Chapter 20 – The Curse

Willow left the guys with them still making plans. She had to figure out what Joel was referring to when he said his granny had cursed her. But she needed to be careful with this. Someone using magic to harm her was dangerous. She needed help with this.

Granny Mill was thrilled to see her again after her journey. Once they got caught up, Willow checked on Samo and his family who were being lodged with Granny. They were mostly in shock after the abrupt attack and loss of two family members. The children all sat forlornly beside their mother.

The girl Breetty was the first to rouse herself when Willow checked on them. "I want to help. What can I do to help?"

Willow brought her to Granny who set her to work in the kitchen preparing food for the extra people staying in the house. All the children at least still had strong appetites. That was a good sign.

When things at Granny's were set in order and running fairly smoothly, Willow got Granny alone to talk with the excuse of preparing medicines–an endless need. Then she broached the subject of Joel's granny's curse.

Granny shook her head. "Tock is a bad woman to cross, Willow. You should have told me you'd run afoul of her before she cursed you. Curses are hard to break if the caster doesn't wish it."

"That's just it," Willow said as she chopped herbs, "I didn't know. How was I to know Joel cried his heart out to her? He chased all the girls. Not just me."

Granny shook her head. "You and that vow." She grunted her disapproval.

Willow sighed. "It's convenient when rejecting someone, especially a king."

Granny tsked. She had found the whole story about Uther's interest hilarious. "I wonder if–never mind. Here's Granny Tock's medicine for her gout. You can use it as a bargaining chip to get her cooperation. You'll need it." After a pause, Granny added, "Don't eat anything she offers you." Willow nodded. Granny frowned. "Or leave her anything of yours for any reason. Understand?" Willow swallowed and nodded again.

Willow passed then guys still talking in the center of the village. Good. I've got news to give Granny Tock as well as medicine. When Willow reached Granny Tock's cottage she called out. "Hello? Granny?"

"Who's there?" The old woman called back, irritation clear in her voice.

Willow went up to the door. "It's me, Willow, Granny Mill's apprentice. May I come in? I've brought your medicine."

There was a malicious cackle. "Sure. Don't mind the dog. He doesn't bit."

Could the old woman use a dog bite to work magic against her? Willow opened the door slowly, calling to the dog, "Biscuit, it's me, pup. Willow." Then she used her own magic to make the dog understand. He met her at the door growling, but his tail was also wagging. I can work with that. She reached out to let him smell her hand. After a sniff, he rolled over on his back for her to pet his belly.

Inside, Granny Tock tsked. "Traitor," she mumbled.

Willow cleared her throat and stepped inside. "I've brought your medicine."

Tock glared at her from her bed tucked off in a corner. "You've got a lot of nerve coming here, girl, after what you did to my grandson."

Willow sighed. "I didn't do anything to Joel."

"Liar!" The old woman picked up an apple. "Joel cried for a solid week after you tossed him aside." She threw the apple with surprising accuracy for an old woman lying on a bed.

If Willow hadn't ducked the apple would have hit her square in the face. This isn't going well at all. "Joel said you put a curse on me. What was the curse?"

Granny Tock cackled. "How are things going with Prince Arthur, you little faker? Are you showing just what a little strumpet you really are?"

Willow growled, stepping closer. "What did you do to Prince Arthur?"

"Trouble in paradise, you little snot-nosed brat?" Tock's menace was building.

"If you did anything to the prince, Tock, it's treason." Willow hissed.

"It's you that's doing things to the prince, deary." Tock cackled again. "I just did something to you." Her cackle went higher pitched. "The question is what are you doing with the prince? Do tell, Willow dear, how your little vow to remain a spinster is going?"

"What did you do?" Willow stomped her foot. She was losing her patience with this old busy body. "If you don't tell me, I won't give you your medicine."

"Now your true colors come out." Tock propped herself up on her elbows. "You're not a healer, denying medicine to an old woman in pain for your own selfish gain."

Willow felt a rush of guilt. She was right. Willow considered giving in and treating the cantankerous old bat.

Granny Tock wasn't finished. "You don't care about healing people. You just want power and my little Joel wasn't powerful enough for you so you cast him aside."

That was going too far. Willow took another step forward. "That's a lie. Joe flirts with every girl in the village. I never encouraged him at all. What curse did you put on me? How am I doing anything to Prince Arthur?"

Tock giggled. "Only this. Powerful men will always fall for your beauty, but soon they will tire of you and cast you aside, breaking your heart as you broke Joel's." She flopped back on the bed laughing. "What's it like kissing a prince, little orphan Willow who thinks too highly of herself? What will the king do when he finds out you've bewitched his own son?"

Arthur? Now it makes sense. Uther, too! Willow was so glad she resisted their advances. Merlin? He was powerful, too! Even more powerful than either of the other two, with his magic. Willow's heart broke. Merlin fell in love with me because of a curse! And he'll soon tire of me and cast me aside! "You old bat!"

Tock's laugh grew louder.

Willow pictured smothering her with a pillow if only to stop her evil laugh. "How do I break the curse?"

Tock stopped laughing long enough to say, "You can't. That's the beauty of it. Beauty! Hilarious! I crack myself up!" Then she went into another fit of cackling.

Willow wanted to hurt the old woman more than she'd ever wanted to hurt anyone since she'd come to live with Granny Mill. "We'll see what Joel has to say about this."

Tock stopped laughing and propped herself up on her elbows again. "You leave Joel out of this. What did you do to him?"

Willow growled. "He's fine. I introduced him to Prince Arthur. They're talking now."

"You've what?" Tock grabbed a small paring knife. "Are you getting my grandson drafted into a war?" She cocked her arm to throw the knife. "Why you little–" she threw the knife.

As the knife came straight at her face, Willow did what she'd done with Merlin in her mind and pushed. The knife angled just a bit and embedded itself in the wall beside Willow's head. Tock was already reaching for a pair of scissors. Willow ran.

Once outside Willow felt like her world was crashing down around her. Merlin fell in love with me because of the curse. I have to tell him. I have to break this curse. She ran back to Granny Mill's house crying. She didn't care if she looked upset when she ran through the center of town. She couldn't do anything about that. I need to talk to Granny.

When she got back to Granny's cottage it sounded like a war inside. Willow crept in to find Saran, the nine-year-old, screaming at Jaren the five-year-old. "Give me back my doll, Jaren, or I'll stab you with a pitchfork!" Greden, the mother, just stood there sobbing. Breetty at least was trying to get the doll away from Jaren. But that just made him scream and run away from her straight into Willow.

Willow picked him up. "Hey, now. Calm down, everyone. Calm down." She hugged Jaren to her, doll and all. Willow carried him over to Saran and Breetty. "We can work this out."

Granny Mill took Greden by the shoulders and steered her back into Samo's room. Willow sat down with Jaren right between Breetty and Saran. "Jaren, why did you take Saran's doll?"

The little boy sobbed. "Cuz Appen made it. I miss Appen,"

Willow knew without their oldest sister, this grief would take a long time to heal. This war was already awful. King Urien's men needed to be stopped.

Saran started to cry and wrapped her arms around Willow, Jaren, and the doll. Breetty wrapped her arms around them too. This was good. They needed to get the tears out. She shifted Jaren to Breetty's lap and extricated herself. She needed to talk to Granny about this curse.