The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

"I am not going anywhere with you!" She said defiantly and pushed his hand away, surprising him.

Apparently, he didn't think she was going to say no to him after all his sacrifice to come and get her himself. This was a big shock to him.

"What? Don't tell me you'd rather stay here with them than go back with me. I came all this way just to get you and ensure that you're safe…"

"I didn't ask you to." She cut him off. He came to ensure that she was safe? She almost laughed, especially when she began to remember the way he had treated her these past few days just because he was in a one-sided competition with Harold. She had been so stupid, taking their side all these years without thinking things through. But that was in the past. Never again was she going to be fooled or used by Ivan or the queen.

Ivan grabbed Luciana by the hand again and held her tightly this time, but she became aggressive as she tried to shove him away.

"Go back to your mother and your new bride. Leave me alone!" Luciana hissed harshly.

"Now is not the time for you to be stubborn. Haven't you heard about Harold's wife? She is a witch and must have bewitched all of you…"

The large gasp they heard around them drew their attention to the fact that they were not alone. Although most of the male villagers were focused on the fight between Alvin, Harvey, and Damian's men, the ladies were more interested in the conversation. They needed to know what was happening so they could spread the gossip.

'A witch? The cursed prince is married to a witch?' They asked amongst themselves.

"You must have been bewitched. That explains why you started behaving the way you did and how you are behaving now. But I will save you," he said passionately and reached to carry her, but she stepped back and went behind Susan.

Seeing that things were going to become even more complicated if they allowed the gossip to spread any further, Williams went to disperse the crowd while trying to assure them that Ivan didn't mean what he had just said.

"It's not safe for you to remain here!" He said it in an angry tone.

"I won't let you remain here. You are still my wife and…"

"I don't care! I'm not going anywhere with you!" Luciana snapped at him from behind Susan.

Ignoring his wife's words, Ivan tried to forcefully grab her, but Susan took up a protective stance and blocked his path.

"She will leave with us just as she came with us," Susan said pointedly, and Williams, who was still trying to disperse the crowd, sighed inwardly. Why did she never listen?

"Get out of my sight. She is my wife, and I have—"

"She is no longer your wife, cousin." Susan reminded him.

"We cannot trust you to leave with her. You may hurt her." Susan chipped in again for the impatient Ivan.

Ivan looked at her with annoyance and displeasure. It was obvious that she had also been influenced by Harold's witch wife; otherwise, why would she dare to stand in his path in the same manner as Harold's wife had done the last time?

"What is wrong with all of you? Why can't you see that you have all been bewitched?" Ivan yelled angrily, hating that everyone who was in his way was supposed to be on his side.

"I'm not leaving this place with you! I will return with them. You should go back to the palace and stop creating a scene here. You wasted your time traveling here, your highness." Luciana said as she moved away from Susan's back to look at Ivan.

"I. Am. Not. Leaving. Without. You!" He said this angrily before raising his sword. "And not even you can stop me," Ivan said as he pointed his sword at Susan, who was still blocking his path.

"I don't care whether or not we are cousins. I will kill you if you get in my way any further," Ivan warned Susan before turning to Luciana.

"If you don't want to watch her die, come with me," Ivan threatened, and as soon as Williams saw that things were getting out of hand, he quickly picked up a sword from one of the fallen soldiers on the ground and went to stand in front of both girls.

"I won't let you hurt either of them," Williams said, and Ivan shook his head in disbelief.

"Even you dare to stand against me?" He asked him.

"I don't want to fight with you, but I won't let you take her against her will or hurt them. You can either let her come with us peacefully and you can resolve your issues with her at the palace, or you would have to go through me first," Williams said reasonably.

Ivan chuckled in disbelief. "I can't believe you chose the side of my enemies. From this day, I no longer consider you my family. I will deal with you as I deal with my enemies," Ivan said, and without warning he attacked Williams.

While everyone else was in the middle of one conflict or another, Lance remained where he stood and gazed up at the sky as he sighed deeply.

What was wrong with everyone? Why were they making such a fuss over nothing? Why were they fighting and killing each other over something so simple?

As far as he was concerned, this was an easy issue. What was so difficult about handing Luciana over to her husband while they all peacefully followed Damian and his group to the palace? Why did they have to fight when the palace was the destination of every one of them? Or was he the only one who didn't lack common sense here?

He had only followed them out of the palace because he didn't want to be left out of the fun. If he had known they were going to fight and kill each other this way, he wouldn't have followed them. He was a man of peace, not a man of war. Unless he was the one starting the war.