Kimorra was beyond pissed. How could a strange woman pop out of nowhere and claim her man? Determined to save her wedding from crashing, she stepped in between them and faced Prince Xander.
"Xander, who is this woman? You know what, it doesn't matter who she is. Let us just focus on our wedding, then we can sort this out later, please?" Her voice was small and desperate. The lust swimming in his eyes warned her of the heartbreak she was about to handle.
Xander stared helplessly at her, then at the goddess that effortlessly stole his breath. He couldn't think of anything apart from her slender body entangled in his.
"I… I… Give us a moment, please," He said to Kimorra. He took Almira's hand, but she pulled away.
"I'm not stupid, I can follow you without holding on to your hand," Almira said. Xander smiled to hide his embarrassment and walked ahead. They stopped a few steps away from Kim.
"So …. Do you want to be with me? Don't you think crashing my wedding was a bit extreme?", He said nervously. Almira stared plainly at him.
"I'm not concerned with whatever pathetic validations you build your lives on. Frankly, I do not wish to wed you or anyone….."
"What the princess means to say is that she doesn't believe in weddings", Kitanna injected quickly, nudging Almira.
"That interpretation was rather unnecessary ", Almira said dryly.
"She wants to be with you, your highness. Why else would she stop you from getting married?", Kitanna continued, ignoring Almira's comment. Xander beamed on hearing the words.
Almira turned to the maid with a piercing stare. "I appreciate that you feel the need to explain things to him, but do not think you can speak for me".
"Your Highness, you are going to expose us with the way you're going. How do you explain you want to rip him apart and take out his heart? You will get us killed!" Kitanna replied through the mind link.
Almira faced Xander with an unimpressed look. For some reason, she detested the mere sight of him. Her heart wasn't pounding as hard as it did when she arrived earlier, but it was pounding nonetheless, so she had no reason to doubt him.
"He might even cancel the wedding for your sake. That's how powerful the bond is", She heard Kitanna's chirpy voice at the back of her mind. Her gaze didn't leave him as she replied to the overexcited maid.
"You sound like he's doing me a favor. I was the one who saved the poor girl from the pains of widowhood".
"You should start taking things seriously, your highness ".
"You've known me long enough to know that I do not have a sense of humor, so don't be quick to assume I'd have the time to make a joke out of everything. I'm not that creative", Almira responded indifferently.
She returned her focus to the giddy man before her.
"I do not wish to be part of any drama. Feed your guests and tell them to leave, we have a lot to discuss. Keep that crying girl away from me, too. I'll be inside if you don't mind".
Xander was stunned by her statement. The woman walked away, leaving him dazed similar to when she first appeared. Xander couldn't see himself choosing Kimorra over such a beauty. He would end it.
Almira led herself into the palace. It wasn't half as beautiful and luxurious as hers, but it was impressive. The interior was simply stunning.
Kitanna was visibly impressed. She looked around with amazement and touched everything she came in contact with. She didn't even notice when she drifted away from Almira until she heard a yelp and the crashing of plates.
Taking a quick spin, a gasp escaped her lips at the sight before her. Almira was soiled with leftovers. She quickly hurried over.
"My Princess! Are you okay?", She asked worriedly.
'Princess?' Dante thought in panic. His heart slammed hard against his rib cage, causing an unusual ache. Almira clasped her hand around her chest, pulling back in shock. Her heart never responded that way before.
She glanced warily at the entrance. Did his devastated bride decide to kill him on her behalf? That would be lovely!
"I'm s-so sorry, your h-highness. I s-swear I d-didn't mean to. P- Please forgive m-me…." He stuttered, ripping off a piece of his tattered shirt to wipe her feet.
"Are you partially blind? You soiled my dress, not my feet". Dante was surprised at how calm her tone was despite the insult. He clutched tightly to the cloth. The dress looked expensive.
"Am I allowed to wipe it off?", He asked in a small voice.
"Would your tongue do a better job?", Almira asked in annoyance. His timidity was starting to irritate her. Before he could wipe it, however, someone yelled his name from behind.
"Dante! You dirty little animal, what have you done?", Guirello cried, staring at the dress in horror. Dante retreated slowly, eyes wide in panic, but the man's hand already met his face, sending him to the ground with a thud.
Kitanna gasped, shocked by the man's actions. Guirello proceeded to attack him with his legs, kicking and cursing him all at once.
"I'm sorry…" Dante cried, but the sturdy man wouldn't stop attacking his sides.
"You're good for nothing…! Do you think your life is worth half of these plates? Or the dress you soiled? You will get a proper beating today!" Guirello panted.
"Can you take your drama somewhere else? It's not a dazzling sight to behold ", Almira said, walking away. Guirello bowed until she passed him. He grabbed Dante's leg and pulled him along with him.
Kitanna threw a pitiful glance at him. She scooted closer to Almira.
"You should have stopped him, your highness? That man is scary and mean," Kitanna said.
"I didn't come here to save anyone. He got himself in trouble, was he expecting chocolates?", Almira retorted. Kitanna's jaw dropped, and the princess pushed it close for her. "My heart hurts. It keeps pounding faster by the minute and a great pain ensues with it".
"It means your mate is hurting", Kitanna frowned.
"This better not be in vain", Almira muttered.
"I can't believe you! Do you really want to cancel our wedding for a woman you just met? Why would you do something like that? We've known each other since we were kids. I spent eighteen years of my life, loving you. Why would you do this to me?", Kimorra angrily asked. Xander felt guilty as the angry tears streamed down her cheeks."Don't make this more difficult than it is already. You are causing a scene. I think you need some rest, we can talk about tomorrow", was his feeble attempt to control the situation.Kimorra glared at him, her fists clenching harder by her sides at every surge of emotion."I'm causing a scene? You already sent everyone away, so who's watching, huh? Even if everyone's watching, who cares? Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I stayed up for days, wondering what this day would be like. I imagined laughter, fulfillment, happiness, and tears. Only that they were supposed to be tears of joy! How did you manage to turn something so beautiful int
Dante swallowed thickly and lowered his head. Kitanna glanced in the direction he was running from. "Were you being chased?” Kitanna asked. Dante shook his head. "So you're just desperate for skin contact, then”, Almira concluded sharply. While Kitanna stared at the princess with shock, Dante stepped back slowly, feeling ashamed.He wasn't seeking skin contact. Guirello had sent him on an errand, and he needed to finish it quickly to get his meal. His stomach growled, as testimony. Dante didn't say that out, though. He has gotten accustomed to letting people have their way. Even if he denied it, she would still stick to what she believed. "Princess Mira '', they heard Xander's voice from a distance. Dante's eyes widened in panic. In a heartbeat, he fled, afraid to be seen by the prince.Kitanna glanced in the direction he ran. A part of her felt sorry for him. They treated him so badly that he was afraid of being seen. Back in the sea, besides the royal family, everyone else was
Dante leaned against the door and peeped into the kitchen. When he noticed no one was present, he stealthily entered the kitchen. He rushed to the bin containing leftovers and pulled out the plastic bag he had hidden underneath his clothes.His heart raced wildly as he packed as much as he needed. After breaking the plates and soiling the princess, Guirello denied him food. Dante stuffed his mouth as he packed the food. In case he got caught, he would at least have a full stomach. The food was a little stale, but it was better than the ones the servants threw at him once in a while. Besides, they were going to dump it because the king forbade them from feeding the dogs with stale leftovers. Dante chuckled at the thought. His father didn't mind his son eating stale food but would punish the maids severely if his dogs were given day-old leftovers "What do you think you're doing?", Dante froze on hearing the voice. He quickly pushed the bag under his shirt, gulping hard as the int
"Do you like it?” Kitanna asked. "You're not the one who made it, so why are you eager for a review?” Almira asked. Kitanna pouted. "It was just a question. You don't have to be mean about it”. "I don't like it. I prefer them fresh,” Almira answered. Kitanna opened her mouth to complain, but Almira threw her a look that made her shudder. Kitanna watched the Princess clear the plate and looked away as soon as Almira looked up. "More?” "You said you don't it,” Kitanna reminded her. "I don't like it, but I am hungry. Can I get some more?”. "You will have to come with me then. They have lots of frozen fish, so I can fry as many as you want. You can fry too if you want “, Kitanna said. “Smart mouth! You are the servant here, not me. I don't have to help with the cooking,” Almira stated, and Kitanna's excitement vanished. She picked up the plate, muttering incoherent words. Almira ignored her grumbling and stared ahead. "You're not coming?” Kitanna asked. "You're not going to st
Dante couldn't move from the spot. His whole body hurt, and his chest tightened with each breath. It was a struggle to even open his eyes. "You were lucky, today. Get your pathetic self out of here”, A soldier hissed, kicking him over. Dante let out a weak groan. Almira stopped in front of Kitanna. “Happy now, or do you want me to carry him too?”. “Thank you”, Kitanna smiled. Almira rolled her eyes and walked away. The maid quickly rushed to Dante when she noticed the soldiers ganging up to kick him around. "Enough!” She ordered. They moved away in shock, surprised that the two gorgeous women were going out of their way to save him. “You will harm him no further! Pick him up and follow me”. The soldiers exchanged glances. Her beautiful emerald eyes burned like a flame, challenging them to defy her. They cowered, pulling Dante by his hands off the floor. Kitanna wasn't sure where to take him. Bringing him to Almira's chambers would enrage the princess. She had to find a safe
Everyone was surprised to see Dante ok his feet. They expected he would at least take a week or two to recover. Even Dante couldn't explain the speedy recovery. Though his wounds were still fresh, they didn't hurt nearly as much as they should have. Most people consider speedy recovery a good thing until Dante was involved, then it became sorcery. He kept his eyes on the ground, walking briskly to the kitchen. "Ahhh! Here you are! I was almost sure you wouldn't survive yesterday's torture. Don't you get tired of proving us wrong?" Guirello asked with a sweet smile like his words were innocent.Dante lowered his gaze, willing the ache in his heart to disappear. He had existed in this misery for twenty-one years. One would think he would have gotten used to hurtful words. "Is there anything you want me to do today, sir?" He politely asked. Guirello took a look around the kitchen. "Mmm.. nothing for now. How about you help yourself with some leftovers?".Dante looked up,
Almira watched him intensely. Dante felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny and shifted in his seat several times. Kitanna noticed his movements and turned to Almira, who didn't even blink. "Are you sure you're full, princess? You've barely eaten anything, though you were scolding me for being twenty minutes late", Kitanna attempted to steal her attention away from Dante. "You talk too much", Almira replied without looking away from Dante. "Is my gaze making you uncomfortable?"Dante choked at the question. Kitanna quickly poured him a glass of water. Dante finished it in one gulp and dropped the glass. "So…. What exactly made you choke?" Almira smirked. He almost choked the second time. Deciding he couldn't handle further embarrassment, he opted to leave the table. "T-Thank Y-You for the meal. M-May… I leave now?" He asked, bowing his head. "No, you may not. Finish your breakfast, I'm leaving anyways". Almira stood and walked out of the kitchen after that. Da
There was chaos in the palace. Dante had gone wild, attacking everyone and destroying everything he came in contact with. The soldiers quickly sent words to the King, informing him of the situation. "Why do you have to inform me of everything the monster lets loose? Do I have to repeat the same instructions a thousand times over before it sticks in my memory? Throw him in the damn well and cover it up until he lets go of those demons!" King Edwardo snapped. The soldiers flinched and scurried away.Queen Adora held her chest with a gasp. "Throw him in the well?" "It's the only way he'll get back his senses. I don't know why I put up with that nuisance for this long. I give him food, and put a roof on his hideous head, what does he do in return? He injures my workers and destroys my property. How can he be any more worthless?" Edwardo bawled. "Do not speak of him like that, he is our son! He was unfortunate to be born that way. He didn't ask for it. I feel so ashamed of