1??????????Soul Bound

  1.2????????Taking Control

  1.2.2??????An Awakening Epiphany

  1.2.2.41???Flavio laid bare at last

  Later that evening, when her staff were closing up and she was preparing for bed, she got a message over her earring.

  Minion: [Nadine, you’ve received a message from Wellington about Flavio.]

  She slipped her crown on, and settled back on her bed to read it.

  She found herself sobbing, and tried to suppress it. No. No sobbing allowed. No emotions. Mustn't feel. Imagine her tears dripping on him like acid, and stop them. She wiped at her face ineffectually. Flavio, having to isolate himself from all human contact, all kindness; to pretend to be a thoughtless jerk, no hugs. No hugs, ever, for the rest of his life, no touch of kindness, no kind words. They must act like aversion therapy, yet still desiring it, like an electrified chocolate cake.

  She scolded herself, got mad at herself, tried to bundle her feelings up into a tight ball where they wouldn’t leak over, but the more she tried, the more compressed and stronger they got. It was like deliberately trying to not think about pink panda bears. She eventually gave up, frustrated, and admitted that Wellington was right. For his own protection, she must make sure she never ended up in the same room as Flavio. And she couldn’t let anyone read her mind, because if the story got out and others started pitying him too, he’d have to leave the city, go live in a cave or something.

  Unless the curse was lifted. There had to be a way, didn’t there, or the quest wouldn’t make sense? She had all the pieces now. She just had to think.

  She fell asleep, tiara still on her head, searching for a solution for Flavio, her own problems forgotten.

  An Awakening Epiphany, folks!

  An Enchanting Original.