The Cursed Prince

Mars finally just patted Gewen's shoulder and tried to refrain from choking his best friend. He still needed Gewen to win the war games against his cousin in Southberry.

He could settle the score with this womanizer after they returned to Draec.

"Sometimes I wonder how we are still friends," said Mars, shaking his head. He then finished the wine in his cup and stood up, about to call it a night and rest. "I want to sleep now."

"Heyy.. You haven't answered my question," said Gewen, holding Mars' hand tightly. His reddish face was adorned with a sullen expression.

"What kind of question is that?" asked Mars in annoyance. He didn't remember Gewen asking anything earlier.

"I asked you, why are you interested in Lord Aldrich but not in me?" asked Gewen. "I'm just curious."

Gosh ...

Mars massaged his forehead. Emmelyn again accidentally put him in a tough spot by claiming to be the prince's boyfriend. He didn't know why the girl could do something like that to him.

If this was the case, what should he do? Should he just expose Emmelyn's true identity and save himself from embarrassment?

Could he trust Gewen and Edgar with that secret?

Ahh .. No, that's a bad idea. Gewen was very handsome. All the girls in Draec were crazy about him.

If he found out that Lord Aldrich was actually a woman, this playboy might try to seduce her, and add her to the long list of women he conquered and fucked.

Mars was worried that if Gewen wanted to, he could seduce Emmelyn.

Mars couldn't risk this womanizer snatching Emmelyn from him. There was no other way. He had to keep Lord Aldrich's identity a secret.

"I'm not interested in you because you are my friend," said Mars, finally. "I don't want to make our relationship awkward. Are you happy now??"

"Oh .." Gewen's face finally looked happy again. He nodded with satisfaction. "I guessed that's the reason. So, I'm right."

The man quickly added with a beaming smile. "Yes, I am happy now."

Edgar, who had been listening to their nonsense, suddenly slammed his wine cup on the table. He cleared his throat to get their attention.

The man then looked at Mars very seriously. "So, do you really like men? I really have no idea..."

Mars just shook his head and did not reply.

The man put down his wine cup and tapped his two friends on the shoulders, then retired to sleep. 

He had to think of a way to solve this problem that Emmelyn created after he woke up tomorrow.

By the way.. what was she doing now? Mars wanted to bite the naughty girl, to vent his frustration for damaging his reputation, but at the same time, he also wanted to hug her and kiss her... and laugh out loud. She was really something.

***

"This village is quite nice," commented Emmelyn as she took a walk accompanied by Roshan around the Bydell Village center.

She wore men's clothes to avoid being stared at by the villagers. If she wore her beautiful dress, like a princess, it would surely create a commotion.

Five bodyguards followed them secretly to protect Emmelyn, as ordered by the crown prince. In the center of Bydell village, there was a small marketplace where farmers sold their farming products.

There were also some food vendors and traveling merchants selling various items of daily necessity.

"We're almost there, Your Highness..." said Roshan, pointing to a small wooden hut located at the end of the market.

"Sssh .. don't call me 'Your Highness'," Emmelyn said to Roshan. "Just call me 'Sir'. We shouldn't arouse people's suspicions."

"Yes, Your High—" Roshan hurriedly revised his words. "Uhm... Yes, Sir."

"Okay, let's go there."

They walked towards the wooden hut and immediately knocked on the door.

KNOCK

KNOCK

"Are you sure this is the witch's house?" asked Emmelyn, turning her head towards Roshan. "The house looks too ordinary... and empty."

Roshan scratched his head. "I was told by my relatives that Mrs. Adler is indeed a witch. She studied witchcraft and medicine since she was young and now often helps people to have children."

"Hmm ..." Emmelyn knocked on the door again. She didn't have high hopes for this witch. Even if Mrs. Adler couldn't help her bear twins or triplets, at least she would be happy that she could leave the castle to sightsee.

KNOCK

KNOCK

After knocking on the door several times, still with no answer, Emmelyn finally turned around and decided to leave. "Maybe she's not home. We should just go."

The girl's steps halted when she saw an old woman walking towards them with a basket on her shoulder.

The woman appeared to be wearing simple clothes. Her hair was in a bun on top of her head and she wore a scarf on her head like an ordinary granny.

Was this the witch they were looking for?

"What do you want by coming here?" asked the old lady as she walked past Emmelyn and Roshan. She opened the door and walked into the hut.

"Are you... Mrs. Adler?" asked Emmelyn, to confirm.

The woman answered without turning her head, "Yes. Do you need my help, Miss?"

Emmelyn was stunned by Mrs.Adler's words. 

Did this old lady just call her 'Miss'? 

Did she know that Emmelyn was a woman? Could this witch really recognize her under her disguise? 

Emmelyn looked at her clothes and felt herself. She thought her disguise was good enough.

So far, no one was suspicious of her being a woman while disguised as a servant in the castle. She even managed to trick Prince Mars Strongmoor, Roshan the butler at the crown prince's castle, and the other servants for more than a month.

However, this old woman instantly knew that she was a girl?

Was Mrs. Adler really a very powerful witch? Emmelyn's curiosity was piqued.

She wanted to know what Mrs. Adler could do. Emmelyn had never met a witch in person before.

"You're right. I am looking for you, but I don't know if you can help me," Emmelyn said, finally.

Mrs. Adler put her basket on the floor and then looked at Emmelyn closely. The old lady then smiled mysteriously and nodded. "Okay."

For some reason, Emmelyn felt Mrs. Adler's gaze pierce her soul. Was it true that all witches could read minds?

If it was true, then no wonder she could have known Emmelyn's disguise, even though she played her part as a man very well.

Emmelyn then signaled for Roshan to leave her alone with Mrs. Adler because she did not want the butler to know the content of her conversation with the old woman.

"Roshan, please wait outside with the others. I need to speak to Mrs. Adler," said Emmelyn.

Roshan bowed respectfully and walked away from the hut. Emmelyn made sure Roshan and her bodyguards were on guard outside the hut, far enough away from the door, so that they would not be able to hear her conversation with the witch.

Emmelyn then closed the door and sat on the floor, near Mrs. Adler's basket. She saw that the basket contained various types of wild plants that she did not know their names. Were these all medicinal plants?

Mrs. Adler took a basin filled with water, placed it in front of Emmelyn, and then sat down across from the girl.

"How do you know I'm a girl?" Emmelyn asked as Mrs. Adler sat on the floor with her.

Mrs. Adler stared at Emmelyn for a long time before finally answering, 

"You are the cause of a great war in the future. As soon as I saw you .. I immediately knew who you are. Your whole aura is covered in blood."

The witch's words made Emmelyn feel as if she had been struck by lightning.

What did she say??? Emmelyn would be the cause of a great war? War with whom?

Why could she be the cause of war? She didn't even have an army. Wintermere and all of its troops had been annihilated, in the war last year.

What other war was this witch referring to?

"You must get the wrong person," said Emmelyn in a choked voice. "I have no army. How can I go to war?"

Mrs. Adler shook her head. "I didn't say you will go to war. You will be the CAUSE of the war."

Instantly Emmelyn felt the air around her disappear, and she couldn't breathe. She would be the cause of war? How was that possible?

She really hated war. She had seen firsthand the suffering wrought by war ...

"How could it happen? Tell me how I can be the cause of war!" demanded Emmelyn. 

"I can't say," said Mrs. Adler. The woman stirred the water in the basin and then looked lost in thought. Several minutes later, she raised her face and stared at Emmelyn with pity. "Your life is very hard."

Emmelyn stared at the pair of gray eyes that looked at her with pity and suddenly the girl became angry. She took out a knife from under her clothes to threaten the witch and grabbed her collar menacingly.

"Tell me what will happen! Otherwise, you will feel this dagger pierce your body!" She demanded through gritted teeth.

Mrs. Adler didn't seem scared by Emmelyn's threat. Instead, she chuckled. Then, with a single wave of her hand, the blade in Emmelyn's hand had turned into a small, hissing snake.

"Aaahh !!!" As soon as she saw the snake in her hand, Emmelyn spontaneously threw the snake into the corner of the room. Her body shuddered with horror.

Emmelyn didn't expect this old lady could turn her knife into a snake! 

"What are you doing?" exclaimed the girl with a panting breath.

"You threatened to hurt me. So, of course, I'm defending myself," sneered the witch with a wicked smile.