The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

Different thoughts were running through Alicia's head as Harvey told her about the conversation they had the last time at the pavilion in the palace. She sighed when Harvey finished, not knowing what to say or think.

"Can I ask you a question?" Harvey asked hopefully.

"If it's about what happened to Beth, I still don't remember," she said, and Harvey shook his head.

"No, it's not that. Earlier... when you were talking with Prince Harold, you mentioned that something happened some time ago. What happened?"

Alicia's brows pulled together as she tried to figure out what he was talking about.

"When Prince Harold said you didn't do it, you asked why he was so sure and what if it was like what happened the other time," Harvey reminded her when she seemed not to be remembering.

"Oh!" Alicia exclaimed softly as she glanced at where Harold stood in the distance, conversing with Susan and Williams.

Could she tell him that? Wouldn't that be like shooting herself in the leg? If she told him the truth, he wouldn't believe that she was innocent anymore, would he?

"I'm on your side, you know? If there is something I should know, you should tell me," Harvey urged her when he noticed her hesitation.

Even though she wasn't sure Harold would want her to tell him, she thought he needed to know. After all, he knew Amber was from a lineage of witches and she was a different being occupying Amber's body. Surely he would understand that she had no control over what it was. She suspected he loved Amber, and she believed that no matter what she told him, he wouldn't expose her or put her in danger. That would be like endangering Amber, who was his friend.

"I was told I killed three men who attacked us on our way from the village, but I have no memory of doing it," Alicia summarized.

"I can't wield a sword or handle a dagger, but it seems I'm able to do so when I'm in danger. I think Princess Amber takes possession of the body when there is danger," she explained, and Harvey had a thoughtful look on his face as he listened.

"You know Amber closely. Do you think it's her?"

"I cannot say for certain if it is Princess Amber or not."

"What? Why?"

"Although we have sparred a couple of times and she was able to easily catch up with some martial arts skills, I do not think she has ever been in a fight with a man before, much less three men," Harvey explained, and Alicia's frown deepened.

"Then what does that mean?" She asked, and Harvey shrugged.

"It could be her. It may also be something we have no idea about. I'm not sure what is going on with you..."

"Prince Harold said I communicated with him telepathicall..." She stopped when she realized he wouldn't know the meaning of the word.

"He said I was in his head," she explained, and Harvey's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"You were in his head?" He asked, and Alicia gave him a nod as she explained what Harold had told her about how he woke up and how she told him she was innocent while responding to his thoughts.

Harvey said nothing as he listened to her. There seemed to be more going on with her than he had assumed. As much as he knew, Princess Amber had no powers. She had tried everything she could to be able to cast spells, but nothing ever worked as far as he knew. So what could this mean? Was it possible that someone else entirely was possessing the body too? Or was this all Alicia? He mused as he looked at her closely with interest.

They couldn't spend more time talking about it since Harold joined them and said they needed to get back on the road before it became very dark.

As they resumed their trip to the village, everyone was quieter this time as each had different thoughts that were going on in their heads.

Luciana was worried about something she knew she shouldn't be worrying about. Someone rather. Ivan. While helping Paulina apply some ointment on her feet earlier, she had thought about the wound she had seen on Ivan's arm, and she couldn't help worrying about him.

She knew that Harold had asked the physicians not to treat anyone apart from the King and Tyra, but now she was worried about Ivan. She wondered if Benedicta would take care of his wound.

She sighed when she remembered that Benedicta had been hurt the previous day too. And she knew she couldn't count on the Queen to do anything about Ivan's wound.

She was also worried because she knew Ivan could not stay without food. How was he going to survive? No matter how angry and betrayed she felt, she just couldn't seem to break out of the habit of worrying about him, even though she knew he was a selfish person who did not deserve her love or concern.

While she was thinking about that, Harold was thinking about Susan's revelation concerning the death of his half-brother, Prince Harry.

Was it possible that Prince Harry had ingested the beta's nightmare? Was that why he had attacked him so violently that fateful day until he was left with no choice but to fight back and defend himself?

Who could have fed the first prince the Beta's nightmare? And why? Was it possible that someone else could have been responsible for that one incident that had redefined his entire existence?

Although he had always kept to himself, Prince Harry had done his best to treat him as his younger brother, and he had been as devastated by the death of Prince Harry as everyone else, yet no one cared that he had only been trying to defend himself. Not even the moon goddess.

He had been isolated, beaten, starved, and forcefully fed some bad-smelling medicine that made him throw up for days. Then he started feeling lightheaded, sick, and weak. And then he suddenly shifted one night. It was so painful that he thought he was going to die. He cried his eyes out the next day, and before he could recover from that, it happened again. This time, everyone could tell something was wrong. The physician, however, had no idea what it was, and when it continued to happen like that for the rest of the week, no one could take it anymore. His cries were usually loud and could not let anyone sleep at night. Plus he could not control his wolf, so sometimes, either someone had been scratched badly, or he fought with a night guard, or he scattered and destroyed anything he could find.