Regaleon Williams- Crown Prince of Vlamunda. Melina- A mere servant with a horrendous reputation. They say that light and darkness could never clash together. However, it was different for these two opposites. He was a prince and she was a maid. Such a union was detestable in the eyes of the people. Even the gods of Vlamunda would never accept such a forbidden relationship. With the mentality that he is now King, Leon attempts to use his exclusive power to make their impossible relationship work. He believed such rejection was simply based on their differences in status and position. Therefore, he set out to abolish such a rule during his reign. What he fails to realize is the depth he would need to dig to know the true reason behind the gods' rejection of his bride. The mysteries... The secrets...dark and wounded secrets... And the betrayal... And now that he is aware of what lies ahead along with its consequences, is he still willing to embark on the journey? To listen to his heart and marry the one whom he truly loves? Or is he going to make this one sacrifice for his kingdom and spare them the impending doom? Find out on HEART OF A PRINCE.
The morning sun poured through the open windows of the infirmary, casting beams of light that caught in the dust motes drifting lazily in the air. King Leon stood by the bed, his posture strong, but his expression betrayed a quiet worry.
He looked down at Matthew who lay propped on the bed, his injury much improved and his former pale skin back to normal, though a hint of fatigue still lingered in his eyes.
"Matthew," Leon's voice was low and steady, betraying the depth of his concern.
Matthew pushed himself up with effort, groaning slightly.
He could feel his head throbbing but he tried to act fine, his eyes dull.
He scanned the room, looking at the people around him and trying to recognize their faces.
He took notice of Alice and her sister, Amie standing at a corner with a few other people.
He took a brief moment to stare at the blonde princess whose eyes glimmered with emotions while she held his gaze and her eyes moistened.
Matthew finally looked like Matthew again.
"How are you feeling?" Leon's concerned voice pulled him back from his daze and he looked at the king.
"Your Highness..." His voice trailed before he processed the question Leon asked him.
How he felt?
"I feel... strangely well," he replied, his voice rough with uncertainty.
Leon's gaze softened seeing his dear friend. He had been nervous all night while Conner went to the districts in search of a dark magic wielder.
It had only been 2 hours ago when he was called by a guard that not only had Matthew gotten better but Telma had also awakened from the dead.
Leon turned his gaze to Telma who sat on a bench under Conner's scrutiny as they still didn't understand what had happened with him. The priest on arrival had asked that he spent alone time with the miraculously awakened Telma.
Returning his gaze again to Matthew, he placed his hands on his shoulders, "You should take a good rest, friend. We'll discuss when you're perfectly fine."
His eyes lingered on the faint wound still showing on Matthew's abdomen. His tunic he wore since the day of battle had still not been changed.
Nodding slowly at Leon's statement, Matthew went back to relax, his mind still reeling as he tried to remember some events prior to his unconsciousness.
Leon stood straight and turned around, sauntering to where the priest and Telma sat.
The practitioners and guards stood in the background, their faces mirroring shock and confusion but they didn't dare show it or ask the questions that lay in their minds.
They lowered their heads as Leon walked past them before coming to stand beside the priest.
On the other side of the bed, Conner was seated, a medallion clutched in his hand as he inspected Telma, who sat stiffly, meeting Conner's gaze with a strange, hollow look. Conner narrowed his eyes, noting a barely perceptible shift in Telma's posture as he adjusted his worn out tunic, covering his veiny forearm where the dark marks had been.
"How do you feel, Telma?" Conner asked, his voice layered with a hint of suspicion. He held the medallion forward slightly, as if gauging Telma's reaction to the blessed object.
Everyone gaped at him in anticipation and Leon noticed his discomfort at the sight of many faces.
"Please excuse us." He suddenly turned to the crowd that watched the scene, not wanting any of them to find out about the dark magic situation.
They were taken aback by his request and neither of them said a word as they turned around and walked away, giving them their privacy.
Alice took one last glance at Matthew before turning around and leaving while her sister, Amie churned her face in annoyance on seeing that Matthew was awake.
She didn't even bother to hide it.
The room was now quiet and empty, leaving the priest, Matthew and Telma as well as the few knights who were still being treated, sitting on their beds, realizing just how much chaos Dasha's magic had caused since they came to the palace.
Answering the question, Telma's lips pulled into a tight, slightly strained smile. "I feel… fortunate, Priest. Whatever was ailing me, it seems to have left," he replied smoothly, glancing at Leon and then quickly back to Conner, his expression giving little away.
Conner didn't break eye contact. His fingers tightened slightly around the medallion, moving it closer to Telma as he muttered an ancient incantation under his breath, watching for any subtle recoil.
Telma, to his credit, held his ground, not flinching or averting his gaze. The faintest glint of something unfathomable crossed his eyes, but he merely maintained his calm.
When Conner kept quiet for an awkward amount of time, Telma questioned, "Did you notice anything off?"
Even he didn't appear to gauge the problem.
Conner sighed before averting his gaze, slightly in a daze.
"Anything?" Leon asked but Conner shook his head.
"No. Nothing... not even a trace of dark magic." He was certain he couldn't find any in both of them as it gave a strong sensation.
Dark magic was not something that could be hidden. It had large claws, very quick to show itself to its victim.
"Do you think someone is behind this?" Leon asked, unable to think of a better explanation. "Perhaps Dasha withdrew the magic?" He voiced out his thoughts.
Conner looked at Matthew who was now asleep again, "Dasha..."
The name slipped out of Conner's tongue as he bit his lip.
He had never heard of someone withdrawing dark magic from its source and he knew of only one person who could that.
A dark magic wielder and a purifier of it.
It was the dragon's kin.
Only one of dragon's blood could reverse dark magic and he genuinely doubted that was the situation with Dasha.
"What?" Leon asked when he saw Conner frown.
However, Conner shook his head, trying to wave it off.
He didn't want to voice out anything he wasn't sure of.
A dragon's kin return was not something to joke about.
If truly Dasha was one then it was only reasonable to eliminate her with haste because she was only going to put them in more danger.
Evaluating the pros and cons, he looked at the king and said, "Your Highness, I think we urgently need to do something about Dasha. She might be just a bigger problem." He said with urgency like he just realized something.
Leon took the hint of his statement, as if understanding what Conner wanted to say.
He gazed at the room and saw how some of his knights who were bedridden looked at the priest with curiosity, eager to know what it was about Dasha.
Not wanting such information to reach them, he quickly diverted, "I would summon every chieftain to the court by evening. You'd be present too."
"I believe that would be a great idea," chimed Conner with a nod.
Leon turned his gaze to Telma who seemed to be a bit engrossed in their discussion.
"Let us be grateful. Whatever plagued you both, it seems to have passed. But Conner," he turned to the priest, "I want you to continue your investigation. We need answers. The kingdom can't afford mysteries that threaten our own." He stated and Conner nodded approvingly.
His eyes went back to Matthew who had fallen asleep again.
...
Finally dismissing himself and letting the servants get back to their assigned work, Leon set out of the infirmary.
As much as he felt there was so much mystery in the air, he was beyond grateful that Matthew was well and alive.
What would he have done if it was the other way around?
He had dealt with too much loss since that battle. He wasn't sure he could deal with losing his best friend.
He entered the garden with deep thoughts, the weight of his kingdom's predicaments pressed heavily on him.
However, he halted in his tracks when a certain redhead graced his sight unexpectedly, holding a curved knife she used to prune the flowers in the garden while pulling away the thorns.
Melina had began her usual chores like every other day, her hair which she earlier packed in a ponytail cascaded down as she bent, making it difficult for her to prune.
Leon's feet remained rooted, his gaze fixed on Melina, who stood in front of him, her head lowered respectfully. His heart quickened as he watched her brush dirt from her fingers, the marks of her care for the garden plain on her hands.
He thought for a moment to just walk away and let her do her work but a part of him refused to walk by just like that.
Hadn't he been the one searching for her since he came from the battlefield? Why would he walk past her now?
He took a moment to observe the other servants working, far away from the redhead.
He took a step forward and Melina sensed his presence, whipping her head in his direction.