7_The Princess is a curse.

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"Your Eminence," Miriam said with a bow and then slipped away, probably to give us privacy, but how do I say she shouldn't leave me alone with the freakishly alluring Demon king?

"Your Eminence," I bowed slightly and he advanced towards me.

"I saw what you did there, Princess Hazel, using your newfound authority over your rude sisters, smart," He was standing so close to me now that his sent began to infiltrate my senses once more.

I cleared my throat, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that, I just needed a break from th..."

"...No, no, do not get me wrong, I do not have a problem with that. To be precise, I adore your actions," He said, causing me to gaze up at him, his British accent filling my ears.

"You...you do?"

"Yes, you see, I had my general research on you and I was told you never left the palace," He said.

"I never?" I asked I was lost in his voice and handsome features as he kept on ranting about Hazel to me. He was indeed dreamy.

"I also heard you were the gentle kind, the boring type to be specific..."

"...Thank you," I suddenly interjected, feeling as if someone had just pointed out the same thing I was thinking about Hazel. I glanced at him after my gush and he had creased brows.

"Please, continue, your Eminence," I bowed slightly again.

"Hades, call me Hades," He replied, "And what I meant to say was, you proved me wrong, you are feisty...I like feisty, and as long as you're married to me, you have all the freedom you desire as well as authority over this kingdom," He had a mischievous grin on his face.

"Our subjects are expecting a dance from the newly married couples, can I have this dance?" He asked with his arm extended and he bent slightly.

"How could I refuse a gentleman,'' I replied with a smile, finally finding my courage, since he said he liked feisty, there was no need to hide my nature, I was previously worried about ruining Hazel's reputation but it turns out, my personality could be a game changer.

We walked hand in hand to the center of the ballroom, the crowd gave us enough space, and thanks to my acting career, I learned to dance.

The dance between the Demon King Hades and the Human Princess Hazel was graceful and fluid, carrying a strength of elegance. It was a captivating display of power and their movements were slow and cultivated.

As we moved across the floor, while the soothing music played, we stared into each other's eyes and it was as if he could see right through me. His fiery gaze bored into me like he could catch a glimpse of my soul.

His face was expressionless as usual, why was he so cold, I didn't mean emotionally but also physically, as my hand was in his for the second time, I noticed how frigid he was.

"Why is your body so cold?" I asked.

"Is there anything you want to take with you when we leave for Hellfire Citadel?" He asked, without answering my question.

The music ended and we pulled away before I could respond to his question. I desired to take something with me, someone to be precise.

"Excuse me," Hades said and walked away, leaving me fiddling with my fingers as I thought ahead.

"You nightmare child, you think you have evolved wings because you are spousal to the Demon King but sorry to spurt your swell, you are going to be used as a baby-making instrument," The queen walked up to me with her filthy daughters trailing behind her. I was silent as I processed her words, what if it was factual?

What if I am dispatched to Hellfire Citadel to become a baby-making appliance, should I consider escaping? But the thing was I don't know anywhere in the underworld and hell, they were crazed beasts wandering this godforsaken realm.

"Why, have you lost your voice sister?" Nora asked, standing behind the barrier of their mother.

"Excuse me," I said and made to leave but the Queen grabbed me by my hand.

"You are nothing less than demon food," She whispered in my ears, and I felt a sting in my eyes, she released me and I made my way outside the ballroom, I ran through the halls looking for my chamber, but I didn't comprehend where it was, there were numerous rooms.

"She's yours to do as you please with," Hazel heard when she ran past a door, she drifted back and there was a little space, left by the door. She spied through it and saw Hades and the human King, the one meant to be her father.

"King Shedrack, I assure you, I would protect your daughter with everything in me, the vow of a demon is stronger than life and death itself," Hades replied, taking a sip out of the red wine.

"But I don't care about her safety, she can burn in hell for all I care..." I jolted upon hearing what King Shedrack just said and even the Demon King looked surprised, as he was about to take a sip out of his drink but stopped halfway.

"...I just need your word that you will protect this kingdom and its resources,"

"Why do you despise Princess Hazel so much, it is, After all, Your daughter," Hades asked, his British accent feeling the air and his face as expressionless as ever as he finally took a sip out of his drink again, maintaining his gaze on Shedrack who couldn't seem to look him in the eye due to the suffocating aura emanating from him.

"She is not my daughter, Hazel is a curse, one that shouldn't have happened,'' King Shedrack said.

"Meaning?'' Hades asked raising a brow.

"Twenty Years ago, after Princess Nora was born, Ethel and I decided against having more children and there was no intimacy for some amount of time, but on a rainy night after the blood moon eclipse, Ethel woke up with a scream, and when I inspected, I found the queen with a bulging stomach, a nine months old baby bump,"

"Sounds intriguing," Hades replied with a mischievous grin.

"The seer says Hazel was a curse, from a witch in the rune coven, that's why we've been at war for a while," Shedrack completed.

"So I don't care what you do with her if you sacrifice her or make her your baby-making instrument, I do not fucking care, I just want her out of my sight, but with a meaningful price," He said again and my hands flew to my mouth, a gasp escaping my lips.

Hade's head whipped towards the door and with inhuman speed, he opened the door to investigate what he had heard, but there was no one there, he creased his brows, his red fiery eyes gleaming, he was sure of what he had heard but if there was anyone he would have felt their presence or heard their thoughts, but he didn't.

"Is something the matter, my lord?" Shedrack asked.

"No, I thought I heard something," Hades shut the door.

I exhaled, my hand still to my mouth as tears trickled from my eyes, I was one of the Castle's guests, and I didn't understand the main sense of the tears I was shedding, maybe it was because I felt sorry for Hazel, she was just like me, hell, even our lives were similar. She was rejected just like I was, despised by the same very people who brought her into the underworld.

"My lady, why are you here?" Miriam asked, entering the guestroom.

"Oh thank goodness Miriam...I--I can't go with the demon king,"

"What are you talking about, you are already wedded, you said the vows,"

"Well I shouldn't have, if I go with King Hades, I'll be made into a--a fucking baby-making instrument,"

Miriam gasped, "Your Highness, I told you, do not say phrases like that,"

"I don't fucking care Miriam, you need to get me out of here, I don't want to stay here and I do not want to go to the Citadel," I panicked, pacing up and down the enclosure.

"I apologize your Highness, but going with King Hades will be the best thing to do, he already vowed to protect you, and he would, nothing is more vigorous than a Demon's pledge," Miriam replied, placing the bedsheets in her hand in the bed gently.

"Fine, if you do not help me, I'll elude on my own," I stomped towards the door.

"My lady, this is for your welfare, King Hades is not as dire as you believe," Miriam called behind me but I slammed the door in her face.

"I walked through the halls precipitously and down the stairs of the ballroom, I smiled and evaded the crowd that was still busy drinking and dancing and I steered towards the huge bronze doors and snuck out quietly, not realizing a certain fiery red eyes trailed on me.