The Cursed Prince

Now that Harlow was sure that Beth, Dorian, and some guards were truly gone, she grabbed for her bow and arrows, equipped her dagger, and returned to the hallway where she found the secret passageway.

She looked across the hallway and listened attentively to see if there were any other servants coming around. Luckily, she heard and saw no one else.

Besides Beth and Dorian who directly served Harlow, most servants stayed clear of the king's residence. It took her a bit of time to find it again, but she quickly made her way back inside.

Similar to last time, Harlow ended up in a void room.

There were no floors, walls, or ceilings at all for her to cling to, and yet the princess managed to walk in the vast expanse as if there was a solid ground for her to walk on. The only object visible and present was the magic closet.

"So… I wasn't dreaming or imagining it, right?" Harlow asked herself aloud. "It's really here."

Her voice echoed quietly in the room and made the princess feel as if she was truly alone. Harlow didn't understand it at all as she reached out and touched nothing. What was the purpose of hiding the Magic Closet in a space like this?

She shook her head and decided not to bother with senseless questions any longer. Harlow had no idea if Beth sent any other servant to take care of her, though. So, she had no luxury to dawdle. This was Harlow's chance and she reached out to the closet's handle and drew it open.

Similar to the void of nothingness that surrounded the castle, there was nothing else inside but darkness.

"Julian… Well, he said that it would take you to anywhere you want to be." Harlow muttered as she looked out at the dark closet. "Would this be able to take me home?"

As expected, nothing answered her.

Harlow took a deep breath.

"There is only one way to find out."

She moved forward and touch the door handle. Harlow opened the door and walked inside.

***

The moment that Harlow stepped inside of the closet, she braced herself to be consumed by magic or a weird sensation to take her someplace else.

Contrary to her expectations, the princess instantly arrived at her new destination. There was nothing more but a small tinkle of bells alerted her. When Harlow opened her eyes she quickly found herself encountering a refreshing wind that carried along with the scent of flower petals in the air.

And soon, she was suddenly engulfed with the sight of thousands of butterflies and dragonflies roaming in the air. A multitude of colors, designs, and spectacle in each of their wings surrounded her as they flitted across the skies and the princess felt the tenseness in her body evaporate.

Harlow was still more shocked than anything though.? She had expected trouble, danger, or something else when she entered the magic closet, that she had prepared her weapons. However, Harlow found herself in a field of flowers.

"Ahhh… it really worked." Harlow laughed as a butterfly landed on her finger before quickly taking off. She felt relieved because the closet truly took her someplace else.

It wasn't home as she may have wanted but this was also wonderful. All around her was beauty like she had never seen before. The sky had light pinkish and bluish colors. The flowers were blooming with all kinds of variety and colors imaginable.

She could smell the sweet scent of flowers and fruits from around her and the wind blew softly on her skin, carrying the gentle sounds of animals and leaves rustling from the trees.

All of her worries momentarily washed away as Harlow enjoyed the fresh and clean air. The beautiful skies clear of clouds welcomed Harlow along with the field of flowers that held the butterflies. She was feeling peace and joy.

"Where is this?" Harlow glanced over her shoulder and found that there was no sight of a closet or any door. Her eyes bulged and she gaped because there was no one way back to the demon king's realm.

It wasn't what Harlow expected at all.

"Er, there's no use worrying about what I can't control, right?" Harlow took a deep breath and rubbed her face. "I mean, if Raphael is as powerful as I think he is, I'm quite sure that he'll be able to find me immediately once he realizes that I'm gone."

It was ridiculous that she was now hoping for that, but Harlow felt confident about Raphael finding her. For now, Harlow decided to go look around and walked about to explore her surroundings. She picked some flowers and smelled the sweet scent. They made her smile.

After feeling upset and distraught for days, finally, she could find joy again. Harlow really liked this place. If there was heaven, she imagine it would look and feel like this.

Was there anyone here? She was wondering. When she cast her glance around them, she didn't see any houses or anyone.

Was this a no man's land?

Harlow decided to keep going in a straight line and see where she would end up. After walking slowly, admiring the view, one hour later, Harlow found herself at a cliffside.

Below the cliff was another valley, but this time, it was filled with a beautiful river that flowed across the valley. There was a beautiful young woman sitting close by the rocks.

She was playing with water from the river. For a moment, Harlow was dazed. The woman was so beautiful, she looked like a fairy from the fairy tales told by nurses to children as bedtime stories.

"Hello…" Harlow decided to walk closer and approach the woman. This woman might be kind enough to explain to her where she was.

The woman immediately looked up and saw Harlow.? However, her look was far from friendly.

The woman stood up and raised her finger to point at Harlow and she spoke with an accusing tone. "Who are you? What are you doing in Cretea?"