"Rule number 1?", He barked, thrashing the boy with a whip; His screams erupted in place of an answer; Dante's tiny body wiggled in a struggle to break free from the strong arms that held him and escape the cruelty of a man he'd known as his father.
The piercing screams did nothing but only agitated Edwardo to exercise his arms more.
"Answer me, boy!" He bawled, raising the whip to go in for another mighty lash.
"Never call you father, I am sorry, I won't, I promise; Don't hit me anymore, please, I beg you, your Highness," the boy pleaded helplessly.
His small body was soaked in sweat.
"You are a monster. The day I met your mother, I expected she would birth a fine child, but look like you! You've got hair all over you like fur. Can you blame anyone for treating you like an animal?" Those cruel words pierced through his fragile heart. He dropped to the floor with a loud thud as the soldiers released him.
Prince Dante curled into a ball, sobbing. The cruel words of his father echoed in his mind to replace the old ones. It was a routine now. Each time his father came in contact with him or his younger brother, Xander, reported something false to his parents, he would get beaten like an animal.
He didn't dispute that he was too hideous to be loved. He just wanted to talk to his parents and play with his brother.
Dante had been born with a rare form. A condition known to only a few as hypertrichosis is the werewolf syndrome. The rest termed it a curse. One that was so 'contagious' that they had to keep their distance. Dante didn't mind. He was too ashamed to try to get close to anyone anyway. No one knew that he was Prince even. His father had countlessly denied him, claiming he was a child his mother had picked up in the forest. He got thrashed every time he tried to dispute it.
Dante's mother wasn't any different. She avoided him like a plague and shut her doors anytime she heard him close by. He had not seen his mother's face for almost three years!
The soldiers are no less. They were always willing to hold him down for his father to torture him. The servants treated him worse.
Everything would have been bearable if his appearance were his only flaw. Dante was half insane too. During some nights he was normal, other nights, especially at midnight, a strange song in his head would exert control over him. He would destroy things, try to end his life, and end up locked away in chains in the palace barn.
His only place of comfort was the ocean. He had to wear oversized clothes, gloves, and a hat to conceal his repulsive appearance. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the villagers and have his father ban him from leaving the palace. He couldn't afford to lose the little happiness he felt whenever he gazed at the golden sea.
Dante had gotten accustomed to sneaking out at early hours of the day, to spend time with the only thing that didn't openly detest him. He could share his worries with the sea and enjoy the breeze that calms his nerves.
Meanwhile, deep below the water, Almira and her maid watched him. She never got a clear view of his face because he always had a hat on and she had to be far away too for her safety.
Humans could never be trusted. Even though there had been a spell put in place to erase their existence from their memories, no sane siren could trust a human.
Her mother, Helena, was yet to be found. The throne was begging for a ruler. Normally, she wouldn't have thought twice, but the darkness of the Golden Throne would destroy them all if she was powerful enough to contain it. That led her back to the human on the cliff.
"I try to call out to him many times, but the piece of me he possesses cancels it out, every single time", Almira communicated to her handmaid. The maid tried to hide her smile. The princess narrowed her seafoam eyes at the giggling girl.
"May I know why you find this situation amusing, Kitanna?".
Kitanna knew to stay calm even though the voice in her head made her scales stiffen. Almira's voice always had that cold and unfeeling melody to it, even in a good mood.
"He's your mate, your highness. You should stop trying to kill him", Kitanna's voice was tiny but confident. It had this chirpy edge to it that could brighten any mood.
"I believe I shall be doing him a favor. He doesn't come here every day to make my heart pound. I can almost sniff the misery around him. Our poor home will get tired of his complaints soon enough. Isn't a quick cold death at the bottom of the sea he loves, a rewarding death?", Almira asked. Kitanna's blue eyes budge, steps away from falling out.
"Make that bigger, and you'll be replacing the giant squids", Almira remarked. Kitanna blinked.
"I do not understand. You are supposed to love him, your highness. He is your soulmate".
"He is the ocean's choice, not mine. Once he comes of age, I shall dig my hand into that piece of flesh and pull out my missing piece. You and the ocean can do the loving part. We must return now. His presence annoys me, but for my sake, I need to make sure I'm there when he decides to end it all", Almira shrugged, swimming ahead.
"Your Highness! That was a cruel thing to say", Kitanna complained.
"I know a worthless person when I see one. There's so much he can do with his time".
"He's only ten!" Exclaimed Kitanna.
"He should go play with friends then. If he doesn't have any, he should study. You said he is Prince, his throne is not located on that cliff, is it? No one rules a kingdom by staring at the sea. I believe those humans couldn't have embedded in those books they carry around that the norms and values of their kingdom, are written in water," Almira retorted.
That was the last time she saw him.
Eleven years later, Kitanna came swimming into her room in a panic.
"I didn't think it was possible to sweat in water," Almira uttered evenly.
"There is a problem, your highness."
"It's not hard to tell," Almira said without interest.
"It's about your mate. He is getting married!" Kitanna announced.
Almira squinted her eyes at her.
"When?".
"Now!" the girl breathed.
Cold water drenched him on the spot he lay. He gasped, jerking up from sleep with a shiver. "Sleeping around like an old hag, do you not have duties to perform? Today is the Prince's wedding. You should be clearing the dirt around the palace!" The harshness of the man's tone made Dante shiver. "I am sorry I overslept, sir. I did pick all the dirt around yesterday. I only need to sweep the floors", Dante managed to reply, between scampering off the floor, and squeezing the water off his wet clothes. "Move, boy! We do not have time", the head cleaner, Guirello said impatiently, shoving him out of the room. Dante quickened his steps to avoid being manhandled. The years had gone by with increasing hardship. Imagine struggling to feed in a palace filled with food. Hell, even the dogs fed better than him. He worked as a slave, possibly lower if there was something like that. He received no wages as it was believed keeping him alive was enough payment for his services. Dant
Kimorra was beyond pissed. How could a strange woman pop out of nowhere and claim her man? Determined to save her wedding from crashing, she stepped in between them and faced Prince Xander. "Xander, who is this woman? You know what, it doesn't matter who she is. Let us just focus on our wedding, then we can sort this out later, please?" Her voice was small and desperate. The lust swimming in his eyes warned her of the heartbreak she was about to handle.Xander stared helplessly at her, then at the goddess that effortlessly stole his breath. He couldn't think of anything apart from her slender body entangled in his."I… I… Give us a moment, please," He said to Kimorra. He took Almira's hand, but she pulled away. "I'm not stupid, I can follow you without holding on to your hand," Almira said. Xander smiled to hide his embarrassment and walked ahead. They stopped a few steps away from Kim. "So …. Do you want to be with me? Don't you think crashing my wedding was a bit extreme
"I can't believe you! Do you really want to cancel our wedding for a woman you just met? Why would you do something like that? We've known each other since we were kids. I spent eighteen years of my life, loving you. Why would you do this to me?", Kimorra angrily asked. Xander felt guilty as the angry tears streamed down her cheeks."Don't make this more difficult than it is already. You are causing a scene. I think you need some rest, we can talk about tomorrow", was his feeble attempt to control the situation.Kimorra glared at him, her fists clenching harder by her sides at every surge of emotion."I'm causing a scene? You already sent everyone away, so who's watching, huh? Even if everyone's watching, who cares? Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I stayed up for days, wondering what this day would be like. I imagined laughter, fulfillment, happiness, and tears. Only that they were supposed to be tears of joy! How did you manage to turn something so beautiful int
Dante swallowed thickly and lowered his head. Kitanna glanced in the direction he was running from. "Were you being chased?” Kitanna asked. Dante shook his head. "So you're just desperate for skin contact, then”, Almira concluded sharply. While Kitanna stared at the princess with shock, Dante stepped back slowly, feeling ashamed.He wasn't seeking skin contact. Guirello had sent him on an errand, and he needed to finish it quickly to get his meal. His stomach growled, as testimony. Dante didn't say that out, though. He has gotten accustomed to letting people have their way. Even if he denied it, she would still stick to what she believed. "Princess Mira '', they heard Xander's voice from a distance. Dante's eyes widened in panic. In a heartbeat, he fled, afraid to be seen by the prince.Kitanna glanced in the direction he ran. A part of her felt sorry for him. They treated him so badly that he was afraid of being seen. Back in the sea, besides the royal family, everyone else was
Dante leaned against the door and peeped into the kitchen. When he noticed no one was present, he stealthily entered the kitchen. He rushed to the bin containing leftovers and pulled out the plastic bag he had hidden underneath his clothes.His heart raced wildly as he packed as much as he needed. After breaking the plates and soiling the princess, Guirello denied him food. Dante stuffed his mouth as he packed the food. In case he got caught, he would at least have a full stomach. The food was a little stale, but it was better than the ones the servants threw at him once in a while. Besides, they were going to dump it because the king forbade them from feeding the dogs with stale leftovers. Dante chuckled at the thought. His father didn't mind his son eating stale food but would punish the maids severely if his dogs were given day-old leftovers "What do you think you're doing?", Dante froze on hearing the voice. He quickly pushed the bag under his shirt, gulping hard as the int
"Do you like it?” Kitanna asked. "You're not the one who made it, so why are you eager for a review?” Almira asked. Kitanna pouted. "It was just a question. You don't have to be mean about it”. "I don't like it. I prefer them fresh,” Almira answered. Kitanna opened her mouth to complain, but Almira threw her a look that made her shudder. Kitanna watched the Princess clear the plate and looked away as soon as Almira looked up. "More?” "You said you don't it,” Kitanna reminded her. "I don't like it, but I am hungry. Can I get some more?”. "You will have to come with me then. They have lots of frozen fish, so I can fry as many as you want. You can fry too if you want “, Kitanna said. “Smart mouth! You are the servant here, not me. I don't have to help with the cooking,” Almira stated, and Kitanna's excitement vanished. She picked up the plate, muttering incoherent words. Almira ignored her grumbling and stared ahead. "You're not coming?” Kitanna asked. "You're not going to st
Dante couldn't move from the spot. His whole body hurt, and his chest tightened with each breath. It was a struggle to even open his eyes. "You were lucky, today. Get your pathetic self out of here”, A soldier hissed, kicking him over. Dante let out a weak groan. Almira stopped in front of Kitanna. “Happy now, or do you want me to carry him too?”. “Thank you”, Kitanna smiled. Almira rolled her eyes and walked away. The maid quickly rushed to Dante when she noticed the soldiers ganging up to kick him around. "Enough!” She ordered. They moved away in shock, surprised that the two gorgeous women were going out of their way to save him. “You will harm him no further! Pick him up and follow me”. The soldiers exchanged glances. Her beautiful emerald eyes burned like a flame, challenging them to defy her. They cowered, pulling Dante by his hands off the floor. Kitanna wasn't sure where to take him. Bringing him to Almira's chambers would enrage the princess. She had to find a safe
Everyone was surprised to see Dante ok his feet. They expected he would at least take a week or two to recover. Even Dante couldn't explain the speedy recovery. Though his wounds were still fresh, they didn't hurt nearly as much as they should have. Most people consider speedy recovery a good thing until Dante was involved, then it became sorcery. He kept his eyes on the ground, walking briskly to the kitchen. "Ahhh! Here you are! I was almost sure you wouldn't survive yesterday's torture. Don't you get tired of proving us wrong?" Guirello asked with a sweet smile like his words were innocent.Dante lowered his gaze, willing the ache in his heart to disappear. He had existed in this misery for twenty-one years. One would think he would have gotten used to hurtful words. "Is there anything you want me to do today, sir?" He politely asked. Guirello took a look around the kitchen. "Mmm.. nothing for now. How about you help yourself with some leftovers?".Dante looked up,