The castle basked in a new warmth of early spring. Birds sang in the gardens now free from snow, and laughter spilled from the kitchens to the courtyards. Sheenah walked slowly through the upper halls, her fingers trailing along cool window glass. Below, Leah joined the castle children in a game, her shouts of joy brighter than any sunlight.
Sheenah's heart thudded—a happy sound, but also one mixed with nerves. Ever since the morning the Duke had spoken to everyone, the castle was changed. Doors were open. Smiles came easily. Even the staff who once eyed her with suspicion now bowed or stopped to chat, wanting to know her story.
But Sheenah's thoughts were restless. The magic that bound this place was not fully gone, and she wondered what would come next. What if darkness lingered somewhere she couldn't see? What if the portal between worlds opened once more? Would she choose to go home, or stay here where her heart was beginning to take root?
She turned away from the window and headed to the pond where clear water now free form the ice. She sat on the rock beside the pond then she opens the book once again, expecting blank pages, but each one was now covered in neat handwriting that told her story and Leah's and the whole castle's. Sheenah traced a line from the day of their arrival to the newest page: "Today hope rises with every dawn."
A gentle footstep is slowly coming towards Sheenah's direction. When she heard the approaching footsteps, she looks up, it was the Duke, dressed for the day but holding a single wildflower. He smiled, a little shyly, and offered it to her.
"I thought you'd enjoy the garden," he said. "It's in full bloom."
Sheenah accepted the flower, the petals soft against her palm. "Thank you, Your Grace. It's just I don't just want to sit there; I feel that I might ruined the beautiful flowers."
He shook his head and chuckled. "Call me by my name, just this once. Not as your Duke, but as your friend."
She smiled. "Okay then. Uh should I call you Theodore? Or Zavier?"
He looked at her, gentle and unsure. "I allow you to call me whatever you like just for now. Would you join me for a walk?"
"How about your shortened name? Is it okay? Will it accused me as a treason?"
"I am okay with it as long as you call me that one if were together." The Duke slyly smiled at Sheenah.
"Hah! A treason it is then." Sheenah glared at the Duke.
"Noted, Theo." Sheenah cheekily nicknamed the Duke, he just shakes his head and smiled as well.
They wandered out into the sun to the garden paths lined with new blossom and tiny bees. Theodore paused, gazing at the bed of purple violets and faced her.
"I was alone for so long," he said softly. "The curse taught me fear—of trust, of hope, of love. But you, Leah, and everyone in this castle have shown me something new: that darkness fades when we face it together."
Sheenah felt her own worries slip away like morning fog. "I was lonely too, before all this. But now I feel like I belong—for the first time in a long time."
He hesitated, then reached for her hand. "The curse is not fully broken. Shadows remain, and I know there may be more trials."
Theodore took a deep breath, looking down at a patch of sunlight on the grass. "Many years ago, when I was just a boy, my father ruled this land. He was a proud man, strong but stubborn. One winter night, a sorceress came to the castle. She sought justice—her family had been wronged by our court, falsely accused of treason when they were innocent."
His hands tightened at his sides. "She begged my father for mercy, but he turned his back. He thought showing weakness was dangerous for a ruler. He sent the sorceress away without listening to her story, and ordered her family exiled from the kingdom."
Sheenah's chest ached with sympathy. She waited, letting Theodore continue.
"That night, when the moon was blue, the sorceress returned. She stood in the great hall and cursed my father's bloodline. She said our hearts would freeze, that none of us would ever know peace or real love. My father laughed—he never believed in magic. But after that, everything changed. My mother grew ill, the castle grew cold, and my father turned cruel and bitter."
He met Sheenah's gaze, his own eyes shining with old pain. "As I grew older, I tried to be different. I tried kindness, getting close to people, letting them in. But the curse was real. Whenever I cared for someone, misfortune struck. Friends betrayed me, loved ones fell ill, and darkness crept into every joy. Fear and loneliness seemed to be my only protection. Several years ago, I stopped letting anyone in. I thought maybe if I kept everyone at arm's length, the curse would weaken. But that only made it stronger. The castle felt emptier and colder with every year."
He faced Sheenah to see her reaction as he continues. "Then you and Leah came. You brought laughter, hope, and the courage I didn't know I still had. I realized that love and trust might be the only things strong enough to break what fear and anger started."
He held her hand and squeeze it. "This might be the reason why your both here. Will you stay—and help write a new ending to this story? Then, I'll promise to help you get back to your home."
Sheenah looked at the garden blooming all around her, at Leah's laughter ringing like music, and at Theodore's hopeful eyes. She nodded. "Yes. I will stay. I want to help finish this story—and start the next clues. I'll help you till we broke your curse so that you'll be free, and us, going back home."
A blue moon hung bright in the afternoon sky—a rare, magical sign. The castle's bell rang out, and people gathered as the Duke and Sheenah returned, walking together. Leah ran to meet them, hugging Sheenah tight.
"Promise you'll never leave me until we finish this?" Leah whispered, eyes shining looking at Sheenah then eyeing the walking figure of the Duke far from them.
"I promise," Sheenah said, her voice steady then pinch Leah's cheeks, then they both laugh.
That evening, the castle held a simple feast. Dishes from both Sheenah and Leah's world were served, and everyone, even the gruff advisors and shy maids, joined in. Theodore raised a toast:
"To hope, to new beginnings, and to the family we choose."
The whole hall cheered. Music played late into the night. Shadows fled from every corner as candles and laughter filled the ancient home.
Later, as Sheenah watched the blue moon from her window, she wrote one last line in the midnight-blue book:
"No curse is too strong for hearts that love, trust, and believe."
Sheenah closed her eyes, the promise of tomorrow bright in her chest. The story, she knew, was far from over—but for now, it was safe, warm, and wonderfully her own.