beheld (#3)
BEAUTY’S BELL: A BECOMING BEAUTY TRILOGY CHRISTMAS STORY
Copyright © 2019 Brittany Fichter
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at BrittanyFichterFiction.com
Beauty’s Bell/ Brittany Fichter. -- 1st ed.
To Elizabeth…
Thank you for being a friend through thick and thin. You’ve been a partner to my magical princess obsession, and your words have been more encouraging than you know. Even when we’re far apart, you’ll always be a fellow princess at heart.
Contents
1. Everyone
2. Ghosts of Girlhood Past
3. Fine
4. Twisted
5. Bring Us Back
6. Epilogue
Also by Brittany Fichter
About the Author
1
Everyone
“Ever!”
Ever rolled over and mumbled.
“Ever! Wake up!”
The bed jostled, and just as Ever was about to roll over again, something heavy landed on his stomach.
“Oof!” he groaned.
“Ever! Get up!”
Ever sat up so fast he smacked something hard with his head. Pain shot down his face and rattled his jaw.
“Ow!” Isa fell back and put her head in her hands as Ever did the same, her copper locks falling over her face as she rubbed her forehead.
“What’s wrong?” Ever mumbled, rubbing his head while blindly reaching out to find his wife. “Are you all right?”
“Remind me never to do that again.” Isa laughed ruefully as she sat up, more slowly this time.
He squinted up at her. “So why exactly are you sitting on me?”
Isa brightened, pain seemingly forgotten. Her midnight blue eyes sparkled as she fairly danced where she sat. “It’s Etulle!”
Ever blinked at her as a sick feeling settled in his stomach. “Oh. I guess it is.”
Isa sat back and studied him more closely. “Aren’t you excited?”
He rubbed his eyes as Isa slid off of him to sit cross-legged on the bed. “Our first Etulle in which I’m not cursed and perpetually grumpy. I’m thrilled.”
“Cursed you are not. Grumpy…” She waved her hand. “That’s still to be determined.”
“All the more reason to let me sleep.” He put a pillow over his head.
He could feel Isa study him for another long moment before hopping off the bed and padding over to her vanity. He peeked out from under the pillow at her as she opened a drawer and pulled out a folded square of dark green fabric. It was shiny like silk, and there was lace peeking out from a corner of the fold.
“Well,” she said, shaking out the fabric. “I thought we could celebrate with our friends and family today and then come back and have our own celebration here, tonight. But if you’re so determined to just stay in bed, I can send this new nightgown back to Gigi—”
Ever was out of bed in a flash, but Isa had it back in the drawer and the drawer slammed shut before he had a good chance to see it. Then she flashed him a wicked smile and leaned against the drawer.
“You know,” Ever said, picking her up by the arms and kissing her on the head, “you’re really not big enough to put me to that kind of test.” He put her down on the other side of him and turned back to the drawer. But before he could retrieve the green nightgown, he was on his back, and Isa was leaning over him.
“Then you really shouldn’t have taught me all your tricks if you didn’t want me to use them.”
“Oh, you think those were all my tricks?” Ever growled, wrapping his hands around her waist. Isa squealed and tried to pry them off, but before he could really go for the kill, there was a knock at the door. Isa danced away from him, and he sat up just as the door opened and Gigi walked in.
“For shame, Ever.” Gigi shook her silver curls and tsked away. “It’s Etulle morning, and you’re still in your night clothes.”
Isa giggled as Ever glanced down at his favorite sleeping trousers. And no shirt whatsoever.
“Isa’s in her nightgown.” Grown man or not, his cheeks burned as he scrambled to pull on the tunic hanging over a chair by the bed. If there was anyone to make a king blush in his own home, it would be Gigi.
“At least she’s doing her best to get ready for the day.”
Sure enough, Isa had somehow made it to her wardrobe and was digging through it already. Ever made a face at her, to which she just stuck out her tiny pink tongue.
“We didn’t say come in.” Ever scowled back at Gigi.
“I knocked and you didn’t answer, so I had to make sure you weren’t dead. Now, Isa. Breakfast will be ready soon, then we’ll have games and refreshments for the staff in the throne room. The luncheon will be served at noon, followed by the sled races on the front green. We’ll have several hours for everyone to retire and rest before supper, during which I suppose you’ll want to go down to visit your own family?”
Isa nodded. “I’d hoped they would be able to come here, but Launce is still feeling as though he’s not ready to travel.”
“Very good.” Gigi pulled out a parchment and scribbled something on it. “Supper will be at sundown. That will give you some time to prepare for the Lighting, when everyone will meet back on the front lawn for the ceremony.”
“That sounds perfectly wonderful.” Isa beamed as she pulled down a blue gown. “We’ll be down soon.”
“I suppose you can dress yourselves properly without help?” Gigi peered down at Ever over her spectacles. He scrunched up his face, and she laughed before closing the door behind her.
Ever watched as Isa changed into her dress. She was glowing in a way he hadn’t seen her for a long time. No, that wasn’t true. She’d been glowing for weeks now, ever since Gigi had announced it was time for a proper Etulle. Perhaps her glow was just more complete now, like all the festive crystal stars hanging from the Fortress ceiling in their proper places.
Not that Ever wasn’t grateful for her joy. As always, Gigi had seemed to know exactly what everyone in the Fortress needed. After the battle with Bronkendol, the ancient glass enchanter, and a severe illness that had been passed around the Fortress immediately following, the Fortress staff’s morale had fallen lower than Ever had seen it since the curse. But as soon as Ever and Isa had returned from their delayed honeymoon on the mountain, Gigi had announced that preparations for Etulle were underway.
And everyone, Isa most of all, was thrilled. A real Etulle. After fifteen years without one, it was time, Gigi had announced. And to make matters worse, Garin had readily agreed. And so for weeks now, everyone had sung and danced and covered every inch of the Fortress in stars and silver and was near to bursting with joy.
Everyone except Ever.
“Lace me up?”
“What?” Ever shook his head to clear it.
“Lace me up, dreamer?”
“Sorry.” Ever stood, and Isa turned so he could lace up the back of her gown.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“Ever.” She turned as he finished and quirked an eyebrow. “You know you can’t lie to me.”
“That’s right. I forgot.” He gave her the best smile he could muster, but she wasn’t to be deterred.
She put a hand on his arm, her dark eyes staring up into his. “Truly, what’s wrong? I thought we weren’t going to do this hiding nonsense anymore.”
Ever took her hand in his and let out a gusty breath. “It’s not so much that I don’t want to tell you.” He paused. “It’s more that…I’m not sure I have the words yet.”
Isa stared at him for a long moment, her head tilted slightly to the side. He could feel her power encircling him, and she wasn’t even trying to hide it the way she usually did. But she must have been satisfied, or at least accepted his words as truth because she eventually took a deep breath and nodded. “Very well,” she said slowly, “I’ll see you at breakfast. If you need me, I’ll be with Gigi.”
He kissed her on the forehead and sent her on her way, but she gave him one more long look before heading out the door.
Ever set to dressing himself, but more slowly than Isa had. Anything to buy a little more time.
“Isa said I would find you in here.”
Ever jumped as Garin walked in. “Does anyone bother knocking anymore?”
“Didn’t you know?” His steward gave him a wry smile in the mirror as Ever buttoned up his shirt. “One of the privileges of being a king includes less privacy than the scullery maids.”
“Then to what do I owe this tremendous honor?” His words sounded even more sarcastic than usual, but at the moment, he didn’t care.
“Isa asked if I would check on you.”
“Of course she did.” When his wife couldn’t decipher his every emotion, she sent in the master.
“Oh, don’t be sour with her. She’s just worried about you.” Garin paused to straighten a chair. “A
Ever grunted.
“I haven’t been able to help noticing that you’re not exactly giddy with anticipation.”
Ever sighed and sat on the bed, staring morosely out the window. “Perhaps.” It was impossible to dodge Garin completely. They’d played this game too many times for Ever to have a chance at winning. It was hard to outsmart the man who had spent more time raising him than his own parents had. If Gigi could get into his head every now and then, Garin had a summer home there.
Garin nodded and sat beside him. “Would this have anything to do with your father?”
Ever stared at his hands.
“I see,” Garin said softly.
They were silent for several minutes as they watched the servants though the windows, setting up the sledding lanes behind the Fortress for the races later that day.
“Do you know what I suggested to your father the day of the last Etulle?”
Ever shook his head.
“I told him that perhaps he should allow you to throw the bell.”
This time, Ever was unable to hold in his surprise. He turned to look at the steward’s long, thin face. “You did?”
Garin smiled.
“But why? I would have been…” Ever racked his memory. “What, fourteen years?”
“You were still somewhat shook up over the incident with Isa, and your father’s power was beginning to wane.” Garin paused and looked down at his hands. “I believed it would allow you to see that the Fortress’s power still flowed through you…and you could find healing and forgiveness.” His face darkened slightly. “It would also have kept your father’s failing power out of the eyes of your enemies and your people.”
Ever held up his hand and played absently with a little ball of blue flame, letting it roll around and in and out of his fingers before extinguishing it in his palm.
“By that age, I could heal, burn, fight with every weapon conceivable, and lead an army into battle. But my father wouldn’t let me ring in a holiday.” If only his father had known what kind of damage he was silently inflicting and what it would lead to down the road.
“He was losing his interest in Etulle, so he probably thought he was doing you a favor.” Garin stood and stretched. “Saving you from a responsibility you didn’t need.” He snorted. “Not that he took that care with the dozens of other duties he’d already asked you to shoulder.”
“It was years before I realized why he canceled Etulle after that.” Ever stood, too.
Garin sighed and turned to look at Ever directly. “I’m sorry you had to suffer for it. But this year…” He paused and pressed his lips together. “Just…try to remember that you are not your father. And you are no longer a frightened, guilt-laden boy. You are the king of Destin and the Fortress, and with its help, you’ve defeated an ancient foe and found the love of your life. A love who desperately wants you to enjoy that life with her. Try not to overthink tonight. Have some fun.” His blue eyes glinted slightly. “After all, Etulle only comes once a year.”
2
Ghosts of Girlhood Past
Isa grinned down at the way her gown swished as she walked. Not that her gowns weren’t always lovely, because they were. Gigi saw to that. But this gown was perfection itself.
It was the perfect winter gown, turquoise with hints of sky blue in the beading and ribbons that trimmed her fitted sleeves, bodice, and skirts that tapered out gently from the hips. Though it looked light and airy like a summer gown, the skirts beneath the surface layers were fuller and thicker and kept her legs toasty warm. It would be perfect with the white fur muff, cape, and hat she would wear outside later that day.
But as she smiled and greeted the servants she passed on her way to the kitchens, Isa thought about the day’s agenda, and she was reminded of Ever’s strange sense of…what was it exactly? She was still getting used to her newly honed ability to discern other people’s emotions, and much to her great annoyance, Ever was the most difficult of them all.
She turned the corner and started down one of the curved staircases in the entry hall, pausing briefly to stare up at the vaulted ceilings, ceilings so high their distant marble detailing was nearly impossible to make out. But far from impossible to see were the hundreds of blue and white crystal stars hung from ribbons of silver silk, every size and length imaginable, from stars as small as her thumbnail to ones the size of her entire hand, fingers included. Every breeze let in from the grand doors sent the stars spinning, so that there was a constant dance of refracted light going on at all times.
The ceiling wasn’t the only part of the Fortress that was trimmed up. The rugs and tapestries had been changed out so that they were all blue or silver, and most of them had stars stitched or sewn into them as well. The white of the marble halls with its veins of megal only added to the splendor, rivaling the snowy out of doors for its brilliant white. Servants fairly ran to and fro, the energy nearly frenetic in its fevered high.
As joy flitted around her in every servant and child that passed, Isa realized what Ever had been feeling that morning. Dread. That was the emotion she had sensed in him. Dread and…fear.
But why would he be afraid? she mused silently to the Fortress. Etulle, of all celebrations, should bring him peace. She’d once heard Garin mention that it had been Ever’s favorite time of year as a boy. And yet…now that she thought about it, perhaps this wasn’t the first time Isa had recognized those feelings in her husband. Perhaps she had just been too blinded by her own excitement to really see his for what it was.
Isa may not understand her husband’s strange reactions to the holiday, but she knew who would. So she walked even faster toward the kitchens.
The kitchens were lively and warm, and the Fortress staff was abuzz as they put the final touches on the meal, laid out the tables, and finished last-minute decorations. Of all the places in the Fortress, the warm, noisy kitchens were usually some of Isa’s favorites.
And yet, today the dining hall might rival even them. Isa gasped when she walked through the dining hall to find thousands more of the blue and white crystal stars hung by ribbons from the ceiling. They caught the light and threw it around the large room as the sunlight grew. Smells of cinnamon, ginger, butter, and sugar filled the air, and children ran and giggled as parents hollered for them to slow down, but nobody made a move to actually dampen their enthusiasm.
And the more she walked among them, the more Isa shared that zeal in spite of her concerns about Ever. As a child, Etulle had meant gifts and games and prayer and songs with her family, all before gathering under the stars just before midnight to witness the spectacular Lighting of the Stars with the rest of Destin. Those nights were among her most cherished memories. She’d been brokenhearted when the stellar celebration had been brought to a close. So had all the merchants who counted on the visitors the spectacle brought from far and wide every winter.
“There you are.”
Isa turned to find Gigi. The old woman’s white curls were sticking up in every direction, but the brightness in her eyes was as youthful as the children around them.
“Those gifts you had prepared for the children,” Gigi said, motioning at the great pile of gifts by one of the largest fireplaces in the room. “I forgot to ask when you wished to distribute them.”
Isa bit her lip thoughtfully. “Let’s do it after the sledding, when all the adults open their gifts together. That way they’ll be slightly less excitable.” She paused and lowered her voice. “When you have a moment, I have a question.”
“What is it, love?” Gigi dumped an armful of napkins on the table nearest them and began to fold them.
Isa grabbed a napkin and began folding, too. “Ever seems…less than excited about today. I thought he would be happy.” It felt wrong to talk about Ever behind his back. But something was wrong, and Isa knew without a doubt that her husband would not be the one to tell her.
