Story of A Princess Unknown – Chapter 17 - Cursed

This whole story, especially chapter 15, is dedicated to Matt, Vanessa and their family. Matt, rest in peace.

Thanks for all the reviews! I'm surprised how many new people I'm getting so late into the story, but I really appreciate all of your reviews! Sorry if this chapter is a bit short but you guys were very lucky to get two updates in one week! I can't remember what Lucinda looks like! So I'm just going to describe her myself. Sorry! Remember I haven't read Ella Enchanted for years – I really should get it out – but if Lucinda's attitude is different it's just cause I had to change it. I don't know how to place a curse, either – so I just made it up.

"But I won't have to worry about you for long. Now, let me introduce you to a friend of mine. Have you met Lucinda?"

The woman next to him stared at Eve. She was middle aged, about Mandy's age, and had olive skin with dark hair. Her mouth, bright with red paint, smiled at Eve – but her eyes didn't. It seemed to Eve that her eyes were filled with barely controlled rage.

"Lucinda is here to ... help me, let us say," Callum said smoothly.

Eve burst out angrily, "What have you got against me, Lucinda? I've never seen you in my life!" But something was niggling at the back of her mind ... Lucinda, Lucinda, I should know that name. Then it hit her.

"You! You're the one who cursed my mother!"

Lucinda's face twisted into a sneer. "Cursed? I don't think so – I gave her a gift. A gift that would help her and others. But your mother was selfish and broke her curse ungratefully."

"Ungratefully? Do you know how much she'd been through BECAUSE of your stupid CURSE?" Eve shouted, unable to believe what this woman was saying. But Lucinda ignored her.

"And then when you were born, I offered to give a gift to you, as a good fairy should. But no, your mother, and that fairy godmother of hers refused and hid you from me."

"Good on them," Eve muttered to herself, hoping that Callum wouldn't hear. He just stood there smirking, obviously pleased with himself.

Lucinda continued. "So now, to repay your mother for her selfishness and ungratefullness, I'm here to help Callum – and to help you."

Eve was suddenly filled with dread. This woman was a fairy – she had magic, she could do things that Eve could not. And she wanted hurt Eve.

"What – what are you going to do to me?" She asked Callum, trying to keep her voice strong.

"Now, I assume you know already that I want the throne? Well, I have one slight problem. You are now Queen of Kyrria as you are the only real heir to the throne. The only way I can become King is if you abdicate and declare me the new king."

"I won't do it." Eve said, outwardly appearing calm but seething with rage on the inside. I'll never give up my country to a madman like him.

Callum smiled nastily. "Do you think I didn't know that would be your answer? That's why Lucinda's here!"

Then, Eve knew what they were going to do to her. Her feelings of shock and horror must have shown on her face, for Callum then said, "Yes. You will get to follow in your mother's footsteps. Lucinda will place a curse of obediance on you – which cannot be broken until you declare me king. Or maybe we will keep the curse on you for always."

Eve could see no way out of this. She knew she was trapped.

"Tomorrow we will announce this, the whole population watching, in the palace square. After that – I do not know what we will do with you. I will have no use for you anymore."

"Someone with know! I'll tell them! You – you can't do this to me!"

"I'm afraid, Evangeline, that I can do, and will do. The curse will stop you from telling anyone about our plan. If you try to run away – we know where the former prince is."

Eve tried not to show anything on her face. If they knew she feared them, then they had power over her. Jared. I can't let them hurt you. And still his parting words of her dream rang in his head. Stay strong, my love.

She held her head high, and faced Callum and Lucinda. "Then be done with it."

Callum looked surprised – maybe he had expected her to weep or beg for his mercy. But Eve was above begging from people like him.

Then he nodded to Lucinda. With the whole rebel group watching, she began to place the curse of obediance on Eve.

Lucinda began chanting in a strange language that Eve could not understand – but she somehow knew that it was an ancient, terrible language that should not be used lightly. Lucinda looked like she was in a trance, and her body became ethereal and transparent. She carried on chanting.

All of a sudden, a pain that felt like fire tore across Eve's body. She struggled to stay upright, but the pain was too much, and she collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. Another pain lanced through her, and she cried out.

And still Lucinda chanted, now waving her hands about, tracing ancient runes in the air. It felt to Eve like her insides were writhing about. The pain shot through her body time and time again, lancing it with fire and never letting one pain stop before the next one began.

Eve wanted to die. The pain was too much to bear. But through it all, she could see Jared's face, and she knew that she had to keep going. She remembered how brave he'd been in the dream, even though he was obviously hurting badly.

All of a sudden, the pain stopped. Lucinda had stopped chanting. Eve slumped to the floor.

Callum called to her. "Eve – stand up."

Eve fought. She was too tired, too sore. But the curse was truly set – and it overpowered her. She felt something like a bolt of electricity go through her, and she rose to her feet.

Callum laughed – a high, evil laugh. "Go back to your dungeon now. Tomorrow morning – you tell the people of Kyrria who their new leader is. Oh – and Eve – you will tell no one of this plan."

She felt another bolt of electricity go through her, and she bowed her head. Luke came up and grabbed her arm again. Neither of them looked at eachother as they walked silently back along the passage. When she reached her cell, she walked inside and sat down on the hard stone floor, facing away from Luke. She heard him lock her in.

As he turned away, Eve was sure she caught something on the breeze in the cell. "I'm sorry." But when she turned around – he was gone.

Jared was feeling much better – almost like he'd never been hurt. But inside he was aching – he'd committed murder. Sure, it was in self defence – but he'd killed his own father, and he was sure he would never be able to accept that. He wanted to see Eve so badly – but there was still no news of where she was.

Oliver came into the room where Jared was resting on his bed. "Prince, word has been sent out that the Queen is going to make an important announcement this morning."

"Oliver, please, don't call me Prince anymore. I'm not a Prince – and I never should have been. I've got to go and see Eve – I haven't heard from her, I need to talk to her."

"You'd best get going now then – she's to make an appearance in the palace square in a few minutes."

Luke came and got Eve out of her cell the next morning. She'd had a restless, sleepless night – eaten up with guilt about handing her country over to these men. The sensible part of her brain protested, it's not your fault, but she still felt guilty. I should have never signed up with this group in the first place.

As she and Luke were walking up to the rooms, Eve asked him softly, "Did you mean what you said last night?"

Luke nodded mutely. He wouldn't look her in the face.

"Thankyou," she whispered. Some of the tension in the air between them eased.

Callum was waiting again for them, and he smiled his now familiar cold, cruel smile at Eve. "Only another few minutes. Then I'm King."

Eve ignored him. She kept Jared in her mind. She wouldn't break down and weep. There was nothing that anyone could do anyway.

Callum held onto her arm tightly although there was no need, and the procession of rebels made their way along the street to the palace square. People stared at them curiously – their old ruler had been murdered, his son not a prince anymore – and a new queen? They were confused, alright. But the new queen looked pretty and kind - if a little worried.

Eve made her way to a dais set next to the palace steps where she had stood with Jared so often. She felt like she was in a daze – sleepwalking. She'd been queen, if you could call her that, for less than twenty four hours and had accomplished absolutely nothing.

A herald called for silence from the people who had flocked to the square, and quiet fell like a blanket across the crowd. They eagerly awaited their queen's words.

Eve was looking at the crowd, still in a daze, when a familiar face jolted her out of her reverie. Jared! Please, help me. He looked haggard and tired, but not at death's doorstep like he had after he'd burst into her room.

But she was taking too long. Callum jabbed her in the back with his rapier, unnoticed by the crowd. "Get a move on, girl," he growled. "I've told you what to say. Now, abdicate your throne to me!"

Eve felt another jolt of electricity go through her, and she was forced to look away from Jared. Struggling against the curse, but failing, she spoke.

"Citizens of Frell, I am here today to make an announcement. This kingdom, and the throne especially, has gone through turbulent change in the last few days. Our old ruler died, an heir was bypassed, and I was made Queen."

Suddenly a thought came into Eve's head. Callum hadn't said that she couldn't tell them of her heritage.

"As some of you might know, I was chosen to be queen as I am the last heir of the previous rulers, King Charmont and Queen Ella," she heard Callum's sharp intake of breath and felt another, painful jab in her back. She felt where he'd jabbed her, and her hand came away sticky with blood. But she was determined to get this out.

"I am Evangeline, the lost daughter of Char and Ella," she heard a collective gasp from the crowd. Eve looked once more at Jared, trying to get him to understand her cry for help. But Callum wasn't going to let her say anymore. He jabbed her once more, and whispered, "Stop it! Abdicate! NOW!"

Jared was confused. Why is she looking at me like that? He could sense that something was not right, he could see the pleading in her eyes. And who were those men standing menacingly behind her?

Jared made the decision to try and stop it all when the familiar electicity went through Eve's body. And when he heard her next words, he was frozen. "I came here today to abdicate my throne to this man, Callum of south Kyrria. I just ... don't feel ready to assume the throne yet."

Eve was angry – the words coming out of her mouth weren't hers at all, just something that she had been forced to say. She looked at Jared, hoping, praying that he would understand.

She'd been forced to give the throne away – the throne he'd fought and won for her. But Jared didn't know that. And the look of disbelief and sadness that he gave Eve said what he thought of her.

And he turned away, and walked out of the square.

Hope you liked it! Please review!

Love Amy