Gilded, p.44
Gilded,
p.44
She nodded, and wished so desperately that she could tell him it had a happy ending. The prince killed the villain and rescued his sister after all. The words would have been so easy to say. They were on the tip of her tongue.
“Serilda, this hardly seems the time for fairy tales.”
“You’re right, but you must hear it,” she said, her hands falling to his shoulders, fidgeting with the wide linen collar of his shirt. “The prince came back to his castle, but the Erlking had arrived before him, and he … he killed everyone. Slaughtered the king and queen, all the servants…”
Gild shivered, but Serilda gripped the fabric, keeping him close. “When the prince returned, the king tethered his spirit to the castle, so he might be trapped in that miserable place forever. And for his final revenge, he put a curse on the prince, that no one—not even the prince himself—would ever remember him or his family. Their names, their history—it was all ripped away, so that he would be forever alone. So that he would never again know the feeling of love.”
Gild stared at her. “That’s it? That’s how the story ends? Serilda, that is—”
“The truth, Gild.”
He hesitated, frowning.
“It’s the truth. It all happened, right here in this castle.”
He watched her, and she could tell the moment when the pieces began to fit together.
The things that made sense.
The questions that still lingered.
“What are you saying?” he whispered.
“It isn’t just a story. It’s real. And the prince … Gild, it’s you.”
This time, when he pulled away, she let him.
“The girl in the portrait was your little sister. The Erlking killed her. I don’t know if he kept her ghost. She might still be in Gravenstone.”
He ran a hand through his hair, staring into nothing. She could tell he wanted to argue, to deny it. But—how could he? He had no memories of his life before.
“What’s my real name, then?” he asked, looking up at her. “If I’m a prince, I’d be famous, wouldn’t I?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know your name. It was erased, as part of the spell. I’m not even sure if the Erlking himself knows what it is. But I do know that you aren’t a ghost. You aren’t dead. You’re just cursed.”
“Cursed,” he said, laughing without humor. “I’m well aware of that.”
“But don’t you see?” She took his hands. “This is a good thing.”
“How is being cursed a good thing?”
It was the question Serilda had been trying to answer her whole life.
She lifted his hand and placed a kiss against the pale scar on his freckled wrist, where a gold-tipped arrow had tethered his spirit to this castle, trapping him forever.
“Because curses can be broken.”
Acknowledgments
My heart is so full of gratitude that I wish there were more words to describe it in the English language.
Countless thanks are owed to my publishing family at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group: Liz Szabla, Johanna Allen, Robert Brown, Caitlin Crocker, Mariel Dawson, Rich Deas, Jean Feiwel, Katie Quinn, Morgan Rath, Jordin Streeter, Mary Van Akin, Kathy Wielgosz, and everyone who I never actually get to talk to, but I know is working tirelessly to bring these books into the world. I am likewise so grateful to the team at Jill Grinberg Literary Management: Jill Grinberg, Katelyn Detweiler, Sam Farkas, Denise Page, and Sophia Seidner. I am so lucky to get to work with you all.
I am much obliged to my copyeditor, Anne Heausler, for her thoughtful edits and suggestions. To my incredibly talented audiobook narrator, Rebecca Soler, for her brilliant interpretations of the characters. And to Regina Louis for her invaluable input on German customs, traditions, and cultural details (as well as her work on the Supernova German translation). Thank you all for helping to make the world of Adalheid glow a little brighter.
I am forever indebted to my longtime friend and critique partner, Tamara Moss. Not only does your feedback always lead to a stronger book, but you also somehow know just the right things to say to help me keep calm and carry on.
I cannot say thank you enough times to Joanne Levy—assistant, podcast organizer and social media manager, Excel expert, and awesome middle grade author. I know I’ve said this a hundred times, but truly, you are the best.
Speaking of amazing writer friends, it was very strange to be writing this book during the lockdown of 2020, and it has made me appreciate my local writing group all the more: Kendare Blake, Corry L. Lee, Lish McBride, and Rori Shay. I hope that by the time this book comes out we’ll be enjoying our regular writing dates again!
I am most grateful to Sarah Crowley for all her assistance with website design and technical conundrums. To Bethanie Finger, host of the Prince Kai Fan Pod, for her unflagging energy and support. To everyone on Instagram who offered suggestions for the Gilded playlist—I’ve been able to surround myself with the most delectably haunting and whimsical music these past months thanks to you. And the readers. All the readers. The booksellers, the librarians, the teachers, the podcast listeners, the fans—everyone who has been so kind, encouraging, enthusiastic, and just really, really lovely over this past decade. I hope you know how much you mean to me.
Lastly, I am full of gratitude, appreciation, thankfulness, and every other synonym for my family. Jesse, love of my life. Sloane and Delaney, close second loves of my life. Mom and Dad. Bob and Clarita, Jeff and Wendy and Garrett and Gabriel, Connie, Chelsea, Pat and Carolyn, Leilani and Micah and Micaela. My life is a little more gold, a little less straw, with all of you in it.
About the Author
Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Lunar Chronicles series; the New York Times–bestselling Renegades trilogy; the graphic novels Wires and Nerve: Volume 1 and Wires and Nerve, Volume 2: Gone Rogue; and The Lunar Chronicles Coloring Book. Her first stand-alone novel, Heartless, was also a #1 New York Times bestseller, and her rom-com debut, Instant Karma, has been optioned by HBO Max. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and their two daughters. Visit her online at marissameyer.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
New Year’s Day. The Snow Moon
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
The Hunger Moon
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
The Crow Moon
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Eostrig’s Day. The Spring Equinox
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
The Chaste Moon
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
The Awakening Moon
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2021 by Rampion Books, Inc.
A Feiwel and Friends Book
An imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
fiercereads.com
All rights reserved.
Feiwel and Friends logo designed by Filomena Tuosto
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
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First hardcover edition, 2021
eBook edition, 2021
eISBN 9781250618832
Marissa Meyer, Gilded
