Cinder-knight (bxb) ||completed

23rd rule| then

"What. Did. You. Do. To. My. Prince."

Eric saw how the mage smirked cockily, his blackened eyes crinkling in downright amusement while irradiant beads of maroon drizzled against his green arms, under his snub nose and even near his glossy eyes as he made gesticulations with his wand in hand.

"It's of course, a simple love spell. I know by now you're very grateful and want to worship me like a diety," he mused, pointing his gaze towards the prince who was still on one knee, "Because of my great gift, he'll be madly in love with you till the spell is broken. And after that- well, even I myself don't know what happens after that." he shrugged, screeching as the mare jumped on him and started kicking him in the shin.

Eric felt his heart break into pieces, and his body flamed up in anger, blazing like a sky-high rocket while his mind circulated around an axial that he had known to be anxiety. Except for some neighs, whinnies and also the grumbles of prince Charming who stood up and dusted his pants, Eric failed to keep track of any other sound that slotted in the air.

"I'm going to kill you." the phrase left his mouth without him thinking, and in response, the mage tilted his head to the side, still seeming poised and confident about everything.

"You can't," Pase started, shaking his wand from left to right, "If you kill me, then who's going to break that love spell for you? Your poor little prince will be stuck in a hurdy-durdy of delusions for the rest of his life!"

Eric's hands clenched into tight fists while staring at the magician whose hair was getting tugged hard by Avianthan's mouth, the knight raised his arm up, aiming to punch Pase right in his face. But before he could do so, he was stopped by none other than his prince.

"Love?" Charming whispered, clinging onto the ginger's bicep as his eyes dipped down to look at Pase, who was wincing tiredly on the ground. "Why are you upset? Is it because I tried to propose to you without a ring? I'm sorry, I just love you too much-"

The knight groused, "Stay back, my prince." at Henry who pouted dejectedly, then turned to Pase with a glare, "Break the spell this instant, I'm warning you."

"What if I say I don't wanna?" the wizard spat, his face bloody and disfigured, "If you're going to give me that attitude, might as well curse Mr. Prince to death and beyond too, because trust me, you don't have any fucking right to treat me like I'm a can of shit."

Eric tried to say something, but the mage cut him into it, again, "Look, how about we make a little pledge? I agree to break the spell, and in return, you have to be good to me for at least three days."

The knight didn't like the sound of that pact at all. Without even a single second in, he knew it was going to be a full fledged ordeal of misery, well if he agreed to go along with it of course. And there was just no way he would get all lovey-dovey with a goddamn wizard, even if it's for the prince of Ozoo whom Eric was completely besotted with.

Never.

"Eric, what's going on?" Henry asked as his soft arm curled around the knight's shoulders, making the older man tense up like a cat in heat. For a bit, the red head found it hard to breath, feeling million stitches explode in the inside of his heart, spasming along every part of his body while his own sweat started percolating back into his skin. The prince's feathery touch, so gentle that it was barely there, made his heart hurt. And it didn't make sense.

Shouldn't he be happy that the person he was in love with, finally loved him back?

Shouldn't he be happy that his Prince remembered his name?

So why, why did he feel so.. hurt?

In a twisted way, Eric thought that maybe the wizard's pledge was fair. There would be no chance for him to survive more than a simple week if this goes on, especially since it's against the eyes of his prince that were now infatuated with love for him.

Every blink the prince would take, Eric would feel a thorn prickle at his chest. Every time a pink line of magic would draw a pattern of a heart over the prince's eyes, reminding him again and again that this was all just a work of dark magic, Eric would feel like he was the worst person in existence.

His prince didn't deserve this.

His prince had someone he truly loved, and if this spell continues to hover over him for much longer, then what will happen to Cinderella?

Eric sighed.

Turning towards the abused mage, Eric opened his mouth to speak, "You know what, I agree with your pledge. But do not even dare to go against the rules. Or you won't want to know what the consequences will be."

With that, he went towards Avianthan who had been munching on the wizard's leg till now, and grabbed her harness, relentlessly pulling her towards the flinty path back into the forest as Pase exhaled in relief. The prince followed the knight's movements with his gaze, then ran behind his knight with a small, 'don't leave me, love!' when the ginger slowly walked out alongside the mare.

Pase, on the other hand pouted. "You know you can lend me some help right? My legs aren't working."

"Then make them work, you're the most supreme magician after all."

"What about the pledge, though. You promised to be good to me."

Eric stopped, the abrupt halt making the Prince hum and look behind as Avianthan did the same. The gelding however, was pressing his maw on the lush grass while cantering around the wizard in bent loops, like a ghost that's levitating around a circle of salt. He wasn't in any way violent like the mare, Eric was aware of that fact, but it didn't mean Pase would stop shaking at the way the horse was gridling around him.

"Mount that horse then," the knight groaned, his rugged breath susurrating against his own lips in small spins. Not even bothering to wait for a response from the mage, he dragged Avianthan along, feeling the prince skip beside him while looking bubbly and flustered. But the knight didn't want to meet Henry's eyes, because he knew it would pain him more than anything when they would stare at him so adorably.

In truth, Eric didn't want his prince to be in love with him because of a spell.

When it's clearly going to be something temporary.

So for now, as the whisks of air swirled around the prince and the knight, shackling them together like inmates of the same cell, Eric thought to himself that maybe he should draw a line between his highness and himself, just so he could make sure the prince who's now under control of an all mighty spell, wouldn't cross it. The knight had to ensure the Prince would stay stalwart to princess Mary, although they were both far away from each other's reach at the moment.

But still, it was a fact that Prince Charming belonged to Cinderella, and not to some pushover knight who's only there to protect the prince. (even though he often fails to do so)

And Eric needed to remain where he was supposed to be, which was behind his prince so that he could keep him protected. The person who should be beside him was princess Mary, because like the saying goes, 'A knight will make sure their king shines, but the queen will be the one to shine with him.'

That's exactly what Eric was supposed to do.

As small buttercups flourished in the wind, whorls of red and blue petals palpitated against strong breezes like some pigs on a trampoline. The knight could hear the yells of Pase coming from behind, contrasting from a cheery, "I think I got it! Riding a horse is so easy!" to a dire, "Eric help! We're stuck in the mud!"

The Knight acted like he didn't hear that and trotted towards his destination, frowning to himself once the Prince was also by his side, acting like they were two friends attached hip to hip.