The Cursed Prince

"Harlow!"

The princess looked over her shoulder and saw nobody around, it was just herself in this vast room of nothingness. She thought she was hallucinating.

Perhaps, this chamber was magical and could scare would-be thieves by giving them hallucinations? She thought it was not beneath Raphael to do something like this.

However, soon she heard the voice again and recognized who it was at last. She rolled her eyes.

"Wifey! Where are you?!" Raphael's voice echoed all across the place and started to shake even the Magic Closet.

Harlow dashed out of the secret room and rushed back to the chamber belonging to the Demon King. She would come across the man seated with a terribly bothered look at his face that only eased up when he saw her.

Before Raphael could say anything, Harlow beat him to it.

"I was looking for the bathroom and went out. I did not realize that you had the ability to scream and ruin my eardrums." Harlow glowered at him but softened a bit when she realized that he looked a bit bothered. She raised an eyebrow and asked him, "What's wrong?"

Raphael smiled sadly and shrugged."I had a bad nightmare and then woke up without you by my side."

"You should have expected that." Harlow batted her eyes. "Didn't I tell you that I wanted to sleep in my room anyway?"

"Still… since you said that you were going to the bathroom, it simply means that you had every intention to return here right?" Raphael mused aloud. "Don't be shy to admit it. I like a forward woman."

Harlow bit her tongue but eventually said. "I don't know. When I heard you calling for me, what kind of person wouldn't come running here to make you stop shouting? Did the entire castle hear you call for me?"

"Are you curious if my magic could trace where you are exactly in my castle?" Raphael raised a brow. 

Harlow remained expressionless. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

"On the contrary, I would never do anything like that." Raphael held a hand on his chest and faked an expression of being wronged. Harlow was really tempted to pinch his cheeks and remove that expression. This man seemed so playful and treated everything like games. 

Before she acted on her impulse, Raphael cleared his throat and said, "However, I really didn't expect that it would take you so long to find a bathroom. How many rooms did you enter and did you actually manage to find a restroom?"

Harlow sighed inwardly and knew that Raphael was on to her. She padded towards his bed and then plopped down on the corner of the bed because she realized that she didn't want to give him answers that would raise his suspicions. 

The princess crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. Harlow studied his expression and put on her best poker face. She decided to change the topic. "Geez. I didn't realize that you were such a cry baby. Do you want me to listen to your nightmare so you can go back to sleep?"

Raphael blinked at her sudden interest and then averted his gaze. He touched his horns and then shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary. My worries have been relieved since you are here with me."

"Are you sure?" Harlow pursed her lips and then moved closer to him. It seemed like he wasn't swayed by her offer and so the princess needed to distract him again. She eventually sat only an inch away from him and sighed aloud. "I happen to be a very good listener."

Raphael smiled and leaned back against his bed rest. "Do not force yourself to listen to me when I am sure that you hold no interest whatsoever. Instead, since I am awake, how about we discuss something instead? Would you like another jug of wine?"

"NO!" Harlow frowned at him and remembered this demon shamelessly kissing her lips when he was… drunk. "If this is another attempt of yours at stealing my lips then it's a bad attempt. It's better that you go to sleep."

"Ah, but I can't go back to sleep." Raphael chuckled faintly. "How about I discuss the rooms here in my residence? I have certain favorites that I am actually excited to show to you tomorrow if you would allow me."

"What?" Harlow felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest. "Favorite rooms?"

Raphael nodded. "Indeed. There are certain things that I have particularly enjoyed and found myself fascinated with when I used to walk among countless realms. I am sure that you have already seen the royal gardens, haven't you?"

"Is it similar to the famous garden in Myreen?" Harlow bit her lip and wondered if the man actually knew which rooms she ended up visiting. Would the Demon King be angered if he realized that she was near his priceless treasure?

"Yes, yes, that's right." Raphael smiled. "I take it that you have visited the beautiful gardens of Myreen? The growth of the plants isn't linked to me however and are tended by my demon servants. They are great gardeners."

Harlow remembered seeing two demon gardeners earlier that day. So, those were the ones tending the beautiful garden, huh?

"I see…" the princess said.

Harlow realized that the best thing she could do was say as little as possible and hope that this man would immediately fall asleep. Why was he making small talk with her? Shouldn't he be feeling drowsy even after the nightmare?

"Which library do you prefer?" Raphael asked.

"Pardon?" Harlow's eyes bulged for a moment.

"I am not all too familiar with Draecian Libraries as compared to Summeria's Archelaus Library, but I am aware that both of them have a very sizable book collection. Both of them are great libraries, after all." Raphael chuckled.

Harlow almost felt like she was being toyed with and yet she could be mistaken. She crossed her arms over her chest and said. "I have never been to the one in Summeria. I mean, I did, but I was too young back then."

"Ah, is that so?" Raphael raised a brow. "Well, I have to admit that while these two grand libraries are amazing in their vast titles, it is incomparable to…"

"Your libraries?" Harlow couldn't help but say and then bit her tongue down. Somehow, Raphael's voice was extremely soothing and when he ended up trailing off in a sentence, you couldn't help but add a word or two.

Was this how he tricked potential people into agreeing with him?

The Demon King's eyes flickered a little and he chuckled. "I was about to say they are incomparable to the God of Knowledge's own room for knowledge and wisdom, but I suppose it is easy for you to assume that I would boast about my own collection?"

Harlow only stared at a flower petal on the bed and pretended like it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Sweat dripped down her temple and she focused on maintaining a relaxed expression.

Fuck. Did he know she visited his libraries? Was that why he suddenly talked about library?

.

.

__________________

Harlow be like.... (see paragraph comment).