The curse

Jack was staring at the full moon as some sort of liquid dropped from his eyes. He thought it was teardrops since he was watching the moon without blinking for a while already.

He heard his two knights and his right-hand man calling him. So he turned around getting closer to them approaching the door.

"B-blood!" The three men yelled together as they saw Jack turning his face towards them and stepping closer.

"Blood?" Jack asked raising an eyebrow. He thought his knights had gone colour blinded that they couldn't distinguish white from red.

He looked at the mirror as he saw the fluid falling from his eyes. It was blood!

The scene scared him. After a long time, he got scared of something. Not because he was afraid of it but because it was something he didn't know about. He sat on the blue-covered mattress and thought for a while. He didn't try to wipe the blood. The three knights stood there still confused about what's going on. They never saw their king act like this after the late queen's death.

Jack sighed and closed his eyes slowly. Suddenly, a memory came to the surface.

*************

-Jack's Flashback-

(Pov of Jack = Point of view)

One night, after the sword training, I went to my mother's bed-chamber to wish her a good night. I was nine years old but it was my mother's order for me to wish her goodnight after training every night.

To my surprise, she wasn't in the room. So I sat on the chair near her bed. It was used for my father to sit whenever he visited my mother when she pretended to be sick. She always wanted my father's attention as a child would do.

My parents didn't have a loving relationship. Not that it was visible but my father didn't love my mother. But he never told any other women in his harem.

As the door opened, I jumped off the chair. 'Mother would get mad if I use something father uses.' I thought as I nervously stood beside the chair.

"Good evening, mother." I bowed to her politely. It's not like I had a choice. She would hit me if I didn't.

"Child." The brown-haired woman slowly caressed my cheek, with affection. It was rare. I only felt slaps from this hand. My childish desire and longing for affection made me smile brightly. I thought, maybe my mom finally did acknowledge me. Like any other boy of my age would be, I was happy.

"My dear child..." She slowly mumbled as her blue eyes glowed although she was blocking the light on the ceiling and it wasn't lighting up her eyes.

"Yes, mother?" I asked with a soft smile.

"You better not be cursed." She said as her affectionate face changed into a frown and a scary glare that she threw at me.

I shivered as I took a back step.

"What curse morpheme?.." I asked as I rose my eyes to meet her gaze.

"Your father just told me that," she stopped talking as she walked towards her bed. She took a seat and continued. "That. Long ago, the witches had cursed the royal family when they burnt them all alive. Apparently, it appears from generation and generation. Looks like your dad's curse was to get blind when it's the full moon." She spoke with a cold face. Yet I could tell she was sad that my father had to suffer through that. "As for you, I hope it's nothing serious. You can leave now." She told me as she called the maids to help her get changed into her nightgown. I walked towards the door, still confused and stopped. I glanced back at my mother who didn't even bother to tell me more or even show me any sign of love. I stepped out of the bedchamber with a pained heart of a nine years old boy.

-End of Flashback-

"Sharrkan," Jack spoke. "Go bring a bandage."

"Yes sir." The man politely replied as he hurried outside of the room to get bandages.

"What's going on?" Ave mumbled as she watched Sharrkan leaving the room all worked out. She got out of her hiding spot as she tiptoed towards the door to sneak another peek. Her eyes widen as she watched Jack's eyes bleeding. She locked her ear against the wall trying to hear what they were saying.

"What is this, your majesty?" Keiji asked as he slowly approached the king's face to her a closer look.

Zain slapped his face away with a frown. "Go away." He spoke in his king's stead.

"Key!" Keiji yelled as he held his cheek that turned red from the smack.

"Shut up you two," Jack ordered with an angry tone.

They both shut up obediently.

"I thin. It's the curse my mom had told me about. She said it's because the royal family had burnt down all the witches present in the whole country.

Ave unconsciously sneezes, making the three men notice her presence.

"Who's it?" Zain grabbed the sword he had around his waist.

"I-it's me..." Ave slowly mumbled as she stepped inside the room. "What's going on with you, your majesty?" She asked politely as if she didn't know anything at all.

"Ah.. this..." Jack rubbed the bleed rolling down his cheek with a hand as he started at Aveline.

"It's a curse by a witch! It's just like a fairy tale." Keiji joked making the other three-person inside the room glare at him. He coughed. "I mean... this isn't great, because it's real life." He corrected himself.

The tension slowly calmed down after those words, making Keiji sigh in relief.

"Yeah. I have been cursed by the witches my ancestors burnt down." Jack sighed closing his eyes that had started to burn.

Aveline slowly stepped closer as she cover Jack's eyes with her hands. She couldn't see him being like this. She didn't want others to see his weak side either. She ignored what that feeling was, but she gave in to it.

"You guys go. I'll take care of him." She firmly stated as she signed them to leave the room.

"W-what? We can't leave." Zain refused to leave alone Jack at the hands of the queen.

"Obey," Jack ordered firmly.

Keiji and Zain exited the room.

Just then, Sharrkan had arrived with every kind of bandage of the palace. He had five white boxes in his hand. He didn't know which one would be better for Jack to use to he thought he should bring them all. Sharrkan walked inside the silent room, as his gaze fell on Ave covering Jack's eyes with her hands. Her blonde hair looked green somehow. He immediately rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. It turned back blonde! The young knight was shocked by the situation.

"What?" Ave removed one hand from Jack's eyes and grabbed the bandage boxes. She opened the box, pulling out a roll of soft white cloth to wrap Jack's eyes. She felt the cloth with her left hand to make sure it was comfortable for Jack to use. She slowly removed her other hand. "Keep your eyes closed." She slowly whispered as she starting wrapping up his eyes.

Sharrkan stepped out of the room as well. He didn't know what to do between the king and queen. It's not like the queen was the one who had done this to the king. He didn't need to protect Jack from her.

"Avi." Jack slowly mumbled as he felt Ave's hand moving away from his skin.

"Yes?"

"Do I look scary?" He tried to wrap his arms around Ave by finding where she was with his blindfold but he failed.

"No." She coldly replied. "I'll call for Laila to check on." She stood up slowly hoping he would say something.

Jack didn't speak until she reached the door.

"Don't go. I need you. Not her. Please." The young man pleaded. He didn't do so it's been such a long time. Yet he couldn't bear to see her leave him like that to another woman.

Ave's lips curved as she turned her feet taking steps inside the bedroom once again. She took a seat beside the king. She slowly caressed his cheek.

"Why are you the one going through this?" Ave asked with a pained tone.

Jack shivered for some unknown reason. He felt as if he is causing her pain right now.

"I have no idea." He mumbled clueless about the reason as well. "I just have to live with it."

"No. I'll try to find a way to remove this curse. There should be away!" Ave frowned refusing to let Jack live the rest of his life this way. He was the only loyal person she had met when she first came into this world, now he is going through trouble. So she should help him, as his best friend 'Aveline' would do.

****

"Your majesty," Laila called out inside the party room searching for Jack all over. She couldn't find a sign of him. She gritted her teeth in anger as she saw Aveline walking inside the ballroom again.

The queen walked inside elegantly and headed towards the throne.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to announce to you the banquet is over. You should get home it's getting late." She announced with a cold yet soft voice.

Everyone looked at the window realizing the sky had already turned pitch black.

Soon, there was only one guest left, Laila.

"Your majesty." The grey-haired woman approached her with heavy steps.

"Hm?" Aveline turned around casually.

"His majesty is mine!" She stated between her teeth in anger.

Aveline felt a sting inside her hurt but she tried to keep her calm and cold expression.