The Prince's Curse

Chapter 9

Angry, frustrated, and tired, the prince was a force to be reckoned with. He no longer felt exhilaration pumping through his veins. Just bone tired. The thief's goal may have been to deter him off his course, but if anything, the encounter increased his will to find her.

He would find her.
Or he wouldn't stop trying.

Darkness has enveloped the kingdom by the time Aleksander arrived at the castle's stable. As most of the staff had left for the night, the prince brought Jon Jon back to the stables  himself, and began to wash and fed him.

Jon Jon was equally as tired as his rider, so he didn't protest when Aleksander brought a wet sponge to his back, and began to rub in small circles.

Being so lost in thought, Aleksander didn't realized he was creating the same circles that the thief made when he confronted her. It was only because of her circles that he was able to get the upper hand at all.
He laughed at the thought of him tripping her.
She was so mad

Jon Jon yawned, gathering Aleksander attention. He finished the wash quickly and smiled in satisfaction when the horse's cost gleamed. Jon Jon was truly a beautiful horse, and Aleksander thanked his lucky stars that he was able to have him as a loyal companion. As if sensing his rider's thoughts, Jon Jon nuzzled Aleksander sleeve. The prince gave one affectionate pat to the its mane, before setting off towards the castle.

Aleksander felt slightly worried, when the large doors of the place grew in size as he got closer. He looked a mess; his shirt ripped, smelling like horse and sweat, and dirt caked his skin. Once his father heard of this, he would surely have an aneurysm.

That's not the image of a future King! he imagined his father would say.

For a moment, Aleksander felt envious of the thief. She only followed her own rules, had no responsibilities. Just her and her will. Must be nice, he thought.

Arriving at the oak wood doors, Aleksander slowly pulled at the handle of one, as to not make any noise. He'd almost succeeded in slipping in quietly, but the massive wood gave a resonating thud as it shut behind him.

Damnit. Cautiously, the prince surveyed the room for any possible in lookers. In this moment, He felt strangely like a thief. In another life, maybe he would be her partner in crime.
But he was a prince and she was a criminal.

Would he ever get her out of his mind?

Footsteps sounded in the room next to him, probably coming to check who entered. Quickly, Aleksander ran up the steps to his room, taking each two at a time.

He'd felt the same thick carpet under his feet, saw the same luxurious rooms, smelt the expensive perfume of the throngs of woman that occupied the castle during the day. It now felt more of an annoyance to him then anything.

What was happening to him?

Aleksander arrived at his room in record time. He threw the heavy doors open to finally have some peace, when he spotted a figure waiting on his bed.

His heart leaped to his throat for a moment, immediately thinking it was a particular girl that had plagued his mind all day. Alas, his green eyes met ones of the same color.

The King of Glendale was seated in all his glory.

"If you returned any later, I would've sent out a search party." This time, the King voice wasn't sharp or reprimanding, but soft. The gentle emotion looked strange on the weathered King. His eyes scanned the princes ripped attire but didn't comment. Even his eyes held no emotion.

"I apologize, I didn't realize you were waiting for me." Alexander felt more confused then apologetic. The King hadn't visited his quarters since Aleksander was a child. What did he want?

"How is you investigation coming?" his father queried. Again, held only softness in his tone.

Aleksander first instinct was to report his encounter to his father, so he could be supplied with the resources to finally catch her.

But his tongue stuck to his mouth. The silly squabble with the girl felt strangely sacred. He didn't want to expose it to his father, have it ripped apart and investigated for clues she might've left.

He felt his mouth say "not much yet. Thought I saw someone, but it was a futile chase". Aleksander gestured towards his messy person, as if this was the result of a fruitless chase.

The King nodded once, before looking away. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't. His quiet demeanor made Aleksander uncomfortable. The King shuffled and rose from his seated posture.

"Okay. Keep me updated. Good night." With that, he turned and exited Aleksander room.

What. The. Hell

Dead tired, the young prince didn't have the energy to analyze what just happened. With only his thoughts left, Aleksander robotically went on with his night routine.

He'd barely felt the heat of the shower and tasted the mint from his toothpaste. He felt drained.

Lying on fresh midnight sheets, Aleksander allowed himself to succumb to the dark, unaware of a set of blue eyes watching from the distance.

                                  ———————-     
Who else sleep with a water bottle next to their bed?
How's the story going?
What do you think the King knows?
Thoughts?
See you soon!