The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

"Speak!" Harold ordered the physician.

"I--" He kept his voice as low as possible as he whispered in fear, "I found... out the King is... being p-poisoned." The royal physician whispered, and Harold's eyes narrowed.

"What poison? And by who?" Harold asked, also keeping his voice very low.

The man told him all he knew about the poison, but as for the culprit?

"... I don't know who is behind it, but the Queen believes it might be through his food," the royal physician said.

"The queen knows about this?" Harold asked, and the royal physician was startled when he realized his error.

"Yes, your highness. She suspected it first and asked me to look into it," the royal physician rushed to explain.

"Is there an antidote?" Harold asked, and the head physician told him what he had told the Queen.

At this point, he was getting very exhausted. He had never felt this drained before. Not even when he had to painfully shift at night and lose sleep.

"Get the herbs and come for my blood to prepare the antidote. You must not tell the Queen I know of this. Do not tell her you are treating him either. Let me know whatever she says or asks you to do," Harold ordered, and the physician bowed to him.

That was easy enough; after all, the queen had told him not to breathe a word of their conversation to anyone, and telling her he had told Harold about it would only get him in trouble.

"You can leave now," Harold said, and this time the head physician hurried out of the chamber.

Outside Harold's chamber, Harvey, Susan, and Alicia stood there without saying a word to each other since they all had different thoughts running through their minds. So much so that they didn't try to eavesdrop on Harold's conversation with the physician.

While Harvey was thinking about all that had happened that day and wondering what the morning would bring, Alicia was also lost in her own thoughts, wondering what would become of her and if Harold would need to fight everyone like they did today to protect her. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt or killed because of her. She was scared at this point, and she also didn't want Harold to get hurt. The image of him transforming into a wolf flashed in her head again, and she shook her head as goosebumps rose on her skin. Why couldn't she stop thinking about it?

Susan, on the other hand, was worried about Alvin, Williams, Luciana, and also Tyra, whom she had not seen since she left the palace.

However, despite her worry, she couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that made her keep stealing glances at Alicia.

She had been mad at Alicia for keeping her true identity to herself while she and everyone else had been keeping their own secrets from her. She knew that by now Alicia would have figured out that she and everyone else in the palace were werewolves. She owed Alicia an apology, but that would have to wait. At least for now.

Alicia didn't bother to look at her even though she could tell Susan was stealing glances once in a while. She had not said a word to Susan since they arrived because she had nothing to say to her. She didn't know what to say, and even if she did, she was miffed that Susan had reacted that way earlier when she was also keeping secrets.

After some time Harvey turned to Susan and asked, "How is Princess Luciana doing? Has she been treated?" Harvey asked, and Susan gave him a nod.

"Yes. We just... need to pray," Susan said with a sigh. She hadn't been able to check on Luciana, but she had heard her condition had worsened before the physician met her. Her life was hanging by a thread now, and they could only pray she survived.

They all snapped out of their thoughts when the door opened and the royal physician walked out of the chamber.

Just as Susan was about to enter the room after Alicia entered, Harold appeared at the door and blocked her path. "You should clean up and rest. You look tired."

Susan stared at him in disbelief. How could he ask her to leave?

"But I need to..."

"He is not conscious." He reminded her.

"The head physician said he will be fine after getting enough rest."

When it looked like she was going to argue again, Harold took a deep breath.

"I do not want to order you," Harold said calmly. "I am telling you as your cousin. You need to get some rest," Harold said, and Susan's gaze softened as she looked at him.

"I will handle whatever mess you've made tomorrow. Don't worry about it and get some rest," Harold repeated.

Susan almost cried as she nodded. For the past few days, she had felt a very close bond with Harold. She couldn't believe he was the same person she had been wary of this whole time.

"You can rest in my chamber and change into one of my dresses." Alicia offered, noting how reluctant she was to leave.

If she had been hiding before they arrived, it had to be because she was scared of facing them because of the trouble she had caused. No matter how upset she was, she couldn't stay mad at Susan. Susan had been on her side and had given her hope in her dark time, believing her and taking her word over Tyra's.

Susan met Alicia's gaze, and she bowed slightly as she said, "Thank you."

"Sir Harvey will escort you there before going to meet his family," Harold said, and Harvey, who had been waiting to go in to see Alvin, looked at Harold in confusion. If everyone left, who was going to stay with Alvin and Harold?

"But..."

"You should go to your family. They are probably worried, and your sister is not fine," Harold said, and Harvey, deciding not to argue since he was right, bowed to him and acknowledged Alicia with a nod before turning to escort Susan to Alicia's chamber.

"Thank you," Susan said to Harold again as she left with Harvey.

Now, it was just Alicia and Harold staring at each other.