CHAPTER 7

The castle was dim and quiet at midnight. The queen made her way towards her daughter's chambers as she always did at the end of a long and tiring day. Selina had been told to go to sleep hours before, but she always waited up for her mother late into the night until she arrived. The queen knew she shouldn't encourage it, but it seemed to be the only time they could enjoy being together anymore.

When she reached the bedchamber, the queen eased the door open and took a peek inside. The thin crack of light revealed that the large bed at the center of the room was empty. She heard a soft noise in the corner where a large collection of Selina's favorite toys was gathered. She kept her footsteps light as she moved towards their direction. She found several large stuffed animal toys clustered together. The queen had to squint a bit to make out which shape among these toys was the one she was looking for. She heard soft sniffle somewhere in the dark. The queen knelt carefully next to the young princess who had cocooned herself inside a heavy bundle of blankets. Instead of addressing her directly, the queen turned her full attention to one large bear beside her.

"Excuse me Mr. Bear, I'm looking for my daughter. Have you seen her?" She held up her hand slightly over her head and said, "She's about this tall and she loves to eat. You would remember if you saw her. She's the most beautiful girl in the world."

Selina would usually laugh whenever her mother said this. Her immediate response would always be to shout back, "No you're the most beautiful in the world!" and she would barrel over to attack her with a hug. In this instance, Selina didn't respond. Her mother knew something was wrong.

Lately, she had been told that he daughter had been having difficulties. It seemed that she was encountering more things that upset her as she got older. Selina also made it more difficult to help her because she was at an age where she no longer wanted to be treated like a baby. As a result, she learned to bottle up her emotions and keep her problems to herself. She was determined never to cry in front of anyone, especially her mother. Selina would get more upset when she failed to mask her emotions. It always broke her mother's heart. The queen wanted so badly to just cradle her in her arms until she felt better. She had to learn how to reach out to her daughter indirectly.

"You know, your back will ache if you sit on the floor for too long, Cat." Recently, Selina had started to go by that nickname after she decided it was her favorite animal. She made her mother promise her that she could have one as a pet one day. The queen continued, saying, "If I bring you to your bed, you can sit all night. You don't even have to come out of your cave. Is it okay if mommy carries you there?"

The blankets were silent. Then there was small nod made from within. Immediately, her mother scooped up the entire bundle from the floor and carried it towards the bed. Holding the small body, she took that opportunity to envelope it in the warmest embrace. She carefully set her daughter down on her favorite side of the bed and moved to lie behind her so that Selina could safely keep her face hidden from view. Her mother watched the soft rise and fall of the blanket sheets, and chose her next words carefully.

"A few noble families came to visit today. Your governess told me you played with some of the children."

Selina's back visibly tensed.

There was a crack in Selina's voice, "They told me to go away. They said they didn't want to play with me."

The queen hand twitched to touch her daughter, but she fought the urge. Without moving, she asked, "Oh? Why would they say that?"

"They said I wasn't the king's daughter. That I wasn't really a princess."

Selina's mother felt her own chest tighten.

"Cat, that's nonsense. Of course you're a real princess. Those children were just being mean to you. You shouldn't listen to them."

On impulse, the queen wrapped her daughter in her arms over the blankets. She was relieved to feel Selina welcome her embrace.

The little girl allowed herself to peek out of her refuge so her mother could stroke her hair. After a while she said, "Mommy?"

"Mmm?" her mother answered.

"Can I stop being a princess?"

The queen gave a pause, then asked, "Why, Selina? What's wrong with being a princess?"

She could see her child wringing her small hands absentmindedly. Selina answered, "I hate it. I'm sad all the time."

"Oh, Selina." Her mother held her tighter. "You shouldn't feel that way. Why are you sad?"

She waited, but Selina didn't offer up an answer. The queen could guess it could be any number of things. It wasn't hard for her to imagine.

The queen struggled to find a way to comfort her daughter, "You're a princess and I'm the queen. We live in this beautiful castle, and we can have whatever we want. You can't be sad here."

Selina was shaking her head. "I never see you anymore, Mommy. You're always busy. If I stop being a princess, can you stop being a queen?"

The queen was at a loss for words.

Her voice faltered saying, "You can't run away from who you're supposed to be, Selina. If you did that, you'd make a lot of people very angry."

Selina looked up at her mother sadly. She asked, "So if stop being a princess, I'll be bad?"

It was the queen's turn to hide her face from her daughter. She quickly wiped her face so Selina wouldn't see anything wrong with it. She held on to the small child like she was a tether.

"I don't know, Cat. I don't know if you'll be any happier if you're not a princess."

She heard her daughter utter a soft, "Oh." and watched her head sink into her pillow. The child slid deeper into her heavy blankets and settled into her mother's arms.

The queen buried her face in her baby's soft golden curls and rocked them both slowly.

"It will be okay, Selina. We'll be alright." Her mother's words became whispers, and soon they disappeared into silence.

As Selina entered sleep, she hoped that the heavy sadness in her chest would disappear when she woke up.

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Selina felt cold and she knew she was awake. With her eyes still shut, she tried to sit upright. Her whole body ached from sleeping on the stone floor.

The glow of the rose hurt her eyes when she finally opened them. She got up from the makeshift nest of blankets and cushions she had piled up close to the flower. There were only three petals left clinging on to the stem. She had never seen the rose behave this way before. The magic surrounding it seemed to be fluctuating. It was taking longer for the magic to return to the castle each time a petal was lost. Selina couldn't get the candles and fireplace to reignite themselves with a simple command anymore.

She brushed off some dust from the ceiling that fell on her while she was asleep. The earthquakes were growing stronger with increasing regularity. She felt the low rumble of the ground shaking beneath her. Since the last quake that rocked the castle, it left a dull persistent shaking that threatened to build up again at any moment.

Selina didn't know how long she slept but she felt more tired now that she was awake again. She had slept restlessly. She wasn't sure if what she had dreamt was an actual memory or not. The dream only made her remember the past vividly. It made her think back to time when her mother had gone missing. It was six months after her disappearance when it was decreed that the search for her would be put to an end. By then, the woman was completely scorned and hated by everyone in the kingdom. She was officially banished as an exile. She would never be allowed to set foot in the kingdom of Eastend.

Even so, like a lost child, Selina continued to ask for her mother. Every day she was told very plainly that her mother was never coming back. But Selina refused to accept that. For a long time, she continued to wait and hope. As more time passed, the more miserable she felt.

Eventually, she understood that she had been abandoned. She was thrown away by the only person she had ever loved. Selina shook her head and allowed the dream to fade from her mind completely. She realized that she had woken up feeling angry. She was tired and frustrated. She had done nothing in the past few days but watch over the rose and wait for the inevitable ending.

She turned away and walked over to the window. She could no longer tell what time of the day it was. The horizon was blurred and darkened by heavy snowfall. It showed no signs of letting up. Selina felt like she was slowly being buried alive by the endless snow. The weather outside had also taken an ugly turn since Bruce had left.

Selina's breath fogged up the glass until she was looking at her own reflection. She was standing on the same spot where she watched him leave. Her heart felt as cold as it did then. When she had lost sight of him, Selina proceeded to tidy up every single room in the castle before locking them back up again. When everything was put away and shut up, she returned to her chambers and began her vigil over the rose.

In her solitude, she found herself reflecting on their time together in the castle. Selina smiled, thinking back to what it had been like between them early on. At first, the boy had been nothing but a thorn at her side. She did her best to ignore him, but he made it difficult for her. She wanted nothing to do with him but he continued to surprise and annoy her at every turn. But he still left in the end. Even if they never met, she probably would be standing on the exact same spot waiting for the end. Selina thought about that and shook her head. No, something did change.

Selina had taken her time tidying up the library. It took her a while considering that Bruce had thoroughly ransacked it. He had probably read an actual mountain of books in his search to break or undo the curse. She was glad that he had something to keep him preoccupied at the time. Selina looked at her eyes reflected in the glass. Bruce was someone that she didn't need to keep secrets from. Knowing that made it more painful every time she had to lie to him. Even if she had confessed that the witch had indeed told her what she needed to do, there was nothing he could have done to help her.

Selina thought back to her final moments with the witch. The witch's dark magic was suffocating her. She was reduced to a shivering heap on the floor. She was growing more and more lightheaded from the lack of air and the unbearable cold. The witch penetrated the castle with the winter storm outside. The only light in the room came from the moon shining through the shattered windows. She knew she was still conscious because she could still hear the witch laughing. The madwoman continued to dance in circles all around the room, playing with falling snow flurries like a child.

Suddenly, she could feel the witch murmuring right against her face. Her voice was filled with sudden sweetness. "Can I tell you a secret, little one? It belongs to you but you keep it from yourself.

"Do you know why you stayed in this place all these years? A clever child like you could have escaped any time. You were never afraid, you are not noble and you were never trapped. You told yourself it was easier to do what you were told and stopped having to feeling anything, but that's not true, is it? A docile little animal is not what you are. You are a human with a heart and that is your true burden.

"How many years has it been since your mother left you? She abandoned you in the cold wood all alone when you were still a baby. You could have died and she would never have known. Did you hate her the moment you understood what she had done to you? Why not run away from your life then?"

The witch gave pause, but she didn't wait for an answer. The princess remained limp in her claws.

"My dear, the reason is simple: you stayed lonely in this place for as long as you did because you loved your mother and wherever she was, you still wanted to make her happy.

"So I watched and waited. It was only a matter of time before you realized that she would never care for whatever you did in her name. She didn't stay and she never came back. Your mother would never know you ever again. It took years before you finally gave up. I watched your heart turn like an apple in the sun. A love spoiled into hate. Hearts like yours have been my bread and butter for a millennia."

The witch tucked a lock of the princess's hair behind her ear absentmindedly. It made Selina's skin crawl. "Everything that's ever happened to you, everything that you have become is because of her. You want to run from your crown and this castle to the edge of worlds beyond but you can never escape. The hate is in your bones."

The witch sighed to herself, almost sounding tired, "There's really no trick to laying a curse over you, princess. You've already done all the heavy lifting."

Selina's frozen body felt like she was being pierced with a thousand needles, yet somehow her eyes burned and she felt icicles grow around her cheeks.

The witch only chuckled, "Now I need you to pay attention. This is the part where I tell you how you can break the spell. You have a chance to earn you freedom." Selina felt her spidery fingertips stroke her face even though her skin had gone numb. "Now, you must understand that curses are like games. I can't cast the spell without setting up the rules and you can't win or lose if you don't know what they are."

The witch stood upright and began circling the princess like a vulture, "The rules vary with every curse. I can make the conditions as challenging as I want but you will have a chance to succeed. Think of an archer who has to shoot a target from a mountain away. You are the archer and I will fashion the mountain."

She tapped at her chin coyly, "Hmm, so what shall it be? True love's kiss?" The witch made a face, "No, no. Any idiot can fall in love. No, I think something more poetic is required." The winds had died down and the cold air seemed to amplify the witch's voice. The snow muffled any other sound. After some thought, she smiled to herself and turned back to the princess at her feet.

When she spoke again, her voice sounded more lyrical, like she was reciting a poem. This is how the witch began her curse.

"You've been able to bear the loneliness in your life because you've hidden your heart and locked it away in a castle that no one can see. So tell you what, little girl. I'll do the same to you."

The witch drew back a bit, looking almost thoughtful. If Selina could see her face, she would have thought the witch's expression had a look of pity. "You see, my dear, you mortals are so easy to trap because you build your own prisons."

The witch drew closer to Selina's slumped form so she whisper into Selina's ear, "The only way you can escape this place is if you can find someone who sees you for exactly who you are. Behind the walls."

The witch smiled her viper smile. "But curses always cut both ways. You must return the favor. You must see what truly lies in another's heart as well." Selina finally opened her eyes, though she could barely focus. The two adversaries held each other's gaze one last time.

"I've studied your heart closely, my dear. If you suffer this punishment until the very end, you cannot blame me. It will be your own failure."

The witch stood back up with her hands on her hips, looking satisfied. The malice had returned in her eyes, "Now, I do believe this royal audience has ended." She bowed low, gracefully lifting her dark garments like a proper courtier, "I bid you goodnight, your majesty."

With a wave of her hand, the dark shadows filled Selina's vision. She never saw the witch again after that.

Selina had told Bruce everything about the night of the curse until that crucial end of the story. It took her a while to piece together the events of that night and what the witch had said to her. She remembered her words, but was never sure of what the witch had meant.

It was only a little while before Bruce left when she had finally begun to understand.

Selina could barely see the snow through the frost on the glass. She withdrew from the window and decided to build a fire. She busied herself piling up some kindling. It took her a few tries, but she managed to create a spark with some flint. As she watched the flames grow, she told herself that it was a good thing that Bruce had left, really. Since the rose had started wilting, Selina suspected the witch's punishment would get much worse. Bruce was much safer staying far away from her. Even if there was a small chance he could have helped her, she didn't want to risk something horrible happening to both of them if they failed.

Selina turned around and saw that a few candles had managed to light themselves back up, though the entire chamber remained cold. Selina drew her blankets closer and warmed her palms over the small fire she had made. She was getting ready to face the end. If only she could douse the small hope that still burned in her heart.

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Bruce wanted Grayson to keep a steady pace, but the horse started to sense something going wrong with his rider. Since the start of their journey back to the castle, Bruce had lost a considerable amount of blood. He replaced the crude bandages he had fashioned over his wounded arm several times, but he had not stopped to rest since they had left Gotham. Even when he was treating his injuries, he remained on horseback and moving quickly. He only varied the pace sometimes so that Grayson could conserve energy, but he refused to do the same for himself. His training had taught him how to push his own limits, but the journey was taking a toll on his body. He forced himself to use his injured arm. He ignored how his hands shook as he gripped the magic mirror. He steered Grayson to the paths it showed him. They still had quite a distance to travel before they reached the castle.

As they stayed the course, Bruce grew weaker. His vision began to blur and he began to dip in and out of consciousness. Bruce jolted himself awake when he realized that Grayson had stopped. The horse had felt his rider go limp in his seat. Bruce urged the horse to keep moving, but Grayson protested. His rider stubbornly continued to press him forward until the horse eventually complied.

Grayson only managed a light trot before Bruce slipped off his saddle and collapsed on the ground. Grayson gave out a cry of panic and circled back for his rider. Bruce lay unmoving as his horse stomped fretfully around him. Grayson gave loud whinny to get the boy's attention. He rose up and stomped at the ground hoping to startle him awake. Bruce remained still. Frantic, Grayson bent down nosing and nudging his body. When he came upon the fleshy area of his lower leg, he bit down hard.

With a cry, Bruce threw his head back. The sudden pain from the bite shocked him back to consciousness. He curled up instinctively and gripped his throbbing leg. At the sound of his voice, Grayson immediately released him. He continued to stomp around in worry, but he was relieved to see his rider awake again. Bruce blinked and realized what had happened. He lay back on the ground and gave a small laugh. Grayson drew close and Bruce patted the horse's muzzle. He told him, "Thank you, my friend."

Bruce heaved himself back up slowly into a sitting position. His head spun and he had to wait for his vision to refocus. He was about to get up on his feet when he realized that he wasn't holding the mirror. In a bolt of panic, he twisted around, searching for where he could have dropped it. He spotted it not far from where he had fallen. He got up quickly and stumbled over to it. He dreaded for a moment that the mirror had broken. He gave a loud sigh of relief when he saw that the mirror was undamaged. There wasn't a scratch on the surface.

He calmed himself and asked the mirror to show him the way to the castle again. The image began to form, but then suddenly, it darkened and disappeared. Bruce was left staring at his own reflection. He held the mirror with both hands and repeated his demand to see the way back to the castle. Instead of an image resurfacing, a tiny crack appeared on the mirror. In a split second, the crack spread throughout the smooth surface and the mirror shattered in Bruce's hands.

"No!" he cried, trying to grab at the pieces that were falling away. He knelt down and picked up several broken shards, now blackened and rusted. Bruce held them and cried repeatedly, "Show me the castle! I need to see the way back to the castle!" but none of the pieces showed him anything. The mirror was useless. The magic had somehow been drained from it.

He dropped the shards and got to his feet. He looked up at Grayson and thought about his chances of finding the castle the way he had found it the first time. He shook his head. They needed a direct route. They didn't have time to waste running around in circles. Something was happening to the castle at that moment. The broken mirror was a sign. He needed to get to Selina the fastest way possible.

Bruce was grasping to think of another way back. He didn't realize how much he was still gripping a small shard of the mirror. It pricked the inside of his bare clenched fist and drew blood. Its blackened surface was smeared. Bruce looked at the shard he held in his hands and remembered that it was created out of dark magic. From what he had read, blood was often a price. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He wiped away some of the blood from the surface with his thumb. He allowed his palm to keep bleeding around the mirror's edges. Once more, he asked the tiny piece of the mirror to show him the way back to the castle.

Like a ripple in a murky pool, an image of the castle slowly emerged. It shifted to show him the path he needed to take from where he was in the forest. Without another thought, Bruce held the shard in his teeth as he hoisted himself back up on Grayson. He got out a rope from his supplies and tied himself securely to the saddle in case his body threatened to fall off the saddle again. He spit the shard back out into hand and gave it a fresh drop of blood with his finger. The image became clearer and he led Grayson towards the right path.

Soon, Bruce's hands were completely bloodstained. He wasn't bothered by this. In fact, his spirits lifted when the temperature suddenly dropped and it began to snow. He felt adrenaline shoot through his body. They had found the way back and they were getting close. He was certain that he was on the path that led straight to the castle gates when the biggest quake hit them.

Grayson reared back when the snow exploded at their feet and the ground cracked open. Bruce felt his hand release the last shard of the magic mirror and saw it disappear into the snow. He grabbed the reins instead. If he had not tied himself to the saddle, he definitely would have been thrown off Grayson. The quake continued. The horse was still rearing in panic but he managed to get clear of the earth breaking open beneath them. Bruce did his best to keep Grayson focused and steady. He watched as the quake uprooted several old trees around them. Bruce saw their deep heavy trunks shoot out of the ground. They crashed together in a tangle of branches.

This caused a domino effect among rows of trees. The whole wood started crashing in on itself in every direction. One falling oak hit a rotting trunk causing it to break in half from the impact. It splintered and toppled towards Bruce and his horse. Bruce reacted quickly and steered Grayson out of harm's way. It missed them by just a few inches and the hunk of wood plowed into the snow beside them. The flying debris propelled them to gallop over the spray of snow and dodge heavy falling branches left and right. Bruce couldn't see past his own nose at this point so he had to put his trust on Grayson. He rode practically blind through the chaos.

Gradually, the violent shaking began to subside, but the ground continued to shudder. Bruce could see his way better through their current course. The whole forest looked like it had been raked over. Bruce never imagined the curse would cause destruction like this. He slapped his reins and cried out for Grayson to go even faster. They jumped over fallen trees and more jutting roots. Bruce's maneuvered his way through as quickly as he could.

He caught his breath when he finally saw the gates in the distance. The way to it was littered with more uprooted and fallen wood. The ground was broken and uneven but he and Grayson soared through it all. When he rushed through the gates, the first thing he saw was that most of the castle facade had crumbled off completely. Panic gripped him when he realized it would take one more massive quake to send the castle collapsing in on itself. If the magic had gone from the place the same way the mirror had lost its power, there was nothing to keep the castle from being completely destroyed. Bits and pieces of the walls were already breaking apart as the shaking persisted. As Bruce got closer, he could see all of the glass windows were broken. As soon as he was at the foot of the steps, he leaped off Grayson and shouted at him to stay outside.

Bruce ran to the entryway door and wrenched it open. He stepped inside just in time to see one of the grand chandeliers plummet to the floor a thunderous crash, sending bits of crystal and wax sailing through the air. There interior was falling apart everywhere. The ground was littered with shattered antiques, china and ornaments that had fallen from broken shelves and upturned furniture. Several other chandeliers had crashed to the floor. Paintings fell and tapestries ripped around him as he made his way further inside. The last quake must have broken up the stone floor. It was nothing but a craggy shamble of fissures and cracks now. Bruce had to be careful where he stepped or he would find himself dropping into a sudden crevasse.

As he ran, he noticed his breath blowing past him. It was much colder inside than it was outside. There were a few candles that managed to stay alight but their flames kept flickering. It wouldn't be long until there was no more magic left inside the castle at all.

Selina could have been anywhere. Bruce considered for a moment that she may have already gone outside to safety, but his mind flashed back to his last image of her. She was standing all alone in the middle of the room with the rose. She had shouted at him to go, but he thought about how she looked before he turned away.

He turned a corner and made his way straight for the west wing. He stopped when he saw that the grand staircase was completely destroyed. The last quake caused it to cave in completely. The doors that led to the west wing were intact, but now they resembled more a balcony at the top of a high tower. The steps lay crumbled in a heap below. Without another thought, Bruce dove right into it and started climbing over the collapsed marble like it was the face of a rocky mountain.

Unfortunately, the shaking continued, causing the loose rubble to shift. Bruce suddenly lost his footing, but it was fortuitous because it forced him to jump aside in time as debris from the head of the pile tumbled down past him. He secured his hold again and waited for the shifting to settle. He looked up at the doors above him. How strange it was to be exactly where he had waited for Selina on the night of their first dance.

The doors were closed. There was really nothing left of the staircase itself except a short ledge of marble with a torn bit of carpet. The pile of rubble he was climbing over wasn't high or stable enough for him to jump up and grab on to the ledge. He looked the torn carpet. It was nailed to the top of the staircase. He thought that if he could jump high enough to reach the torn end, he maybe able to use it heave himself up to the ledge.

Bruce set his jaw and began to climb. His scramble over the rubble had opened up the wounds in his hands and the injury in his arm. The climb was a painful one and the blood made his grip slippery. Slowly, he was able to make his way up. He stood precariously at the top of the marble pile that threatened to shift again. He could feel his legs shaking. When he propelled himself to a jump, he would only have one chance to grab the carpet. The rubble would fall away beneath him and collapse further away from the ledge. If he missed and fell, there was nothing but a pile of jagged stone below.

He took a deep breath and launched himself.

His heart stopped when he felt the carpet in his hands. He stifled a cry when it went taut. All the wounds in his hands and injured arm opened up at once. His body swayed slightly as he hung aloft. He bit back the pain in his arm and tightened his hold when he felt the blood in his hands slipping up his grip. With all of his willpower, he began to climb up the carpet. He left bloody handprints as he ascended. The wound in his arm had reopened but he pressed on. He didn't have far to climb before he could reach the ledge. Before he could climb any higher, he heard the sound of the carpet rip.

Bruce stopped breathing when he felt the carpet begin to slacken from his weight. Panic propelled him to climb faster, but it only tore the carpet more. He reached up just in time to grab the stony edge of the broken staircase. The torn bit of the carpet he held in his other hand slipped away and fell down to the rubble. He grabbed hold of the ledge with both hands. His palms and his arm were burning, but he held on. Painfully, he lifted himself up and crawled up the ledge. Gradually, he was able to heave his upper body over it completely. He managed to get his legs over before he collapsed flat on his back. He lay on the cold marble ledge breathing heavily with his injuries throbbing in pain.

After only a short pause, he got up slowly. He was soon on his feet and he was standing right up to the west wing doors. He looked at the doorknob. He would need to use both his battered hands to be able to turn it.

Bruce had stood in that exact spot begging Selina to come out and eat not too long ago. If Selina had locked herself up again, and refused to let him inside, he would be powerless to help her.

His hands closed over the doorknob and began to turn it.

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Selina turned around when she heard her name.

She ran to the other end of the room. Before she could reach the door, she saw Bruce bursting through it.

They only locked eyes for a moment before Selina tackled Bruce and locked him in a tight embrace.

"Ow!" Bruce cried out on the impact. Selina looked up and suddenly realized that he was actually hurt. She took a step back and noticed his bloody hands and bandages. She looked back at him in shock, but he was just smiling back at her. She suddenly felt like punching him.

"You idiot!" She held one his hands and looked at his injured arm more closely, "Look at this! You barely did this properly. And what happened to your hands? Put some bandages on them, too!"

Bruce didn't try to make any excuses. He was silently checking to see if Selina herself was alright.

She was gritting her teeth and shaking her head as she bent down and began to rip up pieces of her dress. She ripped out several long strips of cloth and immediately grabbed Bruce's hands to bandage them herself. "God, I thought you were supposed to be smart! There's nothing heroic about hurting yourself you know. It's just dumb." She sounded angry, but her hands were careful in wrapping up each of Bruce's fingers and his palms. His wounds immediately stained the cloth, but they felt much better under her hands.

Bruce waited for her to finish scolding him before he said to her, "It's good to see you again, Selina."

Selina didn't look up. She continued to fiddle with the bandages on his hands.

"You came back," she said quietly.

Bruce squeezed her hand, despite the pain, "Yes. I said I would."

She didn't squeeze back, knowing it would hurt him, but she held on to his hand.

"Well," Selina began. There were things she had to say. They were brave and noble words that she had been telling herself since he had left, but instead, the words that escaped her were, "you sure took your time getting here then."

Standing together again, the two smiled back at each other.

She looked back in the direction of the rose at the other side of the room. The lurid glow around it was dimming. There was only one flimsy petal left on the stem.

Selina met Bruce's eyes and gave him a sadder smile, "I don't know if you'll be able to save the day this time though."

Bruce glared at the rose and pulled Selina closer, "Selina we can't be here when that flower dies. We have to get out of the castle now."

He turned to look out the door he just came through. They may as well have been high up the face of a cliff. He was trying to think of a way for them to get down safely, but when he turned back to Selina, she was walking back towards the rose.

"Selina!" Bruce ran after her. She had stopped right in front of the rose and he caught up next to her. The base was littered with dead petals. They were past decay. They were all crumbling into ashes. The mark of the curse was vivid and clear on the stone floor like it had just been burned there. The demonic smile seemed to be mocking them both.

"It's so stupid," Selina seemed to muse, her angry voice edged with sadness. "This whole thing is so stupid. That crazy witch could have just cursed me, but she had to drag everyone else into it. All the people in the castle, they'll probably never come back." Selina's hands were balled into fists. Her nails dug into her skin.

Bruce touched her arm, "Selina, this isn't your fault."

"It wasn't anybody's fault. I just wanted to leave this place, disappear without hurting anyone. Then this crazy witch comes along and we all got trapped inside this castle. And now, only I get to escape. It's not fair." Bruce felt Selina's body go rigid. She was shaking. "Even if I get out of here, I still can't leave. This whole damn place could become a pile of rocks and I'd still have to stay here." She stamped her foot at the laughing devil on the floor, "That witch knew there was nothing I could do about it."

Bruce planted himself in front of her, blocking her view of the rose. He held her shoulders squarely with his bandaged hands. He waited for her to meet his eyes.

"Selina, you can't blame yourself for this curse. Whatever that witch told you, none of this is your fault."

The castle rumbled below them. The ground began to shake more forcefully, but Bruce didn't flinch. His hold steadied them both.

Bruce went on, "Selina, it doesn't matter if you're a princess or a thief. I know you, and you don't deserve to be punished for anything."

Selina couldn't see the rose anymore. There was nothing else but the boy speaking to her.

His gaze never wavered, "Selina, I promise I'm not going to leave you here alone. No matter what happens next, I'll stay with you."

She looked at him and knew he meant every single word. He was someone who kept his promises.

Selina forgot the rose, the castle and how her tragic fairytale story was ending in that moment. She looked into Bruce's eyes and thought about a world beyond all of that. A world where she and this prince could be together and everything was simple.

She felt something pierce her heart.

Behind them, the last petal detached itself from the stem. The remains of the flower withered up completely before the petal disintegrated into ash.

The earthquakes grew violent. The glass windows shattered and cold air blew into the room, dousing any light or warmth left inside. Gigantic cracks began to appear and spread all over the walls and floor.

"Selina!" Bruce was yelling now. He turned towards the nearest window, preparing to jump. "We have to-!"

She took his face in her hands and made him look back at her. She held him close and simply said his name.

She kissed him softly.

The sound of destruction was deafening as the whole castle crumbled all around them.

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The air was warm. It was more shocking than a loud crash or a gust of cold wind. Selina hadn't felt a warm summer breeze in a long time.

She opened her eyes to see that she and Bruce were crouched together on the floor. Bruce was holding her firmly so his body would shield her from falling debris. But Selina looked up and there was nothing falling over them. The chamber was completely intact. The earthquakes had not only stopped but they simply vanished. The early morning sun was shining through the clear glass windows.

Bruce opened his eyes and looked around the room. He and Selina both exchanged looks. They both turned at the same time to look at the rose but it was gone. There was no trace of the flower, it's glass case or the demonic mark on the floor.

Bruce looked at the whole chamber. It was like the chaos a few moments ago never happened. A bird flew past the window, singing.

"What…?" he said uncertainly. Outside the day was so clear. The sky was endlessly blue.

The empty room was a marvelous sight compared to the disaster they were standing in only moments before. He turned back to Selina to exchange another look of amazement, but he glanced at her in time to catch a tear rolling down her cheek. Selina caught it quickly and turned away. On impulse, Bruce moved to touch her face. His fingers lightly brushed against her dry cheek. Her skin was very warm through his bandages.

"Selina?" His voice was full of concern. Selina coughed and turned back to face him. She smiled. Her eyes were clear but they gleamed slightly.

"I'm okay," she said. She reached out for his other hand and held it to reassure him.

Bruce was still concerned, but he helped her up to her feet. They took stock of each other and found no sign of damage. They moved together towards the windows. Outside, the grounds were clear and lush. There was no evidence of any snow or frost. From their vantage point, Bruce spied that the walls he had seen collapse were perfectly intact. Even the vines on the walls were blooming with the flowers and greenery of the season. The castle was completely unscathed and it looked magnificent in the daylight.

"The curse," Bruce said, "It was broken somehow."

Selina nodded, feeling the sun on the glass, "I guess so."

Bruce looked at her, "You knew, didn't you? All this time, you knew how to break it."

Selina returned his look with a slightly sheepish one. "Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you."

Bruce sighed. He was too relieved to react any other way. He followed with the next question, "So how did you do it then?"

Selina spread out her palms and savored the growing heat of the sun. Then she opened the window and let the warm sunlight fill the room. A light breeze came along with it, and she took a long and deep breath. Bruce watched her, thinking she hadn't heard his question.

Since she wasn't forthcoming with an answer, Bruce decided to offer some theories.

Bruce coughed, then said, "Um...was it the kiss?"

Selina laughed. It was full and light. She didn't even bother looking in his direction. She just shook her head in response and continued to enjoy the feel of the sun on her skin.

She leaned her head back, enjoying the way the wind caressed her curls. The light on her face made her eyes glint. She blinked several times and rubbed them like they were tired. When she finally turned her attention back to Bruce, she reached out for his hand again.

"Come on. Let's go outside," she said.

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As they descended the steps, the damage everywhere else inside the castle was gone as well. The chandeliers looked pristine high up on the ceiling. The paintings were back on the walls. All the fragile things that had broken and lay shattered on the floor were back in place. There wasn't even a crack on the grand staircase. The castle interior was in all its splendor.

As they drew nearer to the main entrance, they began to hear sounds of excited and cheerful chatter. Bruce could see there were people just gathered outside the open doorway. Bruce wanted to call out to them, but Selina stopped him. She held a finger over her lips and guided him behind a pillar, moving stealthily. They simply watched the people outside who were in the midst of reunion and celebration. Bruce thought they must have been the people who were absorbed into the castle to fuel its enchantment as Selina had thought. Many of them looked bewildered and a bit dazed, but they all seemed healthy and didn't look any worse for wear. From where they watched, Bruce and Selina couldn't hear them very well. It wasn't clear if they remembered or knew what had even happened to them. Bruce saw a few of them looking up furtively at the castle. Everyone seemed to keep their distance from it. Many of them were already heading for the forest in droves. They looked like they were running away from the place like it was a bad dream.

"I'm glad," Selina said quietly as she watched them leave, "They have their lives back."

Bruce asked, "Shouldn't you let them know you're alright, too?"

"No," Selina replied simply. She waited for a few stragglers to leave before she led Bruce all the way outside. He thought her first steps into freedom would be tentative, but Selina practically skipped her way into the sunshine. She kicked off her shoes and let her toes dig right into the dry dirt. She raised her head to the sun and basked. Then she laughed and rubbed the sunspots out of her eyes. Bruce followed her as she began to wander the castle grounds. The absence of snow revealed a highly saturated world. So many vibrant sounds and smells filled the air. Bruce looked up at the castle and felt like he was seeing it for the first time. The air even seemed more refreshing without magic polluting it.

Selina ambled her way through the grass. She thought about how long it had been since she was outside without needing a cloak. She hadn't even been barefoot outdoors since she was a child. Keeping in pace with her, Bruce kept silent. He was happy to watch her relishing her freedom.

In their silent trek, they only heard more nearby animal noises in the woods. Bruce thought that maybe all the animals in the vicinity had been sleeping as another effect of the curse. Maybe they were just waking up. The air was filled with birdsong and the white noise of chirping and buzzing of insects. It was a complete contrast to the winter and all its solemnity.

They had walked into what Bruce had always thought was just a maze of plain shrubbery. But in fact, it was a garden. Summer flowers were in bloom. Selina knelt down to inspect a flower bed of irises more closely. Next to them was a long stretch of magnolias. Selina held one to her nose. She was careful not to pluck the flower from its stem. It was heartening for him to see that she did not learn to hate flowers during her imprisonment.

Selina took her time in the garden and Bruce stood by her. They had not exchanged a word since they stepped out of the castle. The quiet in the garden felt serene, yet Bruce couldn't quite ignore his own thoughts. His mind kept wandering back to questions that still had no answers. Selina was considering a patch of wild dandelions at her feet. Bruce was suddenly saying his thoughts out loud, "I don't understand what happened back there, Selina. How were you able to break the curse?"

Selina swung her leg and a grasshopper jumped out of her way. She grabbed a wild dandelion with her toes and bent down to pick it up. She stood up slowly and toyed with it in her fingers.

Without looking at him, she said, "We broke the curse, Bruce. We did it together."

Her shoulders sagged like she had breathed in relief, but she had the same expression on her face since they left the west wing. She blew at the dandelion and watched its tiny petal flowers break apart and fly up and around the field.

"I think it was all about letting someone in." She spoke like she was musing to herself, "That crazy witch knew how humans can never be honest with each other. Well," She turned to Bruce, and there was light in her eyes then, "I guess that's true for us, anyway."

Bruce waited for her to say more. Selina sighed, twiddling the flower stem in her hands.

"Forget it. It doesn't matter. It's all over now."

Bruce took a step forward, "Selina, the curse is broken, the people in the castle are safe. You're finally free. But you're...something's wrong." He was close enough to reach out to her, but he didn't just then. "Tell me what's wrong."

Selina's eyes darted away for a moment. She twisted the stem, then broke it in half before letting it fall from her hands.

She was silent for a while, then she cocked her head slightly and asked, "What do you think I should do now?" She glanced at the trees beyond the garden, "No more magic. I can probably get past the woods, but I'd have nowhere to go."

Bruce was a bit surprised. He didn't expect a question like that from her.

His answer was almost immediate; "You could come back with me to Gotham. You can start a new life there. And-" he suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. He was careful with his next words. "And-I would be there with you."

Something in Selina's expression changed as he gave his reply. "Gotham. Of course."

Her eyes strayed among the flower beds surrounding them. "I've had a long time to think about what I'd do if I ever left this place. Way before that witch got here." She crossed her arms over herself like she was cold again, "I always dreamed about going wherever I wanted. Just disappear into the sunset, everyday. But-I don't think that anymore."

She took a deep breath, "I think I need to find my mother."

Selina struggled to keep the bitterness from her voice, "I've never stopped being angry at her. I've hated her every day of my life. No matter what I do or where I go from here, I'll always be angry." Her hands clenched and unclenched around her arms. "But I'm tired of being angry and I'm tired of feeling trapped. I don't want to be like this forever.

"I need to see my mother one last time. I don't know if I can forgive her but I have to find out."

She looked at her bare feet planted in the grass. "I don't know how far I have to look or how long it will take me. I don't even know if she's still alive. It could take me years."

She raised her head to meet Bruce's eyes. Quietly, she asked him, "Would you come with me?"

Something caught in Bruce's throat. The "yes" was at the edge of his lips but it suddenly died there. His thoughts suddenly flashed to Alfred, James Gordon and then his parents. Selina watched his hesitation without surprise.

Selina's eyes never left him. "No, you couldn't and I'm not asking you to." Bruce realized that he had looked away instinctively. When he looked back at Selina, there was a trace of a smirk in her sad smile. She had caught him out.

She gestured towards him with a hand, "Look at you, Bruce. You look like you ran out in the middle of a war. People need you back in Gotham. I wouldn't blame you if you needed to head back there right away."

Defensive, Bruce said, "Selina, I'm not going anywhere." But Selina gave him a look, then asked, "What happened with Alfred?"

Bruce didn't want to change the subject, but he was glad to be able to relay good news. "He's alive. Oswald was holding him as a prisoner. We managed to get him out. He's safe now." There was a hint of uncertainty in his tone when he said the last part. Selina looked at him doubtfully and inquired further, "We? So you didn't save him by yourself?"

"No, the rebellion helped me. We were able to infiltrate the palace and rescue Alfred."

"But Oswald's still the king of Gotham, right? Isn't he going to be looking for you and those rebels now?" Selina waited. Bruce didn't give an answer right away. He had put it out of his mind, but there would be definite fallout from their attack on the palace. Oswald was injured and humiliated. His only course of action would be vengeance. Bruce trusted the rebels to stay one step ahead, but Oswald would be crying out for blood. Innocent people were sure to suffer when he was left to run rampant.

Bruce did not respond. Selina shook her head, saying, "I'm not an idiot, Bruce. You need to go back to Gotham. It's where you belong."

She could see that Bruce was struggling to start some sort of argument. But she didn't need him to spare her feelings.

"It's okay, Bruce." She uncrossed her arms and took a step towards him. She looked up into his troubled face and smiled encouragingly, "Thank you-for saying you'd stay with me but…we both have things we need to do."

Bruce felt the knot in his stomach tighten. He wanted to protest, tell Selina she was wrong.

Selina was waiting for him to respond in any way. She held her breath, suddenly thinking that maybe the story would end differently.

But then his shoulders sagged and he let out a long breath.

"Where will you go?" he asked.

Selina breathed, and ignored the pounding in her ears. The question did make her pause. "I don't know." She looked past the garden and the towards the trees, "I guess I'll start where the search for my mother ended." Though she put her mother out of her mind for many years, as a child, she had paid close attention to the progression of her mother's search before it was cut short. The trail had long grown cold, but she had an idea where to start. "I think she was heading for the coast. It's weird, she could barely float in the water, but she always talked about wanting to swim in the ocean."

Selina never could forget the bittersweet nights when she and her mother would play pretend in her bedroom. Often, they would sail away on her bed like it was a tiny boat in the middle of the ocean. They always went on grand adventures. "It was a dream she always had, and she's never even seen the sea. I'll follow her trail and look for any trace of her."

She tried to imagine her mother living in a house on a sandy beach. It would be right on the edge where waves threatened to wash her away with the tide. Selina shook her head. It was unlikely but it was all she had to go on.

She gave Bruce a confident smile, "I'll figure things out along the way."

A journey to the coast would be a long and exhausting one. Selina would be diving head first into outside world all by herself. But knowing her, she could handle whatever came her way.

He nodded and silence fell between them again. In his mind, Bruce started bargaining with how long he could stay with Selina before he felt compelled to return to Gotham. Miserably, he felt all possibilities leading nowhere. In the end, it wouldn't matter the length of time he would accompany her. He would only be prolonging the goodbye looming over them.

Bruce felt the time he had left with her slipping away. Time and distance would only grow between them as soon as they parted ways. There was no way of knowing when they would see each other again. He felt like there was so much he needed to say to her, but he didn't know where to begin. He tried anyway.

"Selina…this time here with you-," he grasped for the simplest way to tell her, "I was happy."

Selina's face broke into a real smile. "Me too," she said. She turned to face the castle. It wasn't just how the warm stones looked in sun, she saw it differently than she ever had before. "This is the last place I thought I would ever be happy again."

Selina didn't believe in fate. But she wondered how differently things would have turned out if Bruce never found his way to her castle.

Bruce took a step closer until his face was inches from hers. He held her gaze so she couldn't look away this time, "Selina, I won't make you promises I can't keep, but-" Gently, his hand wove into hers. He held her fingertips like they were made of fine glass.

"I will miss you. Please believe that."

It was a common phrase that people said to each other everyday, but Selina realized that she hadn't heard it from anyone in a very long time. And suddenly, she realized that she had no one else in her life who could say it to her.

His gentle grasp held her more securely than a tight grip.

Selina blinked several times. Up close, Bruce could see the tears that had been there since they stepped outside. Selina spoke, her throat tight, "You know, when I was planning to run away from this place, I never had to worry about needing to say goodbye to anyone." Her voice faltered, "I never thought it was sad, but-it's actually really lonely, isn't it?"

Selina shut her eyes. She cringed as everything she tried to hold back overflowed into a swirl of chaos inside her: her sadness, loneliness, anger, fear. Suddenly, she couldn't breath. All she could feel was the dull throbbing in her head and her body seizing up when two arms suddenly enveloped her, and she felt herself being drawn into a warm embrace. Instinctively, as she always did when she was a child, she buried her face into the warmth. The dull throbbing was replaced by the sound of Bruce's heartbeat.

Selina could feel his breath against her skin as he whispered right into her ear. She heard the slight crack in his voice when he spoke, "You'll never be lost or alone, Selina. I'm here. I'll be right here. Just come and find me."

Selina cried then, and she let the tears flow freely. She held on to Bruce like an anchor and slowly, she felt the tide within her subside.

In a voice slightly muffled against his chest, she told the boy holding her in his arms, "Okay."

They stayed that way, with neither one pulling back or pulling away. They didn't exchange another word. There was no other sound but the birds singing in the trees.

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They eventually found themselves at the stables. Grayson was already there calmly grazing next to Slam. Selina's cat meowed loudly at her as she approached. The cat jumped up to Selina's shoulders and proceeded to nuzzle her affectionately. Selina told Bruce that she had made sure the animals were outside and free to run away when the earthquakes had started. She always thought they could escape beyond the magical borders as long as she wasn't with them. She was glad to discover that they had stayed.

Bruce helped her saddle Slam. He even fashioned a leather pouch with a large cup inside where Selina's cat could curl up comfortably. When he started to helpfully suggest what she should bring along, Selina told him she knew what to do. She had a long time to plan for that day, and she was more than prepared.

When Selina was ready, they mounted their horses and trotted side by side. The cat was already dozing in her cup on Slam's pack. When they arrived at the castle gate, Selina stopped and turned to look at the castle one last time. It had been her home as much at it had been her prison. She gave it a long solemn pause before turning away. She took a deep breath and crossed the gate's threshold without looking back.

They took their time in their journey. Selina contemplated at how different her well traveled paths looked in the warm season. Bruce realized after a while that they had probably gone beyond the magical boundary, but Selina hardly noticed.

They reached a meadow by the afternoon. Beyond it was a small hill. The sun was high and the sky remained clear. The shady trees were very inviting after a long ride. It was a good place to stop for a rest. Selina also knew that just over the hill would be the path that led to the next town. She had memorized enough maps to grow very familiar with the geography surrounding Eastend. The next road would lead her further away from her castle and the kingdom of Gotham.

There was a pond nearby and they let the horses drink and graze. Bruce and Selina sat under a tree looking at nothing but the clear expanse of the meadow. They both leaned against the trunk and they sat close together. It was easy for them to slip into another comfortable silence.

Selina was beginning to doze a bit when Bruce spoke.

"Selina, you said that your anger was like a prison. I think mine is, too."

He was turned away from her. She couldn't see his eyes as he spoke but his voice had an edge.

"You're stronger than I am. You want to let it go, but-I don't think I can." She saw that his hands were balled into fists, "I don't know if I ever will."

She leaned forward to hug her knees against her chest. She rested her head between her arms. "You're right. We're not the same. But I'm not like you, Bruce. You're angry, but you use it to help people and fight for good things. You use it to survive."

She turned her head to glance at him. She couldn't see him too clearly in the deep shade, but there was a darkness behind his eyes.

She leaned her knees towards his so they would touch. She gave him a small smile over her arm.

"Maybe someday, you will be able to let it go. People change. You never know."

Bruce stared at Selina. A cool breeze blew past and the shadows of the rustling leaves above them danced across her face.

"I will see you again," Bruce said to her. It wasn't a promise but a statement of a fact.

Her smile grew wider and she closed her eyes. She leaned back against the tree trunk so she could lay her head against Bruce's shoulder.

They sat together for a long while until they both knew it was time.

They both rode up to the hill and paused when they reached the top. Bruce held Grayson back, so he would know not to follow. Selina was looking over the lands above and below. Her eyes were mapping out her course across the fields and over the mountaintops. She caught her breath as excitement immediately gripped her. Her heart began to race with anticipation.

Bruce smiled, knowing that she was already on her way.

He said the last thing they had left to say between them, "Farewell."

She turned away from the sky and the rest of the world only to look at him in that final moment. If Bruce knew what her mother had told her as a child, he would have agreed that Selina was indeed the most beautiful girl in the world. He had never seen her look happier.

"See you around." She gave him her usual smirk before she laughed and pulled Slam's reins. He reared back and then they were off.

She waved at him when she reached the road. Bruce waved back and watched her disappear into the horizon she always longed for.

He held on to the thought of someday.

The End.