I Love You, My Cursed Prince

Princess Arya left to watch over the construction site and make sure all the workers there were doing well, but she did pop in from time to time to make sure Muriel wasn't falling apart under all this new pressure.

And this was certainly a job with pressure. Muriel personally helped everyone hand out food, and people tended to want a lot of food. Sometimes she had to look at a mother with a small child and say, "No, I'm sorry, but that's all I can give you today."

There was a distressing moment after a teenage looking boy showed up with no family. Muriel wondered if he was an orphan. She gave him a wrapped package of food and advised him to go to Princess Arya at the construction site. He might be able to find work there, perhaps even a home with one of the workers. But soon after he walked away from the queue, she saw a bigger teenager grab the first by his shirt's collar behind a building. Muriel immediately called for three of the men who worked for her to investigate.

Some minutes later, the men returned with the bigger teenager's arms in their hands. He had tried to take the smaller boy's food via physical force. Muriel recognized him. She had given him a package of food only fifteen minutes beforehand. Fortunately, thanks to the men's help, that smaller boy was able to escape with his food.

Muriel ended up making quite a scene in front of everyone. She yelled at the bigger teenager for the longest time. Then she beat his backside with a thick, wooden baking peel.

This program went on for quite a few days. Muriel was often sad because she didn't get to spend as much time with Prince Vidar as normal. Sometimes it would be quite dark by the time she'd return to the castle. Still, she told herself she had no right to complain. She was a person of certain privileges. She had all the food in the world and a safe place to live. She also had some flashy luxuries.

These unfortunate people needed help, and she was more than willing to give up her time for as long as required.

One day, a large group of people with their own construction supplies and food arrived at the site, along with some soldiers and the Crown Prince himself. Muriel was shocked to see the nearly bombastic man. He marched on over to the food stalls with soldiers behind him, a conceited smirk on his face. Prince Emil gave Muriel a little bow, and he took an envelope from his bright coat's pocket. The king's wax seal was on it. He opened the envelope and read the message inside.

"By the order of His Majesty, these workers have been sent to assist the neediest in Matas. They will not leave until the new houses have been completely built and the poorest can move into them."

Muriel tried to keep her eyes down as she gave the prince a curtsy and said, "I'm pleased to see that His Highness is well, and I'm honored to know that His Majesty has kindly sent men to help us." Her fingers were stiff, however, and her belly clenched.

She heard Princess Arya's skirts flutter and her voice ring out, "Emil! What are you doing here, Boy?!" Muriel looked up and saw the princess running over to the scene.

Prince Emil bowed to his mother and said, "I'm performing a little task at my father's request."

Princess Arya snatched the doc.u.ment from her son's hand and rapidly scanned the words with her impatient eyes. "Oh," she said very coldly, "that's very thoughtful of him, I suppose, and with more workers the construction will move along much more quickly." She handed the paper back to her son. "But there's no need for you to remain here for more than a day. We're perfectly capable of handling things here."

"I'd never insult my dear mother by implying she isn't capable," Prince Emil said with words that could have fit well with the tones of light harp music, "but Father has demanded that I stay here and oversee the work. If anything turns sour, then I'll be harshly blamed."

Princess Arya stepped right beside Muriel and took her arm. "Who am I to order a king about, then? I'll leave you to all this so I can return to the comforts of home. Come, Muriel."

Muriel didn't have a choice but to go with her mistress, but if she had been given the choice she would've still gone with her. There was the morbid temptation to look back at the prince, similar to the brief feeling of wanting to jump when one stands close to a ridiculously high spot. Muriel's head twitched as she resisted the feeling. There was danger in that man. She could sense it. The fact that his own mother seemed to dislike him was proof enough for her.