The Cursed Prince

Lucia and Noelle helped clean up the old witch's house while she was making tea for them. This gesture made the witch feel so happy and moved. She decided to give them some keepsake to bring home to Twig. 

Mrs. Adler took out a wooden box from her cupboard and gave them some medicine that would work as a remedy for light ailments. Noelle, Henry, and Lucia were grateful for the gifts.

After they drank tea together, Emmelyn gave her letter to Lucia so she could bring it back with her to Twig and give to Lyla. She also gave some gold to Mrs. Adler to spend on whatever she desired so she could live comfortably in her old age.

"Your Highness," Mrs. Adler took Emmelyn's hand and pulled her aside when they got ready to continue their journey to the port. She would get a ship to take her to Glasswell.

"You guys go ahead," Emmelyn waved at the others and motioned them to get on the carriage first. Then, she turned to Mrs. Adler. "What is it, Grandma?"

"This is a bag filled with medicines and potions that you might need on your journey." She gave Emmelyn a small bag which the girl accepted gratefully. "I have written down the name for each of them in their respective packets. I also have something else for you."

She took out a small necklace from the wooden box that she took from her cupboard and also gave it to Emmelyn.

"What is this, Grandma?" Emmelyn looked at the necklace and was impressed. The necklace itself was very simple, only made of a thin leather string, but the pendant looked special. It looked like a small snake, made off white silver and the eyes were blood red.

"This is a gift given to me by my teacher. It's very precious because the snake can neutralize any venom and poison. You can put this in a glass of water and drink it, it will help cure any symptoms of poisoning," Mrs. Adler explained.

Emmelyn was very surprised to receive such a valuable gift. "Grandma, I cannot accept this. This is too valuable for me. You should keep it for yourself."

The old witch just laughed when she heard Emmelyn's gentle rejection. "What would I use it for? I am too old and might not live long enough to encounter any incidents that would require me to use it. Please, Your Grace, just take it. I am sure you will need it more than I do."

Emmelyn bit her lip. She realized the old witch had been helping her a lot since they met last year. After she lost everyone she loved, she considered Mrs. Adler as a family. 

She wiped her wet eyes and nodded. "In that case... I will accept this valuable gift, Grandma. Thank you so much."

"This will also serve as a way for you to get into my witch sister's good sides," Mrs. Adler added. "If you can find them, just show this necklace to them. They would know that I consider you family. They will help you."

Emmelyn still remembered the two witches' names. Dolores The Firebringer and Marguriette The White. Both sounded like two very powerful witches.

She hoped she could also find clues about their whereabouts so she could consult with them on how to find the Leoraleis from Myreen. 

Maybe, they would even know how to break her curse.

"Thank you for everything." Emmelyn hugged the old witch and tried so hard not to cry while doing that. She had to keep strong and continued her travel. She still had a long way to go.

"Take care, okay. I hope I can see you again when you return to Wintermere," said Mrs. Adler with a smile. 

Emmelyn could only nod. She didn't say anything else, worried that she would break down and cry. She only smiled and patted the old woman in the back, before she turned around and went out through the door.

"Let's go," she said to Henry after she sat in the backseat. The coachman drove the carriage toward the seaport. Emmelyn knew the area well. She knew there was always a ship going to Atlantea every day. She just needed to find one that would leave as soon as possible.

***

Emmelyn was right. There were two ships leaving for Glasswell on that day. The first one was a merchant ship that carried barrels and barrels of the famous Southberry wine. The other one was a passenger ship which was smaller.

She decided to pay money to the merchant ship captain so she could get a cabin in it. In her opinion, it was better to go with the merchant ship than the passenger ship because she didn't have to meet with a lot of people.

The bigger ship was also safer and faster. She was glad that she brought a lot of money with her so she could have the option. The captain was a middle-aged man with a long beard and looked more like a pirate than an honest sailor.

His name was John Reed. He accepted Emmelyn's silver coin and gave her a simple cabin on the second floor.

As always, Emmelyn dressed as a man but this time she didn't claim to be a young nobleman. She intentionally wore a modest outfit, typical of a young man from Wintermere who was looking for work.

She sold a story of being a brothel owner's son who was traveling to Atlantea to search for her long-lost brother. She didn't want the sailors in the ship to rob her if they thought she was wealthy. 

"Here, you can sleep here," said a young sailor who was assigned by Captain Reed to show Emmelyn her cabin. He opened the door and motioned Emmelyn to enter.

"Thank you."

"The ship will depart in one hour," the sailor informed her.

"Noted."

"You can grab food in the kitchen twice a day. We will also stop by on several islands along the way. You can go ashore and buy some more supplies if you need to," the sailor added.

"Thank you," Emmelyn had decided to no longer use her father's name. So, this time, she decided to use her brother's name to introduce herself. "My name is Killian Sovie. What's your name?"

"My name is Jorei, no last name," the young sailor replied.

"Nice to meet you, Jorei. I will rest now and will look for you if I need to find the kitchen. Will that be okay?"

Jorei only shrug. "Up to you."

He turned around and left Emmelyn to enjoy her cabin. After she closed the door, Emmelyn checked her cabin and found that she at least got a bed, even though it was hard and uncomfortable.

"It's okay," she muttered to herself. She was used to living a hard life when she left home to travel. It's true that she was spoiled when she lived with Mars in his castle, but that felt like such a distant past now.

In the past two months, she had been used to suffering and living in danger. This was part of her life now.

Soon, she would start a new chapter in Atlantea.

She couldn't wait to meet the king of Summeria.