Océan's Price

The whole world seemed to stand still, the barren trees paused their sway, the River of Mort’s tumultuous, midnight-blue current slowed to a still image of rushing water, The Queens’ ravens seemed to hang in the air, suspended. The roar of the wind faded to the ether of Océane’s mind. No magic was being used, at least not for the stillness. Morelle’s stones of protection floated around him just the same. That was the oddest thing. His magic had not died, while he, he had a dagger lodged through his heart. But he wasn’t dead, not yet.

“You believed that would be the end, little girl?” His voice was as smooth and deep as ever. “You believed you could be the ruination of the Royaume?”

“I am not the ruination, I am the salvation.” Her voice was still strong as she stared him down, she could sense Camille in her periphery, making his way up the ladder to the top of the tower, where Océane and Morelle faced off. She just needed to buy him some time.

“Do you know what your problem is, Morelle?” she said, “You never believed in anything but yourself and your power. I will defeat you, not through strength but because I have something you do not.”

“And pray tell, what is that?”

“Love.”

Camille stepped up behind Morelle, his sword at the ready, when Morelle raised a hand and the sword vanished into thin air. Rage coursed through Océane’s body, that sword had been forged in the sacred caves of Coeuroche and tempered in the periwinkle waters of the River of Vie, it was a sacred weapon, a birthright of her people, bestowed upon the bravest of the Princess’ suitors. Camille did not hesitate however, he reached for his dagger at his belt to find that it was already in front of him, the tip facing his chest. With a flick of Morelle’s wrist the dagger lodged itself into Camille’s heart.

Océane screamed as Camille fell to the stone floor, blood pouring from the wound in his chest. Her mind went blank, and afterwords she would have a hard time explaining what she did, her memory of the events fuzzy. She knew Morelle was taunting her. She knew Camille was dead. And she knew she was a princess, she could do it.

She could do dark magic. Océane wasn’t a sorceress, but she knew enough. She knew how to save the love of her life and defeat Morelle at the same time. In that moment she made the choice to use the one thing Mélèze had told them was forbidden, soul-magic, dark magic that effected souls. The sorceress claimed the consequences would be dire, but this was for a good cause, nothing could punish that.

Océane raised her hand, and at that moment, Morelle knew what she was about to do, his eyes filling with horror and fear. She called Morelle’s life force out of his body, the strain of the magic pulling at her core, and transfered it to Camille’s. She collapsed from the effort, her vision hazy, but she could see Camille get up, his wound closing. She had done it. She had saved him. And she defeated Morelle at the same time.

When Océane was a child, the sorceress Mélèze had seen into her future. She had seen a timid young girl and a reckless orphan fall in love, she could see their soulbond, then she saw a brave young woman lose her cautious soulmate to an evil sorcerer. Océane had never told Camille about this prophecy, despite the urging from her parents, she hadn’t wanted to scare him away. 

Now she felt on top of the world, she had changed the prophecy, she had gotten the best of both worlds. Her family was safe, her people were safe, and her soulmate was safe. She would be able to look in his deep blue eyes again, and know that this was the rest of her life. She couldn’t wait.

When Océane ran to Camille now however, his eyes had changed, not much and not physically, they were the same deep blue, but he was looking at her different. The love was gone. He was probably just shaken, Océane thought, he did just come back from the dead.

“Your hair,” he said in his soothing voice, now slightly shaky.

“My hair??” she said as she dropped to her knees to help him up, “We defeat the greatest sorcerer of all time and you want to talk about my hair???”

He stared at her, taking her hands and letting her pull him up, “It’s grey.”

“What.”

“Your hair, not all of it, but the front parts, they’re grey.”

Océane pulled a section of the front of her hair from its braid. Camille was right, her deep golden hair had turned grey and lost its shine. She didn’t know what to say.

“It wasn’t a dream was it,” Camille said, cautiously, “You… you used dark magic. You brought me back from the dead.” He sounded vaguely horrified for some reason.

“Um, yeah? A thank you would be nice, but I’ll give you a pass since you just woke up.” She grinned at him, he didn’t grin back.

“What were you thinking?” He sounded proper horrified now.

Océane looked at him in shock, “You were… you were dead, Camille. What was I supposed to do?”

“Not this, anything but this.”

They made their way down from the tower and into the atrium of the palace, the dark energy and the thick cords of metal that had been choking the life out of the room had vanished. The plants that once filled the atrium were starting to grow back already. The room wasn’t just filled with plants however, the Queens, Océane’s parents, and most of the nobles had come up from below to greet them. 

Océane ran into her parents’ arms. Camille made his way to the Queens and bowed.

“Morelle is dead, your Majesties.”

The room burst into celebration. Calls for a feast, a week long fête, and a honouring ceremony chorused through the room, voices bouncing off the glass ceiling.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, people crowding to shake Camille’s hand and kiss Océane’s. The general assumption seemed to be that Océane’s grey hair was the result of a wicked curse, meant to detract from her beauty, that had failed against the pureness of the princess’ heart.

“We need to talk,” Camille said in a hushed voice into Océane’s ear. She turned to look at him.

“Okay, meet me in my room in 5 minutes?” Camille nodded.

When Océane stepped into her room 10 minutes later with an excuse on her tongue, Camille waved her off.

“I’ve known you long enough to know that you are never on time.” 

“What’s wrong? You’ve been acting so strange. We won, you’re alive, this is what we wanted.” Océane went to take Camille’s hands, but he shook her off.

He stared at her for a bit before replying, “Why? Why is this what we wanted?”

Océane was dumbfounded, “Are you seriously suggesting that we shouldn’t have killed Morelle?? He was a tyrant!”

“No, of course not, that was the right thing to do. I’m asking why we want us.”

“Because we love each other?” Océane was getting more and more nervous.

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“Why do we love each other?”

“Because we just do? Because we’re soulmates?”

Camille nodded, “That’s it. Right there. ‘Soulmates’. Maybe before, but not now.”

“What??? What are you saying, Camille? I love you!”

He looked at her with pity in his eyes. “I loved you too, once. That part of me, it’s not there anymore.”

“This is… this is just Morelle’s magic, he’s messing with us.”

“Morelle’s magic died with him. What I’m saying is, I don’t think I ever loved you by choice. The reason I loved you was because I was made too, and now that’s gone.”

“So this was never real?” Océane said flatly. Camille shrugged.

“If that’s how you want to see it.”

“But, if that connection was broken, why do I… why do I still love you?” her voice was desperate.

“I’m not sure, it probably has to do with the fact I died and you brought me back, but I’m not sure. Ask Mélèze, she’ll probably know.” With that he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. “I enjoyed the time we spent together, I loved you, that hasn’t retroactively changed. But, I don’t think I could love you again.”

“Why not?” her voice sounded like a spoiled child’s even to her own ears, even though her face was pressed against his chest. 

“You did black magic today. And I don’t think you’re about to tell anybody. You knew it was forbidden for a reason.”

“So this is my punishment?”

“Maybe,” he said letting her go, “like I said ask Mélèze.”

Camille opened the door and turned back to Océane, “Goodbye, Your Royal Highness,” he said with a bow.

“Will I see you again?” her voice was shaking, but no tears had fallen.

“Maybe someday, but all my life I was either the poor orphan or the princess’ suitor. I need to figure out who I am without all that.”

“Okay, good luck,” she said no fight left in her, and with that he left.

Océane’s parents didn’t understand why Camille had left.

“Does he not realize all we’ve done for him?” her dad huffed. “We’re not a charity, you know.”

“I told you, I think it’s the price we’ve paid for our freedom.” Océane had accepted it. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. She missed Camille everyday since he left two weeks earlier. “At least I think so, that’s why I need to see Mélèze, she’ll know the real reason.”

Her parents looked at each other, then her father sighed, “Fine, go see the sorceress. Just be back by the ceremony in a week, it’s bad enough that one of the heroes won’t be attending, we can’t have an honouring ceremony with no one there to honour.”

“And stay safe dear,” her mother added, “we love you.”

“I know, I love you too.”

Mélèze lived a days journey by horse, so Océane took her mare, Étoile and began her journey into the mountains the next morning. When she got to the sorceress’ house, she tied Étoile to a tree and knocked on the door.

“Go away,” Mélèze’s ethereal voice said through the door, “I’m not going to talk to you.”

“It’s Princess Océane.”

“I know.”

“Um, so will you let me in?”

“No. Go away, and take your dark magic with you.”

“I… how did you know?”

“I’m a sorceress, child, I know a lot of things.”

“Don’t call me a child, you’re barely older than me.”

“Well you certainly act like a child, doing exactly the opposite of what you’re told.”

“I… I needed to save Camille. And I did. While saving the Royaume at that.”

“No, child, all you did was curse yourself.”

“What do you mean? And can you please let me in this is no way to have a conversation.”

The door opened and a tall, pretty young woman wrapped in a patchwork cloak stepped out onto the doorstep. “Is this better?” she asked.

“Um, yes, I suppose.” Océane responded.

“I’m not letting you in my house. Now, as for your question, when you used dark magic you left a curse on your soul, you will never experience the love you desire ever again.”

“What? What… why…”

“You used dark magic for love so it will come back as a curse against the love that others hold for you.”

“Can… can I reverse it? Could you reverse it?”

Mélèze sighed, “I might have been able to, yes. But you broke a prophecy, you cannot be affected by magic, not even I could cure you, even if I wanted to.”

Océane didn’t know what to do with that. Her whole life was crumbling before her eyes, she had hoped that Mélèze could undo whatever stopped Camille from loving her. She couldn’t be loved? That was so much worse than she could imagine.

“If I knew the price, I wouldn’t have…”

“You did know the price, Princess, I told you. Dark magic comes back and takes what you used it for.”

“But… but…”

“You thought you were better than that? You thought your title could save you. You tested fate, and now you must reap what you sow.”