The Cursed Prince

While eating her bread, Rowena looked around her with interest. This place was quite nice, she thought. The park was huge with many shady trees. 

She could see several rabbits and squirrels playing around her, taking some leftover food from the park goers. They looked so cute!  The sight put a smile on her face.

So many people filled the park and enjoyed themselves. Since the weather was perfect for outdoor activity, the townspeople and visitors from their neighboring towns took the opportunity to have a picnic like what Rowena and Lady Liz were doing.

Rowena smiled more broadly as she saw a toddler who was learning how to walk was being held by the mother so as not to fall. The father was waiting in front of the toddler stretching his arms waiting for the child to fall in his arms.

Her smile withered when she remembered how she was never held by her parents like that. King Draco never hugged her and she had never met her mother.

Seeing how the toddler looked so happy and loved, Rowena couldn't help but feel jealous.  The couple and their child wore shabby clothes but they looked happy and in love.

She looked down at the simple dress she specifically wore to avoid getting attention. It still looked much better than theirs, but she had never felt even half their love and happiness.

Rowena let out a sigh and get rid of the feelings from her heart. Today was a good day. She shouldn't let jealousy ruin her day, she told herself.

Finally, Rowena could smile again. She bit her bread and continued observing her surroundings. Not far from the small family, the princess saw several couples sitting together. There was a woman feeding her boyfriend. There was also a man singing a song to his woman.

"Ohh..." Suddenly, Rowena gasped and pressed her lips in awe. She was fascinated to see a man get on one knee before a woman, near a fountain.

Is he proposing to her? Rowena pursed her lips expectantly, waiting for the woman's reaction.

"Awww..." Rowena couldn't hold back her admiration when the woman received a ring and flowers from the man and then the two embraced.

"They're so cute, Lady Liz..." Rowena said with a smile. She often read stories about lovers in books from the library. This was the first time she saw couples in love and witnessed a proposal with her own eyes.

Lady Liz did not comment on Rowena's words. She was not very happy to see couples in love because she had never felt love at all until she was now 28 years old and became a spinster.

Lady Liz had waited so long for the king's love and now realized it was all in vain. Seeing the proposal felt like rubbing salt on her wounds.

She felt so stupid for expecting she could get the king's heart. Now she was alone and without a husband.

When the couple kissed after the proposal, Rowena looked away. She was embarrassed by the sight. Her face flushed red.

She often wondered what being in love and kissing would feel like. Now, witnessing the scene in real life, she felt so embarrassed all of a sudden.

Rowena had many admirers but she had never been close with any men. She knew that in three years, her father would be holding a competition to choose a husband for her. She had absolutely no say on this matter.

She was wondering who would succeed in asking for her hand in marriage and what kind of competition her father would hold. Rowena had absolutely no expectations because she didn't know what was in her father's heart.

SWOOSH!!

"Ahh.. my hat!" Rowena cried out in surprise when the wind suddenly blew very hard and blew the wide hat off her head. She immediately rose to her feet and chased her hat which was blown by the wind to the east.

Her pair of long legs moved swiftly, chasing the hat. After fifty meters, she managed to reach her hat. She jumped high to catch it.

"Gotcha!"

Rowena landed with the hat and her body staggered before she fell onto the grass. Luckily the grass was very thick and soft. She didn't feel pain from the fall.

The girl laughed in relief when she saw the hat was now safe in her hand. Rowena didn't like wearing this oversized hat but she realized she had to wear it so people couldn't see her face clearly. They might recognize her and know who she was.

Rowena got up and patted her dress to clean it from dust and grass and then put her hat back on. She didn't realize that everything she did had caught the attention of a group of young men who were sitting and talking under a tree not far from where she was standing. 

The group of young men stopped talking when one of them pointed at Rowena who was wearing her hat. They fell silent for a moment. They were all captivated by Rowena's beauty.

"Wow, she is very beautiful," said one of the young men who couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"Looks like she's not from here. I swear, I've never seen such a beautiful girl in this town," said his friend. "You know me, I have met all the girls worth looking... hehehe."

"Maybe she's one of the girls from another town who came here to see the festival?"

"Shut up, I want to meet her," said the only young man standing among the group.

"Ahhh ... that sucks. If you are into her, then none of us here will have a chance to woo her," his friend complained when he heard the young man making the remark. "Who could win against the mayor's son?"

"Ow, come on, Bran. It's not fair that you always get the girls!"

The mayor's son, whom his friends called Bran, puffed his chest and chuckled. His eyes were fixated on Rowena. He was the leader of the group because his father was the most powerful man in Almere.

He kicked one of the group members to make way and then walked toward Rowena.