Chapter 3: Ariel

Roxanne stared at him for a while. His aura was one that demanded respect, his icy blue eyes bored into hers but yet she couldn't see his face.

He was wearing a mask.

One that covered his face so completely that it looked like he had draped some essence of night and shadow around him. His inky black hair managed to cascade down his back in straight silken strands. His hands had gloves on them and he even wore black boots.

Everything about him seemed dark.

Roxanne found herself walking back, scared by just his presence.

Behind that mask could be a scary face. The rumors she had heard made her know it was a face she wouldn't want to see. She turned to leave, telling herself that she had never met him, she didn't want to ever meet him.

"Everything will be just fine. I just have to get out of here."

Roxanne couldn't help the effect he had on her, it made her even more scared than she had anticipated. When she saw that no one was chasing her anymore, she decided to walk freely in the less populated paths of the market.

She suddenly had her wrist roughly grabbed by someone and, like their earlier meeting had left a mental imprint on her, she immediately knew who it was.

"Please, just let me go," she pleaded, her voice trembling.

She noticed that everyone around her was quiet, no one was calling her the traitor's daughter, but yet their gaze was filled with killing intent.

"You are coming with us," one of the men who had held her captive said.

They started dragging Roxanne towards the outskirts of the village. 

Roxanne paled as she realised where they were headed.

The forests. 

Roxanne pleaded and begged, she cried and screamed, but all of it was to no avail. At some point she stopped struggling, she had finally come to her end.

"Let go of her."

Roxanne heard the most alluring and intoxicating voice she had ever heard in all her life. She frantically turned her head to see the owner of the voice and it was no one else but the man whose presence sent cold shivers down her spine.

She heard some exclaims of fright and as she was roughly dropped on the floor, she noticed that all the men who once had her in their predatory grip had scurried away. 

Leaving her alone. With him.

She stared at the man with the mask on his face.

Gossip about him was always going on in every corner of the kingdom.

The cursed prince.

She remembered the words of her coworker under Lord Alex. When she had told Roxanne about the mysterious man who had lived for many years in a haunted castle, alone and with no one else to keep him company, Roxanne had laughed and wrote it all off as useless gossip.

The way Loeille had described the man had made Roxanne actually feel scared, but looking at him right now, made her even more scared than she had anticipated.

She never expected him to have an aura that made her mind go numb and unable to think.

She stood still, unable to move her wobbly feet. She felt she was going to faint at any moment from now.

She noticed the cursed prince had his fist tightly clenched. This made her even more scared.

 "Leave" he commanded. 

His voice was husky.

Roxanne felt an unknown boldness rise up in her. The urge to go closer to him and appreciate him was overwhelming. She couldn't leave, but neither could she move forward towards him.

She drew in a few deep breaths before she started walking towards him.

The prince's mask obscured most of his face but not his eyes and his eyebrows.  Roxanne could see confusion in those eyes and the cursed prince had cocked an eyebrow at her, almost like he was surprised by her boldness.

"I said leave" his voice sounded hoarse. and shaky? Was he panicking?

Roxanne was ready to get closer to him, she wanted to see his face. She didn't know what was pulling her to him, but boy did it pull her. It was almost like she knew that the man in front of her was a burning flame, but she was a moth drawn to that flame. She wanted to reach out and touch those flames.

 She felt her heart beating insanely fast. She wanted to remain calm, but she couldn't no matter what. She felt so scared, but still, she took a step further towards him, and another, and another, all her hopes set on reaching out and touching him.

 "What are you doing?".

She heard his voice closely this time, it was full of confusion, like he was scared.

Roxanne stood right in front of him, close enough that she could smell the scent of something old coming off him, she could see the silken strands of his hair. He had a physique that made her feel small as he towered above her and she decided that she wanted to see his face.

She needed to see his face.

Roxanne reached out and just when she was about to touch his mask, the prince held her hand, stopping her from achieving her aim.

"Don't do that, you will regret it." 

His tone was dark and deadly and just like that, Roxanne snapped out of the trance-like state she had fallen into and her knees went weak. She fell to the floor.

She noticed some of the townspeople had come to watch. They stood at a safe distance. She noticed the sinister smiles curving on their lips.

She gathered her strength and she stood up. She looked directly at the dark prince, he looked like something that rode out of hell on a dark and deadly night, but yet, as she looked into his eyes, she was able to see the pain behind those blue eyes. She felt hurt.

She immediately composed herself and turned to leave. She decided she had already gotten enough of this horrible town.

She heard some people burst out in silent laughter. She turned to look at the girls who were laughing at her. She noticed the deadly glare directed at the ladies by the dark prince too. The silence was so immediate you would think these people had grown up silent.

She desperately wanted to go back to him and appreciate his efforts, but again something withheld her from doing so.

She turned back.

Roxanne found herself walking back to the prince to appreciate him for saving her. She could say thank you at least, but before she could even reach him, he had started walking away.

Roxanne watched as he hopped onto his horse and she quickened her footsteps.  

 "Please wait" she called out. 

The prince stopped to look at her. Even with the mask on his face, anyone could tell from his body language that he was a little baffled by her actions. Or annoyed. His immaculate shoulders were slouched.

"I... I would like to say thank you for what you did back there", Roxane stuttered, feeling small under his intense gaze.

The Prince nodded, without a word.

He was about to kick his horse when Roxanne remembered that she was still yet to know his name, his real name that is. She didn't think the title of the cursed prince was his real name.

"What's your name?".

Roxanne watched as he cocked his head to the side slightly.

"I don't think you want to know my name." His tone was now a bit gentle and he was looking at her intently. Roxanne felt the decision harden in her.

"I'd like to know".

The prince stared at her in silence for a while before he answered.

"My name is Ariel".

Roxanne watched as he immediately kicked his horse and left, riding fast along the town paths.

Prince Ariel.