The Prince

The prince's POV

I had not disclosed who I was to the woman but I was still very much into knowing why she had lied to me.

Our meeting had even been a funny one but it was something I was still looking forward to telling people if I ever got comfortable with them.

I paced back and forth in my opulent study, the walls adorned with elaborate paintings and shelves lined with books on law and order. 

As a prince I was very much vast with the art of law and order and my father would yell at me if I ever missed one case without solving it without much trouble.

My mind was consumed by conflicting emotions, torn between my desire for justice and an unexpected fondness for the young woman I had imprisoned. 

She had claimed to be blind but had been caught red-handed, her eyes filled with mischief instead of darkness.

Who was she? This question cooked up within me and I wanted to know more about her and why she had even lied to my face.

She had lied that she had been blind and she had even lied about her family. I was sure she was a fraudster.

The story didn't make any sense.

If she had lied, this meant the entire country had lied too for everyone knew her to be blind. Or had her story been a fraud and she was too good a liar for everyone except me?

I suddenly felt a sense of pride for being the only one who wasn't fooled by her lies.

I had planned to make an example out of her, to show the consequences of deceiving me. Yet, there was something about her that intrigued me, something that made me hesitate to carry out the punishment I had initially intended. 

She had the audacity to make me laugh, to break through my cold exterior, and I found myself inexplicably drawn to her.

Shaking my head, I decided to know what her aim was and why she had lied. I approached the cell where she was being held, the iron bars separating us. 

The young woman sat on the cold floor, her expression a mix of defiance and curiosity. I could tell she was mad at me for something but I knew not what her problem was.

It was not my fault that she was caught in her lies. I knew right now she was probably thinking that if she had followed those men her punishment would be less. Well, it was too late for her now.

She was in my claws and I was not letting her go until the truth was brought to light.

I leaned against the bars, my voice filled with a mixture of authority and intrigue.

"Why did you lie to me?" I questioned, my eyes studying her intently. "You claimed to be blind when it was quite evident that you were not. Do you take me for a fool? And what is even your name? I want you to tell me the truth."

She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "No, I did not lie to you prince," she replied, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "And my name is Jane. Now if you'd release me, I will make it worth your while but first I need to be on my way."

I chuckled, a rare sound that echoed through the prison walls. I found myself captivated by her tough spirit, the way she refused to cower in the face of my authority. "You have quite the audacity, my dear," I remarked, a hint of admiration in my voice. "But audacity alone won't save you from the consequences of your actions. And where would you go if I were to release you? You did say those men were after you. I could easily let them have a piece of their flesh with you. Now what say you?"

She tilted her head, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "And what consequences do you have in mind, prince?" she asked, her voice daring me to reveal my intentions as she ignored the dire problems she had. 

Smart woman if I could say so myself. Ignore one's own problems and focus on the trivial things to survive.

My eyes narrowed, my voice lowering to a dangerous tone. "There are those who would seek to punish you severely for your insolence," I warned, my words carrying a weight of authority. "But I find myself strangely drawn to your spirit. Perhaps there is another way to teach you a lesson. But do not test me. For I could call back those men and have them do to you horrible things while I watch."

The young woman's eyes widened, a mix of curiosity and fear crossing her face. "Fine. What do you propose?" she asked, her voice cautious yet filled with a glimmer of hope.

I smirked, my mind working through a plan that would satisfy my need for justice while indulging in the connection I felt with her. "You will become my personal jester while I try to find out things about you and maybe help you, but if you lie to me again, you might not like where you will end up," I declared, my voice dripping with a mixture of amusement and authority. 

"But I…" she tried to speak as I raised a finger to stop her.

"I am not done talking to you," I said with a strong voice.

"Make no mistake, Jane, if that is even your true name, should you ever lie to me again while I try to maybe help in my own way, the consequences will be severe."

The young woman's face lit up with a mix of surprise and excitement. "Y-you're willing to help me?"

"I never said that I would help you. I said I may help. It's a fifty-fifty percent chance that I do that."

She nodded as I smiled.