Ellena clenched her jaws when she spilled the information that Mars actually had been wanting to hear for all these months.

But somehow, when he finally received it... the prince didn't feel happy.

How could he feel happy? This secret would cost Ellena her life, and their friendship.

Why...? Why was he so unfortunate that he kept bothering people with his problems and caused them to make a sacrifice for him?

"Ellena.. I didn't ask you to reveal the witch's location..." Mars said with a hoarse voice. "I don't want you to die."

"Well... too late for that," Ellena looked away. She no longer wanted to see the prince. "I have died the moment you chose another woman over me. I don't see the point of living anymore."

"Ellena..." Mars felt his heart sank. "What did the witch do to you? How can I free you for the curse?"

If Ellena was cursed by the witch, now would be his turn to pay back what he owed her. He must do something to free Ellena from Mrs. Morelli's curse.

Ellena sobbed for a long time until her tears went dry.

Lady Preston sat by her bed and touched Ellena's arm lovingly. She tried to coax her niece to talk.

"Ellena, honey... I have promised your mother, my sister, on her deathbed, that I will care for you and make sure you have a good life," she said pleadingly. Tears had dripped down her face uncontrollably. "Please, don't make me carry guilt my whole life to my sister. Let us help you. Don't carry the burden on your own."

Finally, after her aunt begged her to speak, Ellena wiped her tears and said bitterly, "She took my heart as collateral. She said, if I revealed her location and the crown prince came after her, she would crush my heart and I will die. It will only a matter of time before His Highness finds her..."

"She took your heart?" Mars was confused. "How? But you are still alive..."

"She took it with magic and kept it in a box," Ellena bit her lip and, slowly, she unbuttoned the top part of her dress with difficulty.

Everyone held their breaths when she revealed an opening above her left chest. There was a burn mark there, with the symbol of X.

Ellena lowered her head and sobbed again. "I am still alive because she keeps my heart with her. However, as soon as you arrive at her home, she will crush it and then I will die. She said it is my punishment if I betrayed her. Since I already told you where she lives, now I'm as good as dead."

"Oh.. Ellena..." Mars felt his chest was hit by a really hard blow.

"Please... go," Ellena looked away again. "Please... leave me alone."

She refused to look at him when Mars wanted to talk to her.

"Your Majesty... you have got what you're looking for. Now, please... please... I'm begging you, leave my niece alone." Finally, Lady Preston begged the king and the prince to let Ellena rest. "She has nothing else to give you. Please, let her have her peace."

Mars still wanted to talk, but King Jared touched his shoulder and gripped it hard, letting him know that they should go.

"We will let Lady Ellena rest," said his father firmly. He then turned to Duke Preston. "Please, take care of Ellena and don't let anything happen to her. I will provide more protection for your family. I will send General Frey and his Golden Knights"

The duke could only bow his head and thank the king, even though inwardly he knew the king meant the 'protection' as a way to keep his family in check.

General Frey was one of the king's most trusted generals. He had a team of 50 knights under him, called The Golden Knights. King Jared only used them for very important missions.

Knowing that his family was considered an 'important mission' by the king, Duke Preston couldn't help but think King Jared wanted to make sure that the Prestons wouldn't create a commotion in the capital.

After what happened today, and the fact that their family could no longer be bound in a potential marriage, The Prestons might switch loyalty and support King Jared's nephews who had long wanted to take over power.

"Thank you so much for Your Majesty's generosity," said the duke with a fake smile.

King Jared and Mars left the Preston's mansion immediately. They didn't say anything to each other until they arrived back at the royal palace.

"How is Ellena doing?" Queen Ellena asked the two men when she saw them arriving. Seeing their murky faces, she could only assume that something bad had happened.

"Mother..." Mars suddenly hugged his mother and rested his head on her shoulder. At that moment, he was just a son that wanted to find consolation and comfort from his mother.

It felt like the world was against him because it kept giving him one misfortune after another.

Why was it so hard for him to live a normal life? He didn't want to make people get killed just for his sake.

When he was only one day old, so many people died just because they touched him. He had lived with guilt for so long.

Now, his good friend, the person he loved like a sister had to sacrifice so much just to get him his freedom.

If Mars went to find the witch, Ellena would die.

Could he really live with guilt for the rest of his life for causing Ellena's death? He could imagine how much it would eat him slowly from the inside. He would never be happy.

In the end, the witch was right.

"Oh.. what happened, my son?" Queen Elara was stunned when suddenly her adult son looked so dejected and helpless. She rubbed his back lovingly, trying to relieve his burden, even though she didn't know what actually bothered him.

Finally, it was King Jared who spoke and explain the situation to his wife.

"Ellena was cursed by the witch. She took her heart as collateral. If Ellena reveals her location, the witch will crush her heart and Ellena will die," the king said with a sigh. "And that foolish girl said she doesn't want to live anymore because our son chose another woman. So, she has told us where the witch lives."

"What? Did that mean....?" The queen pressed her lips in surprise.

"She will die? Yes," King Jared replied.

"Oh..." Queen Elara felt her knees turn weak.

This was so horrible!

.

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>>>>>

From the author:

I would like to clarify here, Emmelyn loves Mars with all her heart. She will not betray him, and he will not punish her.

However, something will happen that will put them in that dilemma. :)