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Seal it all with the foundation charm and send it to the heart.

“Do you think we have to grind it with foxglove just because the author wanted something to rhyme with love?”

Cecilia spoke up before Pearl could. “Do shut up, Frederick.”

“Who originated the curse, Cecilia?” That was the only unknown element to Pearl.

“Septimus Winterbourne.” As soon as the words spilled from Cecilia’s lips, Corvus gasped, and a light began to shine from his body that appeared to be coming from his heart. Cecilia wasted no time in grabbing a bowl from the side of a table, magically transporting a needle into her hand, pricking her finger, and running out of the room as she shouted behind her “I’ll get a pinch of Rupert’s ashes and the foxglove. I expect your blood to be in that bowl by the time I get back.”

Pearl and Frederick complied, and as soon as Frederick’s blood hit the bowl, Corvus’ back arched off the bed as his eyes opened, and the same light began to spill out of them. Crashing back to the bed, as Pearl rushed to his side and touched his shoulder, she received what could have been a static shock if she had not known the feel of magic. Gritting her teeth, she tried again, holding on through the bolt that ran through her body. Corvus’ body was burning up, and when she conveyed as much to Frederick, he reached out as white magic began to flare from his earrings.

Pearl gasped and grabbed Frederick’s hands before he could touch Corvus. “I know you mean well, but it’s vital we not introduce other magic while we attempt the countercurse. Even the smallest magic can interfere with the process.”

Frederick nodded wordlessly, and he looked as helpless as she felt to ease Corvus’ agony.

Cecilia popped back into the room. As she hadn’t seen the impact of adding more elements to the bowl, she threw the ground foxglove and ashes into the bowl without preamble. An almost inhuman sound of pain tore out of Corvus’ throat, and the same light burned out of him showing every vein and artery in his body. His body temperature ramped up so much, Pearl could feel the heat rolling off of him in waves. Mercutio jumped onto the bed, and curled up in the crook of Corvus’ elbow in an attempt to provide comfort, and it reminded Pearl with a jolt that it was time for the last element of the spell. She dreaded adding it, knowing that it would cause Corvus more pain, but her options were pain or death, so she pulled the stopper and poured in the small piece of the familiar’s magic. The whole room infused with the light that was burning from Corvus’ body as he began screaming without stopping. It was agonizing to listen to, and the light was so bright, Pearl had to squint against it in an attempt to see. But it served its purpose because in light this bright and powerful, the curse magic could no longer hide - for there in the depths of Corvus’ heart was a hard, dark ball of old, wicked magic.

Before Pearl could move, white light was streaking towards Corvus’ heart, and she gasped in fear before she realized Frederick had leapt into action, sending their magical countercurse concoction towards Corvus’ heart wrapped up in Frederick’s own magic. As soon as it touched Corvus’ chest, the light winked out, the screaming stopped, and Pearl felt her way to Corvus blindly as she blinked her eyes rapidly in an attempt to see clearly once again.

Pearl’s hands found Corvus’ face, and as her vision cleared, she saw his own eyes open and alert and…gray as a winter storm just like his father’s. Mouth open in shock, she couldn’t form a sentence.

“What is it, love?” Corvus’ face shifted to an expression of concern as he covered one of her hands with his.

Finally finding her words, Pearl replied. “Your eyes. Your eyes were dark because of the curse.”

“Yes, the moment I married Rupert, his eyes transformed from a deep brown to the Winterbourne gray. So, it’s well and truly gone.” Cecilia confirmed.

A sob broke from Pearl’s chest, and she threw herself over Corvus as though he might float away and she needed to use her body to keep him there. Corvus’ hands went to her hair, and he spoke soothing words as he stroked it gently. “I’m here, my darling. I’m not going anywhere. You saved me, love. You saved me.”

Frederick’s voice broke through their reunion. “Oi! And what about your mum and me? What are we, the bloody footmen carrying the Queen’s train?”

Pulling back suddenly and not even acknowledging that Frederick had spoken, Pearl felt a fierce anger rise up, and she attempted to speak through her tears. “But you could have died, Corvus! How dare you not tell me you were going to die! How dare you…how could you…if I had woken up tomorrow and found out you had died…I don’t know…”

Corvus sat up slowly and with effort. “I’m sorry, love. I know that’s not worth much, but I didn’t know how to tell you without making you feel obligated to save me. To shackle you to me against your will was the last thing I would have ever wanted.”

“And what about what I wanted? You made me think we had all the time in the world to figure this out, and you know I wouldn’t have let you die. I couldn’t have let you die. You know that don’t you?”

A pained expression spread across his face. “Of course I do, and that’s why I didn’t tell you. I..” he put the heels of his hands against his eyes in despair. “I was stuck between two impossible choices: tell the woman I love I’ll die if she doesn’t marry me, or die and leave her with no explanation. Neither sounded like very good options. Please forgive me, Pearl. I thought…” he paused for a moment and let out a breath. “I thought since you were so uncertain about whether you wanted to be with me, it would be wrong of me to put the weight of my life on you.”

Pulling his hands away from his face gently, Pearl spoke softly. “I want to make one thing clear. I wanted to be with you again from the moment you petted Mercutio and smiled up at me with those infuriatingly lovely dimples. I just don’t know how to trust you again.”

The hope in Corvus’ eyes almost took Pearl’s breath away. “I realize I’m rather a love sick fool who could have married someone else, but there isn’t anyone else. It’s only you, Pearl. It’s always been you. I’ll spend the rest of my life giving you reasons to trust, if you’ll have me. Thanks to you I have a lot more life to spend on earning back the trust that I broke.”

Pearl’s smile was immediate and infectious, and the tears that streamed down her face were joyful. “I think I could agree to that.” Suddenly remembering that there were other people in the room, she started to pull back, but Corvus’ hand quickly darted out to capture hers before she could move too far away.

Frederick, having felt he’d given Corvus and Pearl a sufficient amount of time to come to the foregone conclusion that they would remain together, wrapped his arms tightly around Corvus. “If there are any more generational curses lurking in your veins, you better tell me right now, because I’m not sure I can live through another one.”

It made Corvus laugh, which had been his intention. “Yes, it’s your life we’ve been deeply concerned about today.” But then his tone turned somber. “I can’t imagine a better friend or brother.”

Frederick pulled away from the hug, and he was as sincere as Pearl had ever seen him. “You’ve saved my life enough times - it was my turn.”

Cecilia was hovering nearby, and the frantic energy that had escaped from her when her son’s life was on the line had been neatly stored away behind the calm, controlled exterior Pearl was used to seeing. She finally spoke up when Frederick pulled away. “I’m pleased to see you well, Corvus. I’m…” hesitation broke through and she stepped up to Corvus’ bed placing a gentle hand on her son’s arm. “I hope…” Her voice broke, and she stopped and tried again. “I know you haven’t wanted or needed my opinions for some time, but know that Ms. McCoy has my full support. And I hope…I hope that you can forgive me. I want to be part of your life again.” A single tear slipped down her face, she wiped it away, and turned to walk out the door before Corvus could reply, saying something about fetching the doctor.

Of course Frederick broke the silence after Cecilia left. “If she likes you, Pearl, there might even be a chance for me to win her over!”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Pearl said with a smile.

After the doctor declared, to no one's surprise, that Corvus needed rest, Pearl sat on the bed as Frederick, Cecilia, and the doctor filtered out behind her. “I’m almost afraid to leave you. I’m afraid you won’t be here when I get back.”