The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

A knock sounded on Tyra's door before she could finish processing everything. Hearing the three knocks at once, she could tell it was Damian and immediately opened the door.

She looked at both sides to be sure no one was there before pulling him by the arm inside while Damian looked at her face in confusion.

"Did you know that Prince Harold left the palace with the others?" She asked before Damian could ask what was wrong.

"How did you know that?" Damian asked.

Tyra looked at him in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I had to let the queen know first."

"You had to let the queen know before me?!" She asked, raising her voice, but remembered the last thing she wanted was for someone to find them together, and she quickly kept it down.

"You should control your temper, My lady. We need to talk," he said in a serious tone.

Away from there, seeing how her plan for Tyra had failed, Benedicta fumed as she stormed to Prince Ivan's chamber. On her way, she spotted him walking ahead of her, and she quickly hurried to catch up with him.

Meanwhile, Ivan was still fuming over the fact that not only had they left the palace, but they had taken Luciana with them! What right did they have to take his wife away?

Even though he was very angry and frustrated, he was also very worried and uncomfortable. Luciana had never stepped out of the palace without him throughout their four years of marriage. She had been moved from her parent's home down to the palace. She only left whenever there was an occasion that allowed them to leave, and she went with company, including himself and armed guards.

He had learnt that Harold had left without armed guards, and as much as he hated to admit it, the only people he could trust to save Luciana if they fell into trouble were Harold, Alvin, and Harvey. Lance was a useless piece, and Williams... he wasn't sure if his cousin knew how to do anything other than paint and medicine.

So, after thinking about it for a little while, he decided he was going to pursue them and bring back Luciana. If the others wanted to leave forever or meet with a foe during their journey, he didn't care.

But things never went as planned for him. And this obstacle now comes in the form of Benedicta. The stupid witch he was supposed to get married to.

"Prince Ivan!" Benedicta called out loudly. From the tone of her voice, it was obvious to anyone that she was about to cause trouble again.

Ivan turned to her with irritation, and as soon as he saw her, he scowled. "I see you survived," he said in a taunting tone.

As much as he was not supposed to annoy her as she would be his wife and he needed her family, he could not help but show his displeasure. He didn't like anything about her, and it was unfortunate that he had to put up with this.

Benedicta's face reddened as he reminded her of the incident that happened yesterday. How could he be so stupid? That was all he had to say after Prince Harold almost killed her? Her supposed husband-to-be hadn't even bothered to visit her at all!

"How can you be so cowardly and incompetent?" She hissed at him angrily.

Anger flashed in Ivan's eyes as he tried to resist the urge to strangle the loudmouth who didn't seem to know when not to speak.

"Watch your tongue," Ivan warned. He was mad enough at her brother and father to take it out on her if she annoyed him further.

"Or what? You can't even get anything right! The whole palace has been turned upside down because you couldn't stop Prince Harold yesterday. And even after he almost killed me, I can't believe that you couldn't do anything about it! How could you let him go just like that?" She snapped at him. "You didn't pay me a visit either. I could have died!"

"Why should I do anything about it?" Ivan asked, his anger gradually growing.

"'Why'? How can you ask me such a question?" She asked, her own anger equally growing.

Without responding to her, Ivan resumed walking again, and she ran in front of him and blocked his path in the same manner she had blocked Harold's path, and Ivan chuckled humorlessly.

"I see you didn't learn your lesson yet," he said, wishing she had crushed her head when she fell the previous day so he wouldn't have to deal with her.

"I said I could have died!" She said angrily. She had many suitors who wanted to marry her. They could kill just to have her as a bride. Yet these two brothers were treating her like a mere commoner. If they weren't from the royal family, she would have made her father get rid of them by now. As much as she wanted to end things with Prince Ivan, the 'queen' title was too big to give up. Besides, everyone in the Moon Kingdom knew she was born to be married into the royal family. She wouldn't be able to raise her head in public if it didn't pull through.

"You should have done something! You don't feel sad at all?!" She asked, sounding angry.

"I feel sad. Believe me. I am so sad that you survived. So be a good girl and return to your chamber." Ivan said dismissively.

Her already red face became even redder when he said that. "A coward like you doesn't deserve to be king! It is no wonder everyone is taking instructions from Prince Harold and ignoring you. Even the servants won't attend to yo...!" Before she could finish speaking, Ivan hit her hard across her cheeks, and she looked at him in shock as she fell to the floor, letting out a loud cry.

"One more word from you and I will make sure you do not get to speak for the rest of your life," Ivan threatened darkly before walking away from her.