The Curse

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Nicholas

That night Prince Nicholas was wide awake. He had turned and turned on his king size bed all night, trying to figure out why his mind was kept getting taken over by images he never wanted to see again. His forehead was full of sweat, and his body was trembling like there was something wrong with him. He was exasperated, and finally, giving up, he threw his bed covers away from his heating up body and walked by his door, leaning down just enough to grab his riding boots and a jacket. Then, turning back to look at his room again, he opened the door and closed it quietly behind him, slipping into the quiet and dark hallway. 

It was only seconds before Nicholas found himself blazing through the empty courtyard on his black horse, Spirit. Spirit's black mane flew as he galloped hard to please his master that he grown to love, and his shining hooves made a sound that echoed throughout the four walls of the kingdom, never slowing down once. 

Prince Nicholas never realized that he had been holding his breath until he reached the dark forest, lit only by the stars and moon shining above his and Spirit's head. And finally he breathed, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, and inhaled in the cold night air that had filled the whole forest. 

But just as soon as he had let out the breath he had been holding, he held it again, spotting a small figure pass through the trees. As he squinted to get a closer look, he realized that it was a girl. Then he leaned down and patted Spirit's side stomach and smiled devishly. 

"Well, Spirit? What do you think?" The horse neighed in reply in triumph before Spirit headed in her direction at a respectable speed and the smile on Nicholas's face stayed. When the horse finally came to a stop some trees away from the girl, Prince Nicholas hopped off and began walking towards her. 

The girl turned at the sudden footsteps, as if she was the prey and the mysterious figure lurking in the shadows was the beast. But she turned only to see Prince Nicholas holding a few feet from her, and their eyes connected, before she broke the gaze and began fleeing as if she had just broken a law. 

Prince Nicholas widened his eyes when he realized what was happening. And no subject, he thought, could ever get away from him this easily, and so he began to chase after her. 

It wasn't long before his hand connected with her arm, and the girl jerked at the contact the prince had given her in surprise, before she fell into a heap on the floor and began pleading for mercy. 

"Please," she sobbed on the floor, and the prince loosened his grip on her arm, but not enough for her to get away. "P-please," she cried again, trying to pull her arm away from his tight and strong grip, "I beg of you." she managed to mumble before Prince Nicholas knelt down beside her and grabbed at her hair, pulling her face close to his. 

He became even more desperate when he felt her soft lips push against his perfect ones, which many girls he had met over the course of his life had told him. Her eyes widened at the forceful contact and her hands moved over to his chest to push him away, but he held on because he wanted more. And what she gave him wasn't enough. 

The confused girl on the floor pushed harder on his chest, not even caring for a second anymore that she knew his face all too well. That the fact was that he was the prince, and that she knew if she couldn't give him what he wanted, she could be dead any second without a further warning. 

"You can do so much better than that," the prince put his lips right next to her ear and whispered the words. His hands were on her waist and the small of her back now, pushing her even closer. The girl gasped and tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp.