The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

Alicia just stood there with a towel around her chest and another around her hair, her heart racing and her body shaking slightly. Things were different. She wasn't sure what was going to happen when she took the potion in one gulp, but she had braced herself.

She felt a strange sensation creep over her body.

It was as if she were shedding her skin, revealing a new, unfamiliar body underneath. She could feel her bones shifting and her muscles elongating. She had never felt anything like it before. And the interesting part about it all was that it didn't cause her any pain.

She had stepped out into the dimly lit room to be sure she wasn't just overthinking it.

When her eyes locked with Harold's, he just stared.

He stared. Without a word and ever so slowly, he stood up from the bed and just continued to stare at her with all his attention.

It seemed to her that even if the world were burning at that moment, it wouldn't distract him.

Slowly, she looked down at her hands, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. They were different--slender and graceful, with delicate fingers that looked like they had never done a day's work in their lives.

It was just as she remembered.

Her hands had been one of her biggest insecurities when she was younger. All the manual labour made it look anything but feminine. But thanks to the life of luxury. She had taken extra care of her hands so she wouldn't be reminded of those days when she saw them.

She slowly reached for the towel around her hair and loosened it. And as it fell to the floor, her damp hair fell along the way to her shoulders. It wasn't the short bob she had cut. It was long.

She covered her mouth with her hand immediately, and her eyes turned misty as she looked at Harold, whose eyes were surprisingly just as misty as hers.

She didn't want to be too hopeful. She needed to be sure she wasn't imagining this. So she hurried to the mirror on the dressing table and stood in front of it. This time the gasp that left her lips was louder, and tears ran down her cheeks.

It was her.

Not Amber. Not Anne. It was her. Alicia.

Harold couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had always known Alicia as 'Amber'. Never had he seen her in another form. But now, standing before him, was a completely different person. He couldn't take his eyes off her. It was just as she had said. She looked a lot like the woman in the painting Paulina had made. She looked even better. A lot better.

"Your eyes are really blue..." he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Alicia barely registered his words, as she was too focused on the reflection in the mirror. She had been too used to being in Amber's body that it felt like she was looking at a stranger--a woman with high cheekbones, full lips, blue eyes, and long, flowing hair. Alicia's eyes widened as she realized that the woman in the mirror was her.

Harold felt a lump form in his throat as he looked at her. He had always wanted to see how she truly looked, but he never expected her to look this beautiful. He felt a surge of emotions rise within him, and he had to fight to keep them in check.

He watched as she touched the mirror, testing to see if it was real. Then she locked eyes with him in the mirror, and he saw the tears welling up in her eyes.

She hadn't thought that this day would come. Never had she thought there would come a time when seeing her own reflection would bring her so much emotional pain and relief.

Harold stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her from the back, pulling her close. She could feel his warmth against her skin, and it was a small comfort in the midst of her confusion and fear.

She closed her eyes and accepted his hug while he continued to look at her in the mirror.

"It feels... surreal," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "How... is this p-possible?"

Harold felt his own emotions bubbling up to the surface. He had never seen Alicia so vulnerable before, and it was breaking his heart. But at the same time, he could not say exactly how he felt about this. Saying he was glad was an understatement.

This was the best distraction she needed, and he was glad it worked out just fine.

"I don't know," he said, his voice gentle. "But I am glad it worked. You are the most beautiful being I have ever seen." He said in awe and placed a kiss on the top of her head without taking his eyes off her in the mirror.

Alicia leaned into him, soaking up his comfort. For now, she was just grateful to have Harold there with her, holding her close and helping her navigate this. She was glad because not only was she reminded of herself and what she looked like, but Harold could see her for her true self, even though this was going to be short.

And Harold was grateful to finally see the real Alicia--the woman he had fallen in love with.

She opened her eyes slowly and locked eyes with him through the mirror. When their eyes connected, he smiled at her and said her name softly.

"Alicia Queen."

She smiled at him and reached to wipe the tears out of her face while he dropped another kiss on her head.

They both still stared at each other in the mirror as she slowly put down her hand.

"It feels strange." He whispered.

"What is?" She whispered back.

"I'm just seeing you like this for the first time. But you don't seem like a stranger to me at all. As if I've always known you like this."

"Maybe you have been able to convince yourself a long time ago since you saw that painting." She spoke softly.

"Maybe." He spoke quietly and leaned down to drop a kiss on her shoulder.

When she unconsciously tilted her head to the side and exposed her neck, he paused and just stared at it.

'MARK IT!' He heard the sharp order in his head and shut his eyes immediately.

Alicia simply watched him in the mirror.

He was still leaning closer to her, but he wasn't doing anything and kept his eyes tightly shut. She could also feel the rhythm of his chest. He was breathing heavily.

"My Lord?" She called softly.

His eyes slowly opened, and they locked gaze in the mirror again. But this time, her breathing hitched when she saw his eyes. The blue was mixed with a tint of red.

He shut his eyes again and shook his head as he said, "This is your moment. I... don't want to be selfish."

His voice was dark and heavy. It was a tone she had never heard before. And the type that was supposed to make her wary.

But no. They did other things to her instead.

She turned around to face him and looked up at him while he looked down at her. Both their eye colours were strange to the other person.

She reached for his face, and as soon as she touched it, he leaned into the touch and shut his eyes again.

"This is... our moment." She whispered before gently cupping his face with both hands. And as she slowly brought his head down, she stood on her tiptoes, and just when their faces were only a few inches apart, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Our moment." She repeated and saw how his eye coloured flickered until it looked like they were purple before he leaned down and aggressively captured her lips with his.

Alicia held on to him tightly as she tried to keep up, but it was all at his pace-- a rather fast pace, as though he were fighting with himself.

So she decided to give the same energy.

This was her. This was her body. And all of her pent-up feelings for him were released at that moment.

Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her effortlessly in his arms until she was wrapped around him and had her towel entirely riding up.

She reached for the buttons in his shirt and began to hastily undo them but Harold suddenly stopped what he was doing and carefully dropped her to sit on top of her dressing table.

They both locked eyes, both breathing heavily and with a wicked smirk, Harold tore the shirt out of his body, sending the stubborn buttons flying everywhere.

Her lips slowly curled up.

Her gaze was different.

It was a way she had never looked at him before. Or maybe because he had never seen her like this before. He wasn't exactly sure.

He watched how she absentmindedly bit her nail as she looked at his body with a lustful gaze. And then he moved closer to her.

When he stood in front of her, he took the hand out of her mouth and placed it on his abdomen to make her feel it.

Her breathing hitched up and so did his before he leaned closer and took her left earlobe in his mouth while a hand went underneath her towel.