Alrik has two choices: Spend eternity eating mice, or learn to accept himself for who he is.
As his eighteenth birthday draws near, prince Alrikâheir to the throne of Edanâmust choose a wife. But when his first kiss with a beautiful princess leaves him feeling cold, he knows that although it is his duty, he cannot love a woman. In a fit of panic, he seeks out the aid of the witch Gwydion. The witch, however, has other plans.
After hundreds of years as a cat, Alrik must learn to accept himself and who he loves or face the rest of eternity as a cat. Luckily, New York Cityâs dumpsters are ripe for the picking. With food from around the world to choose from, he finds himself drawn to one restaurant in particular.
Crystal Tokyoâa restaurant specializing in Japanese foodâis Yuukiâs first big job as a chef, and he loves it. So, what happens when Yuuki decides to befriend the black cat hanging out in Crystal Tokyoâs back alley?
This story is perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow Series, Ashley Poston's The Princess and the Fangirl, and A.W. Jantha's Hocus Pocus.
Alrik has two choices: Spend eternity eating mice, or learn to accept himself for who he is.
As his eighteenth birthday draws near, prince Alrikâheir to the throne of Edanâmust choose a wife. But when his first kiss with a beautiful princess leaves him feeling cold, he knows that although it is his duty, he cannot love a woman. In a fit of panic, he seeks out the aid of the witch Gwydion. The witch, however, has other plans.
After hundreds of years as a cat, Alrik must learn to accept himself and who he loves or face the rest of eternity as a cat. Luckily, New York Cityâs dumpsters are ripe for the picking. With food from around the world to choose from, he finds himself drawn to one restaurant in particular.
Crystal Tokyoâa restaurant specializing in Japanese foodâis Yuukiâs first big job as a chef, and he loves it. So, what happens when Yuuki decides to befriend the black cat hanging out in Crystal Tokyoâs back alley?
This story is perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow Series, Ashley Poston's The Princess and the Fangirl, and A.W. Jantha's Hocus Pocus.
Long, long agoâin a kingdom that has been entirely forgotten by those alive todayâthere lived a young prince by the name of Alrik. The people of Edan loved Alrik, for he was kind, and remarkably beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, it is said his smile alone had once cured a peasant woman of a sickness quite grave. Whether or not that is true, weâll leave to you. For that is not this story, this story came later.
As Alrik grew, responsibility weighed heavily upon him. One day, he would have to marry, have an heir of his own, and be king. He was not ready for such things, and he feared he never would beâthe young Prince knew that his heart could never belong to any woman his family would choose for him.
âPrincess Amirah will come to stay with us in a fortnight,â Alrikâs motherâQueen Brittaâtwittered over dinner one evening.
At the mention of a princess, the world weighed more heavily on Alrikâs shoulders. This would be the one his family wanted him to marry. âOh? How long do we expect her to stay?â he asked casually.
His fatherâalready deep in his cupsâlet out a loud, jolly laugh. âWhy, until you propose, my boy!âÂ
Alrikâs face paled, his bright green eyes staring down at his plate. Heâd been right. With a gulp, he closed his eyes. âAnd what if I do not propose?â He asked softly, a sinking feeling settled into his stomach, the likes of which he hadnât known before. He knew the answer, still, he asked.
âWhat? Of course, youâll propose,â the king snorted, shaking his head. âPrincess Amirah is heralded as the most beautiful woman in all the land, and sheâs as good-natured as you, my boy. Your people will never know want with you two as their rulers.âÂ
Noticing the anxiety that settled into her son, his mother reached over to take his pale fingers in her own and give them a gentle squeeze. âYouâll do whatâs right for everyone, Alrik. You always do,â she whispered, pride lacing every word.Â
âYes, mama,â He whispered back. Expectation â it choked off his air and there seemed to be no escape. His mother was right; he would have to do what was right for the kingdom. There was no other choice.
* * *
The pit of Alrikâs stomach sank lower and lower as the days wore on. He tried to keep himself busy with preparations for the princess, but all that did was remind him of the result. Alrik, Prince of Edan, would have to propose to the beautiful Princess Amirahâregardless of if he loved her or not. Still, he supposed, perhaps he would grow to love her. For hadnât his parents had an arranged marriage and hadnât they grown to love each other in time? There was hopeâsmall, but not nonexistent.Â
Princess Amirah arrived in a gold-laden carriage, with vibrant red accents and two well-kept black horses at the lead. Prince Alrik was there to greet her, as was expected. When the door opened, he moved to help her from the vessel carefully. Upon first sight, he would admit, she was beautiful. Her hair was a deep brown color, her eyes much the same, and her skin sun-kissed in a way one might say was pleasant to look at.Â
Still, as their hands touched, there were no stirrings of love or even attraction. He feltâwellânothing. The emotion behind the touch was as platonic as if his own sister had taken his hand.Â
âThank you, Prince Alrik.â Amirah bowed her head deeply as a soft, pleasant smile, lilted her lips upwards at the corners. Even that, Alrik would only call pretty, nothing more. It was as if he were looking at a subpar piece of art. He appreciated the beauty, but it left him unmoved.Â
Amirah blinked heavily lashed brown eyes at him, and Alrik shifted, unsure of what he ought to do next. Perhaps she wanted him to kiss her hand? He did not know, so instead, he dropped her hand and offered her a little bow of his own. âPrincess Amirah, Iâm sure you are tired from your journey. Sonja will see you to your rooms where you may refresh yourself and perhaps take a rest.âÂ
Before there was more awkwardness, the prince turned on his heel to leave Amirah and the maid behind â bewildered.Â
* * *
Over the next few days, the pair saw little of one anotherâwhich was only partly Alrikâs fault. While he was not actively avoiding the princess, he did not go out of his way to see her either. To his credit, she was busy meeting with his various family members, so it did not seem as if he were neglecting his duties.Â
By the fifth day, he began to think perhaps he might avoid her forever. There was the possibility that they could announce their marriage without ever having to have a real conversation. Or so he thought.Â
There was a knock at the door, and then, âYour Highness,â FilipâAlrikâs valetâcalled through it.Â
âCome in Filip,â Alrik muttered, turning back to gaze out the window at the setting sun.Â
Filip was a beautiful young man with curly blonde hair, a delicate nose and brilliant aqua eyes. FilipâAlrik thoughtâwas a true piece of art, and the prince found himself very moved by it. Which is why he didnât look at Filip for long or let the young man dress him. âThe Lady Amirah has sent along a note,â Filip announced, bending at the waist before his prince.Â
Alrik turned to take the offered missive. He opened it while Filip waited â flowing across the paper in a delicate hand were the words:
Meet me in the gardens after supper.Â
Yours,Â
Lady Amirah
âWill there be a response, my lord,â Filip asked, his bright eyes searching Alrikâs face.Â
âPlease, tell let the lady that I will meet her, as she has requested.â Alrik shrugged, then turned to the window without another word. Yes, he would meet with her, and perhaps he would even give another try atâwell, whatever this was.Â
* * *
Princess Amirah really was pretty, Alrik thought as he approached her in the gardens after their late supper. The sun had set now, and the grounds were lit with the twinkling of fairy lights and torches alone. In this light, Alrik could see how one might even call the Princess Amirah lovelyâif one were to use such a word.Â
âIs there something I can do for you, My Lady?â Alrik asked, bowing politely when he reached her. âHas your stay not been going well?âÂ
âOh no, nothing like that,â Amirah responded with an easy smile. âI simply wished to get to know my gracious host better. You ran off so quickly the other day, and Iâve scarcely seen you since.âÂ
Alrikâs lips pressed into a firm line as he tried to think of a good lie. It would not do for her to return to his father and say that the prince had neglected her. Not to mention what sort of ghastly affair it might cause between their kingdoms.Â
âYou have been busy, Iâm sure. Running a kingdom is hard work,â Amirah supplied for him, perhaps out of kindness.Â
He nodded, grateful for the out. âYes, My Lady, it is. But I have time now, let us walk awhile.â He held his arm out to her, and she took it before he guided her at a leisurely pace through the glowing gardens. They were silent for a while, her chaperone lingering further back than Alrik would have liked. Expectationâthere it was againâshe expected more of him and had told her chaperone to give them space.Â
âHave you been enjoying your stay?â he asked when naught else struck him to make conversation.Â
âYes, I have. Your sisters are tremendously good company.â She offered him a smile.Â
The pair lapsed into silence once more. How long they remained so, Alrik lost track. He led her deeper into the garden until, at some point, he looked back to realize her chaperone had disappeared altogether. âWe should head back,â Alrik muttered, turned towards the castle again.Â
Fingers clasped his wrist. Amirahâs hand pulled him to a stop and turned him to face her. âMy prince,â she whispered, biting her full lower lip. Then she seemed to decide something, before she leaned in to kiss his lips boldly.Â
Alrik froze out of sheer terrorâhis eyes wide openâunsure of what to do. This didnât seem to stop Amirah. She squeezed her eyes shut, moved onto her toes, and kissed him harder. His hands settled reflexively at her waist, for lack of somewhere better to put them, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He should try, he told himself. After a moment, he tried, but it was like a strange mashing of mouths with nothing behind it. No love. No lust. Just pressure.Â
His hands lifted from her waist to push her away gently. âIâm sorry,â Alrik gasped, horror twisting in his gut. Would he have to do that again? He couldnât do that again! âIâm sorry,â he repeated. Then he turned on his heel and ran. He ran like a banshee was chasing him. His feet took him to the stables, where he shouted to one of the stable boys, âReady my horse!âÂ
When the boy seemed to take too long, Alrik saddled the steed himself, then he set off at a breakneck speed. His trek took him far outside the gates of the castle and the kingdom of Edan. Into the deep dark woods that lay beyond. Alrik didnât stop until he and his horse were standing in front of a lop-sided looking shack with glittering smoke steadily puffing from its chimney.Â
Before he knocked, the door flung inward to reveal a fine-boned personâman or woman, Alrik wasnât sureâdecked in scarves and silks the likes of which Alrik had never seen.Â
They jingled with beads as they tilted their head to one side, seeming to inspect him curiously. âPrince Alrik of Edan?â
Alrik swallowed and nodded. âAre you the witch, Gwydion?â
Bright golden eyes lined heavily in thick kohl narrowed on the prince for a moment. Gwydion nodded and moved to let him into the tiny hut. âWhat do I owe the pleasure?â The witchâs lyrical voice floated through the air around Alrik like a song.Â
With a deep breath, the prince decided that the best method was directness. âI am soon to be married.â The words left him in a rushâthe crushing inevitability of them causing his shoulders to sag. Even if he hadnât proposed yet, that was the direction they were headed. Especially after that kiss.Â
âThen I offer my congratulations.â The witch smiled, flopping down into a thick wingback chair before the fire. âBut I sense that it is not congratulations you seek,â Gwydion intoned after a moment, quirking one perfectly plucked red eyebrow.Â
âN-N-No,â Alrik stuttered, irritated with how his words left him roughly.Â
A heavy sigh ruffled the witchâs many scarves, Gwydion gestured to the seat across from them. âTell Auntie Gwydion your troubles, and Iâll do my best to solve them.âÂ
Dust puffed up from the cushion when the prince settled into the offered chair. Alrik thought on his words, pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He had only given this thought when his mind ran away from him and had never once spoken it aloud. Alrik didnât know how people would receive such a thing, least of all by the witch. But if he wanted help, he would have to explain. âI find myself,â he paused. âUnaffected by women.â
Gwydion did not seem shocked at all by this admission. The witchâs red-painted lips quirked up at the corners when they asked, âAnd the problem with that is?â
Another deep inhale-exhale and Alrik continued. âI fear that it will make me rather ill-fitting to be the husband of Princess Amirah.â He didnât add that he was sure it would horrify his parents to find that their son was not attracted to women at all, but in fact, found himself very much affected by the nicely fitting trousers of his valet. Alrik wasâto put it bluntlyâdisgusted by the mere thought.
âI suppose it will. Why not find yourself a prince then? If that is your preference?â Gwydion asked as if it were the simplest thing in all the world.Â
Wide green eyes blinked at the witch in utter shock. âI am notâthat would notâthat is to say,â the prince sputtered. Not for the first time, fear and loathing rolled within him. This was why he had kept his distance from Filip.Â
The witch stared at him through glowing golden eyes, unfazed by his shame. âIf you are not attracted to princesses and you do not wish to marry a prince, then whatâpray tellâare you attracted to?â
Filip, his mind supplied, but he refused to voice the word. âIt doesnât matter. Can you cure me?â Alrik pressed on.Â
Gwydionâs golden eyes turned sympathetic. The witch sighed before shaking their head. âIâm afraid there is no cure for such a thing, dear prince. We love who we love, and that is the end of that. No magic can change it, not even mine. Nor would I want it to.âÂ
âThere must be something,â the prince insisted, his eyes going manic, fear gripping his chest. He stood from his seat and began to pace the small length of the fireplace. âA love potion, perhaps. Or a curse. Iâll take a curse any day over this. There has to be a way to fix me,â he pleaded. âGwydion, I canât go back to Edan like this,â he whispered desperately.Â
âThen donât.â The witch shrugged. âRun away. Go live your life elsewhere. Find your own happiness. You have a younger brother, let him take the throne.â Gwydion rose from their chair to usher the prince to the door. Once there, they stopped, pressing one ringed hand to the princeâs chest. âLearn to love yourself,â the witch pleaded. âA man as kind as yourself deserves at least that.âÂ
Alrik allowed the witch to push him into the awaiting night. All the while, hopelessness sunk into his belly like a lead weight. If the witch could not help him, then what hope did he have? None. He was an embarrassment to his family and his people. He would never be the man or king they deserved. It would be better if he died; at least then, they would never know his shame. âThen I have no choice,â he whispered to himself, pulling a dagger from his belt.Â
Gwydionâs brows rose in alarm, and before the prince did any damage to himself, the witch acted. Gwydion did the only thing that came to mind. In a vortex of glittering golden magic, Alrik screamed and thrashed. His black hair grew long. Scruff sprouted along his jaw and then spread until it joined the lengths of his hair, covering his face in black fur. His green eyes glowed brighter, the irises narrowing to slits. He opened his mouth to scream again, but no sound escaped, and instead, his short blunt teeth lengthened and sharpened to a point. All the while, his bones rearranged painfully, and he shrunk smaller and smaller until he felt he could shrink no more.Â
When the magic cleared, there in place of Prince Alrik of Edan, stood a small, demure all-black cat. The catâs head twisted this way and that inspecting itself, tail twitching. âWhat in the godsâ names did you do?â The cat hissed in Alrikâs voice as he narrowed his glowing eyes on the witch.Â
Gwydion bent to meet the catâs eyes. âI did what I always doâprecisely what you needed, my dear prince. A cat you are now, and a cat, you shall stay until you can learn to love yourself.â The witch sighed, then reached one hand forwardâjingling with banglesâto pet Alrikâs furry black head.Â
Alrik hissed and swiped at them, leaving an angry red scratch behind. âSenseless old hag! Turn me back this instant,â he demanded self-righteously, lifting his furry black chin.Â
âIâm sorry, my prince, but I cannot.â Gwydion shook their head, tutting softly. âThe spell is cast, and only you can break it.â
Something within the prince broke, realization hitting him all at once. He sunk to the cold, damp earth, laying his head on it with a deep sigh. âI cannot be a cat forever,â Alrik whimpered. âWhat will become of my mother and father? What of my kingdom? Who will take care of them?â
Gwydion sighed, shaking their head. âI do not know, my prince.â
âHow long will I be like this?â he asked pitifully.Â
âI do not know that, either. You will live as a cat for as long as it takes. If that be a day, then so be it. If it be a year, so be that.â Gwydion watched the cat with sad golden eyes. There was a hint of remorse in the witchâs tone, but still, they could not undo what they had done. Curses must be broken, not un-cast.
âAnd what if it takes a lifetime?â
The witch settled onto the ground before him, holding out their hand again to provide comfort. Long fingers stroked between the catâs pressed back ears. âIf it takes three lifetimes, you will still be a cat. Youâll be immortal until you break the curse.âÂ
The cat-prince yowled in agony. He leaped to his feet, having had enough of such nonsense, and trotted off into the night. He vowed to do whatever it took to fix this. However long it took. In the meantime, Alrik left behind his family, his kingdom and that silly witch forever.
"What do you deserve?"
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I'm pretty easy to lure into reading a book: a cat on the cover. A cat in the title. Black cats are especially irresistible. Sprinkle in bits and pieces of magic, humor, a feel-good romantic tale, and a Fairy DragMother to boot, then consider me your slave~â„
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Lou Wilhamâs The Curse of the Black Cat has all of these and so much more. Just from reading the synopsis and the first chapter, I knew I was going to be in for a treat. And wow, what an absolute treat this was! It is the kind of book that just is and does not try to be anything but. It sets out to tell a romantic tale between two guys finding love in the most unexpected way, bringing fairy tale and magic into a modern setting to teach us an age-old lesson about what true love really means, and it does just that. It stays clear on its intentions and the core message it aims to impart; maintains writing that is easy to read, yet hits deep when and where it intends to; stays within the boundaries of its wordcount and never gets bogged down by too many complicated subplots and emotions.
Itâs just Alrik and Yuuki and this is their story. I get to simply settle into that and truly feel every endearing moment, every bolt of protective jealousy in Alrikâs tiny feline heart, every painful crack of Yuukiâs heartbreak, and then finally sigh into the warm promise of their happily-ever-after.
I also found myself chuckling at those little shots of humor in the narrative voice, the dramatic ironies, and the quirky yet adorable interactions between Alrik and his Fairy DragMother, Gwydion.
(That being said, one of my favorite parts of this book is the author saying that thereâs more of Gwydion and their curses coming. Oh, yes please!)
Sometimes, less really is more and I find this especially true in Lou Wilhamâs book. Even its core message can be summed up in a four-word question that can make most of us stop and think for days and yet find no clear answer for: What do you deserve?
It took centuries for Alrik to truly understand and find his sincerest answer to this question. His and Yuukiâs story also teaches us that true love is more than just finding the right person. Itâs about finding someone you can be your truest self with, whatever form they may take.