Ellena stood near the edge of the bridge, the morning sun casting a warm glow on her delicate features. Her heart raced in anticipation and anxiety as she waited patiently for Regan.
She had been waiting for some time now and doubted if he was really going to show up. She had made up her mind to reveal her feelings to him. She didn't care if her mother was against it. All she wanted was him and nothing more.
Her gaze settled on the familiar figure gracefully walking towards her. She slowly turned to him and smiled. "You came."
"Yes... Did I keep you waiting?" he asked as he neared her.
"No, Your Highness," she said, silently assured. After a good while, she took a deep breath and summoned every ounce of courage within her. However, the words she had prepared caught in her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes.
He wasn't paying attention to her. He seemed as if he didn't want to spend the next few seconds with her, rather than hearing her silly confession. He didn't seem to care about anything or anyone.
She swallowed her tears and smiled painfully. "Here," she stretched her hand and gave him an invitation.
He took it, a questioning look creased his forehead. "What for?"
"My father is throwing a party the night before the moon rituals, and you're invited," she said, faking a smile to mask the many unspoken emotions.
"Okay, I will keep it in mind," he said and turned to leave.
She pursed her lips, her fingers clenched into a fist as she watched his back until he was out of sight. She wouldn't give up on him just because he didn't care about her.
****
I sat in the garden, feeling restless after searching almost the entire castle for Regan but couldn't find him. I wondered where he could be or where Ellena might have taken him.
He never spent time with me. Instead, he was with Ellena all afternoon and would only return at night if he felt like it. Otherwise, I would be left sleeping alone. I was tired of how he treated me. He was never there for me. Sometimes I wouldn't see him for days, not because he left the castle, but because he was spending time with other women.
Even if he cared about me just a little, some attention wouldn't hurt so much. Now he was going to marry Ellena, and I would become completely invisible to him.
I hoped Ellena hadn't confessed her feelings to him. I prayed she didn't, because I couldn't handle another woman in Regan's life. I just wanted to be the only one for him, but I knew it was too much to ask for. After all, he's a prince.
The door to the garden opened, and I turned my head slightly to see Regan walking slowly towards me. I quickly stood up and hurried over to him.
"You're back... What did she say?" I asked, not giving him a chance to respond.
He sat down and sighed, while I sat next to him. "She said nothing."
I looked at him, knowing he wasn't telling the truth. There was no way he would come back this late if she hadn't said anything. She must have said something that kept him with her all day.
"I don't believe you," the words shocked even me. How could I say something like that?
He gazed at me and frowned. "You think I'm lying?"
"No, Your Highness," I quickly said.
"Don't call me that," he growled, slightly irritated.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," I apologized, intentionally adding the last part to annoy him further.
His gaze on me became steady. He stared at me as if I had said something I shouldn't have. I tried to turn my face away from his unsettling expression, but he gripped my chin to stop me.
"Is something wrong, Nora?" he asked, releasing his grip.
I stood up and took a few steps backward. "How do you expect everything to be okay when you're not telling me the truth? I know she said something; otherwise, you wouldn't be coming back this late," I said, almost yelling.
"You've got it all wrong, Nora," he muttered under his breath.
"I haven't got anything wrong! The fact that you never spend time with me, but you have time for other women. Do you know how painful it is to sleep and wake up alone? Or to eat alone? You're selfish! Always busy with other women and forgetting about me. Is that how you promised to treat me well?" I fired, tears streaming down my face, unable to contain the emotions that had been building up inside me.
The things I said must have deeply affected him because he seemed lost for words. Instead, he continued to stare at me, his calm expression making it hard to tell what was going through his mind. I thought he would at least apologize for everything he had put me through, but I was terribly wrong. He stood up and walked out of the garden as tears rolled down my cheeks.
The night was long and miserable. Despite our argument, I waited for him to come back, but he never did. Exhausted from always waiting, I eventually fell asleep. Alone.
****
Regan stood in the middle of the castle, letting the heavy rain pour down on him. His heart felt strange, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It was heavy and aching.
He looked up at the dark clouds while Nora's words echoed in his mind once again.
"You're selfish! Always busy with other women and forgetting about me."
He closed his eyes, trying to block out those words. Being called selfish by her felt like a sharp knife piercing his heart. He hated it. And spending time with other women? Hell, he couldn't even remember the last time he had been intimate with anyone. Maybe that's why his inner beast was slowly slipping out of his control, and he was genuinely scared that he would harm Nora.
He was avoiding her not because he had forgotten about her. It was because he was not himself when he lost control over his inner beast. It wasn't just a risk of hurting her; it was the possibility of killing her as well. That's how cruel he became when he was completely possessed by his beast.
He was cursed, after all.