The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

Alicia followed Harold as they walked towards Hellion. She didn't know what to expect from the horse, but since Harold was there with her, she felt safe and confident that he wouldn't allow any harm to come to her.

Harold walked within the line of Hellion's vision so as not to spook the horse, and after circling for some time, he finally walked towards it from the side, "Avoid eye contact," Harold told her quietly as they approached.

Although she wanted to ask him why, she was too focused on the task ahead to do so, and she also didn't know if it was a good time to speak, seeing how Harold was speaking so quietly. She made a mental note to ask later.

"Hold out your hand," Harold instructed once they got very close to the horse, and Alicia turned her questioning eyes on him.

"Why?" She asked in a barely audible voice. What if the horse bites her or does something to her hand.

"He needs to sniff you and decide whether or not he can trust you," Harold said, and she looked at him for a moment before hesitantly holding out her hand to Hellion.

Hellion looked from her hand to Harold and then back to her again, but it completely ignored her hand and just walked away from there as though it didn't want to be disturbed.

"What is wrong?" Alicia asked with a slight frown.

"Nothing," Harold said as he walked over to where Hellion now stood. He wasn't sure if it was the right time to tell her that, just like her, no one had been able to ride the horse or control it. The animal was still unbroken. If he told her the truth that there was nothing she could ever do to make Hellion like her, then she would realize that he wouldn't be able to help her get the horse to like her, and then she would want to call off their deal.

"So why did it walk away from us?" Alicia asked, following him.

"Because he doesn't trust you yet."

"Maybe we should have come with snacks. What snacks does Hellion like to eat?" Alicia asked curiously.

"Apples and carrots. But you can't feed him yet. He has to trust you first," Harold said, and Alicia gave him a nod as she made a note of it. She was just going to bring apples and carrots with her the next time she visited Hellion.

"Let's go," Harold said, and Alicia frowned.

"Just like that? We haven't even done anything yet. You didn't even introduce me to him," Alicia said with displeasure.

"It's one day at a time. When it comes to dealing with horses, you can't rush the process," Harold said in a very calm tone, as though he was teaching a child.

Alicia's mood dampened as she thought about wasting her time today. Why was the horse being so difficult? If this was a novel or movie and she was the protagonist, the horse would have immediately taken a liking to her, shocking everybody. This was why she preferred web novels to reality most of the time.

"Fine. Whatever," she said as she turned to walk away.

Harold noticed the change in her mood and followed her. For some reason, he wished he could do something about it to make Hellion like her. But that was impossible. Besides, if Hellion did, then she would have had a means of escape, and he didn't want that.

She stopped walking abruptly and turned to look at him as she said seriously, "By the end of the seven days, Hellion has to like me," she said, and Harold gave her a nod, looking like he was seriously rooting for her to achieve that goal when he was not.

It wasn't like he could tell her otherwise anyway. By the end of the seven days, she would have also spent seven nights with him, so even if she got angry that the horse didn't like her, he could just say it wasn't his fault. He had fulfilled his end of the deal by taking her to see the horse every day and trying to make the horse like her, but at the end of the day, it was up to Hellion to decide whether or not to like her.

When she returned to her sulking mood, he decided to lift her spirit and said, "Have you made up your mind on the day you want to go to the market place?"

That seemed to get her attention, and she turned to look at him suspiciously. Why was he suddenly suggesting it? Usually, she was the one to suggest it while he turned her down.

"When is the appropriate time to go? Like... a time when it's fun outside. What's your most anticipated festival?" She asked curiously.

He thought about it for a moment before he shrugged.

"There is usually a festival to celebrate the king's birthday. It's the biggest occasion in this kingdom. Everyone celebrates it. So the town is very colorful, with many visitors from other kingdoms. The commoners can also display their talents and skills, and the best that pleases the king gets favored by him."

'You are saying a lot at the same time.' His wolf said, sounding tired as if he was the one doing all the talking.

'You are not needed here.' Harold replied, shutting him up.

'I feel so neglected.'

Harold ignored him and focused on Alicia, who was deep in thought. He tried to break into her head again, but it was as if she was bent on not letting him, because she immediately looked at him and asked, "How does that work? The 'favored by the king' part."

"It's exactly as it implies."

"Do they get paid? Have a business set up for them? Something like that?" She asked curiously.

He wondered why she was asking and shook his head.

"They just receive acknowledgement from the King. And if the king requires such service another time, he sends for them."

She frowned. "So they do not get paid?"

"What is more important than getting favored by the king?"

"Getting paid, obviously!" She said, almost laughing.

"This should be around the time of the feudal lords and serfs. I guess I need not be surprised by such capitalism. No, this is even worse than capitalism."

He looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she was saying and, most importantly, wondering why she sounded like they were doing something wrong.

"I think I'm going to suggest to the king to set them up. You know, the winner should have a business set up for them or be given enough monetary reward to set up a business of their own."

Harold's brow furrowed as he thought about it. That sounded like it made sense.

"Imagine if that works and Paulina wins with her painting! That's going to be so exciting. She would probably be the first female merchant in this era! I cannot wait to see that happen." She said excitedly.

"What about you? Don't you have any skills to display on that day?"

"Nah!" She waved it off.

He nodded, knowing she had no skills to display in the first place. So she'd better save them both the embarrassment.

"I don't want to reduce the other people's chances by joining. Because if I decide to join, I'll take the prize home." She said confidently, making him laugh out loud before he straightened up. Why did he forget he was dealing with her?

"You just laughed out loud," she said with a surprised smile.

"I did not."

"Yes, you did."

"I did not. I don't laugh."

"Yes, you do, and you did. So when is this festival going to take place? I need to tell Paulina to get ready for it," she said, not giving him any room to deny it anymore.

"It already happened this year. It won't be until next year."

"That's good. She has enough time to prepare. Let's monitor her painting together until then, hmm?"

He kept eye contact with her, wondering if she knew what she was saying. Wasn't she planning to run away?

When it looked like she was still waiting for him to answer, he nodded.

Harold felt hesitant to let her go as they returned to the palace, so he cleared his throat and spoke again, "How well can you use a bow and arrow?" He asked, thinking that this was probably the right time to start training her to be as strong as, or even stronger than Amber.

"Bows and arrows are outdated where I come from. We prefer to use guns."

"What are those?"

"It's going to take a while to explain it. Remind me tonight. I'll also make a drawing of it."

"Regardless of that, you need to learn how to use bows and arrows now that you are here. Come with me," he said, wanting to lead her out of the palace again, but Alicia stopped him when she remembered her brief conversation with Tyra. Tyra had told her about her training with Harold and how he didn't seem to have the time for her anymore.

She thought it would be best if Tyra came with them. That way, he can teach the two of them at the same time. She was eager to shoot an arrow.

"Let's find Tyra first," she suggested, but Harold frowned, wondering why she wanted to bring a crowd.

"I cannot teach two people at the same time." He said before pulling her along with him.