THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS

The Cursed Prince

 Chapter IX

After only a few weeks since the war between Kamuary and Shuixron has ended, the king received another  problem from the squire who constantly trembles around the  Prince ’s  presence to ever speak fluently to the king. But of course he is reasonable. It appears that Qionar planned to initiate a tournament 

“What? What did they say?” the king exclaimed

 “The news was spread all over the continent and most of the kingdoms agreed on their terms” the loyal squire announced the matters to his king 

“they said anyone can participate even the king. Except---.” Prince Eulo walked towards the squire in an appalling look “except the prince” the Squire continued “Me? Why?” both the King and the Squire understood why the exemption was him. He is too dangerous for mortals to fight against, although he is a mortal himself.

“My son. You don’t need to lower yourself to this” King Sih has been protecting the prince ever since he developed sanity. He was never kind nor innocent in his childhood, and to see the prince worried about how the people sees him is somehow relieving.

 The Squire hurriedly nod his head to support the King’s account “Oh—Why are they holding a tournament?” the squire wanted to hold his tongue to the prince but his fear shook him off

 “they said it is a way to finish this conflict between the kingdoms” 

“what will be the price then?”                                                                                                       

 “The Scroll. the Scroll of Gathoms” the prince and the king paused for a while, causing the Squire to confuse “ahh...Your highness?” he uttered, from the news the squire gave, King Sih found a new way to control his son’s shadow persona.

Twenty-five years ago, a man came to their kingdom claiming that he is the savior of their last hope. He was hiding inside his black cloak, and the queen that time was incapable of conceiving a child. The king as well refused to take a concubine, so the man’s suggestion is the only way to have an heir. For his queen’s sake the King agreed to the man and accepted the gift. A bottle contains a small shard of light will cure the queen’s incapacity, and it did. But the queen suffered a fatal delivery which lead  her to death. It was when the king was busy defending their kingdom from the Elves of Altagan. 

On the day the child was born, the dead body of the queen moved on its own and killed all the maidens and the shamans inside her bedchamber. She then took her baby and left. Days later the baby was returned to the castle with his crystalic silver hair and pale skin. His servants were scared of him. Until one day, his red eyes and silver hair suddenly turned normal. The same black color as Queen Analee has.

“Your highness, maybe the Ascans are right, maybe the scroll can help the prince” said the squire; the king remained silent for he is thinking of how all this turmoil began.

Prince Eulo visited Arayan’s former quarter; he sat down on her bed reanalyzing the past and the possible reasons why Arayan has to leave him. He was standing behind the wall listening to his father and the squire’s after-conversation. He overheard about his father’s problem, and it is him. Maybe it is the reason why Arayan left. Even though they have decided to get married. He must have scared her away. And if his father could, maybe he has abandoned him too. 

Arayan is not different at all; she is just like them. The people around him. His Uncle left him. His father is afraid of him, and everyone else in the castle. 

“AARrrghhh!” His urges strikes again, his body is burning from the inside and the pain is penetrating from his every nerves. Always from his back, as if something is trying to get out from there. His hair is turning grey as his eyes red. His thirst of death is arousing again.

 He let his entire body shivered into the ground. He knelt down and tried to pull his self-back, but his other self is persistent, his emotions must have awakened him. He was warned by his father never to let his emotion consume him, or else, his true nature will came out. The servant who saw him agonizing hesitated to help him. She ran to ask for some help but no one is willing to—they’re all afraid of him. The servant went to the king to tell him about the prince and in instance they rushed towards him. The prince is still striving against his urges. The king abruptly revealed the shard the shamans gave him to calm the prince, and is somehow proven effective. 

After the shard was brought out, prince exhausted, and his hair and eyes went back to normal. The shard is meant to calm beasts that are un-tamable to humans “are you okay?” the king asks, he grab his son’s hand and pull him up “thank you father” said the prince “of course. I will not let you lose yourself anymore” still that assurance is not enough to doubt himself. Because his urges is the proof of him being a monster.

..............................

             Good Morning! I didn’t wake you up for I know you need rest,

                           enjoy the meal I prepared for you

                                                                                      -  Eulo- 

The next morning, I woke up partly n***d. The lower part of my body was wrapped in a thick silk blanket. I was surprised by the breakfast prepared for me. It is placed on a small table behind my bed, and I took my gown to dress up myself before reaching the table, and a note was placed along with it.

A feast in my eyes I say. After rewarding my stomach with a delightful meal, I set out for a sightseeing all over the palace.

From each room to the hanging lobby. The castle is essentially divided into fortresses surrounded  by turrets. The fortresses are connected to the hanging lobby. The entire palace took place near the NIHA, the largest mountain all over the content. Thus, the admirable scenery of the mountains of Asca is remarkably visible from the open lobby. The lobby is widely exposed and is designed with an expansive interior. It serves as a bridge connecting the main castle to another. And I was there entirely, killing my time revering the fragrance of the fresh air the nature is providing. This is the second most admirable place in the castle, next to the garden fortress which has an extremely wonderful entrance.

“Lovely isn’t it?” I turn  my head around to see who could be and --“I believe you are having a great time here Arayan?” the Prince said, I nod with a smile. It is a quite romantic experience reading a letter in my bed and sharing a great view with someone I am beginning to fell in love to. Things I never thought would ever happen in my life “Indeed” I am supposed to be talkative and clumsy, a behavior my friend kundra finds irritating most of the time, but in the prince’s presence I am capable of being delicately silent 

“This could be a good start for the both of us” 

“What do you mean?” I supposed, as I pondered it could be a veiled sort of amorous declaration

“No nothing, It is just an expression” He said and slowly move his arms to cuddle me. 

My dwelling with the prince is so much better than I thought it would be. I found Love and comfort, not the thing I had in my home—for it is as well sustaining— but the thing I am unfamiliar with.

I begin to feel comfortable in my new life and seem forgotten the life I have back home as time passes by. Prince Eulo’s presence has become my great comfort. Seeing him by my side makes me more than a princess but also a lover 

“So it’s been a month since I came here huh?” I said while leisurely immersing half of my n***d body into the water. Prince Eulo rouse his head from the water and wobble his hair to dry “uhuh!” I sat down at the edge of the pool as he came closer to take hold of me 

“I was thinking about us” I am not entirely on my senses while saying those words, I just want to know how long this relationship would last. Since I am not quite positive that he loves me the way I love him “you know what? If you had known me before you came here, I guess you would leave me like most of  people I have been with” 

“I don’t think I would leave you? I am not like them. It is not important who you were in the past. I know you today, I am not a god, and I don’t have any rights to judge. No matter how bad you are in the past as long as you have changed, I will always love you” I said in full confidence. I know my words are not completely definite but, it made our feelings secure. I made him so happy, noticing that his glare shimmered and his kiss is more ardent. It seems that he is waiting for someone to accept him of whatever he is. Of course I heard rumors about him. 

A week ago I went into the kitchen to kill time with the maids for the prince is still busy, with the king’s absence, his duty doubled and requires most of his time. Before I reach the doorway, I happened to have heard a conversation, and I was surprise to hear my name mentioned. Instead of going forth, I sneaked out to know what exactly they were talking about before surprising them and make fun. I assumed that there were only three maids at the kitchen and one of them is maka. 

“I know, isn’t it great? The prince is no longer cruel or terrifying like what he used to” maka said 

“Well.... but how long would this thing last? We shouldn’t put too much hope for this” the other maid responded 

“It is horrifying! Please don’t scare me, my days here in the palace before were like a never ending nightmares, everyone knows that” the other one spoke 

“Let’s just pray that lady Arayan will stay here forever so that things will remain as peaceful as it is now” It came to me that their experiences in this castle is difficult due to the actions of the prince which I hardly discern. Perhaps the plan of surprising them is awful. I was about to head back when maka saw me

 “My lady, you are here” she said perceptibly frightened 

“oh yes! And I am about to go now so...” her companions lowered their heads as if they’re guilty on something 

“my lady” she paused for a moment and appears to be most frightened

 “please don’t go, don’t leave the prince” says maka who’s almost begging 

“because no matter how beautiful this castle is, the inside reality of this is hellish” I do not understand what maka is trying to say, and her worries creeps me out. the only word I believe could calm here is to say “Okay” And now, I may don’t know what Prince Eulo really is but there is a word my mother always tells me. As long as love is righteous, I must always be on its side

 “I know my feelings for you will never change” I whispered, as he allowed himself to rest on my chest and embrace me tightly 

“I Love you” He uttered with his eyes closed

“I haven’t been comforted like this before, I though you will be just like the others and would just leave me disappointed” he added 

“Why would I do that?” for almost my entire life my Nagum always taught me how to understand and hear peoples supplications and offer them a wholehearted consolation. Sympathy is a word that is seemingly engraved inside my ego. Yet I know in myself that my current situation is different from my past condolences. I have come to love this man more than any other man I have met, and now that we occurred to merge into a physical impassioned contact, I have no doubt to care for his agony 

“Because that’s what they do” Prince Eulo said while giving his glance back at me

 “maybe them” The touch of his bare skin starting to make me anxious, until we arrived at the moment where both our temperance reach its limit, and grant our body the needs we’ve been wanting. He landed his lips on mine and gently assault my jaws with an impatient invasion, and because the pool is concealed behind a huge partition, the worries of us being seen by anyone else somehow  diminish.