The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

As soon as the King left together with the Queen, Harold stood up, his face rigid as he approached the door.

Everyone followed his back with their eyes. It wasn't unusual for him to leave immediately after the King left, but tonight, there was this air all around him that made everyone guess something was eating him up and if anyone dared cross his path tonight, they were going to get burned.

"Uhm... excuse me. Good night," Alicia said as she quickly stood up and chased after him, wondering who had annoyed him between the time she left him and now.

"Wait up!" She called after him, but he didn't stop and just kept advancing like a man on a mission.

She raced with all her might to get to him, but he didn't stop until she, unfortunately, tripped on her dress and fell.

That was when he stopped and turned back immediately.

"Can today get any worse?" She hissed in frustration, wincing from the pain as she checked her elbows for any scratches.

"Why are you running around? Are you an animal?" Harold scolded as he went to stand in front of her, giving her an unimpressed look.

"If you had waited for me, I wouldn't have!"

"So now you want to talk to me?" He asked in annoyance.

He was mad at her for ignoring him. At first, it was Tyra taking her attention, then it moved to Susan, then to Luciana, and then to Alvin, now his father. He didn't even want to mention Paulina because the thought of that girl alone made him angry. How many people would he have to get rid of?

He was also angry for not stopping and causing her to fall. And was angry at her for being angry at him when she was the one making him angry.

"What are you talking about? When have I never spoken to you?" She asked in confusion, without making any move to get up from the floor.

"So you are just going to remain there?" Harold asked as he looked down at her.

"If this is the only way to get you to talk to me."

He sighed from frustration before squatting in front of her, still towering above her.

"Did you... hurt yourself?" He asked, looking at her arms.

She nodded and showed him her elbow which had a little scratch. He winced when he saw the scratch, imagining how painful it was.

'Tsk! Dramatic. Even a baby can handle that. I'm so tired of you two,' His wolf said in an 'I'm fed up with you two' tone.'

I told you to never show up whenever I'm with her, didn't I?' Harold communicated with his wolf while examining her arms.

'Why? How else can I comment on this cringe-worthy scene?'

'I don't want to deal with you now, ''But I want to. Grant me a wish and I'll let you be every time.'

Harold wanted to blow him off, but he didn't do that immediately. He would certainly love to have his privacy without this stubborn wolf showing up every second to say stupid things in his head.

'What is that?'

'Let me meet her in my form,' his wolf said excitedly.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Harold yelled out, startling Alicia, who had been quietly observing him as he observed her arm.

"WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME?" She yelled back as she made to stand up from the floor.

She really could not understand this guy. One minute, he was being all sweet and checking out her injury. The next, he was yelling at her.

Harold looked up at her angry face, a little flustered, and then he realized he had spoken out loud just now and she had misunderstood.

"Uh... it wasn't..."

What was he supposed to say? 'Hey Alicia, never mind that. Just like you are a soul in another person's body, I have a wolf inside my body and I was just communicating with him via mind link, so that yell was not meant for you?'

She was human. And sure, there would come a day where she would have to find out about the nature of the moon kingdom, but that day wasn't today. Or anytime soon. She had to be fully trusted and embraced by the members of the royal family and the entire pack community. Then, she would be initiated into the pack as the only human.

Of course, that may take years. But it would be faster if she had a child and if the child bore their mark. But for now, she had to remain oblivious like this. Otherwise, she would be walking on eggshells around all of them and even want to leave this place as soon as possible.

Harold stood up and looked at Alicia, who was still expecting some kind of explanation for his outburst just now. Meanwhile, it seemed like his wolf had finally disappeared after causing this misunderstanding.

"Uh... I'm sor—" He stopped halfway, frowned, and began to walk away.

Alicia scoffed in disbelief before she started to chase after him again, but this time, however, she was able to catch up with him easily since he slowed his pace.

She would have to let this go. This wasn't the best time to quarrel with each other, especially as the two of them were going to be sharing a bedroom from tonight.

"Is it safe to leave my chamber after the last bell?" She asked the question she had been pondering for a while: "I don't want any wolves pouncing on me."

He began to walk slowly and turned to look at her, "It's safe for you."

"Okay... I'm definitely not going to take your word for it." She shook her head stubbornly.

"I have never met those wolves before. Wolves are usually wild and bloodthirsty, and I don't want to be used as a meal. You don't speak Wolf language, so do not try to convince me otherwise."

"You—"

"I will meet you before the second bell."

He stopped walking and looked down at her face seriously, "You have to keep to your words, Princess."

"Are you threatening me?" She asked in confusion as she stood there, looking puzzled. Why did it feel like he was angry at her?

Harold nodded. "I am." He said before walking away.

Harold had just arrived in his chamber when Alvin came to report for the last time that day before the bells began to sound.

"What happened to her?" Harold asked Alvin immediately after he entered. He remembered how flustered she had looked when she entered the dining room, and that her hair had been slightly damp too.

Alvin scratched the back of his head, wondering if he should just resign from being Harold's personal assistant now because he was not looking forward to his reaction when he found out the truth.

"There was an accident in the kitchen."

"Kitchen? She was in the kitchen today?" He asked in confusion.

"She went to deliver a note with the list of ingredients she would like the head chef to get for her at the marketplace tomorrow."

"Why did she have to go there to do it?" Harold asked, frowning.

"She insisted."

"How did the accident happen?"

"Well, she bumped into a kitchen servant carrying pig blood and—" Just like Alvin had expected, Harold's face darkened when he heard that part. If he was already like this, how was he going to react if he heard his wife had gone to bathe in the lake outside.

"Who was the maid?" Harold asked in an uninterested tone as he went to the mirror, observing his reflection.

"Well, the thing is..."

He locked eyes with Alvin through the mirror, silently prompting him to say it.

"It was the same maid I talked about the last time. The one whose smell changed after she left the palace."

Harold spun around immediately and looked at Alvin. "So they finally met?" He asked calmly.

When Alvin nodded, he turned and faced the mirror again. "Remember what I said the last time?"

Alvin nodded. Harold had said that the day the maid ever crossed paths with Alicia, was the day she was going to die.

"But I think that is going to be a rash decision for now. Tomorrow is the day the kitchen staff will go out. Don't you think I should monitor her movements to know what exactly is up with her before we take such action?" Alvin said reasonably.

Harold was the type to act before thinking most of the time, and that was another way Alvin complemented him, since Alvin did a lot of thinking before carrying out an action.

"One day. If there is no important news, then there is no need to keep her alive."

p

Alvin nodded and bowed, glad he was done with this topic because he didn't want to ever mention the lake part to Harold.

"There is still more. Say it." Harold, who was about to dismiss Alvin, ordered when he noticed the look on Alvin's face like he was hiding something deliberately.