The Cursed Prince

The journey to Castilse was so much more relaxing than before. They walked to the nearest town called Belem and got their horses from there.

The animals were all taken care of in a nice stable and had rested properly. So, when Maxim and his group got their horses back, they were all fresh and ready to go.

"We should depart now so we can reach the next town to regroup with all my people. Then, we can rest for one night over there. Once we are fresh and well-rested, we can continue traveling," Maxim told everyone.

Kira and Lysander nodded in agreement.  Emmelyn actually wanted to get to Castilse as soon as possible but she understood that her friends must be tired.

They had been traveling nonstop for almost six weeks from Castilse to get her and then back again.  Emmelyn herself almost lost track of time.

She could barely remember how long ago was it that she escaped from her fake grave and had to survive the harsh journey to Wintermere and finally to Summeria.

Had it been four months? Maybe more.

Five? Or was it six?

Ahh.. she missed Harlow so very badly. Was Harlow okay? Did Lily take good care of her? Was she healthy? Did Mars treat her well?

Well, he must. Emmelyn would definitely come back to Draec and kill him if Mars didn't take care of their daughter well.

In this world, there was no one Emmelyn loved more than Harlow.  Her daughter was the most precious thing in her life.

Emmelyn would never forgive anyone who hurt Harlow.

"Okay, sounds like a good idea," said Emmelyn, agreeing to Maxim's suggestion. In this continent, this man, her friend was the most powerful man. She shouldn't talk back, or argue his decision in front of other people, to save his face.

The truth was, they were no longer the same. Two years ago, Maxim and Emmelyn were two happy-go-lucky young people who were out for adventures and found pleasure in exploring and seeing the world.

Now, one was the sovereign of Summeria, the biggest kingdom in Atlantea, and another one was a married woman... no, she wouldn't call herself Mars' wife again after the betrayal that the man did to her.

Emmelyn was deeply hurt by the bounty set by her own husband. It showed that not only he was a weak man who obeyed his father even though Jared Strongmoor was in the wrong, but it also showed that he didn't trust his own wife.

How could Emmelyn kill Queen Elara? Couldn't he see her sincerity and how much she adored the late queen?

After holding back so much, bearing the pain of losing her kingdom and family, forgiving him for his sins toward The Rosehills and Winteremere, suffering unfair treatment by Mars' father, going through so much stress because of Ellena's schemes, and finally having to spend time in the Grey Tower as murder suspect... this was the straw that broke the camel's back for Emmelyn.

She felt betrayed and hurt.

Thinking about the unpleasant experience, Emmelyn pressed the scarf that was safely kept inside her coat pocket and let out a relieved sigh. This scarf would be able to bring back her mother-in-law and prove her innocence.

When Queen Elara returned and told everyone that Ellena was the person who stabbed her and killed her, Mars and his wicked father would know that Emmelyn was innocent.

She had been punished and chased for a crime she didn't do.

When that happened, Emmelyn would find great joy in being right and she would never forgive them for what they had done to her. She was too kind and it only made people take advantage of her kindness.

Never again.

"Are you okay?" Maxim approached Emmelyn and touched her shoulder. "You look angry."

Emmelyn looked away and hid her feeling. If Maxim said she looked angry, it must really show on her face. She said, "Let's continue our journey. How far is Belem  from here?"

"Around five hours away. If we leave now, we will get there just before sunset," Maxim explained.

"Very well. What are we waiting for?" Emmelyn asked Maxim. "You are right. We should reach Belem  and rest there for the night. Tomorrow we can cover more miles."

Maxim nodded. He was worried about Emmelyn and wanted to know if she was feeling angry or upset. He wanted to help her. However, it seemed, Emmelyn didn't want to share what was in her heart.

Fine. Maybe she didn't want to talk while they were around Kira and Lysander. Maxim felt the same way. He would ask Emmelyn to talk in private once they arrived in Belem.

***

After riding their horses for slightly over five hours, finally, the group of four arrived in a big city called Belem. Emmelyn was impressed when they saw the city gate and how big it was.

Belem was probably the biggest city she had ever seen after Kingstown in Draec. The city was surprisingly close to a harbor and it was filled with merchants and travelers.

Even after sunset, the city center was still lively by people doing their activities. The buildings were big and luxurious, showing the wealth of the city. Emmelyn was impressed by the myriad of shops, dining places, and high-end inns.

She thought they would spend the night in one of the inns and met Maxim's other men, but apparently, she was wrong. As soon as they rode through the city gate, a group of soldiers came from behind the gate and stopped right in front of them.

Emmelyn turned to Maxim and wondered what the man would do. He was still undercover, right? So, these soldiers must not know that they were blocking the king himself from entering the city.

"Your Majesty, you are back!" 

Before Emmelyn could make sense of what happened, she heard a respectful greeting from in front of them. When she looked up, she saw a handsome black horse was coming toward them with a middle-aged man on its back.

He was followed by several valiant-looking knights on his sides. The old man's face was beaming with happiness and when he was close enough to Maxim, he quickly got off his horse and bowed down to the king.

"Emmelyn, this is Lord Marius, he is the mayor of Belem," Maxim explained.