The Cursed Prince

Before Harlow even knew it, she and Julian were already traveling across the barren wasteland in search of the portal that led to the underworld. He told her that it was easier to look for it on foot.

Every now and then, Harlow glanced over her shoulder and wondered if some other men would appear and try to attack her. She would have been fooled by this Julian and it would turn out that he was some kind of vagabond, king of the thieves and not an adventurer.

The princess was suspicious of the man's intentions even if they agreed to be friends.

Friends after all knew how to keep secrets from one another.

What was this Julian hiding about himself? Well, Harlow was going to pry it out of him. Compared to anyone else who was more than willing to speak and share their experiences, Julian was silent.

It was something that Harlow was not used to. When she went to Mount Tempest, she knew that the White Witch lived there and also heard the story from her mother. 

When she came to Myreen next? The princess also knew more about King Alexander because of her parents and the man may have hidden a few secrets, but otherwise, they were welcome and open. Harlow's encounter with the Elves was fruitful even though it was annoying.

Gosh, even thinking about them now made her want to roll her eyes again. Ahem.

However, this Julian guy may have been talkative earlier when Harlow locked an arrow at him but now this Adventurer could also hold his tongue well and keep the silence looming between the two of them.

For a princess who talked with Icecube when they were alone, it was unnerving to be silent when there was another person right in front of her!

"I thought we were going to look for the portal somewhere here, so why do you keep looking at me?" Harlow grumbled when she finally caught Julian looking at her.

Julian chuckled. "What? You were the one looking at me first. What's the matter?"

Harlow sighed and walked past him. Then she halted her steps and pointed at him in displeasure. "I don't know anything about you."

"I couldn't say the same for you," Julian muttered underneath his breath but then strolled after her. "But ah yes, you have some questions for me, princess?"

"Could you stop with that?" Harlow grumbled and eyed him severely. Her mother was able to hide the fact that she was a princess before, but now this adventurer kept calling Harlow as one.

Princess this. Princess that. How could she keep her identity a secret from other people they would meet on the road if this man kept calling her princess? Other women might feel flattered if a man, especially a handsome one, called them princess, but not Harlow.

Being a princess came with danger. Bad people who had wicked intentions might get unsavory ideas when they knew who she was. A princess would usually be associated with wealth, luxury, royalty. If a gang of robbers knew they met with a princess, they would want to kidnap her to demand a huge ransom from her family.

Even lower-class noblemen might be tempted to seduce or even force the princess for marriage so that he could get his status elevated by the king.

So, no thank you. 

Harlow crossed her arms on her chest and gave Julian a side-eye.

"So no questions then?" Julian smirked.

"Now that's a different matter!" Harlow huffed at him. She really wanted to shove him because he could act even more like a kid than Alexei. "I want to know how you came across here in the elven realm and why you're going to such a dangerous place like the demons realm."

"I could say the same for you." Julian chuckled. He looked amused by her antics.

"I asked first." Harlow narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Of course." Julian cleared his throat and finally relented. He cast his gaze ahead of them. It was a barren wasteland filled with dead trees and other kinds of plant life incomparable to that of the elven kingdoms. It was inhospitable, but a mountain loomed ahead of them.

"So…? You're not going to say anything?" Harlow raised a brow. "Just an acknowledgment and then not a word to answer my questions?"

Julian glanced over his shoulder and looked at Harlow. "I'm actually just surprised that you want to know about me. But I suppose that's what friends are supposed to do, huh?"

Harlow pursed her lips but then rolled her eyes. "Sure, let's use the friend card here as long as you speak up."

Julian chuckled and then shrugged. "I've already told you that I'm here to look for treasure… but as for the reason I ended up here? Through a portal."

Harlow's lips pressed together thinly. "Now you're just being too on the nose. I mean your origins. Where do you come from? Are you human like me? You don't have any elven features at all."

She tilted her head to double-check that Julian really didn't have any pointy ears. 

Yep. Not an elf.

"Well, I'm from the human realm in a beautiful small but prosperous kingdom," Julian explained. "Before I knew it though, I was already out adventuring and meeting other people."

Harlow listened to him attentively and prompted him to speak more. She couldn't help but wonder what kingdom he spoke of. "People like…?" 

"Well, I've always been interested in witches and warlocks, powerful individuals that are blessed with magic." Julian smiled a little. "My interest lies more in magical artifacts though… Do you know the story about the origin of magic in the human realm?"

Harlow blinked and shrugged. She realized that Julian wasn't from Myreen because that kingdom had a lot of magic. However, the princess came to the conclusion that he must have found a portal and landed up here.

He might be one of those humans who were fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to find such portals and enter another realm.