I Love You, My Cursed Prince

There was piano music again on a cold morning. It nearly drove Muriel insane. She still couldn't understand the odd arrangement of notes. As she pretended to read with Princess Arya, she lightly nibbled on the inside of her cheek as she tried to understand the notes. Sadly, she wasn't very clever with playing music by ear. She was a visual learner. She knew that if she went to the nearest piano to imitate the song, she wouldn't be able to figure it out.

"My dear child seems energetic today," Princess Arya said as she turned a page in her book.

"That's fine news, Your Highness," Muriel said.

The princess smiled down into her book. It was an expectant smile. Exactly what she expected, Muriel didn't know.

When the day turned to night, and when Muriel was walking towards her bedchamber, she heard a man's voice behind her. "Miss?"

Muriel turned around and saw Doctor Bergson. He looked happy. He was holding a thin box with one hand. He approached and said very quietly, "His Highness has sent this to you." He held up a looped and knotted ribbon that was threaded through a small key. "And this. He wants you to be the only one to open the box."

"Is that so?" Muriel took the box and noticed there was a little lock.

"There should be a message inside," clarified the doctor. "He asked that you put a reply in the box and leave it in the hallway, on the side table on the left of your bedroom's door. He has a matching key so he can unlock it and read your message."

"Oh ... that's ... alright." Muriel put her fingers in the ribbon loop and took the key. "Thank you."

After a bow, the doctor turned around and walked away.

Muriel thought this was all very unusual, but her inquisitive nature sometimes overpowered her cautious side. She took the box and key into her bedchamber and locked the door.

Reading under candlelight wasn't healthy at all, but she didn't care. She unlocked the box and found a thinly rolled piece of paper. She read the message carefully. The handwriting was open but rather small. The visible pressure from the writer's pen was light.

"To Miss Devin: I hope you will forgive my lack of a proper introduction. I'm curious about a certain idea. You seem to be very adept with needles and threads. Would you please write down some advice concerning birds? I can never stitch an adequate bird. My work often seems flat and lifeless. Thank you very much. From His Royal Highness, Prince Vidar Petran, Earl of Matas."

Well that seemed innocent.

Muriel quickly wrote down a few tips, tricks, and quick instructions that she considered to be very useful. Then she put her response in the box, locked the box, and put it on the side table outside her room.

In the morning, the box was gone.