Evil

Alicia collapsed on the bed, arms and legs spread like an eagle. If this was what a wedding felt like, she was never going to have a wedding when she returned to the future. She was exhausted and all of her body was hurting. But first, she had to take off the things she was wearing, especially the corset that was making it impossible for her to breathe. 

She tried to get up but was too lazy to do so until the door opened and Madam Grace entered together with Paulina.

"My lady, are you okay?" Paulina asked, and broke down in tears. 

Alicia forced herself to sit up and looked at Paulina, who was crying and telling her how scared she had been when the big man pointed a sword at her.

"What was the meaning of that stunt you pulled out there?" Madam Grace asked, her eyes flashing angrily. 

"You didn't tell me the wedding was going to be this difficult," Alicia said as she pulled the crying Paulina into her arms. 

"You almost got killed!" The woman yelled at her, but Alicia was too tired to argue. 

She had been arguing since she came to this world. 

When she arrived here yesterday, she also got into a heated argument with the Queen and one of the Princesses.

Upon their arrival, one of the princesses was the first to come to take a look at her. When Alicia asked Paulina who the girl was and Paulina responded that she guessed she was Princess Amber's younger sister, the girl got angry and slapped Paulina hard across the face for introducing her in that way. 

Alicia, in turn, got angry and shoved the princess, causing her to fall to the floor. The girl hadn't expected her to react that way and had reported the issue to the Queen, who came and tried to hit her. 

Things had turned out differently when they realized 'Princess Amber' wasn't a pushover as they had all thought she would be. 

"Please, get me out of these clothes. It's difficult to breathe while wearing this," Alicia said to Paulina and broke away from the hug. 

Paulina looked at her apologetically before looking at Madam Grace. "You are leaving immediately." 

"Leaving to where?" Alicia asked, not liking what she was hearing. 

"My... lady. You... have to leave with your husband and his people immediately, after he is done speaking with the King and Queen." 

"WHAT?" She asked in horror. 

First, they practically kidnapped her and brought her here, and now she has to move again?

"NO!" She shook her head stubbornly, "I won't go!" 

"You don't have a choice, Princess. After your marriage, you are no longer a property of this kingdom. You are—"

"Property?" Alicia interrupted Madam Grace with a frown. What type of place did she come to? 

"I am no one's property! If I am not leaving, I am not leaving! Take these clothes off me!" She demanded in anger, but Paulina continued to give her an apologetic look.

"I'm... sorry..." Paulina's voice broke as she began to cry again.

There was a knock on the door before a man who looked like a guard entered the room. 

"My lady, you are to appear before your parents and prince Harold now," He announced with a curt bow.

Alicia had a bad feeling about all this. She didn't want to remain here. She wanted to run away. She had to return to that village and find that river. 

"Stay... safe my... Princess. I... will never forget... you," Paulina broke down in tears and hugged Alicia tightly. 

"What? Why are you sounding like this?" Alicia asked, trying to look at Paulina's face, but Paulina wasn't budging. Alicia looked at Madam Grace and noticed for the first time that the woman looked a bit sad. 

"You will be going alone from now on. We cannot come with you. Our duty to protect and take care of you has ended today." 

Alicia's eyes widened and she shook her head, "No! That cannot happen!" Her heart felt heavy. There was no way she was going to leave here without taking at least Paulina with her. Although she had come to know her in such a short time, Paulina was the only familiar and trusted face she knew aside from Madam Grace, with whom she had yet to decide whether she was a friend or foe. 

"Why?" Alicia asked in panic as the guard reminded her harshly to come with him. 

"We were told so. We do as we are told." 

Alicia forcefully broke away from the hug and looked into Paulina's teary eyes, "I will work this out somehow." She promised the girl while trying not to cry before she left the room with the guard who led her to another room that looked like where royal meetings were held, but it was only the king and queen with Harold that were inside the room.

When she entered, all eyes turned to look at her, and she could see the desperation in both the king and queen's eyes. What was going on? 

Prince Harold noticed the confusion on her face as she walked further into the room to join them. 

"WHAT?" Alicia snapped at all of them when they continued to stare at her. 

What kind of rude and uncultured girl was this? 

The Queen tried to speak, but Prince Harold raised his hand and silenced her, "The Moon Kingdom hates to be deceived. And you have deceived us by giving an exiled princess," As Harold spoke, the tension in the room heightened. 

Alicia looked hopeful. How did he find out? Did that mean he wouldn't agree to the marriage? And they would take her back to where she had woken up from and she would finally return to that village?

Alicia found herself nodding in support of Prince Harold.

"If my father finds out about this, this kingdom would cease to exist in the blink of an eye."

The king and queen looked obviously frightened.

Prince Harold turned to look at Alicia, who was waiting for him to say he was no longer interested in the marriage. 

"Because I am already married to her, I would let her choose if I should forgive you or not," he said, still looking at Alicia, who frowned. 

'Humans are soft. You know she is going to protect her family,' His wolf said to him with a huff. 

He knew humans were weak and blood ties seemed to matter to them. It was one of the reasons he didn't like humans, but as his new bride, he had to listen to what she had to say. 

"Me? Why?" Alicia asked as she looked at the three of them. The king and queen were pleading with her with their eyes while Harold's gaze was unreadable as usual. 

"Their lives are in your hands. If you want me to forgive them, the Moon Kingdom is going to remain allies with them and help them as best as we can. If not, we'll publicly declare them as our enemy."

"So... you are still... marrying me?" She asked in disappointment. It was more like a rhetorical question because she sighed and pressed her hands to her temple. 

She looked at the King and Queen, who were still looking frightened and begging with their eyes.

'Aww... they look so weak.' Alicia thought to herself.

"Well... they don't deserve forgiveness," She said with a shrug, "Sending a little girl to the mountains in exile is not something one should easily forgive. Do whatever you want with them." She waved a hand lazily.

The three of them looked very surprised as none of them had expected such an answer from her.

'Wow! She is... evil.' Prince Harold's wolf exclaimed. 

Harold's lips slowly raised in a smile.

Evil.

He liked it.