THE KING'S MIDDAY CURSE

"Send in a royal court maid , now! I need to eat! I want my lunch right now!" King Damian’s voice thundered through the massive palace chamber. He paced back and forth across the thick red rug, his heavy boots thudding against the floor. His hands were shaking violently, and he wiped a thick layer of sweat from his forehead. It was getting closer. The burning pain in his chest was starting to spread, warning him that his time as a human was running out for the day. Standing near the heavy doors was his stepbrother, Arthur. Arthur held a stack of important papers tight to his chest. He had come to discuss the failing crops in the western villages, but Damian was in no mood to listen. "But, Your Majesty, the village leaders are waiting for your reply. They need to know if you will send grain..." Arthur tried to say, his voice trembling. "I do not need any buts!" Damian cut in sharply, his voice so loud and deep that the glass windows rattled. "Do what I say! Now! Get me my food and get out!" Arthur flinched, he was a grown man, but he was terrified of his stepbrother. When Damian got into these midday moods, he was completely unpredictable. His eyes looked wild, and his temper was deadly. Arthur quickly bowed his head, his hands shaking as he held the papers. "Yes, Your Majesty. Right away," Arthur stuttered, and he practically ran out of the room, pulling the heavy doors shut behind him. Left alone for a moment, Damian leaned his back against the cold stone wall. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a heavy breath. He looked over at the giant grandfather clock standing in the corner of his room. "11:50 AM." "No, no, no," Damian whispered, nervously scratching his head. His fingers felt stiff, and his gums ached. "I just want to eat. I just need a little distraction." Every single day, between twelve o'clock and two o'clock in the afternoon, King Damian was cursed to turn into a monster. He was the most powerful human king in the realm, known for his cold heart and cruel punishments. But no one knew his darkest secret. If the kingdom found out he turned into a wild beast every afternoon, he would lose his throne. So, he locked himself away. Outside the King’s chambers, the hallway was in pure chaos. Palace attendants and guards were scampering away, rushing down the stairs to avoid the King's daily madness. Arthur stood in the middle of the hallway, looking frantic. He dragged his hands down his tired face. He saw the maids running in the opposite direction, trying to hide before the clock struck twelve. "All of you! Come here, come back!" Arthur yelled, waving his arms at the fleeing palace maids. Reluctantly, a few of them stopped. They slowly walked back, their heads bowed in pure fear. The head maid was among them, holding the King’s silver food tray. Her hands were shaking so badly that the golden plates and cups on the tray were rattling loudly. "Did you not hear what the King said?" Arthur asked, sounding completely frustrated and exhausted. "Get him something to eat! Take it inside. He is losing his mind today." The head maid stared at the heavy oak doors of the King's room. She was terrified. Going into that room right before noon was like walking into a graveyard. She looked around the small group of servants, her eyes darting back and forth, searching for an easy way out. Her eyes landed on Lala. Lala was nineteen years old and the youngest maid in the entire palace. Because she was small, quiet, and had no family to protect her, the older maids made it a habit to bully her. They gave her the hardest chores and treated her like dirt. Today, Lala had just walked up the stairs carrying a pile of clean towels, completely unaware of the danger. Without a second thought, the head maid grabbed Lala by the arm and yanked her forward. The towels fell to the floor. The head maid shoved the heavy silver food tray directly into Lala's hands. "You do it," the head maid whispered harshly. "Please, no," Lala begged softly, her eyes wide with panic. "I am just the laundry maid." But the senior staff did not care. Lala was the perfect sacrificial lamb. Before Lala could drop the tray or run away, the head maid grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her hard toward the door. The grand doors were yanked open by a guard, and Lala was forced inside the King's chamber. The doors quickly slammed behind her. The sound of the heavy lock clicking into place echoed in the room. She was trapped. Lala tripped over the edge of the thick rug and fell hard to her knees. The silver tray hit the floor with a loud, terrible crash. The roasted meat spilled onto the expensive carpet, and the golden cups rolled away into the shadows. Lala’s heart was beating so fast she thought it would explode out of her chest. She kept her head down, staring at the spilled food, too scared to even breathe. She waited for the King to strike her. "Get me the food! And get out! You need to leave!" King Damian yelled. But his voice sounded completely wrong. It was no longer the sharp, commanding voice of a human king. It was deeper, rougher, and sounded like a wild animal growling from deep inside its chest. Lala slowly lifted her head. For the very first time since she started working at the palace, she looked directly at the King’s face. She expected to see pure anger and hatred. She expected him to order his guards to kill her for ruining his lunch. Instead, what she saw completely surprised her. King Damian was clutching his chest, backing away from her. His face was pale, and there was deep, unbearable pain in his eyes. He looked like a man who was being tortured from the inside out. She felt a sudden, strange wave of pity for the cruel ruler. She forgot about the spilled food. Clumsily, she stood up. She took a slow, careful step toward him, wanting to ask if he was sick or if he needed a doctor. "I said leave!" he warned her, stumbling backward. He bumped hard into his heavy wooden desk, knocking over a stack of books. "Bing" The loud, deep sound of the grandfather clock chiming made Lala jump in fear. "Bing" It was exactly twelve o'clock. King Damian let out a loud, agonizing scream that did not sound human at all. He dropped to his knees, grabbing the sides of his head as if his skull was splitting open. Lala froze, her mind was telling her to run to the door, to beat on the wood and beg for help, but her legs refused to move. She watched in pure shock as the King slowly looked up at her. His normal human eyes were gone. They had turned into a glowing, bright, terrifying red. Lala covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. The King's bones began to make loud, snapping sounds, like dry branches breaking in half in a quiet forest. He grabbed his shirt, tearing it off as thick, dark hair started ripping out of his skin. His fingers stretched unnaturally, and his clean, manicured nails turned into sharp, curved, deadly claws. His jaw pushed forward violently, his face stretching as his teeth grew into long, dangerous fangs. "Get... out..." he tried to growl, but the human words turned into a terrifying animal's snarl. Lala was completely dumbfounded. She was paralyzed by the impossible nightmare happening right in front of her. She could not scream. She could not run. She just stood there unconsciously, her mouth wide open in silent terror, as she watched the King of the humans turn into a massive, terrifying wolf right before her very eyes.