I Love You, My Cursed Prince

Muriel pressed her hands together as she stared at the woman and tried to think of something to say.

But the princess held up a hand. "Don't strain yourself." The hand lowered. "I imagine you'd like to confront me." Was she ... was she smiling? That might not be good. "You don't trust me. I appreciate that. Trust is far too valuable to blindly give away."

Muriel wanted to nod. She didn't nod. She also wanted to shake her head. She didn't do that either.

The princess said, "You want the truth, and that's understandable, but this is a private matter. I'd rather discuss this with you and nobody else. Would you be willing to sit in a room with me, alone?"

Muriel had done that many, many times before, but now ...

"Your hesitation is reasonable, Muriel, but please consider this. I've been working on your reputation. I've invested my own funds into your well-being. Harming you would result in harming myself. And although you don't trust me, I trust you."

"Huh?" Muriel's face shriveled in confusion.

Princess Arya turned around, but she looked back at her. Her face's profile was in a dark silhouette. "I'm going to my favorite sitting room, the one where we first had tea. Come."

Muriel frowned, but she was highly interested. So, she took her candle and followed the princess.

Inside the sitting room, the two women stood close to each other in a corner. Their lights were on a small table.

And Muriel listened.

"Once I tell you this, you'll be bound. I won't let you out of my hand. If you betray us ... my son and myself ... if you betray us I'll do everything within my power to destroy you."

A branching path. Muriel was a few steps away from being unable to return to normalcy. She suċkėd her lower lip behind her teeth, looked down at her hardly visible skirt, and released a shuddering breath. "I have no reason to betray you, do I? What meal have you refused me? What wound have you put in my flesh? What cell have you thrown me into? Which of my family members have you ruined? The same questions should be applied to His Highness. Distrust and abuse are two different concepts, and I will never blend them together."

"You're quite predictable, but I felt it was fitting to give you a warning, regardless."

Muriel looked back up to the princess. Her eyes were so dark. "Madam?"

Princess Arya continued. "Doctor Bergson is outside this room's door. You might not have noticed him," and Muriel certainly didn't, "but he's there, keeping watch in case a servant lurks around." She shrugged and her lips twitched as if she thought that piece of information was funny but she didn't want Muriel to sense her amusement. "Today, I noticed that you seemed to look at the eyehole in the library. I wondered if you'd be determined enough to investigate it, even if you were exhausted. You impressed me, Muriel."

So ... the princess had worn her out on purpose? Muriel wanted to holler at her, but she kept quiet for fairly obvious reasons.