The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

Paulina had a shy smile on her face as she walked into the painting room that morning, and Williams' lips twitched with a smile as he watched her.

"Good morning, my lor..." Williams cleared his throat to stop her.

"What did we agree on?"

Paulina knew what he was talking about, so she didn't bother to play ignorant. "Good morning, Wil...Iams," she said without meeting his gaze, and he smiled before nodding his head.

"Good morning, Paulina. Did you sleep well?" He asked, and she bobbed her head as she went to sit down on her spot while Williams did the same.

For most of the night, and ever since he woke up, the only thought plaguing his mind was Paulina's slip the previous day. Not because the Queen would be interested in this kind of information, but because he was just very curious to know and understand what was going on. Was Princess Amber truly a princess? Because thus far, there was nothing princess-like about her behavior, and judging by what Susan had pointed out, it seemed like she desperately wanted to be banished from the moon kingdom, and he couldn't understand why.

He knew that there was no way he could ask Paulina that question since it would only alarm her and cause her to run back into her shell, and he didn't want that.

"How much longer do we have before the portrait is ready?" Williams asked curiously as she continued the painting from where she stopped the previous day.

"I will finish it by tomorrow," Paulina said, and he nodded.

"Would you like to keep coming here to paint with me?" He asked, and Paulina's hand faltered as she remembered her conversation with her mistress earlier on.

Earlier, when she had gone to Alicia's chamber to report, as she always did once she woke up in the morning, Alicia had asked her about her relationship with Williams and what she was always going to do in the painting room, even after the portrait had been completed.

"He wanted me to make a portrait of him since he let me use his room and materials," Paulina had explained, feeling uncomfortable since she could tell there was more to the question, judging by her tone.

"And what do you both talk about when you're in there? Or don't you talk to each other?" Alicia had asked curiously.

"He... talks, and I listen."

"Do you think he likes you?" Alicia had asked, making her snap her head up to look at her in horror.

That was impossible. She could not even imagine it. She was a servant and he was from the royal family! How could he like someone like her?

"He... doesn't, Milady." She said confidently, but lowered her head when Alicia's scrutinizing gaze refused to leave her face.

"What about you? You don't like him as a man?" Alicia had further asked, but Paulina had been unable to respond to that question since she didn't know what it meant to like a person as a man. It wasn't like she could like him as a woman, could she?

"Tsk. You're so innocent and naive," Alicia said with a shake of her head when she realized that Paulina didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Make sure you let me know if he makes any advances on you, okay? I have to guide you as a big sister, so you don't make any mistakes," Alicia had said before changing the subject and telling her about the trip she was planning for all five of them, making her very excited that she had thought about including her together with the other royal women. How was she ever going to repay her mistress for this love?

Well, she had to start by keeping her lips sealed and making sure there was no slip up on her part.

"Would you?" Williams repeated when Paulina didn't respond to his question, pulling her out of her reverie.

"Would you like to keep coming here to paint with me?" He repeated when he noticed she wasn't catching up with what he had asked earlier.

"What... would I be painting?" Paulina asked with a slight frown.

"You will be teaching me how to paint like you," Williams said.

She shook her head immediately before bowing.

"Milord, I... am not worthy to teach you. I believe... you can get any reputable painter of your choice to help you do that and not a lowly maid like me."

He moved closer to her, making her want to step back, but she didn't and remained rooted on the spot, but it was proving difficult when he continued to advance and stopped right in front of her.

He reached for her chin with his hand and raised it so she could look up at his face.

"Yes, I can get any painter of my choice. And I want you," he said while looking directly into her eyes.

Paulina's heartbeat skyrocketed as she kept eye contact with him. She could not keep up with it and shut her eyes, hoping he would go away. Thankfully, he let go of her chin and returned to his position.

"Your heart beats really loudly," he noted.

In panic, she pressed her hand to the left side of her chest, as if trying to stop it from beating while apologizing profusely.

He looked at her in amusement before returning to his seat. After he sat down, he asked her, "So... what do you say?"

Paulina was not sure if this was a good idea. She would like to ask her mistress first, but judging by Williams' expression, he wanted an answer immediately.

Coming to this painting room daily had saved her from all those difficult chores and hardships she usually endured since the other maids always looked down on her and hardly talked to her. It was better if she continued since he seemed like her only friend in this kingdom, and this was the only time she got to talk with him. He had also saved her life. The least she could do was do this. Right?

"I will," she said in a very low voice that he almost missed, but he didn't.

Williams smiled and nodded as he said, "Good."

With that, Paulina resumed the painting, and neither of them said a word until Williams broke the silence and asked cautiously, "If you had a chance to return to your kingdom, would you go?"

Paulina paused and raised her head to look at him, wondering why he was asking her such a question again when she had already told him that she preferred to stay wherever her mistress was? Was there something he wanted to know?

"No."

"Why not?"

"My mistress is happy here, and I want to stay here with her," Paulina responded.

Williams' brow arched when she said that.

"She is happy here?" He asked, surprised. Considering that, like Susan, he thought Princess Amber wanted to be banished.

"Yes," Paulina said with a nod. Even though her mistress kept insisting on running away, she knew that this was also the happiest she had seen her. Her mistress was full of life and more caring now than she could have said before they got here.

"I see," Williams said to himself, causing her to look at him warily.

His sudden interest in all this was beginning to make her suspicious. She decided she was going to tell her mistress about this so she would be sure what she was supposed to say.

*********

Princess Luciana looked like she was reading a book, but in reality, she was lost in her thoughts.

This morning, her personal maid informed her that the trio—Susan, Amber, and Tyra—had spent the night together.

Usually, she wasn't the type to care about useless things like this, but hearing that piece of information made her heart feel heavy. What was it that she felt? Sadness? Loneliness? Jealousy?

"What are you thinking about, Milady?" Her maid asked behind her.

"Is it all worth it?" She said more to herself than to her maid.

The only person she had was her husband. The king didn't favour her, the queen looked down on her. Tyra didn't like her, and honestly, she didn't like the girl either. Susan was even worse, and Prince Harold was, well, Prince Harold.

Now, there was a new member in the family. Someone she was supposed to hate. How long was this whole thing going to continue? At this rate, she was never going to have a friend for the rest of her life. And the worst part of everything was that she had not been able to bear a child. If she had had a child, it would have been more bearable for her and maybe they wouldn't all favour Alicia over her, right?

With a heavy sigh, she turned around to leave the library and go find her husband to comfort her. Unfortunately, he was with his mother. She had wanted to leave, but something kept her rooted in the spot, listening to their conversation.