There was a heavy sigh. “If you can find her, you may assume the curse in her stead.”
The sound of footsteps—rapid footsteps—echoed through the eternal darkness. A delicate scent that seemed familiar to Mirabelle wafted toward her. And the next moment, her mother’s warm arms had wrapped themselves around her. Warmth. How good it felt.
“I’ve found you, my darling. I’m here. I shall not leave you alone in this darkness.”
“Mother? How were you able to find me?”
“My dear child, I heard your cry for help.”
“What cry for help?” Mirabelle could not remember a thing.
“I heard your soul calling, my dear child.”
“Mama, where am I? What happened?” She was overcome by fear and sorrow. But her mother held her close. Very close. She cradled her in her arms and kissed her on her cheeks, her brow, and her weeping eyes.
“I shall never leave you alone. I shall stay with you forever, my dear child. In your heart, I shall always be by your side. But now you must go.”
“No, Mama—why? Come with me. I shall not leave without you!”
“Yes, you must leave this place! You cannot stay here. It’s dark and evil. You do not deserve this.”
“Mama!” Mirabelle burst into tears “Please, let’s go together.”
“It cannot be, my darling. An evil curse hangs over you. I cannot break it, but I can take it on for you and in that way release you. Please, go and live your life. You’re still so young. Use the time you have—and forgive me. Forgive your mother! Forgive me for not being there for you much sooner!”
“No, Mama, no!”
But a powerful current pulled Mirabelle out of the darkness. A black storm swirled around her, and she heard nothing more and no longer perceived the sweet, familiar scent. And a moment later, she lost all consciousness.
When Mirabelle awoke, she found herself lying in the middle of the forest, utterly alone. No one was beside her. Nobody was there. Her mother’s voice and scent were gone, as was the total darkness that had surrounded her.
“Mama? Where are you?”
Desperate, Mirabelle ran about, searching behind every tree trunk and shrub for a sign, but she found not a single trace.
“Release her! I shall not allow her to take my place! I was the one who demanded revenge—I must pay for it, not her! It is not her fault! I took the curse upon myself—not my mama! Let her go!”
No one answered. Mirabelle ran off. She raced through the woods in search of the Evil, in search of her mother, but she could not find them anywhere. Eventually, she abandoned hersearch and cursed the prince even more for what he had done not only to her but now to her mother as well.
And so the Evil returned to her heart, even though, through her sacrifice, her mother had given her the chance for a life that was free.
21
How awful.” Hannah was rubbing her arms, which were covered with goosebumps, and she was breathing deeply to fight the feeling of trepidation welling up in her chest. She felt compassion for the woman who had treated her and Maximilian so badly. “And then what happened?”
Irmgard the unicorn whinnied. “Mirabelle searched for her mother for years, if not decades. But she couldn’t find her anywhere. Her heart grew darker and filled with more hatred with every passing year. Her fury at the prince and the entire royal family continued to build, and she devised a plan to avenge her mother. Should the prince ever come to her and ask to be released, she would first mislead him, just as the prince himself had done to her, and then plunge him into eternal ruin.”
“But it was Prince Maximilian who went to her, not Prince Gustav!”
“Prince Maximilian?” Irmgard asked absentmindedly.
“His son.”
“I’m sure that’s all the same to her. It’s the same blood that flows in him. She has had her revenge now but still will find no peace.”
“She acted so abominably. But in spite of that, I feel sorry for her. I can almost understand her behavior. And then her mother rescued her, and now she, too, is eternally subject to the Evil as a result. How awful! But every mother would do that for her child.”
Irmgard’s beautiful eyes blinked softly. Could she read Hannah’s heart and see that she would do the same for her own children?
