I Love You, My Cursed Prince

Muriel had several red and swollen marks, and she was very sore, but otherwise she was physically fine.

Mentally, she had wounded herself.

The moment Doctor Bergson declared that she was fine, Muriel hopped up and said she was going to return to Vidar.

"Well, you could do that," the doctor said with raised eyebrows, "but he's likely in his bedchamber now."

"I don't care," Muriel said as she tied her cloak around her shoulders. "I'm going to him."

"Oh well. I'm going to report to Her Highness."

Muriel didn't care about that either. She took a small oil lamp into her hand, marched out of her room, and went all the way to Prince Vidar's quarters by herself. She went to the door at the very end of the hallway, the one that faced the far off entrance to the area.

She knocked on the door.

"Vidar? Vidar?!"

Not even a peep of a reply.

She knocked again. "It's me! Muriel!"

Nothing.

Another knock. "Please! Grant me your permission to enter! I beg of you! I need to apologize to you! I won't be able to sleep nor eat until I've expressed all of my regret to you!!"

Footsteps, furniture being dragged aside, and then there was the sound of a voice. "Muriel? You want to be ... you want to be here? In here with me?"

Muriel's heart lurched at the sad way Vidar had spoken through the door. "Yes! Please! Oh please! I love you so! I adore you so, but I mistreated you! This problem must be mended!"

There was a short moment, a tense moment, where nobody said anything. Muriel ground her teeth together as she waited. Then Vidar spoke again. "You didn't mistreat me. You were frightened."

Shaking her head, Muriel countered with, "But I ran away from you as if you weren't the man with the gentle heart and the loving touch, the man who gave me everything I could ever want! I was cruel, too cruel!!"

"Don't lie to me. I know what I am." A loud, thick sniffing noise, then he asked, "Aren't you injured? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"No, Vidar. I'm fine. Please let me in."

"It's highly improper for you to be in my bedroom," he said as if they hadn't been doing things to each other's genitals nearly every day in the castle.

Muriel decided to put up a bluff. "Oh? You won't let me in? Then I should assume you won't forgive me and your love has died. My presence must be completely useless to you now. I'll go pack my belongings and arrange for a carriage tomorrow."

"No!! Please!! I'll let you in."

The door loudly g.r.o.a.n.e.d as it was pulled inside the bedroom. Muriel walked inside without a second thought.

Typical darkness with some firelight greeted her eyes, but partially hidden behind the open door, there was the tall figure that had scared her. He was in his wrapped cloak, but that horrible head was visible. His eyes followed her movements as if someone else was moving them from behind.

Muriel's lamp and its light quivered with her hand. Her body trembled and she looked down at the floor as Vidar closed the door.