“I’m ready—” Evangeline froze as she reached the sitting room, where Marisol stood statue-still as she clutched a sheet of black-and-white newsprint.
“Someone shoved it under the door,” Marisol squeaked, her white-knuckled fingers crinkling the edge of the page before Evangeline managed to extract it.
17
* * *
The Daily Rumor
BEWARE THE CURSED BRIDE
By Kristof Knightlinger
I heard a rumor that Valenda’s famous Sweetheart Savior, Evangeline Fox, isn’t the only well-known lady in attendance from the south. It seems that Valenda’s infamous Cursed Bride, Marisol Tourmaline, is here to ruin Nocte Neverending.
Evangeline’s chance at winning the prince might currently be on rocky ground after last night’s display. But it seems the Cursed Bride is so jealous of her, she’s determined to crush any chance Miss Fox has of marrying the prince and becoming our next queen. My sources spotted Miss Tourmaline in several high-tiered spell shops and witcheries today searching for ways to turn Evangeline back into stone.
The Cursed Bride will no doubt be at tonight’s festivities. If you see her, beware—
（continued on page 3 ?）
* * *
Evangeline crumpled the sheet.
Why would someone give them this? She couldn’t believe a person had been cruel enough to shove this under the door, and she was disappointed that the lies about Marisol had followed her here.
Marisol had gone off alone earlier that day. But even if she had wandered into a spell shop, as Kristof had claimed, it must have been purely accidental; she’d probably thought it was a store for exotic recipes. Marisol had been too terrified of magic to even step inside the curiosity shop back home.
“I can’t go now.” Marisol wilted onto a clamshell chair and started tugging at the buttons of her long silk gloves.
“Stop.” Evangeline grabbed one of her stepsister’s hands before she destroyed the sheathes entirely. “Everyone knows the scandal sheets aren’t true. You said as much earlier today. People read them for entertainment, not reality.”
“But people still believe them,” Marisol moaned. “There’s always a piece of truth in those pages, enough to make the lies seem real. If I show up tonight, like the paper says, people will take it as evidence that everything else printed about me is correct.”
“Then prove them wrong. When you show up tonight and I’m not turned to stone, people will know you’re not out to curse me.”
“What if something else terrible happens, and I get blamed for it?”
Evangeline wanted to tell her stepsister that she didn’t have to worry about disasters befalling Nocte Neverending. But it wasn’t a promise within her power to make, especially since Jacks would be there tonight.
“In the off chance a catastrophe does strike this evening, you’re more likely to get blamed for it if you don’t make an appearance. It’s easy to villainize a shadow, but anyone who meets you will see how thoughtful and kind and gentle you are.”
“I think you have too much faith in me.” Marisol sniffled. “Just let me stay here. You look as if you should be a princess in that gown, and if you take me with you, I really will ruin your remaining chances of becoming one. No one wants a cursed sister-in-law.”
“You are not cursed. And I’m not concerned about what happens with the prince.” Evangeline was tempted to say that after what had been printed about her in the scandal sheets that morning, her chances with Apollo were slim. But Evangeline didn’t actually believe that. She believed that she still had a chance with Apollo, or another wonderful happily ever after, and she believed the same for Marisol. Marisol was not the rumors and the lies that had been printed about her. And if she and Marisol showed up tonight together, smiling and happy and untouched by fear, people would be able to see the truth and stop believing all the lies.
“One of the reasons I agreed to this trip was because I wanted to bring you. I thought if you came here with me, you might find your confidence again and possibly a fresh start. Nocte Neverending isn’t just a ball, it’s a chance at stepping into a fairytale, at changing the course of your life and finding opportunities that some people search their whole lives for. This is a night to reinvent who you are, to dazzle everyone you see, and prove to anyone foolish enough to believe the gossip pages that you’re not so jealous of me you’ve set up a magical plan to turn me back to stone.”
“When you say it like that, I sound rather powerful.” Marisol sniffled again, but it inched closer to a laugh this time.