The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

The queen kept her eyes on the window, dreading the break of dawn. She had waited the entire night, yet she hadn't heard back from Damian to know if he sent her words to both Sir Damon and her brother. She hadn't heard from anybody, and it was already dawn! She had been told to join the assembly. How could she join the assembly like this?

The anxiety almost drove her crazy as she paced around her chamber. She didn't know what they were going to ask her or what they were going to hold against her. And if anyone was supposed to be here right now, it had to be Damon!

Her happiness knew no bounds when her door was roughly kicked open and her brother entered. The happiness she felt overshadowed his rude entry, but the look in his eyes made her halt and think twice.

Something was wrong.

Sir Evan approached her in long, furious strides and grabbed the collar of her dress on both sides, making her eyes widen in shock and fear.

"Where is Susan?" He asked darkly.

"Have you... lost your mind?" She asked as she tried to push his hands away, but his grip tightened and he even drew her closer.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" He barked.

"How... how would I know where your daughter is?" She asked as she kept trying to push him away.

"Wasn't that your message? If I never wanted to see my daughter get married, then I should ignore you. Wasn't that what you said?!" He yelled at her.

She began to gasp from fear and tried to force him to let her be. The assault was making her remember some things she had faced in the past from her father, and it seemed Evan could tell because he suddenly let her go, but he did so roughly that she fell to the floor, where she continued to gasp for air with a hand placed on her chest.

"Where did you keep her?" Sir Evan asked.

"Have you gone mad?" Arya asked as she looked up at him with teary eyes. "How dare you treat your queen in such--"

"WHERE IS SHE!?" He shouted, making her let out a frightened yelp.

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR DAUGHTER IS!"

She continued to pant before helping herself stand up. "I waited for you the entire night, and this is how you treat me?"

"We... can't find Susan anywhere." He said in a calmer tone, as though pleading with her to stop this joke.

"If you are doing this to get back at me then--"

"Now you suspect me for your missing daughter?" She asked in disbelief.

"You think... You think I would do anything bad to my niece?"

She began to get angry as she asked, "IS THAT HOW YOU THINK OF ME NOW?!"

He took a frightening step towards her, and she stepped back.

"I don't care what you are capable of doing. But I want to see Susan."

She scoffed in disbelief. "Then why not go ask her lover? Or maybe they ran away already?" She taunted.

He halted. "W-What?"

She looked at his reaction and let out a laugh. "I guess Damian didn't tell you then." She shook her head at him.

"You like to act like you are better than me. But then your daughter is giving herself to a mere guard. How disgusting."

Sir Evan looked at her in disbelief. He just stared blankly before he turned around and left the room immediately.

Meanwhile, Alvin was getting his morning treatment when the door was forcefully pushed open.

Both the physician, who was rubbing an ointment on Alvin's back and Alvin, who was finally able to sit on the bed, looked at the door and saw Williams panting.

"Have you... seen Susan?" Williams asked Alvin, who frowned. It was just the break of dawn. Why was he asking him?

Alvin shook his head and asked, "I haven't. Did she already leave her bed this morning?"

"She... her bed is still neatly made."

"What's the problem? Maybe she dressed the bed and went out for a stroll?" Alvin wondered.

"No. No. No." Williams shook his head, looking like he was just a second away from panicking. "She never dresses her bed."

"What?" Alvin asked in confusion.

"She... she didn't sleep on it. I... we thought she went to bed early last night. But... she didn't return to the chamber last night. And we can't find her anywhere."

Williams ran his hands through his hair roughly just as Alvin made to stand up from the bed.

"You cannot move--" The physician started, but Alvin turned, and after one glare from him, the physician kept his mouth shut.

Just then, another person ran into the room. Lady Victoria.

She looked at Williams and then at Alvin.

Tears were already in her eyes, and she was breathing really fast and had beads of sweat all over her body even though it was just dawn.

"Please tell me she snuck in here last night. I... I won't get angry. I swear it." She said with a pleading look directed at Alvin.

They didn't care that someone else was in the room and might tell this to others. That was the least of their concern.

Alvin managed to stand up, his legs almost giving way. He was also feeling lightheaded, but he managed to stand tall and look at the woman pitifully. He wished he could give her the answer she needed.

"She... didn't." He said weakly. "But I will find her. Lady Susan likes to move about, so she... she should be somewhere." He said it in a heavy voice just as Lady Victoria burst into tears.

"Where... Where could she be?!" Victoria cried.

Alvin quickly put on his shirt, and despite the concerned look from his physician, he picked up his sword.

"Please let us know if you find anything. We will keep looking." Williams said and was about to lead his mother out when they came face to face with Sir Evan, who was just about to enter the room.

He entered the room, and as soon as Alvin saw him, he stood still.

Sir Evan looked at Alvin and then at his wife, and lastly at his son, Williams.