LaLa in A Curse for True Love – Character Analysis

Overview

LaLa, known among the Fates as the Unwed Bride, is a key supporting character in A Curse for True Love, the third book in Stephanie Garber's Once Upon a Broken Heart series. She is an immortal Fate who once belonged to the Merrywood family—her brother was Lyric Merrywood, a close friend of Jacks and Castor Valor. LaLa’s defining trait is her desperate, repeated search for love, which always ends with her abandoned at the altar, weeping poisoned tears. In this novel, she emerges as Evangeline Fox’s most steadfast ally, risking her own safety to help her friend escape Apollo’s camp and later to thwart Aurora Valor’s schemes. Most critically, LaLa reveals a secret from her own past: she planted the royal phoenix tree because she once wanted to destroy her own heart after her first love, the dragon shifter Dane, was locked in the Valory.

Plot Role

LaLa first appears in the story when she infiltrates the royal encampment disguised as a guard (chapter 33). Her primary goal is to reconnect with Evangeline, whose memories have been stolen by Apollo. She provides emotional support, a daring escape plan, and vital information about Jacks’s whereabouts. Later, when Evangeline learns that Jacks intends to burn his second heart using the fire of a phoenix tree, LaLa confesses that she herself planted that tree—an act born of her own heartbreak (chapter 40). She accompanies Evangeline into the Hollow to search for Jacks’s heart and discovers Aurora’s spell book, which reveals the origin of the Archer’s curse (chapter 38). Although Evangeline ultimately faces Jacks alone at the phoenix tree (chapter 41), LaLa’s earlier assistance is indispensable. Without her knowledge of the tree’s location and her willingness to share her painful past, Evangeline would have lacked the means to intervene.

Motivations and Traits

LaLa is driven by an unfulfilled longing for love—a compulsion woven into her nature as the Unwed Bride. She admits that she “wants love more than anything,” yet every romance ends in abandonment. To cope with this urge, she channels her energy into sewing, and her costumes are both practical disguises and expressions of her creative spirit. Her loyalty to Evangeline is profound; she calls her a friend and risks capture by sneaking into Apollo’s heavily guarded camp.

Traits visible through actions:

• Resourcefulness: She crafts a convincing guard uniform with puffed sleeves and a sequin petticoat, showing both skill and flair.
• Caution: She repeatedly warns Evangeline that loving Jacks is dangerous. In chapter 33, she says, “I fear that if you try to save Jacks, you will die, too.” This caution stems from her intimate knowledge of Fates and their destructive patterns.
• Honesty: When Evangeline asks about the phoenix tree, LaLa admits her guilt immediately: “I’m sorry, Evangeline. Because if it wasn’t for me, there would be nowhere for Jacks to go” (chapter 40). She does not deflect blame.
• Vulnerability: Despite being an immortal Fate, she appears “like a girl who needed a friend just as much as Evangeline did” (chapter 33). Her loneliness mirrors Evangeline’s, strengthening their bond.

Chronological Arc

LaLa’s arc in A Curse for True Love moves from cautious ally to active participant in a dangerous rescue mission, culminating in a moment of painful confession and then a retreat to the sidelines.

1. Infiltration (chapter 33): LaLa enters Apollo’s camp in disguise, reunites with Evangeline, and listens to her story. She warns against trusting Jacks but ultimately supports Evangeline’s decision to save him.
2. Search in the Hollow (chapter 38): Together with Evangeline, LaLa travels to the Hollow to find Jacks’s heart. They discover Aurora’s spell book instead, which reveals Aurora’s role in cursing Jacks.
3. Confrontation in the forest (chapter 40): LaLa and Evangeline encounter Aurora, who mocks LaLa for planting the phoenix tree. LaLa confirms that she did so when she wanted to destroy her own heart after Dane was imprisoned.
4. Final support (chapter 40 continued): Evangeline decides to go alone to the phoenix tree. LaLa protests but ultimately respects her friend’s choice. After this, she vanishes from the narrative; she does not appear in the final confrontation or the epilogue.

Relationships

With Evangeline

LaLa and Evangeline share a friendship built on mutual understanding and risk. Evangeline is one of the few humans who sees beyond LaLa’s Fate nature. LaLa, in turn, treats Evangeline as an equal, not a fragile mortal. She teases her (“This is perhaps the worst declaration of love I’ve ever heard”) but also defends her fiercely against Aurora. The relationship is one of the healthiest in the book—free of romantic entanglement and based on genuine care.

With Jacks

LaLa has known Jacks for centuries. She witnessed his grief after the deaths of Lyric Merrywood and Castor Valor, and she blames him for none of it. However, she remains wary of his dangerous nature. She states, “Jacks hurts everyone” and warns Evangeline that “even his feelings are dangerous” (chapter 33). Her loyalty to Evangeline sometimes puts her at odds with him, but she never acts out of malice toward Jacks.

With Aurora

LaLa openly despises Aurora. When Aurora taunts Evangeline, LaLa snaps, “Well, she’s not a raging bitch like you” (chapter 40). She sees through Aurora’s “damsel in distress” facade and is not intimidated by her power. This enmity is personal: Aurora manipulated Jacks for centuries, and LaLa resents the harm she caused.

With her own past

LaLa’s relationship with her former self is one of regret. Planting the phoenix tree was an act of despair—she admits she “wanted to destroy my heart” after Dane was locked away. By revealing this to Evangeline, she reopens an old wound. Her arc does not resolve this pain; she remains a Fate who still longs for love but has not yet found a lasting one.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme and Symbol Connections

Memory and Identity

LaLa’s past is a key piece of the puzzle that Evangeline must reconstruct. By confessing her own history, LaLa helps Evangeline understand the physical and magical landscape of the North. Her secret tree is a physical manifestation of old heartbreak—a symbol of how past emotional wounds can grow into new obstacles.

True Love vs Curses

LaLa embodies the tension between longing for love and being bound by a curse. As the Unwed Bride, she is fated to be abandoned. Yet she still chooses to support Evangeline’s belief in love, even if she privately doubts its power. Her line “Believing something doesn’t make it true” contrasts with Evangeline’s faith, highlighting the central debate of the novel.

Sacrifice and Protection

LaLa sacrifices her own secrecy by revealing the tree. She also puts herself at risk by entering Apollo’s camp. Her protective instincts toward Evangeline mirror the theme of choosing to fight for someone despite personal danger. Unlike Jacks, who tries to push Evangeline away to protect her, LaLa stays by her side.

Deception and Manipulation

LaLa is a master of disguise—she literally sews her way into hostile territory. Her costume is a form of deception, but it serves a loyal purpose. This contrasts with Aurora’s manipulation, which is selfish. LaLa’s deception is always in service of a friend.

Story, Curse, and Fate

LaLa is acutely aware that she exists within a story that has not granted her a happy ending. She tells Evangeline, “I think it’s a bit of both” when asked if being human is a compliment or an insult—acknowledging that human hope is both admirable and naive. Her fate as the Unwed Bride is a curse that she cannot escape, yet she still tries to help others break theirs.

Questions and Answers

1. What is LaLa’s Fate name and what does it imply?
   LaLa is called the Unwed Bride. This title refers to her compulsion to fall in love and her inevitable abandonment at the altar. She weeps poisoned tears when left alone.

2. Why did LaLa plant the royal phoenix tree?
   After her first love, a dragon shifter named Dane, was imprisoned inside the Valory, LaLa wanted to destroy her own second heart. The fire of a phoenix tree is the only way to annihilate a second heart, so she planted the tree for that purpose but never used it.

3. How does LaLa help Evangeline escape Apollo’s camp?
   LaLa disguises herself as a guard to enter the tent. She gives Evangeline a map to a glowing spring in Merrywood Forest and swaps clothes with her. Evangeline slips out during the guard change while LaLa remains behind to buy her time.

4. Does LaLa believe Evangeline can save Jacks from his kiss curse?
   No. LaLa is deeply skeptical. She tells Evangeline, “I fear that if you try to save Jacks, you will die, too” and points out that Jacks’s kiss has always been fatal. She supports Evangeline’s plan only out of friendship, not conviction.

5. What is the significance of LaLa’s costume when she infiltrates the camp?
   Her costume reflects her dual nature: the plain burgundy guard uniform conceals a shimmery sequin petticoat, puffed sleeves, and a bow belt. This shows that even when she is being practical, she cannot suppress her love for beauty and self-expression. It also symbolizes how she hides her immortal, vulnerable identity beneath a facade of authority.