The Curse

Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Third Person

Something moved in the room, causing Prince Nicholas to stir a little. He had barely just fallen asleep when footsteps were heard in his ears. Thinking that he was just paranoid from what had happened just a few hours ago with Ember, he turned onto his side and continued sleeping. 

Just as he was about to fall asleep once more, something in the room shattered as it was knocked over, and this time, Prince Nicholas shot straight up in the bed, trying to see through the darkness who was there. 

"Who's there?" he mumbled sleepily, pushing the random strands of curly hair that had fallen over his face away sloppily. 

When no one answered, he gripped his fists together tightly, and just as he was about to get up, a figure shoved him back against the bed. And out of surprise, Prince Nicholas slammed his head against the metal backboard of the uncomfortable bed. 

As he groaned in pain, he felt himself being shoved deeper into the bed. 

"Where's the money?!" someone screamed, digging its nails into his skin. Trying to remove his arms from under the person's grip, he felt them pinned to his sides. Struggling, he tried to wiggle his body out but then soon stopped. 

His eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, and now, he could see the clothes he had taken off earlier strewn across the floor, laying in tatters, as the person had nearly torn them apart looking for something. And the small lamp that had been on the small table next to him, was broken into pieces on the floor. So that explained the shattering sound he had heard. 

He turned back to the person, and squinting, he realized that it was the old woman who had demanded money from him that early morning. 

"Give it to me," she said, pausing a little after every word after Prince Nicholas finally began to zone back into what she was saying. 

But Nicholas only continued to stare. He was confused and tired, and still finding it strange that the woman was in here, but he wasn't afraid of her. 

"And what is it that you want?" he asked sweetly, tilting his head at her innocently. 

The old woman already had a short temper, so with what Prince Nicholas had just said, she only became angrier and couldn't take it anymore. She had spent hours creeping around his room looking for the treasure she knew he had, and to think that he didn't think she knew who he was. She scoffed just remembering that. 

Staring at him still, she pulled one hand off of his wrist and looked down at the visible veins in her hands that seemed like they might pop any minute, and then smiled wickedly. Looking back up to meet the emerald eyes again, she smiled and said, "I am truly sorry that you had to be ended this way." 

Bringing her hand up, she turned it slightly, and suddenly Prince Nicholas found himself clawing at his own neck, struggling to breathe. 

His breathing came out in rasps as his air was completely cut off from his lack of oxygen in his lungs. His face was turning colors; he was sure of it now. 

As he began feeling the veins appear in his neck from him clawing at his neck, he thought to himself, So this was the end. This was how his story was going to end. Forcing himself to look down at the old woman, he found himself watching her face's wrinkles slowly disappear, as his dying stage was the fire that burned and kept the older woman younger. 

Still in amazement, Prince Nicholas found his eyes looking up as he stopped clawing, thinking that it was already over. 

A young pretty brunette girl stood in front of him and smiled at his pain, and even though Prince Nicholas felt himself dying slowly and painfully, the one thing on his mind that kept him fighting was Ember. 

Maybe she would thank the old woman for getting rid of him. After all, she did tell him that she could never love him. That was already enough to kill him a little. And maybe, all he had to do was wait for her in the afterlife. He smiled and just as began to close his eyes, the door to his room burst open. 

A figure rushed into the room with some more people behind, and suddenly he could breathe again. 

Falling over the side of the bed, he felt himself losing consciousness until a hand shook him awake, and as he opened his eyes, he watched as a continuous stream of red droplets of blood sink into his white sheets. 

The figure moved and now Prince Nicholas could see the familiar blonde head holding a bloody knife full of the old woman's blood. 

Peter dropped the knife on the ground and backed away, pulling the two girls who came with him away. 

Nicholas stared at the body. 

"We need to leave, now," Peter's voice shook. It seemed like he wasn't the one to kill. 

Prince Nicholas didn't say anything, only reached his hand up to feel the fast pulse in his neck. He kept it there for a moment, listening to the sound of it abnormally beating at that fast pace, before he dropped his fingers down to his side. 

"Prince Nicholas," Peter's voice was sterner now, staring his blue eyes at Nicholas. "We—" 

"I heard you the first time." 

Silence took over the room after he said that, and soon he found himself looking into Peter's deep blue eyes. 

Peter leaned himself down and stared eye to eye with this Prince Nicholas. "A simple thank you would do.” 

"Thank you." Nicholas smirked and turned away. Then leaning over, he quickly felt himself throwing up blood. The metallic taste slipped through his lips like a waterfall. And when it finally ended, he slowly reached his hand up to wipe his lips, leaving a trail of blood on his hand. But he didn’t see it. 

Peter’s body backed away and soon was replaced by a smaller one. Thinking that it was Ember, he immediately looked up, only to find Audrina by his side. 

“Are you alright?” she asked, pulling a small handkerchief out of the pocket of her dress and dabbing it lightly at his lips to clean the blood off of them. And even though he appreciated it, he couldn’t help feeling disappointed that it wasn’t Ember helping him. 

“Yeah, fine.” Somehow finding the strength, he pushed Audrina away. But either she was pretending or she honestly didn’t feel him push her away, she called Ember over to help her help Nicholas. 

“Ember, come help me stand him up, will you?” Audrina looked up for a brief second before resuming to cleaning Nicholas’s face. 

But after a few seconds of waiting for Ember to help her, she looked up again, only to hear Ember say, “No.” 

“Fine.” Audrina really didn’t want to start a fight right now. “Peter, will you come help me?” Peter fingered the sword in his scabbard and then looked to Ember, seeming hesitant about helping the rivalry prince, but then sighed and walked over to Audrina. 

Looking up, Nicholas found a hand offering to pull him up. Taking it, he stood up and Audrina walked in front to go open the door. Ember followed Audrina. But just before Nicholas could walk through the door, Peter pulled him back into the room and slammed him against the wall. 

“Listen to me, your highness,” Peter said. “I don’t know what you’ve told these girls, but if you hurt any one of them, I swear you’ll be dead before you can apologize.” Peter never thought he would ever hear himself say that because God knew he wasn’t one to threaten, but he knew what Prince Nicholas was capable of. And he had made himself a promise to protect the girls even if it meant dying long before Nicholas decided to show up. He turned to leave, but soon stopped hearing a voice behind him. 

“Are you sure this has nothing to do with Audrina?” Nicholas smirked. 

Peter spun around and pulled his sword out, but Nicholas only chuckled. “You couldn’t kill me if you tried.” 

“Oh yeah?” Peter only turned slightly back to look at Nicholas’s face. “Watch me.” And as he stepped out of the room, Peter found himself mumbling, “Or maybe your stupidity will just kill yourself for me.”

written by @forever_yours_too