Once Upon a Tale

Chapter 24: Maledictions

"I really feel like the gift is also the curse. It's always half-and-half. Whatever brings you the most joy will also probably bring you the most pain. Always a price to pay."
~Alice Hoffman~

Seeing him up close makes his ethereal beauty clearer. His features getting more prominent. The golden area highlighting his handsome self. He's like an angel that fell from heaven. The reason of his downfall unknown.

His eyes pierced mine and I remained motionless as his eyes seemed to suck my soul inside the dark abyss of his orbs.

His eyes doesn't hold any light. Even the golden lights doesn't make any shine. They were as dark as the sky before a storm. As black as a raven's feather.

His eyes doesn't stare, it glares.

I wonder if his soul is also as dark as his eyes?

His eyes portray nothingness. So much distinct to my lover's eyes. While Jungkook's eyes show you the wonders of the galaxies, Taehyung's eyes show you the black holes in the universe that would lead you to who knows where.

Kim Taehyung slowly raised his left hand, long slender fingers approaching my face calculatedly. His hands froze mid-air near my cheek because of a sudden intrusion.

"Prince Taehyung. Spare her some mercy. She doesn't know what she's doing." A calm steady voice pleaded from behind me followed by approaching footsteps.

I didn't removed my gaze from the youngest prince nor did he moved away from me. We just continued staring at each other without blinking like two teenagers caught up in a staring contest until the footsteps stopped and someone yanked me away from the youngest prince.

Looking away from Taehyung's captivating gaze, my eyes met with a familiar broad back covered in a familiar white noble clothing.

"She's an outsider, my prince. She's my responsibility. I apologize for letting her roam around without telling her where are the areas of restriction. Please understand, my prince." The sorcerer apologized his eyes trying to make contact with the prince's eyes.

However, Taehyung's eyes never left my form. He was still glaring at me through his lashes when he spoke, his words having me overwhelmed.

"She's forgiven in one condition. She shall have dinner with me tonight. If she doesn't come, I expect you'll know what kind of consequences she shall face." The youngest prince stated, breaking eye contact, giving the sorcerer a subtle glance before turning his back to the both of us.

The sorcerer gave a subtle bow to the youngest prince. "As you wish, my prince. She'll be having tonight's dinner with you." Then I was pulled away, my feet involuntarily walking towards the direction the sorcerer is guiding me to.

We passed several hallways, had a few right and left turns, in silence, the sorcerer not uttering a single word neither do I. After some time, we reached a seemingly old golden double doors. He reached his free hand forward, the doors opening even though his hands didn't reach the handles. The doors also closed, locking itself like it has a mind of its own.

The sorcerer let go of the hand he's holding and faced me, a serious expression plastered in his face.

"Why did you get inside the beast's dungeon?"

I shrugged in response causing the sorcerer to raise a brow. He looked at me intently and I put my lips in a thin line before speaking.

"The crowned prince was being eccentric so I ran away from him. Like your reason earlier, I didn't know anything about this place. So I didn't know that Taehyung's place is called a beast's dungeon nor did I know where are the areas of restriction."