Chapter 11

She couldn't imagine what would have happened if she didn't leave.

She couldn't think straight anymore of what became of Kaysan to her.

Knowing full well how that conversation went.

Knowing full well how he made her feel with her words even when they had no compliments.

Letting her know the world she is missing when closing herself on everyone.

That was her only defense to avoid her feelings being broken.

It truly did change her, hearing it from a man who had no hint of lust toward her.

Hearing it from a man who wasn't in the least phased by her beauty.

Wait.

Was he truly not?

Otherwise, why would he notice her out of many in the cell back then?

Nevermind.

Even if he did.

And even when he told her she was the most beautiful woman.

His eyes were dead.

As if he was merely stating a fact.

Merely empty words.

Thinking about it now she had no reason to blush.

She had no reason to take it to heart.

Even though that was the only time, she loved hearing those words from someone other than her family.

Even though they sounded so charming with his voice.

He didn't seem to care much.

She was stupid enough to do so, she thought.

Suddenly she was reminded of the curse again.

She curled herself in her embrace without much to think about anymore.

Knock knock.

The door opened after that.

Aaliyah's head appeared from the gap.

Looking at Laila she jumped on her worriedly.

"You are finally awake!"

Her expression turned to overwhelming happiness as she hugged her and checked her forehead.

Laila stood there stupified for a moment but she welcome the warm hug silently as if she need it.

"You were unconscious for so long I was so worried about you."

Laila paused. "How, long was I like that?"

Aaliyah broke the hug and looked at her carefully. "It's been three days."

Laila's eyes widened.

Noticing the surprised look Aaliyah continued. "Don't be worried about it, I was just worried you would be sleeping for longer before our trip. And the doctor said that it was only because your body came upon magic, an unfamiliar substance so it was a shock at first," trying to stop the worried look on her face.

"Magic?... You mean," Laila questioned.

"The energy, emitted from his royal highness," Aaliyah looked a bit unwilling to speak about this part.

"Oh, yeah," Laila put her head down.

Aaliyah stared at her for a moment, then pet her head.

And with a warm voice she spoke, "I am happy you got out before it was too late."

"Hmm," Laila couldn't answer much.

Aaliyah looked around for a moment then sat closer to Laila.

"He called for us carrying you in his arms. I changed you because you might catch a cold and took care of you. But, I saw what you wore, did you try to seduce him?"

"Of course, you would notice," Laila brushed her hair behind her ear as she looked away in shame. "Yeah, sadly I tried to because he made me mad."

"His royal highness made you mad?"

"It was just stupid, honestly. if you still remember my people and I are still slaves because of this, even if I accepted the reason. And the rest would be my selfishness, as he didn't care to look at me when I danced the first time, for him teasing me, and did not care to give me the attention I always had from the men I met in my life. So I tried to prove him wrong. Make him unable to resist me. In the end, to seduce him, I made myself look like what the other men wanted in the first place. My body. I made myself, the pretty doll I hated seeing from the reflection of their eyes, to get him. I made myself, what I hated the most. Only to fail even more as he didn't look twice. Stupid. I don't know. At the end of the day, I found out it was just me being mad at myself. For him, he does not care about how everyone looked at him and did what he deemed right. And me, who cared so much about how others viewed me that I created this whole barrier around me to protect myself. For him, a prince and still facing everyone head on, and me a normal girl with no real responsibility or worth to my people creating this whole drama with myself. Stupid. I just got mad. That maybe his problems were more real than mine. No, they are. I have just been stupid, to live my life entertaining such meaningless ideas about myself. Yeah, I look up to him, for being unfazed by the world while I cry about how a man views me. No. Compared to him. They were no men. I guess I hated meeting a real one after all this time of hating on them. But in the end, I don't know, he asked me to leave before it went bad. I saw his energy leaking from the gaps and everything went black."

Tears formed in her beautiful eyes as she kept talking about herself. Emphasizing every time she said the word stupid. Her voice shook and cracked many times while Aaliyah listen quietly.

Laila hugged her knees as a tear finally fell. "Does he deal with it, often?"

She raised her red eyes waiting for an answer.

Aaliyah took a moment of silence. "Every day, every moment, it only gets worse when the sun rests, which is probably when he asked you to leave. It's, eating him alive."

Laila didn't say a word anymore and just put her head between her arms with the quiet sounds of her runny nose as she cried.

Aaliyah hugged her warmly, she couldn't say a word herself.

After all, they follow such a man blindly for these reasons alone.

An unwavering man who puts his people and family before his health.

A man who suffers every day but still gives them the best.

Others may say he is cruel.

Others may say he is bloodthirsty.

But they saw it all.

The world hasn't been kind to them either and they all saw the true face of the world behind the scenes.

Those who speak of him like that are only those who were born and lived their whole life in peace.

They don't know, how cruel humanity truly is.

The first prince Kaysan was the most generous, and the most reasonable, but once you crossed the line he never had to think twice.

This city would be the prime example.

Kaysan enforced morals on people.

In his ruling, he may look like he never cared about freedom of action.

And that's because he doesn't.

He never forced anyone to live under his rule.

But if you do, your actions will always be limited to guarantee the others'.

Everyone was equally stripped of his freedom so as not to affect others.

And that is because they were a society.

Not a children's game.

There were no exceptions to his rules.

He didn't care if he looked cruel to others but if that stopped an unnecessary accident or worse, death he would be glad to be the bigger evil.

And that's what he took upon himself.

Hate him all you want but people lived uncaring for their safety and the feeling of ever-growing hungry.

He never stopped entertainment, did he?

What did he do that was so wrong?

Be strict?

And even then this man never cared about criticism and faced everyone.

Suddenly loud chatting sounds were heard from the balcony.

Aaliyah slowly let go of her and stood up to go see the commotion.

She looked out the balcony.

Her eyes widened.

"Laila," she spoke while her eyes were still fixated outside. "I, think you should come to see this."

"Hmm?" Laila brushed the tears from her face and stood up.

She ran to Aaliyah's side, hearing the sounds gradually raising.

She looked out and her eyes widened.

A massive body of a huge serpent.

Or that was the closest thing Laila could recognize from its shape.

Reaching a hundred meters tall and five meters wide with eight horns and red scales.

The body was slowly making its way to the palace.

No, it was being dragged out leaving a huge trail of blood.

Being dragged by its teeth, by Kaysan alone, all the way to the palace garden.