Chapter 3: The Mini Hope

6 years later…

Angelica turned 17, she was sitting in the dining room and family and her closest friends came over to sing her happy birthday in the castle which is considered a private birthday party.

Angelica smiled softly which is not the same since Dahlia is gone, she still wishes she were here to give her the best birthday gift, she looks at everyone then once the song ends. She inhaled and closed her eyes to make a wish then blew it. Everyone clapped and she carefully took the knife to cut the cake but someone came in to tell Angelica that she had a guest who wanted to speak alone. She lets the butler do it for her, Angelica walks off to meet a 40 years old lady, "Hello ma'am."

"Hello princess, I've come to offer you your 17th birthday gift… do you wish to meet your dearest girlfriend?"

Angelica who was wearing a pink dress and the eyes sparkle in full of hope. "Really?!"

The old lady laughed, "Yes! Also alright child, meet me in my cottage at 6 PM. We have a few to discuss before we activate your gift." The lady pulled out the business card to give to a beautiful young lady. She gladly took it, "but… keep it as a secret, you know this is forbidden…"

Angelica looks at the card, the magic reminds her of Dahlia and she likes it because of her missing best friend, "secret is safe!"

"Excellent, see you this evening, birthday princess." She bowed and left. The princess placed a card in her bra and walked away back to the guests and her fiancée approached her, "hello princess," Devon said and gently took her hand to kiss.

Angelica looked disgusted, "back off…" she took her hand back before he kissed her completely, "I've no interest in you and who told you to come here? I didn't invite you."

"Your parents did, I thought you were happy with me and I have given you all my love for you…" he frowned. Angelica rolled her eyes and walked away leaving him dumbfounded alone in the hall. They all were having a nice time together at royalty castle and Angelica found excuses that she said she agreed to meet her another friend who couldn't come over at 6. Her parents let her go and she strode on the white horse and the horse took her to meet the old lady in advance.

Once she arrived, she told the horse to stay and the horse neighed to say okay. She noticed the door gaped open and slowly entered, "hello?"

"Ah, come in!" The old lady smiled with a tray of two cups of tea, carefully placed on the small table and Angelica closed the door, "it smells so nice! Cinnamon?"

"Yes, for cleansing, protection, and manifestation. Please, sit here and we will speak about the condition, shall we?"

The princess nodded and sat on the chair then sipped chamomile tea.

"I will offer you as your gift to find Dahlia, I know where she is at but here is one condition that you might not want…"

The princess immediately answered,

"I want it, anything for me to find Dahlia!"

"Listen… Listen very carefully, she is not who you knew… I will help you to track her but the ultimate problem is..."

The mug was gently placed on the small plate, "what might it be?" She asked nervously...

"Nothing will affect your family but since she involves witchcraft like me, If you appear not to be her true love, she'll forget who you are -- Frankly, she is already cursed and there is no way of going back unless you want to change the fate in order to win her heart or she will stick in her form for the rest of her life which shell be no longer a human."

"B-but..."

"She has two versions of curse in her life, my previous client has done it and it was tough to get back to normal based on the sins they made. Do you still wish to find her?"

Angelica got worried, "w-will she dies?" She gulped. The old lady shook her head no, "no… opposite." She pulled out the map, "to find her… you only have a year to make her fall in love with you, if you neglect to make her love you too… you'll die."

"Also beware, so many out here are attracting her which means they go out to keep visiting her to win her cold heart as well. You better be ready to face the problems and I believe you can do it."

Angelica spent a few minutes thinking, "I… I will take it!"

"I see… let's start." Lady started to use a sage stick and lit to cleanse themselves and mumbled something to ward off the negativity and bring good fortune in her life.

The cinnamon dropped to the opened kettle to boil while chanting the spell. She picked the knife to cut her palm for blood to leak into the hot water~ Angelica felt uneasy and she watched the stranger doing her ritual.

Her mind she's questioning:

Is it a bad idea or is this even worth a shot?

The old lady poured the red water into a bowl and the water started to levitate into a baby size of a snake to get on the map; the blood made the red line to the spot where Dahlia is at. The snake found the target, it made the circle of the specific city she was in. The water snake looks at Angelica and then transfers back to the bowl like normal water.

The old lady wrapped the cut with a bandage wrapped up.

"She's alive but remembers… Even if it'll take you almost two days to get there, you only have a year to be alive or be dead in any method… Do you understand understand?"

Angelica nodded with a tense smile, "yes! Thank you so much!" She hugged the elder, "am I dismissed?"

The smile from the elder's old face beamed, "yes, better leave now because today is the mark of the hours you must leave before a year expires."

Angelica nodded and folded the map to put in her sleeve then bid a goodbye. The elder told her a lot of good luck and to be faithful that she'll make it. Angelica left with a horse; heading back home and finally, she arrived back home around 7:30 PM. Happily barged in, "mom! Dad! I mean—I'm home~ good news! I found Dahlia!"

The queen and king appeared, "what?! On your birthday?! Is she here?" Mother asked, thrilled. Princess shook her head, "she's from other cities, my friend met her and told me where she's at."

Her parents were filled with hope, "but… I must leave tonight before I lose her again…"

Her father signaled the maids to pack her things, Angelica ran to hug her parents tightly, "thank you! I'm excited to travel alone."

"Change your clothes to be hidden and hurry up!" The queen smiled and hugged back, the daughter kissed their cheeks and left for her room to take a shower and get ready for adventures to get Dahlia and make her love her so they can become rulers together.

She's already with a ponytail and long red with a few black details on the hood, "I'm ready… One year… you can do it, Angelica!" She cheered herself up even though she was mixed with excitement and nervousness. She placed Dahlia's Emerald pin on her hood to keep it sealed, "here I come~"