The Prince's Curse

Chapter 6 - Encounter

Aleksander's well trained eyes caught a flurry of long brown hair, which fell like a curtain around the young woman's shoulders.

Wait.

A woman? And not just any woman.

A very pretty woman, His mind echoed, dumbly.

From the meager light in the alleyway and their close proximity, Aleksander could make out her features clearly. Her face held plump red lips, cute as a button nose, and fiery blue eyes. It was wonderfully framed by messy, brown locks that she aggressively flipped over her shoulder.

This was the oh-so-masterful Ghost? It seemed unlikely to him that such a small woman could create so much chaos.

His thoughts continued onto what she looked like under the cloak, that so religiously hid her body.

Aleksander cursed himself for his thoughts. This is not the time, he reprimanded. He reluctantly focused back on the uncovered assailant.

She yanked away from him with a force he didn't expect. The prince abruptly released his grip on her hood.

The woman's face contorted into a look of severe anger. It seemed almost unusual there, as her soft features made her less intimidating, and more... bunny like. The small child he met earlier seemed more threatening than this girl.

The prince laughed at the thought.

She charged towards him, but Aleksander nimbly side stepped her and managed to gain the upper hand again. Her moves were sloppy, likely clouded by her anger. She fought like a bull seeing a red flag, rushing forward without hesitation. This carelessness gave Aleksander the advantage and knowledge about her. Her apparent calmness was only a veil for the unrest beneath.

He used one large hand to wrap around both her dainty wrists, and secure them behind her back. Her wrists felt warm and fragile and he used them as reigns to yank her back to him.

If her face looked angry before, it was near lethal now. Her bright eyes shone with hatred that he was unaccustomed to.

He leaned in and felt her take a breath.

"Now who's the tough guy? Well, girl, in this case." Aleksander chortled and tugged firmly on her wrists, to remind her of her current situation. The prince enjoyed being an ass, especially to the thief that had caused him such difficulty. 

Instead of responding, she angled her fair face towards him and puckered her lips. For a brief moment, he thought she would kiss him.

And then that moment shattered when he felt a glob if spit land on his face.

"GNK" he cried, releasing her to rub viscously at the wet attack. He didn't know who the thief was or where she'd been. He could practically feel the germs clinging to his perfect skin.  

"You play dirty, thief" he spat, angered. "But then again, I'm not surprised coming from the likes of you."

She narrowed her gaze, but remained silent.

Aleksander knew she was looking for an escape, and realized that she was angling herself towards the exit through the alleyway.

Quickly, he stepped in her path, sufficiently blocking any attempt to leave. He had just found her and was not about to let her escape. Whatever his father was afraid of stemmed from her. He needed answers.

Her heated glare focused on him.

"I'm surprised you even know what dirt looks like, princey. Isn't this your first time out of the castle?" She taunted. "Oh, it's not? Could've fooled me." She cooed with fake sympathy. The thief tilted her head to the side, mimicking a posture of innocence. He could see her taking in faster breaths, the only evidence that she was nervous.

So she's witty, he thought. She knew how to push his buttons, too.

Knowing her aim was to get him angry, cause him to lose his focus and make a mistake, Aleksander took a deep breath.

He inhaled the foul odor of the backway, but also something deliciously flowery.

She smells like roses. And rubies. Sweet and classy, a perfect combination.

The fact that even her smell appealed to him made the prince angry. She was a thief. A criminal. She robbed his own people. No characteristic of her's should've been appealing, but they all were.

All except that sharp mouth of hers.

Or especially that mouth of hers. It drew him in.

What was happening to him?

He shook his thoughts away in time to catch her hands disappearing under her cloak.

In only a moment, they were at her sides again, this time accompanied by two lengthy blades. The silver metal shone dangerously as she maneuvered them protectively in front of her. It was obvious she was no amateur.

He inhaled sharply, ignoring the scent that followed, and stepped back. The narrow alleyway made it difficult to put space between them. Aleksander knew that running wasn't an option, and with her curved blades so close, fighting wasn't one either.

"Ah, so you're a swordsman. Cute."

Apparently she didn't think so, as she swung with an unexpected amount of power for such small arms.

The prince rolled out of the way, and briefly saw one blade arc into the stone wall where his head would've been. The metal clanged loudly on impact.

Maybe if we make enough noise, someone will overhear and come save me. The prince resented needing help but knew it wasn't the time for pride. 

"Wait! Stop! I'm not trying to harm you. I just want to talk." He pleaded. Fighting didn't seem like an option. It wouldn't achieve anything and he was weaponless, whereas she was a double-sword wielding goddess. He needed to defuse the situation.

"Too late." She growled and swung repeatedly at him.

He retreated step by step to avoid being sliced in half, his shoes squeaking against the rough road.  A sense of dread washed over him as he felt his back hit a wall.

The Prince closed his eyes, resting his head against the cold cobblestone behind him. His mind was running a mile a minute, he couldn't possibly think of a way to get out.

The ring of the sword sounded as it flew towards him, ready to take his life. It ripped into his jacket, into his shirt that he so meticulously chose, before...

Hitting stone?

Aleksander peeled his eyes open, and saw she hadn't aimed for any part of him, but rather pinned his clothing, and thus him, to the wall.

"Next time, I won't be so nice." And with that, she backtracked and ran, disappearing into the dark.

Next update coming tomorrow! (5/25/22)