Chapter 26

Why couldn't Wivior be like other men and lust after her body instead of going after her heart? The last thing Elvira anticipated from that spying mission was swooning over a wizard!

Maybe he was right. Maybe Elvira's stupid and vulnerable heart was so deprived of love that to fill the void, it was turning soft for a wizard who was kind to her. She had fallen for awful warlocks to get attention and feel important in her younger years.

Wivior's piercing grey eyes were looking straight at her. He didn't seem ashamed of what he had just said. Did he mean he liked her as a friend or a person? Maybe she was misinterpreting his words.

Before any of them could speak, they heard a knock at the door. 

"Prince Wivior, I carry a message for you from Doctor Goldberg," they heard Jasper say from the other side of the door.

"Come in," said Wivior.

Jasper came inside the same loud way he entered every room: heavy steps accompanied by audible breathing or humming. He widened his eyes at Wivior, who was only wearing a robe, and then at Elvira. He clumsily halted at some distance from them and cleared his throat. "Doctor Goldberg is getting impatient to leave, my prince. He sent me here to request you to talk to him first and then allow him to leave so that he can tend to the care of the patients he had left behind."

Wivior turned to Elvira. He looked unbothered by Jasper's loud expressions that even a child could read.

"I'll see you after I send him away. There is much we still need to discuss," Wivior walked away after passing a charming dimpled grin her way.

She watched him leave, unsure of what that meant.

Was it better to accept his offer and use him for her gain? She would have done it in a heartbeat a few days ago, but something had changed between them. Her hatred for the wizard kind was still there, but Wivior had somehow gained so much respect in her eyes.

"What were you doing here with the prince? He was only wearing a thin robe," Jasper inquired after Wivior had exited the room.

The mental image of Wivior's almost naked body popped into Elvira's head again. She blushed at the thought of him but immediately pushed that image away upon realizing that Jasper was staring at her.

"Oh, God!" exclaimed Jasper. A coy grin spread across his face. "Something was happening between you two right now, wasn't it?" He covered his mouth. "I feel like such a fool for ruining your private moment, my lady. The prince would be so mad at me for knocking at his door at a time like this."

Elvira couldn't believe that the sexual tension in the room between them was so intense that someone even as dull as Jasper noticed it.

"No. You have it all wrong. Nothing happened between us. I just came here to talk to Wivior. We just shared an embarrassing moment because the prince was half-naked when I walked into the room."

Jasper looked confused. "Why was that awkward? Aren't you two together? You live in the same room as him."

It never crossed her mind that sharing a room with him could leave a wrong impression on others. Wivior must have never corrected anyone.

"No!" Elvira shook her head rapidly. "Wivior and I are nothing like that. He only made me stay in his bedroom to hide me from Everard. I came to him asking for his help a few days ago because I have warlocks on my tail. He is only doing me a favor by letting me stay here for a while. Did you not know that?"

"Oh, wow," said Jasper, scratching his head. "I am sorry for assuming things. It's hard to believe he is only doing you a small favor when he has been showering you with attention."

Was Wivior not kind to everyone? Or maybe he was kinder to women. Elvira couldn't be anything special to him.

"Aren't all wizards kind to humans sometimes when they want to?" asked Elvira.

"What!" Jasper sneered. "Are you even from this world? Most wizards who don't harm humankind don't give out huge favors to any human. Only a few monarchs and powerful wizards do care about humans. They have created a system for helping others. Even if wizards help humans, I have never seen anyone do as much as Prince Wivior has done for you. If he didn't like you, he could have put you in a separate chamber and wouldn't waste his precious time on you."

Elvira already had her suspicions, but hearing it from someone else made it seem even more real. Maybe she could discuss Wivior's behavior with Jasper. To put her mind at ease, she was dying to pour her heart out to someone.

"Can you come here and talk to me for a while?" Elvira sat on Wivior's bed, pointing at the free space.

"Oh no," Jasper's eyes came out. "You might be allowed to sit on the prince's bed, but I dare not sit there. I'll stand here while you talk to me."

"As you wish," said Elvira.

She bit her lip in nervousness. "I don't know where to begin, but Dr. Goldberg told me he can't help me anymore. The curse is too strong for his skill."

"What! How could he give up on you like that? It's like telling someone to go and die in a hole. I had such high expectations from that man."

"What would you do now? If you are going to die from this curse," he began again, not giving Elvira a chance to answer. "You should make a list of the things you want to do before dying. And if you like Prince Wivior, now is the time to pursue a relationship with him."

Elvira knitted her brows. "I am not dying yet, Jasper. Oh my! If I hadn't stopped you, you would have suggested a tombstone for my grave."

Jasper pouted. "That is not true. I would never say that to anyone. However, I am sorry if it made you feel bad. I was trying to cheer you up, and I guess losing hope and preparing a person for death is not the ideal way to do that."

"It's not. You would be glad to know that Dr. Goldberg didn't advise me to accept my fate as a dead woman. Instead, as the last option, he suggested I see an experimental doctor who lives away from wizard civilization. He is known to study rare curses. I came here to ask for Prince Wivior's permission to leave to find the doctor as soon as possible. Surprisingly, Wivior wants to escort me there. I didn't ask him once..."

"The prince offered to take you there himself? Or he plans on sending someone else with you?" asked Jasper.

"I don't know if anyone else would be involved in this journey, but he specifically said that he wanted to take me there," Elvira replied.

Jasper's jaw dropped. It scared her a bit. "What! What is it?"

He first sat next to Elvira on Wivior's bed, where he had sternly refused to sit a few moments ago. He looked pale as if he had just seen a ghost.

"My lady, the prince must be in love with you to offer something like that."

Elvira immediately got up. "What!" she nervously moved away from him and instantly turned back. "How can you say that? We have only known each other for a handful of days. He can't be in love with me. You are insane, Jasper!"

"I might be insane. But the idea of a prince wanting to accompany you on a long journey to find a cure for a deadly rare curse that threatens your life is even more insane. That prince even shares his private chambers with you. He has also saved your life twice. Now, you tell me who is insane?"

"Still you." Elvira stomped her feet. "Because I am sure you can't fall in love that fast. I have not shown myself to him in any desirable way yet. So far, I have only acted like a pathetic damsel in distress who can't get anything done. And I am sure no man likes that. I have too much emotional baggage to be even desirable to a man, let alone to make him swoon over me."

"Wow, you have a low opinion of yourself. I don't know how love works. However, the prince isn't in an excellent position. He has been in absolute hell for almost a hundred years," said Jasper.

It caught her attention when he talked about Wivior's past. It was none of her business, but she was interested to know what kind of life he had led from Jasper's perspective. Maybe he could tell her something she couldn't directly ask Wivior or his brother. What she knew was only supported by bits and pieces of information she had collected by eavesdropping on his private conversations with his brother.

It was normal to be intrigued by the man who could lift her curse.

"What you're talking about? What do you know about his past?" Elvira inquired.

"You should ask me what I don't know about his life?" Jasper rolled his eyes with pride. "Even though I wasn't alive, I have heard everything from my mother. The prince was publicly humiliated in front of the entire kingdom. I wouldn't be surprised to know if he hates his family or homeland by now."

Jasper belonged to King Efeus' kingdom! What if she could get his location out of him? After being attacked by Agror's minions, things had changed. However, she still had a responsibility towards her species and family. The portal was still a threat to her kind. Regardless of her hatred for Agror, finding King Efeus' location was crucial to avoid more deaths of her people. Maybe Jasper would spill something about his whereabouts.

"Where exactly do you live? Is it around here somewhere? I have always wondered where wizards come from because I have heard that your kingdoms are under some magic veil," Elvira questioned while replicating the innocent curiosity of a human.

Jasper's expression stiffened. "I can't speak of my homeland. I can't even if I wanted to." His voice became high and panicky as he continued. "Don't ask me anything about it!"

He never acted like that before. King Efeus knew how to keep his people quiet. There was so much fear in his eyes when she asked him about his homeland.

"Fine. Can you at least tell me what happened to Wivior?" It was best to avoid a question that even agitated someone like Jasper. 

"Yes," said Jasper in his usual demeanor. "I can tell you everything about the prince I know of, but please don't mention any of it to him."

"Of course. My lips are sealed. You can trust me," said Elvira, drawing a cross over her heart with a finger.

"Okay," said Jasper. He put his hands behind his back and walked towards a window with the attitude of a narrator of the greatest tales. "I don't know what year it was, but around a century ago, Prince Wivior and his friend were found guilty of the murder of a few humans. The king, his grandfather, held a trial at his court in which only Prince Wivior came forward, whereas his friend, a prince of another kingdom, ran back to his homeland. After a two-day humiliating trial, he was sentenced to exile. However, thanks to his family's status, they put a condition on it." He paused for a minute and took his time to stare out of the window.

"What condition?" asked Elvira. He had paused on purpose for sure, and the silence was irksome.

Jasper turned around in haste. "The prince was sent here to repent for his sins. They put him here in this castle. It's a place where wizards come to help humans by saving them from monsters like witches, spirits, and beasts. That was his chance to prove himself, but the people who gave him this sentence insisted that his exile lasted at least a hundred years. After that, he could present himself in court again to ask for forgiveness. I have heard that a century has passed by now."

"What!" exclaimed Elvira. "What kind of king punishes his heir so harshly? And why wasn't the other prince punished at all?"

"Our King is like that," Jasper began. "Also, even though he is the king, the opinions of the people of the court matter, too. However, I agree that what happened to him was terrible. Everyone in the kingdom learned about it. He was banished from his homeland and hasn't seen most of his family for about a century. Many of his friends left his side, and there were rumors of a lover who married someone else as soon as he left. Must have been awful for him."

Before Elvira could respond, she saw Wivior standing at the door.

"If I were in Prince Wivior's shoes, I would have jumped off a cliff," Jasper continued, unaware of his presence in the room.

"Prince Wivior," said Elvira out loud so Jasper would shut his mouth. Jasper's eyes bulged out upon hearing that, and he froze.

Wivior looked furious, but he didn't move at all.

"Now, I wouldn't be surprised even if I find you screaming my life story from a rooftop after hearing this. You could have waited for me to tell her about my miserable life. I would love to hear your ideas on how I should hang myself to avoid further humiliation," said Wivior.