The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

Harold was furious. He was mad at Damian and Ivan for showing up, and even more than them, he was mad at his wolf and himself for revealing himself to Alicia in this way.

He was going to let her rest in the chamber, and then he would take care of these people once and for all.

But then, just as he turned to return to the inn, Damian stepped forward to stop him.

"I apologize, My Prince, but you have to go with us to the palace." Damian reminded them, and immediately, Harvey and Alvin drew their swords.

Harold looked at Damian for a few seconds, and what Susan had told him about his relationship with Tyra replayed in his head. It was the only reason he hadn't done anything to Damian the entire time, but his patience was beginning to fade.

Exhausted, Harold turned to Alvin and Harvey, instructing, "If anyone else takes another step, kill them."

"Don't kill him," he said, pointing at Damian before walking away with Alicia, leaving Harvey and Alvin to take care of things. But before he could enter the inn, Damian spoke up.

"Princess Tyra was imprisoned, and for as long as you are not back in the palace, the Queen has ordered that she remain in the dungeon."

That stunned all of them, and even Harold paused as he turned back to look at him. "What was her crime?" Harold asked, since it did not make sense to him that the Queen would lock up her own child in the dungeon because of him.

"It is as I told you. The queen knew you would be reluctant to come with us. She had the princess thrown into the dungeon because she knows how close the princess is to you and your wife. If you do not arrive with your bride to prove her innocent of these allegations, Princess Tyra is going to be tried for lying against your bride." Damian repeated, glancing at Alicia, who was in Harold's arms.

"Why should we believe you?" Harvey asked, and Damian's gaze shifted to him before looking at Harold.

"You don't have to believe me. I'm taking you with me no matter what," Damian said firmly.

Just how far was the queen willing to go? Harold mused. It didn't even make sense. How did one thing relate to the other?

Even though Harold could understand Damian's persistence to get them back to the palace. His instructions were still the same. He gave Alvin and Harvey a nod as he walked into the inn with Alicia.

By the time Harold left Alicia in the inn and returned to join them outside, all of Damian's men were down, and only Damian was fighting with Harvey and Alvin.

Harold could tell that the only reason Damian was still alive was because of his instructions. Although Damian seemed to be very skilled with his sword, he was no match against Alvin and Harvey.

Damian seemed pretty determined. Was it that he was blindly loyal to the Queen? Or was all of this for Tyra? Harold mused.

Seeing Harold, Alvin, and Harvey withdrew their swords, giving Damian time to catch his breath.

"Find a carriage for the princess and Paulina," Harold ordered Alvin, and with a bow, Alvin left, grimacing in pain.

"Seize his sword," Harold told Harvey, and immediately Harvey knocked off Damian's sword.

"Your men are dead, and the only reason I'm sparing your life is because of Princess Tyra. We will leave when the carriage gets here," Harold told Damian, whose eyes widened in surprise before looking at Harvey.

"Keep your eyes on him," Harold instructed Harvey before returning inside to watch over Alicia.

Harold didn't know how long he sat there looking at her before Alvin came back to inform him that he had rented a carriage for them.

Harold carried Alicia, while Alvin carried Paulina, and they placed both ladies in the carriage.

"Ride slowly," Harold warned the carriage drivers before getting on his horse.

Alvin handed the innkeeper, who had been lurking around a pouch of gold coins as he apologized, "We are sorry for the damage," Alvin said with a polite bow before getting on his horse.

"My men," Damian said, looking down at the bodies of his men; some were dead, and a few were critically wounded.

"They are your problem. We can leave you behind to take care of their bodies if you please," Harold said coldly.

"I have to go back with you to the palace," Damian said, and without another word to him, Harold gave the carriage rider the go-ahead to move.

"What am I to do with the horses?" the innkeeper asked cautiously but got no answer as they all rode away.

As Harold rode beside the carriage, all he could think about was Alicia. What was she going to think of him now? How was she going to react to his being a werewolf? Was she going to be scared of him? Was she going to hate him?

She had just confessed her feelings to him, and now this. How was he going to face her? He had always thought that when it was time for her to know about his kind, she would hear about it directly from him. Never had he thought that she would find out by watching him transform.

Harold sighed when he remembered that he had other, more pressing issues to worry about.

The allegation against Alicia.

How did they find out about it? Did someone come into the palace with the news? Who? When?

For Damian and even Ivan to have been able to leave the palace despite his orders meant they were treating the issue seriously and the king's guards could not interfere since witchcraft was a serious issue that even the king wouldn't condone.

What exactly did they intend to do to Alicia even when they were all aware of what he was capable of doing to them? Or did they perhaps do this because they were under the impression that he didn't know about Alicia's real identity?

Did they think he was going to sit back and let them hurt her?