The Cursed Prince

When Maxim and Emmelyn arrived in the dining room, they were astonished to see the people who were waiting for them. They had met Myrcella Leoralei, who was supposed to be in her seventies, but still looked like a woman in her mid-thirties.

And since she said in the dinner they would meet King Alexander, Maxim and Emmelyn could only guess that the man she was with was the king himself.

It was so hard to imagine this man was Elise's father because he looked much younger than they thought.  Alexander Leoralei looked like he was only in his early thirties, just like his mother.

Maxim chided himself for being surprised. If Alexander Leoralei was as powerful as his mother, then it shouldn't be surprising that he could also defy aging like Myrcella.

King Alexander looked young, handsome, and charismatic. His hair was light brown, went down to his broad shoulder.

His face looked similar to his mother's, making them look almost like siblings. Both had big round eyes, bright like emeralds, with tall noses and thin lips.

His eyes in particular reminded Emmelyn of Elise's eyes from the painting she saw earlier that day. Now she realized that even though Elise took after her mother's appearance, she got her father's eyes.

Emmelyn was mesmerized when she saw the two royalties, thinking they made such a beautiful family. If Elise was present, the three of them would definitely become a sight to behold, the three generations of Leoraleis who looked just like siblings.

"Welcome to Myreen," the king nodded at them and greeted Maxim and Emmelyn. "Please have a seat."

King Alexander's voice sounded tired. He motioned them to take a seat and the servants immediately opened chairs for the two guests. Upon closer look, Emmelyn and Maxim could see the king's face looked really pale.

They realized this man was really sick as told by Tides. Both wondered what illness did he have and why Elise thought she could help her father to get well - when the powerful king and queen dowager themselves didn't even seem able to do anything about King Alexander's illness.

"Your Majesty," Maxim and Emmelyn greeted the king respectfully.

Maxim bowed down his head slightly and Emmelyn curtseyed. When their chairs were opened, they took a seat immediately, across from each other.

King Alexander sat at the head of the table, and his mother at the other end, with Emmelyn and Maxim on each side. Soon, servants came and went to bring them dishes after dishes as they started the sumptuous dinner.

"How is your mother doing?" King Alexander opened the conversation after they finished the appetizer. His voice was soft, indicating his weak condition. "It's been an awfully long time."

"She is unwell," Maxim replied politely. "I don't think she has a lot more time."

His bluntness seemed to surprise the older king. However, King Alexander still acted calmly. He motioned them to drink their wine, while he sipped his water. "It's a shame that Maude never returned here after my wife died. She used to bring you here."

"I don't remember that," Maxim admitted. "It's quite unfortunate because Myreen is really beautiful. I would have loved to have the memory of my previous visits."

"Maybe it's for the best," King Alexander replied softly.

Servants came with their next dishes and they continued eating. King Alexander seemed like a really warm man and he asked a lot of questions about Maxim and his family. His attitude gave Emmelyn hope that this man was really as kind as what Maxim's mother said.

Queen Maude Ashborn insisted that the Leoraleis were the kindest people she had ever met. Well... maybe she was right.

"We heard that you are currently sick," Maxim asked the king's health out of politeness. "Is there anything we can help, Your Majesty? We have the best physicians in Summeria. I would gladly send some of them to check on your condition and see if there is something that we can do to help."

King Alexander shook his head. "Thank you, but unfortunately there is nothing you can do. I made a mistake in really important training and hurt myself."

King Alexander spoke in vague words and made Maxim realize that the king didn't intend to share with him about what happened.

Maybe it had something to do with his training as a magic user which Maxim knew nothing about, so the king didn't elaborate. Or maybe he just didn't want to answer Maxim's question. It was hard to guess.

Actually, Maxim was interested in knowing why Elise disappeared and Myrcella said the girl thought she could help her father.

Did Elise go to look for the cure for King Alexander's injury? He was wondering. What could she do? She was just a girl.

However, Maxim didn't ask the question. He actually tried to avoid talking about Elise while Emmelyn was around. He already promised her that he wouldn't marry his fiancee.

"We are sorry to hear that, Your Majesty. I hope you can recover soon." Maxim finally replied. 

"Thank you. Did you get enough rest just  now?" King Alexander asked back. "Is there anything you think lacking in your chambers?"

"No, all are good, Your Majesty," Maxim said with a smile. "We both had plenty of rest and the chambers are really beautiful."

"That's good."

"We already met Her Grace, Queen Myrcella, earlier today and we had a small chat about the purpose of our visit this time." Maxim decided it was time to talk about the reason he and Emmelyn ended up in Myreen. "Did she tell you about it?"

King Alexander nodded. "She did."

The man was silent for a few moments, trying to find the right words. "Unfortunately, my answer will be the same as my mother's answer. The protection spell can only be canceled by the person who cast it. You are nineteen years too late."

His expression turned gloomy. The king also didn't beat around the bush and immediately told Maxim what he wanted to know.

It was another dead end.

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Sorry for the delay in publishing this chapter. I've got so much work to do. I will publish more chapters later ^^.

PS: My daughter's Roblox account is finally recovered! Phew.... that's a relief.