- 7 -

 

        Birds and rabbits were sitting on the table with fruits surround them. Cinder sat down and shared the information she just knew. "I will paraphrase what the Curse says, because it is in my mind and you can't hear its voice. I plan to settle down here." she announced. "However, you are free to leave. We are still friends."

        "Why we leave? We will stay as well." Jaq said with a big smile on his face. "We understand why you make such choices and we want to support you."

        "Yes! We will be helpful. I will try to find some seeds for you to plant in the garden. I see there's no weed now." said Bella.

        You have good friends who support you. The Curse said.

        "Thank you so much, my friends!" Cinder said sincerely.

        "When I was out before, an eagle told me that there are towers in other forests." Bill raised his head and said.

        "Towers? Whose towers? Witches?" asked Guz curiously.

        "Yes, in one way." Bill flapped his wings. "The eagle said that most of them have similar experiences as Ruby, such as being misunderstood or avoiding marriages they dislike. After all, witches are not born wicked."

        "True." True. Cinder and the Curse said.

        "Possibly we can join together and start by telling other people that we don't want them to intervene in our lives, no matter to be rescued, to be killed, or to marry someone." Cinder pondered. "I can write letters and articles."

        Good idea! I can help, too! The Curse screamed with excitement. How clever you are!

        "Great! Bella and I can help carry out your messages." Bill said.

        "However, we need to go through the tower and worry about what we will have for dinner and where we will sleep during the night." Jaq interrupted.

        He is right. The Curse giggled. I will show you around the tower.

        Everyone laughed out. They cleaned the tower and made it their home. Cinder and the Curse wrote letters calling for communication and understanding, birds flew to send out these messages, and rabbits tried to invite people to visit and talk with Cinder, but hardly anyone came.

        Sometimes it was worse. Princes and knights rushed in and wanted to kill Cinder after they discovered the tower. Few were willing to talk with her, some returned to their home when they were defeated, but some kept invading and believing that she was a wicked witch. In order to avoid tragedies and misunderstanding, Cinder did not choose to take their life as Ruby. Instead, she tried to drive stubborn invaders away with mild magic.

        I hope I can control myself next time when these invaders hurt me. It is really painful. Cinder said slowly when she bandaged up her wounds after an attack.

        You have tried your best and made progress. If you wish, I can be the dominant personality so you will not feel the pain. The Curse comforted her.

        Don't worry. I can make it. Cinder smiled gently. If you take control of my body, you will feel pain as well.

        After three years and four months, in the autumn Cinder successfully made a body. She managed to extract the Curse from her soul and make it alive in that entity. When it opened its eyes, everyone was shocked by its beauty, but it was still indistinguishable whether the Curse was male or female.

        "Wow! I'm alive!" The Curse cried out.

        "Welcome!" said the animals delightedly.

        "You are... so beautiful." Cinder murmured.

        "Do you love me because of my beauty?" The Curse joked.

        "No." Cinder smiled. "I love you because I know you. You have the right to choose." She cleared her throat and asked clearly, "Are you... willing to marry me?"

        The Curse smiled as well. "Yes!" It replied loudly and confirmed.

        Animals cheered up. Cinder and the Curse held their wedding after a week, and they lived happily afterwards.