The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

"If... you are not a real princess... then... did you... use a spell to change your looks?" Lance asked in horror as he stepped back.

"Shut it!" Susan snapped at him before facing Alicia again, still looking confused.

"WE NEED TO GET MOVING!" Damian\'s voice boomed from outside, reminding them that they had no time for dilly-dallying.

"If you are not a real princess, how did you marry Prince Harold?" Williams asked curiously.

"Princess Amber... is a real princess, but she... was sent into exile after her mother, Queen Anne, was executed," Alicia explained weakly. She was emotionally drained right now. Why was there always one problem or another?

"Why are you talking about yourself that way?" Luciana asked, still confused and shocked, while Susan still hadn\'t said anything about this until now.

"It\'s so... complicated. I\'m sorry. I... really didn\'t want to keep the truth from you all. But... I didn\'t know--"

"It was you," Susan said from the side as she looked at Alicia.

"The windstorm." She said before looking at Paulina. "When she was almost executed. You... caused that."

"I... have no idea," Alicia said as she shook her head honestly. "It could be me. It could also not be. I don\'t know. I have never practised witchcraft before. I only know my ancestors were one." Alicia said defensively.

"Then you should have told me! I thought we were friends!" Susan said in an angry tone.

Williams tried to stop her from talking, but she could not hide her hurt. "I guess I was the only one who took our friendship seriously and even trusted you. I even risked my life for you! I feel like I don\'t know you anymore. You could have also killed Beth and stabbed Tyra for all I know--"

"It\'s enough!" Harold growled at her, but Alicia shook her head at him to stop. She had every reason to be angry.

Susan ignored him and still wanted to speak when Paulina beat her to it.

"She is not an evil person!" She said it in a loud and clear voice, which was surprising.

"How could she tell you about that? Aren\'t you related to the Queen, who has been looking for a way to kill her?" Paulina asked, crying as she pointed at Williams and Susan.

"The queen is your aunt." Then she pointed at Luciana. "You are married to Prince Ivan, who also hates her." Lastly, she pointed at Lance. "You are even worse than them. So why should she risk her life to tell any of you about it? Isn\'t that selfish of you to ask? Can you swear you don\'t have any secrets you are keeping from her?"

Paulina\'s outburst scared all of them, who looked at her as though she had suddenly grown two heads. Even Harold could not help but look down at the little girl in surprise. Lance, on the other hand, was still trying to grasp what she meant when she said he was worse. How was he worse? He was a charming young man! And why was the maid suddenly so charming? He shook the thought out of his head. What was with him and foul-mouthed ladies who didn\'t know their place? Well, he didn\'t mind Susan.

After she realized what she had done, she shrank back and hid behind Alicia in fear.

Williams, in particular, could not hide his disbelief. He had never heard her say so many words and so clearly before. Now, he remembered the information he had been trying to pry out of her when she slipped that day and said Princess Amber\'s mother was dead.

The room fell silent as everyone tried to process what they had heard. It was all so confusing and somewhat terrifying. And Paulina was correct. They also did have secrets they have been hiding. But hers... hers wasn\'t something they could take lightly.

Damian yelled again impatiently for them to come out and threatened to break into the place if they were not out in the next ten seconds, and even said they should not think about running away.

"That bastard," Harold said, angry. Who did he think he was?

As if that wasn\'t enough, they heard Ivan\'s loud voice, calling for Luciana.

Luciana unconsciously jumped in fear and turned to look back.

What was he doing here?

Harold let out a short laugh that sent chills down their spines. The next thing they heard was the sounds of swords clashing together.

Alvin was the first to leave the room, while Susan\'s worried eyes followed him. She was torn between following him or staying with Luciana, who had a mixture of emotions on her face.

As the clash of swords intensified, Luciana ran out just as Ivan was laughing and arrogantly telling someone that today was the day he would finally kill them. Susan followed and ran after Luciana, and both Williams and Lance did not think twice before running after Susan.

Harold would have been the first to leave if Alicia wasn\'t holding onto him so tightly and refused to let him go.

"It\'s Dangerous." She pleaded, not wanting him to fight.

"I will go with them. You don\'t have to fight with them... please."

"This won\'t be easy," he said, closing his eyes as his wolf kept furiously scratching to take over.

When he opened his eyes again, Alicia looked at his eyes in confusion; it seemed as though the colours were mixed with red and the usual blue.

"They made a mistake coming here to arrest you." He said in a gentle voice as he reached to caress her face lovingly while Paulina turned around to give them privacy.

The two stared at each other silently. They knew that as soon as he stepped out of the room, something they both wouldn\'t like may happen. But he had no choice.

"This is... unavoidable." He said softly before leaning down to plant his lips on hers and kissing her slowly. Tears left Alicia\'s eyes as she kissed him back, dreading what was going to happen soon.