The Cursed Prince

"Oh, Ellena...!" Lady Preston almost fainted when she heard her niece's bitter words. Her husband quickly supported her shoulders and helped her sit on a chair by the window.

"Do you want water?" He asked her worriedly.

Lady Preston closed her eyes and shook her head. "N-no... th-thank you, my lord... I just need to sit."

Meanwhile, Mars looked at Ellena with horror in his eyes. He didn't know that Ellena was cursed too. Now, that explained why Ellena was so adamant not to disclose the witch's location. 

If the price that she had to pay was death... then it's no wonder that she didn't want to reveal the secret.

What to do?

Would Mars be so heartless to force Ellena to sacrifice her life just so he could find the witch?

Ellena's tears were streaming down hard. She looked at Mars intently with gritted teeth and a very disappointed expression. "I didn't want to die. That's why I kept my mouth shut and not betray the witch. However..."

Her sobbing became uncontrollable. "However... now I have nothing to live for. You might as well go kill the witch and let me die in peace. I will tell you where she is... and after that, please leave me alone. I don't want to see you ever again. Our friendship ends today."

Her words were uttered with such bitterness that even the aloof King Jared felt shocked and sorry for Ellena.

He turned to his son whose face paled when he heard Ellena's despondent words.

Now, Mars felt conflicted. Was he wrong to suspect Ellena all this time?

Now everything made sense, why she didn't want to tell him where the witch lived. Who would want to lose their life for it? Especially for a man who didn't even love her back.

This revelation really bothered Mars' mind. Ellena had done so much for him.

The prince didn't know exactly what she did to get the witch to lift the curse on him. From the fact that she didn't want to tell him in detail, it must be horrific. 

It was also the reason why she didn't want to reveal the witch's location. Apparently, Ellena was cursed too, in exchange for his freedom.

When Ellena said that she now hated him and no longer wanted to be his friend, it hit him that Ellena might be saying the truth.

If she had been sincere and honest with what happened, then, she must feel that Mars's treatment of her was really hurtful.

Imagine, doing so much for a man, out of love, only to be treated with suspicions.  It was understandable that Ellena no longer wanted to have anything to do with him.

"Loving you.. has caused me heartbreak over and over again..." Ellena sobbed. "I don't want to feel any more pain. Please, just let me die."

"Ellena...!" Mars finally interrupted her. "I don't want you to die. You know that I care about you. You are like a sister to me."

"Please don't pretend you don't know how I feel about you, Your Highness. I don't love you like a brother," Ellena gritted her teeth. "If you chose a woman, who came to Draec under a disguise to hurt you and your family, over me... no matter what I do, you won't change your mind."

"Emmelyn is not going to hurt me or my family," Mars replied.

"Oh, she will. Don't be fooled by her beauty and sweet smile. It took me a long time to realize the connection, but if Killian is really her brother like she said, then she is connected to the Bellevars AND the witch," Ellena said stubbornly. "She is here to get her revenge."

"I wish you would listen to me and be careful around her. She is planning to hurt you and your family by pretending to love you..." At this point, Ellena was like an injured deer, ready to face death, and couldn't care less whether she would live or die. She no longer held back. "Someday you will see that I'm right. By then, I might already be dead. And you will feel sorry."

"LADY ELLENA GREYSTORM, WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" King Jared's voice suddenly roared in the chamber.

His heart sank when he heard Ellena's accusation of Emmelyn, that the woman that his son loved was planning to hurt him and their family.

But what made him furious was the fact that Ellena seemed to wish ill for his family, so she could be proven right.

What kind of nonsense was that?!

The king almost slapped the girl with his raised hand. However, Lady Preston immediately dropped herself to the floor and cried, begging the king to spare her niece.

"Your Majesty, please pardon Ellena, I beg you. She is very sick and not in her right mind..." The Duchess was visibly distraught. She then touched Ellena's hand and begged her, "Ellena, you are like a daughter to me. I love you dearly. I don't want you to die. Please apologize to His Majesty."

Ellena shook her head. "No. I will not apologize for telling the truth. They can have my head since I will not live when they find the witch. Aunty.. thank you so much for raising me. I am forever grateful."

King Jared was surprised to see how Ellena was so stubborn.

Would she really give the witch's location and die?

Apparently... she did just that.

Ellena looked at Mars with a hurtful expression and spoke. "Your Highness, you can find the witch's house on a hill in Shadowend, if you battle the gatekeeper and beat him, he would show you the way."

She added, "That's how Killian helped me find the witch. Also.. people in the area didn't know she is a witch. They think she is a regular old lady who lives alone. She goes by the name Mrs. Morelli." 

Everyone in the chamber gasped at the same time. They didn't expect the girl would just spill the secret suddenly.

Did she really want to die that much?