“After you all died, I was passed around to our relatives over the years.” He explains. “They would always inexplicably die or suffer some incredibly unfortunate event. While I was living with Aunt Marlette, she suffered from seven miscarriages. But when I’d left she finally had a successful birth.”

After hearing his words, Gowan gulped.

“By the time that happened, I was already 19 so I decided to live on my own. That I wouldn’t cause misfortune to others. I would take whatever odd jobs I could just to get by. Everyone was calling me the cursed child. I was blamed for your deaths by our family and they gossiped to their friends about me and eventually, it became hard to find work. The only saving grace I had was a farmer who didn’t give any credence to the rumors.” He says.

“Things were well for a time, and for the first time in years I felt like I had a place where I felt welcome.” He says. “One night, for some mysterious reason, the fences fail, and predators get in. I slept in a shack at the far edge of the farm, so I couldn’t hear the disturbance. The farmer I worked for went to check it out and was killed along with all her animals.”

Rielle can feel Artorius’s grasp tighten on her hand.

“Convinced that I’m a blight on the village, they raise their arms and chase me out of the village. I'm followed deep into the woods and onto Rielle’s doorstep.” He states, looking over at Rielle.

“Yeah. I… found him unconscious and beaten, so I took care of him.” She states.

Everything fades away into darkness leaving the group behind. The sound of bowls clanking against a table reverberates around the room. The darkness begins to steadily fade away as the light slipping through the cracks causes the cracks to widen. The light getting through only hastens the speed at which the cracks widen, causing them to finally open up. This reveals an unfamiliar ceiling, causing him to jolt up from the faded red couch he was lying on. He lands on his feet, noticing a woman humming a tune while mixing things in bowls at a wooden table. The sweet scent of raspberry tickled his nostrils.

“It’s good to hear you’re awake.” She says.

“Who are you? Where are we? And what did you do to me?!” He questions.

She sets her bowl down and turns toward him. Revealing her shortish, wine-red hair. She kneels to his level, while he’s still on his knees and smiles.

“Some crazy mob chased you to my doorstep. You were in terrible condition, so I patched you up.” She states. “I’m Rielle Rosebane. I think that answered most of your questions.” She states.

“They weren’t crazy. No matter where I go, or who I’m with, I bring a curse upon them all.” He admits. “If I stay here any longer, I’m going to get you killed.”

Rielle puts a finger on her chin while thinking for a moment, then rises before walking over to a book.

“If I remember correctly, curses don’t work like that,” Rielle states.

“What would you know about curses?” He states.

“I’m a witch. Why wouldn’t I?” She admits while still flipping through that book of hers.

“A witch…? The kind that flies on broomsticks? Mixes cauldrons? Aren’t you a little too pretty for that?” He questions.

Rielle chuckles.

“Contrary to popular belief, we’re not all crones. But everything else is spot on.” Rielle states.

“So… Were you the one who cursed me?” He asks.

Rielle glances at him for a second.

“Ah yes, helping the very person I cursed. Sounds very logical.” Rielle mutters.

“Sorry…” He sighs. “I’m Artorius.”

“Nice to meet you, Artorius.” She continues flipping through the book.

He stands up and looks around the room at the various pieces of furniture even spotting a cauldron in the back.

“I really think I should leave.” He states.

“You’re okay. I just found what I was looking for.” She begins. “Curses are typically paid for with the user's life. Depending on the items used, they can affect multiple generations. The curse itself is random unless specified by the caster. Those affected by curses will steadily accumulate cursed energy and when it reaches its peak, it will cause the intended effect. This can take years to accumulate, depending on the severity of the curse it may only trigger once in their lifetime.” She reads.

“Still…” Artorius begins.

Rielle closes the book and sets it back on the shelf. She walks over to Artorius and plucks him in the nose.

“Assuming that mob was chasing you because that curse activated, means I’ve got a few years to work with,” Rielle states.

“What do you mean?” He questions while holding his nose. 

“I’m going to research and dispel your curse!” She exclaims.

The scene fades away as Artorius opens his eyes as if recalling a vivid dream.

“Since I had nowhere else to go at the time, her offer was very enticing.” He states.

“You said this curse travels through our family line?” Hal asks.

“It does. It means that any of you at this table could have been cursed too. But the curse skipped several generations and only affected Artorius.” She states.

“But then, what’s the curse’s origin?” Marida asks.

“There’s a fable about a king from thousands of years ago. He was a king beloved by all, but his right-hand man, in jealousy used his life to curse the king. In a few years, the kingdom experienced such tragedy. With growing civil unrest, the king sent his family away to protect them. He was executed by the very people he governed. I believe your family is descended from his.” Rielle explains.

“I remember even my mother telling me that story, but that’s just a fairy tale,” Marida states.

“It’s real. The main takeaway from the story is, that the king and his family having had hair of gold and eyes of sapphire.” Rielle says. 

“My father used to tell me our ancestors were kings when I was a child, but I never believed it to be true,” Hal states.

“It just happens that blonde hair is very rare and blue eyes even rarer. So rare in fact that everywhere I went with Artorius people would stare at him, just because it was something they had never seen before. Some other women tried to hit on him too…”

Artorius coughs.

“In any case, the curse was something that happened beyond our control. So all I can do is chalk it up to bad luck.” He says with a wry smile.

“... I see what you did there,” Gowan says.

Artorius sighs.

“There was no pun intended there.” He mutters.

“Anyway, let’s get back to eating before the food gets cold,” Hal says.

While Marida is in between bites of her food, she smiles mischievously.

“So when are you two giving me grandkids?” She questions.

Rielle and Artorius freeze up.

“Ah, that’s a bit complicated,” Rielle says.

“How so?” Marida says.

“I’m unable to have kids.” She admits.

Silence washes over the room like a crashing wave.

“I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me.” Marida apologizes sincerely.

“Don’t be, it was a mistake I made many moons ago,” Rielle states.

After finishing dinner everyone prepared to leave for the evening. Marida and Hal hug Rielle.

“It was nice meeting you. You’re always welcome here, unlike our mooch of a son.” Hal says.

They peek over at Gowan who is diligently packaging food in his storage containers. After hugging Rielle, they hug Artorius.

“I’m proud of you. I know we’ve been reunited like this for a while, but even still, I just want to say that I’m proud of the man you’ve become. Hal whispers.

“Thanks, Dad,” Artorius says back.

Rielle and Artorius wave them goodbye before leaving in a carriage. Rielle lies across from Artorius on the cushioned bench, staring at the carriage's ceiling. She lightly taps her stomach to the tune of a song in her head. 

“Thanks for coming with me today.” He says while peering out the window.

“I had fun too.” She smiles and watches his shadow move as the carriage rocks.

“Do you still regret your choice when you were younger?” Artorius asks.

Rielle looks over at him.

“I think a part of me still does. I was young and naive so If I had taken a moment to stop and think, I wouldn’t have this issue.” She admits. “But hey, your hindsight is always accurate, right?”

“Yeah.” Artorius mutters.

“I wasn’t born a witch like my mother. I didn’t inherit the ability to use magic myself, so I made a stupid decision and now I have to live with the consequences is all.” Rielle begins. “I didn’t realize I just needed patience and time to learn, so I went and did something hastily.”

“Well, we’re all a bit hasty and foolish while young,” Artorius says.

“That’s true…” Rielle says while trailing off. 

Artorius and Rielle rock as the carriage carries them back through town. The gentle rocking of the carriage begins to make Rielle’s eyes heavy. She fights back against the waves of sleepiness assaulting her eyelids. Her valiant efforts come to an end as she gently closes her eyes and slips into the realm of dreams. Artorius smiles watching her sleep softly, as they continue their ride through the calm darkness of the town.