Chapter 2

Prince Curio sighed, his heart feeling heavy as he walked outside to the garden. As much as he wanted to hold this masquerade, he wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. He felt he was being selfish and insensitive by continuing with the plans he layed out to celebrate, but it was what everyone else wanted to do. Even Ashlie was saying it would provide a distraction from the murders for a while.

Don't get him wrong. Curio loved Ashlie as if she were a second mother, but distracted was not what he wanted to be right now. He wanted to be out there finding whoever was responsible before anyone else was killed. The only reason he was even going along with this was because they hit a dead end on the case and were waiting for Lieutenant Hector to return with Victor and his companion. He sighed and uttered a prayer that Victor would be able to help them. Nothing about this case was making sense and Curio was starting to get the feeling that there was more to the case that had yet to reveal itself.

He tossed a coin into the fountain then sat down, fiddling with the water as he became lost in his thoughts. Oh how he wished Lt. Lamaar was here to help this time. He was with the king at Holyvine Woodsburrow, helping the town rebuild from damages brought on by a wildfire. The damages had been great and a lot of people had been injured, but thankfully there had been no fatalities. There was, however, a lot of work to be done before the town was able to stand on its own feet again hence why Curio's father and Lt. Lamaar had gone over there to help. Which meant that until they returned, Curio wouldn't be able to turn to them for help.

Of course, Curio didn't mind as one of the many things he loved about his father and Lt. Lamaar was their heart for their people. They are always eager to lend a helping hand to those in need. Curio prayed that when the time came for him to become king, he could live up to those same standards and have the same heart for his people that they did.

He was brought from his thoughts as Princess Gaea sat next to him, a look of concern donning her face as she watched him, "What are you doing out here?"

Curio sighed and returned to fiddling with the water, "I needed some space to clear my head."

Gaea nodded then scooted closer to him and held his hand. She knew he had seemed distracted when they were going over ideas for their costumes with the seamstress. She had hoped that designing their costumes together would help bring his spirits up a little, but it seemed to only sour his mood even further. In fact, if she were honest with herself, she had only been half surprised when she had turned from her conversation with the seamstress to ask Curio something only to find Curio had run off. Curio gave her a half smile then leaned to lay his head on her shoulder. They stayed that way for a while before Gaea patted his head, "We should go back inside before they send a search party."

Curio snorted, barely refraining from rolling his eyes, "Yeah we should."

Truth be told, he wasn't ready to go back inside just yet, but also knew he couldn't hide out here forever. His father was trusting him to take care of everything while he was away and Curio didn't want to break that trust. So they went inside and made their way back to the lobby where Ashlie was pacing and fretting. Curio lowered his head feeling guilty as he approached her, "I'm sorry for worrying you, Miss Ashlie."

He used a little formality with her in hopes it would convey his sincerity. Ashlie put her hands on her hips and shook her head, but there was a softness in her expression that let him know he was forgiven. "You really must stop disappearing acts like this, Your Highness. Are you alright?"

"Yes, Miss Ashlie. Im sorry for disappearing, I just needed some air."

Ashlie smiled and patted his shoulder, "It's alright. Now, the seamstress left her designs in your office for you to go over, but for now, Mr. Bousnier wants you to go over the decorations."

Curio inwardly groaned, "Alright."

He straightened his posture and put on a polite smile as he walked over to Mr. Bousnier. The man was reviewing what appeared to be the guest list with a critical eye as he marked on the paper. Curio made a mental note to look at the list later to make sure it was to his liking. Last year when Curio hosted a spring festival, Mr. Bousnier had taken guests off the list that the prince hadn't wanted left out, leaving ruffled feathers in his wake. Curio had spent weeks writing letters, sending gifts, and making personal visits to try and smooth those feathers.

Thankfully once Curio had explained what had happened, they had been more understanding. He had still gotten scolded for not being careful to make sure everything had been done correctly in the first place, but he assured them he would be more careful in the future. This left him wondering why Mr. Bousnier was still being hired after that catastrophe, but Curio decided he would ponder that on a later date. Right now, he needed someone who could offer objective opinions in regards to what they wanted for the masquerade. Well, until Hector returned anyway.

Princess Gaea followed closely behind him. If they were going over decorations, she had a few ideas she wanted to share with them. She also wanted to make sure their friend, Hiratio, was on the list to receive an invitation. Not that she thought Curio wouldn't want him there, but lately Curio seemed hesitant or worried anytime he reached out to Hiratio. Not that she blamed him. A rift had been wedged into their friendship after their argument over Curio's duties as a Mystic. Curio didn't want to conform to the stereotypical reputation - merciless beings that ruled with an iron fist - that Mystics were feared over. He wanted to be known as a fair and honest leader that delivered swift justice while still showing compassion and mercy to those who asked for or needed it. Hiratio felt that Curio was weak and naïve for believing he could rule in such a way.

This had hurt Curio deeply and made him question himself for weeks. She still wasn't sure what brought him out of his slump, she was just grateful to see him being some semblance of his normal self again. While the last thing she wanted was to reverse this healing process, she knew that he and Hiratio eventually needed to sit down and work things out before it destroyed their friendship entirely. She sent up a silent prayer and hoped for the best as she and Curio approached Mr. Bousnier and began to go over their ideas for the masquerade with him.

It was approaching late afternoon when Curio finally stormed into the study. Don't get him wrong, he loved parties, but between Mr. Bousnier and the stress he was already feeling from the murder case, Curio was ready to make some heads roll. Mr. Bousnier had turned down and criticized every idea the royals had given him. Curio had put up with it when it was just him, but as soon as Mr. Bousnier began aiming the criticism at the princess, he decided enough was enough and fired the man. Sure he received a scolding from Ashlie due to his choice of words, but the teary smile and kiss on the cheek he received from the princess made it worth it. It had even helped lift his spirits again and put him in a better mood to handle the arrangements. It didn't last long, however, when the lingering doubt he had been feeling reared its ugly head again. Not wanting to snap at anyone else, he had dismissed himself and retreated to his study to deal with the internal war threatening to consume him. Sure the masquerade would hopefully shed some light on the darkness threatening to encase the city, but he still felt he was being cold and selfish for wanting to celebrate his birthday when there were four villagers that would never be able to celebrate anything with their families ever again. It wasn't that he wanted to put everything to a stop. He just wanted to postpone and pay his respects by giving the families a chance to bury their loved ones and grieve their loss.

He sighed, calming slightly as he walked over to his painting, glad to finally be away from all of it for a while. The painting was of a doe grazing in a meadow with her fawn, the forest and mountains standing around them at a distance as if they were guarding them. It was a gift for the princess. He wanted to give it to her as a way of commemorating their twelve years of friendship and two years of courtship. As he painted, he let his mind take him back to a conversation he and his father were having several days ago.

They had been planning their trip to Holyvine Woodsburrow - Curio was originally supposed to go as well - and what they were going to do to help the villagers out when they got there. Curio had been working on the painting then too. His father had watched him with a reminiscent smile on his face, "You get your talent from your mother, you know."

Curio paused his painting at the mention of his mother. She had passed away during childbirth when he was seven. The baby had died as well. Tears threatened to fall as Curio put the brush won and turned to face his father, "I miss her."

"I miss her, too, son. She was a rare soul."

Curio hummed, nodding in agreement.

He still wasn't sure how long they had been sitting in silence when Lt. Hector barged in and notified them of the first two murders. He did remember having to make the difficult decision to stay behind in order to investigate. Curio sighed and set the brush down. He walked over to the window and watched as residents milled about the marketplace making selections from the vendors. Maybe going out and running errands was what he needed to lift his spirits up a bit.

Curio breathed a sigh of relief once he slipped out the garden gates. He felt guilty for sneaking out, but he needed to be alone without having a guard or two hovering around him. He tilted his hat low then sprinted across the street to the antique shop. He slowed to a stop outside the window and smiled as he peered inside to take a peek at Ms. Hillard's latest collections. Ms. Hillard was often traveling to excavation sites, museums, and exhibits, so there was always something new at her shop. Curio wasn't sure if that was legal or not, but no one seemed to complain, so he figured as long as she wasn't causing any harm he wouldn't bother her. He wanted to go inside and see what new trinkets she had to offer, but there was something else he wanted to take care of first so he kept going.

He had heard Madame Chuchila was back in the city and had been anxious to pay her a visit. He had some questions plaguing him and hoped she could provide some insight. He made a detour through Central Square then took a narrow backstreet towards the outskirts of the city where her shop resided. While it seemed Madame Chuchila had kept the beautiful carpets she used to decorate her windows, Curio noticed she added some plants and other decorations. He wasn't entirely surprised as she had a knack for finding things to decorate her yard, yet somehow managed to avoid over decorating. He heaved a sigh as he reached the door, taking a moment to compose himself before he went inside.