***

Emmelyn looked at the potion in the small glass bottle in her hand, feeling distraught. Mrs. Adler had left hours ago. Now, she was alone with her thoughts.

Emmelyn tried to clear her mind by sitting by the windows in her chamber and looked at the beautiful garden outside. All the flowers planted by their gardeners were all blooming in full force. It was in the middle of spring and the whole world came to life.

But somehow, Emmelyn felt her world was slowly dying.

She could really feel deep sympathy for her husband now that she was at his side of the fence. It must be so horrible, living his whole life with this guilt, anger, and the feeling of helplessness.

She only recently found out that she was cursed, but it felt so unbearable. Those feelings were eating her from the inside.

"I have to do something.." she kept telling herself, but a moment later she was crushed back to reality. What could she do? She was in no position to do anything.

She could only wait.

She might be able to send someone to Atlantea to find answers while her husband was away. But who?

Who could she trust in this country?

She had no one.

Emmelyn felt horrible throughout the day that she spent her time in bed until dinner time came. She only ate a little and then slept early.

The next day, she tried to keep herself busy by sewing more handkerchiefs and baby clothes. However, since she was not in her right mind, she kept stabbing herself with the needle and hurt her fingers. Finally, Emmelyn gave up and tossed her sewing to the corner.

"Roshan, could you please help me send a message to Lord Edgar Chaucer?" Finally, Emmelyn couldn't take it anymore and decided to talk to Edgar.

Even though they were not particularly close, she thought Edgar was trustworthy and would always think about Mars' interest. He had proven himself time and time again as a valuable and loyal friend to the crown prince.

"I will do it right away, Your Highness," said Roshan respectfully. "Is there anything you would like me to say to him? Or, I can also bring your letter to Lord Edgar."

Emmelyn massaged her temple and thought about Roshan's question.

No, she didn't want to send any letters. People might misunderstand her intention. She didn't want to say anything in writing to Edgar. What if someone else caught the message?

She better talked to him in person and asked his opinion.

"Tell him I need to ask his opinion about something and this is very important."

"Duly noted, Your Highness."

Roshan bowed down and took his leave to go find the young lord. Emmelyn decided to wait in her husband's study and read something. She needed to think about what she should tell Edgar, and how much she could let him know.

***

Edgar arrived an hour later with Roshan. Emmelyn intentionally accepted him in the crown prince's study with the door opened. She didn't want people to think she was hiding something or had an affair with Edgar.

She didn't know if everyone in the castle could be trusted. She must not give them any material to gossip about her. She had seen it played for far too often.

When she was still in Winteremere, her mother and sisters often talked about the gossips that spread around the capital about certain duchess or ladies who were having an affair just because they walked together with an unmarried man or spent too much time in the city in the company of another man that was not their husbands.

People were merciless and they liked to talk about other people and found any faults from them. She didn't want to give them anything to bring her down. So, she would be careful on how she interacted with Edgar while her husband was away.

In this conversative society, men and women were not meant to be friends and married women were confined to the life they had with their new family.

Only a few could get away with such a thing, like she and Maxim and Mars with Ellena, but those friendships were built before both of them were married.

So, things were different now.

Emmelyn forced a smile and motioned Edgar to take a seat.

"Your Highness," Edgar bowed down his head slightly to show his respect to Emmelyn, and he only sat after Emmelyn sat in her chair.

"Thank you for coming today. I really appreciate it," said Emmelyn with a hoarse voice.

"It is my duty to do whatever you need me to do," said Edgar cooly. "The crown prince asked me to stay behind so I can serve you."

"Still.... I have to say thank you," said Emmelyn. She let out a sigh and then set her mind to talk straight to the point. She knew Edgar was a no-nonsense kind of guy and it wouldn't help if she beat around the bush.

So, she quickly told him what she needed him to do.

"Lord Edgar, I need you to go somewhere and found several people," she said anxiously. "This is very important."

Edgar didn't flinch at the order. He looked at Emmelyn seriously and waited for her to continue.

Emmelyn was satisfied to see Edgar didn't question her request but wait and listen.

"I am supposed to go myself, but as you can see, I am in no shape to travel," Emmelyn continued. "I have to find this family called the Leoraleis from Myreen."

"Myreen?" Edgar finally furrowed his brows. "I have never heard of that place."

"It's quite far from here, it's located in the Atlantean continent and..." Emmelyn sighed, "people said the kingdom had disappeared for a long time."

"Disappeared how? I am sorry, Your Highness, I don't understand."

Emmelyn also didn't understand how a family from a long-lost kingdom had anything to do with her, but the fact remained that they did something that caused her to be in her current situation.

She must find an answer. As soon as possible.

.

.

>>>>>

From the author:

I will publish 3 more chapters today (US time zone, since my stupid body clock lives according to US time zone, even though I live in Asia... ahahaha). So, you can expect more chapters later.

By the way... we are getting close to finally meeting Maxim. I really can't believe I am writing a book where the second male lead only appears AFTER 300 chapters. Whoaa...! This book really broke so many personal records for me.

It's the book with the most smut scenes, the book that becomes my most popular book (to date - let's hope the next books will be more popular than this one), and the book where the second male lead only enter the stage far far far longer after the stage was set up.

By the way, have you read my new book, "The Cursed King"? If you haven't, what are you waiting for? Go to my profile, find the book, and add it to your library.

"The Cursed King" is the sequel to "The Cursed Prince" which I am writing at the same time with this book. FYI, the king in the new book is not Mars, so don't misunderstand. The king is Loriel from Summeria.

This book and "The Cursed King" are closely connected, but people who just read "The Cursed King" don't have to read "The Cursed Prince".

But you... as you are reading "The Cursed Prince" as well, you will be pleasantly surprised by "The Cursed King", as our hero and heroine from this book will make an appearance in there too.

Plus, I think you will love Loriel and Elise from the new book. I also will introduce them to you here in around 50 more chapters.

This is the final synopsis of THE CURSED KING:

It all started 1500 years ago.

Loriel Ashborn was a formidable king from Summeria who was feared by many. His power expanded throughout the whole continent of Atlantea and everyone respected him.

By then, the human race still lived side by side with other races like the elves, witches, and those immortal beings often calling themselves gods.

One fatal mistake caused him to lose the woman he loved as she was sent to the future by the evil Time Master before he died.

The only way to see her again is for him to take the curse of immortality, and so he did.

Now, after 15 centuries, Loriel had started to feel tired of living, and he just wanted to die. Would he meet her again? Or would he give up and take death?