9 The Prince

There are three things I hate:

Strong perfumes, people who see me as leverage to get in the kingdom's positions, and noontime.

As the Crown Prince, I was trained at an early age on how to act, speak, and look like a royalty. There was not a play-time for me, except for my swordsmanship, archery, other combat skills training which was not a normal activity for a 5-year-old child.

And even though I do not have a company with me as I grew up except for my teachers and my family, I have to act friendly in front of other people even without having 'real' social connections.

The people I have on my list as 'friends' are the people that I will need during my reign as the King once my father passes his crown.

I hate noontime, which is why I arranged the bride candidate's first trial in the morning.

Even when I was young, I already received if not hundreds, maybe almost a thousand marriage proposals from different families with a marriageable female member.

They were all thirsty for power, especially that their daughters may also acquire a quarter of my power, which is enough to destroy a whole country. Some even sent their daughters or sisters to my bed naked and intoxicated. Some were crying and begging me to take them.

It was pathetic. I pity those ladies, but I pity their fathers and brothers more. They had lost their values and conduct just for power.

My father believes that I can find my love someday, yet here he is, presenting different women for me.

I am against it, to be honest, I spent the whole night thinking of plans on how to ditch the presentation before the trial began.

The moment they opened the hall, I almost puke from the mixed strong perfumes of the women. It was burning my nose, and I wanted to run away.

Then, I saw a hundred women lining up before me. I groaned internally, I guess every one of them wore a perfume.

I heard from one of the maids that someone told the brides to wear perfumes because I love it. My eyes went huge with that invalid information given to these women who didn't even think twice about wearing perfumes.

What's more annoying is that, for the first trial, I shall choose a beautiful bride. And, when it comes to my taste of women, I don't have one.

I never had an encounter with a woman who I view as interesting, even if I attend parties full of ladies. None of them caught my eyes. Maybe it's because I am not looking for a partner or romance. But it has never occurred to me to eye a lady to talk to her smoothly.

I have a lot of other matters to attend than flirt.

I just nodded my head whenever I see a lady that seems to be interesting-- someone who I rarely see around me.

But then, before I can even face Miss Amelia, I already noticed that she's not feeling well. Her face was a bit pale and her nose was red, and it even looked swollen.

And when I stood in front of her, with her eyes closed tight, as if she's too tired to open them, she suddenly sneezed freely.

It was partly disgusting since there was a surprise guest coming from her nose, but mostly, it was entertaining.

But she didn't smell like a smack on the nose. She gives off the fragrant of someone fresh out of the shower. I was glad to take a breath of normal scent.

She just apologized and wiped her nose without even showing any signs of fear and disrespect, not that I was offended, it was new, to be honest.

After that, I can't help but think of her flustered face even while I was signing papers about another invitation to form an alliance with one of our past enemies.

When I found out that she has an allergy, I didn't hesitate to call my personal doctor, Levian, to check her. It's risky to call the castle's doctor, especially that this bride candidate play is equivalent to a contest for the crown, other candidates can work with the doctor and cause human harm.

Her schedule was supposed to be on the last day of the week, during the night, where I would be tired and will probably skip our meeting.

I ignored the schedule and gave her my favorite time of the day, the morning.

But I guess she's not on the same page with me. She arrived like she went out of hell from waking up. Even though she's as beautiful as morning dew, I can see it on her face that she wasn't happy.

She yelled at the guard for calling her stupid.

Of course, I took care of those mongrels after she gave them a good speech. No one's allowed to tell her those words, especially that I myself, know that she's not any less intelligent.

I learned a lot of things about her.

Miss Amelia Snow...

She loves a lot of things, but she looks like she's more passionate about this animated series. I can't fully comprehend her choice of entertainment since we do not have it here, but while watching her eyes glow with excitement, I felt happy for her. I wanted to know more about her.

It was an overwhelming feeling -- to be hungry for someone else's life story.

But when I heard about the gossip while meeting with another bride candidate, it sparked rage in me, not because she spoke of someone's name, but because those women in the mansion with her are nothing but rats.

They all twisted the gossip with their own sharp ugly tongues which sent her to the Seven Councils.

I heard how she tried to point out her stand, but the moment she rose the topic about her being kidnapped to be my bride was outrageous!

She was kidnapped to be my bride candidate?!

From what I know, they presented themselves as a bride candidate on their own accord. I never heard about kidnapping them.

I decided to act as if it didn't bugged the hell out of me and stood with her just to end this ridiculous talk and asked Regin who gathered information about the ones who started the gossip to send them to the Seven Council.

I went to the throne room after ending the judgment of Miss Amelia in the Council, but my father is nowhere to be found. I asked his guards, but they also don't know where he might be which is pure nonsense. I know that they are hiding his location from me.

"Fisher," I called my knight who appeared from the shadows like a smoke, "Find where that old man went!" I ordered and he disappeared in a blink of an eye.

I have to know the truth about this 'kidnapping'.

If Miss Amelia doesn't want to be here, then she shall be given the option to go back. I don't want to hold her here like a prisoner.

But when I remember her actions, she seems to be having a good time. She was smiling and laughing beautifully.

Then I wondered if she was kidnapped, and she doesn't know where she is and who the people she's with or what they-- no, what we really are, then, will she still decide to stay here?

When she asked me about the strongest breed, I was afraid that if she found out it was me, she'll be like the other women who were crawling just to get near me for power.

What if she turns out to be like them?

What if she gets afraid?

Not even my father likes talking about my power, something that is terrifying to even talk about.

Even I, whenever I think about my capabilities, it sents chills through my body.

I returned back to my room that night after meeting with another bride candidate who turns out to be the Princess of the Delta kingdom, a close friend of the castle.

She was like any other ladies. She acted softly, spoke faintly, and rarely laughs.

But Miss Amelia laughs carelessly like there's no tomorrow.

I hope she likes the dress I gave her, also the perfume my mother used to wear.

I do not fancy perfumes, except my dearest beautiful mother's. It was the scent that I wake up to when I was young. It was the scent that I breathe when the morning greets me while we had tea.

While Miss Amelia's here, I would take every second to enjoy her company while I try to know who she is.

I bet my mother will love her as well. Even if my mother was the image of the typical lady of society, whenever she's with my annoying old man, she acts like Miss Amelia.

She laughs loudly, does things the way she wanted it to be, speak out her mind, and loves us unconditionally.

It's been seven years since she died.

After her assassination, my father and I grew farther from each other. We focused on our duties. It was believed that she was killed because if she bears another child, it has a strong possibility that my sibling may be as strong as I am or even stronger.

I laid on my bed after finishing other paper works. It's been a long time but Fisher hasn't come back.

Maybe my father's hiding from me because I found out about the kidnapping of Miss Amelia.

Now that I think about it, I did hear him talk about the daughter of my mother's knight. He was planning on taking her to the castle.

I did not ask about that matter since it does not concern me, and I didn't think that it was connected to my bride candidates.

I turned my head towards the window where the moon's showing its beauty to me. Her white light shines through the window and lace curtains.

My mother...

Queen Elena, Mom.

Everyone blamed themselves, but my father and her knight brought their heart to her grave and never took it back.

Father acted as if nothing happened and is still annoying, but he has this look in his eyes as if he's staring into a dark abyss.

Her knight left after her funeral with his family and never returned.

He was the third strongest person in this kingdom even if he looked like a human. His power, which he got from having the blood of an enchantress, specializes in accuracy and speed.

No one except me and my father can beat him.

My thoughts suddenly popped when I heard the howl of a wolf from the Sunset Peak.

I took a deep breath and sighed.

This bride candidate act... Marriage... I have to do it even if it does not interest me, or else the Seven Council will force me to marry someone from the enemy's side.

They are already sending threats to the throne and indicated that marriage can only cease their anger.

We are not stupid enough to believe that. Once I get married to their kin, they will only use her power to destroy other kingdoms.

I turned to my side and tried to relax my mind. I have to get up early tomorrow, Miss Amelia will be waiting. These thoughts have to go.

I'll ask her about her kidnapping tomorrow if the father still decides to hide from me. For now, I should get some sweet rest.