The Cursed Prince

The journey back to the capital was not done as leisurely as when they went to Southberry.

For one, Mars and Emmelyn already got their objective, to get married and take Emmelyn to sightsee, which they did. And the second reason was, they had to immediately find Killian.

Now that Mars knew Emmelyn's brother was still alive, he needed to go home quickly and find him. It was very important to make sure Killian didn't do anything that would incite the king.

Imagine if Killian was trying to attack the king or even letting his identity known, there would be an uproar in the capital.

King Jared would feel that his family was threatened. He might investigate deeper about Killian and he would find out about Emmelyn's real identity.

Mars couldn't let anything bad happen while he was away. That's why he was in a rush to go back.

They arrived in Glendale late at night and spent the night there to rest. The governor, Lord Moran, told him that they had searched for the Millots everywhere, but the family seemed to disappear without a trace.

"I am very sorry, Your Highness. It looks like the family is hiding somewhere far and no longer in our province," Lord Moran said with an apologetic tone. "I am sending people to nearby provinces to keep a lookout on them. They are now wanted in the whole Draec."

Had he not had Killian issue to take care of, Mars would dwell on the Millots' case and made sure the family was found and punished properly.

However, now, he didn't have time for it. He must quickly go back to the capital and find Killian.

Mars must know if Emmelyn was right, that her brother was still alive, and he must find out what was it that Killian wanted by suddenly appearing before Emmelyn.

"I will trust this case to you, Lord Moran," Mars nodded. "Please send me a report on the updates."

"Will do, Your Highness," the governor bowed down with respect. "I am very sorry for disappointing you this time."

"Hmm... that's okay. I have other things to do. You just make sure they are captured and punished."

Mars called it a night and immediately went to his chamber to rest.  Emmelyn, Edgar, and Gewen followed suit. After the long and rushed trip, they felt quite tired and wanted to lie down on a soft mattress and slept properly.

***

They woke up really early the next day, before the sun rose, and had a quick breakfast before they continued their journey home.

Mars already told Emmelyn to let him know whenever she had any discomfort so they could slow down, but the girl never said anything to him. She was just as anxious as him and wanted to go home as soon as possible.

Fortunately, she was very healthy and her pregnancy was not bothersome. Plus, she was used to traveling by horse all her life. A little inconvenience during this trip was nothing to her.

They rested for half hour to eat lunch, then had two more short breaks in the evening to rest their horses and straightened their backs.

By midnight, they arrived at the capital.

To avoid suspicions, Mars invited Gewen and Edgar to stay overnight at his castle so they could go home the next day. He told his soldiers to rest in their quarter.

Edgar and Gewen were given two nice chambers on the second floor. They immediately washed up and met Mars and Emmelyn in the dining room to have a simple dinner before retreating to their respective chambers.

"Are you okay?" Mars asked Emmelyn when they entered their own chamber and he closed the door behind him. "You must be so tired."

He grabbed her shoulders and massaged them gently. His eyes looked worried. 

Emmelyn shook her head and turned around. She touched his cheek and smiled. "I'm fine. Don't worry. We should rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"You are right," Mars replied. He kissed her lips lovingly and hugged her. "I am sorry we had to rush back. You should have enjoyed the trip back and see more beautiful sights."

He hated to see her cooped up in the castle, feeling lonely and caged, that was why he planned to do trip to Southberry leisurely, to make her happy. However, they had no choice now and had to go home as soon as possible.

"I am really fine," Emmelyn said again, this time emphasizing on the word 'fine'. She patted his back and then removed herself from his embrace. "Do you need to take a bath before you can sleep?"

Mars shook his head. "It's okay. I am very tired. I can sleep without it. Plus, I have you with me."

"Ahh, that's good..." Emmelyn smiled. She remembered that Mars already said that he felt better with her sleeping in his arms and he even stopped taking his sleeping potion.

She yawned and slowly took off her dress and changed into a nightgown, getting ready for bed.

Mars also took off his clothes and changed into something comfortable to sleep. He climbed the bed after he was done.  Emmelyn followed suit and laid down next to him.

"Good night, Honey," Mars kissed her hair and then closed his eyes.

"Hmm.. good night." Emmelyn turned around and rested her head on his chest, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Then, she slept in his embrace, trying hard to not think about her brother.

The night went by peacefully.

***

Edgar and Gewen went home after breakfast. They congratulated the newlyweds once again before they left and promised to keep their wedding a secret.

"I will invite Ellena and for tea her tomorrow. Will you two come?" Mars asked them when he walked them to the door. "I have something to ask her but I don't want to make her suspicious."

Edgar glanced at Emmelyn and figured this might have something to do with the girl. He only nodded casually. "Sure. I've got nothing to do tomorrow."