Cursed with you redempti.., p.1
Cursed With You: Redemption in Shadows, page 1
CURSED WITH YOU
Redemption in Shadows
Zen Octa
Copyright © 2023 Zen Octa
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews.
Cover illustration by Sugarnuts.
First edition 2023.
www.authorzenocta.com
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
The Prince of the Cursed Land
Worse Than Death
We Need Her
But You Are My Age
It’s Time for Her to Be Free
Trust Me
We Must Hurry
Your Loyalty Is Unsurpassed
The Wand of a Thousand Magic
No Need to Be Afraid
See You on the Battlefield
Her Destructive Power
It All Happened So Fast
The Kiss of Death
I Know How
We Still Want to Try
There Is Only One Way
I Will Not Leave
Half or Whole
I Will Do It
Ferula
Cursed With You
About The Author
The Prince of the Cursed Land
As the eighth son, Raffin never imagined he could become king. So he was stunned when Ames, his eldest brother and King of Ostelux, broke the news to him when he summoned him and his two other brothers to his study.
“They intend the proposal for Arles,” Ames said. He sat behind his desk. His serious face stressed the lines on his forehead. “But he had already married first. After all, the Princess of Krazthea is only a year older than you, Raffin. She’s twenty and you are nineteen. You met as children when we visited there.”
“I remember,” said Arles, Raffin’s seventh brother, who was also the royal treasurer. He sat in a chair against the wall. “Even as a child, she was beautiful,” he said dreamily, stroking his thin beard. “She must be even more beautiful now. If I were not married, I would accept the proposal. You’re very lucky, little brother.” Arles winked at Raffin.
Everyone said that he and Arles were like twins, because they looked almost identical to each other and somewhat different from their six older brothers. They all had the same fair skin, but only the two of them had blue eyes and auburn hair. Arles once said that they both looked like their mother. Their other brothers, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes, looked more like their father.
“May your wife never know what you just said,” Helman scolded next to Arles. Helman was the second brother and Hand of the King.
Arles waved him off. “She will understand that I must carry out the duties of the kingdom.”
“And that duty now falls to you, Raffin,” Ames said. “The King of Krazthea has promised to cancel all our debts if we accept the proposal. They have no heir, so one day you will be king of Krazthea. As Arles said, you are very lucky.”
Raffin sat across from Ames with his head bowed. He knew his brothers’ attention centered on him. Raffin knew he had no other choice. But it wasn’t the arranged marriage that made him uneasy.
“Are you thinking about that girl?” Arles asked, as if he could read Raffin’s thoughts. “You’re not serious about her, are you? You’re a prince. It’s not proper for you to have a relationship with a commoner.”
“Not just a commoner,” Helman interjected. “But Ferula’s assistant.”
Arles was wide-eyed. “So your pet girl is working for the dark wizard who almost bewitched Ames?”
“She’s not my pet,” Raffin argued. “She’s a commoner, and she works for Ferula, but she’s a good person.”
“Whether or not she’s good, you must end it soon,” Ames insisted. “Nothing good ever lasts long around that witch.”
Everyone knew the king hated Ferula. It was said that her late father had sentenced the dark wizard to death. But the Grand Wizard made another suggestion, and the king accepted it. Raffin knew the story from the Grand Wizard, because at the time Raffin was not yet born.
“I’ll do it today,” Raffin said. He had no choice. “And I will marry Princess Carlein of Krazthea. For Ostelux’s sake.”
“Good,” Ames said. “Because we cannot pay off our debt to them in the agreed upon time. And that’s not including interest.”
Raffin nodded and stood. “Then I will take my leave, Your Majesty.”
Ames allowed with a nod. Raffin left the room with wide strides.
The advantage of being the eighth son was that almost no one recognized his face. People thought Raffin was an ordinary nobleman, and he felt fortunate that his brother allowed him to walk about the city unescorted. After all, as the capital of Ostelux, Stratham had been quite safe in recent years. Ames’ efforts to restore prosperity to Ostelux had paid off. There were no more hungry people on the streets.
His eldest brother’s hard work amazed Raffin. During their late father’s reign, the former Hand of the King, along with other members of the Council, had been embezzling royal treasure for their own benefit for years. After their father died of illness, Ames exposed their actions and sentenced them all to death. Ames then sought loans from major kingdoms, including Krazthea, to restore Ostelux to its former glory. Ostelux improved, but they became indebted.
A debt that Raffin was duty bound to repay. He hoped Alani would understand his situation.
Ferula’s shop, where Alani worked, was outside the city walls. The guards at the city gates saluted Raffin as he passed. They were used to seeing Raffin in and out of the gates. He was sure they knew about Alani. But they said nothing, nor did they spread the word. The only person in the palace who knew about his relationship with Alani was Queen Issa. Raffin always told her everything. He couldn’t lie or hide anything from her. Raffin was also sure that the queen wouldn’t tell anyone, including her own husband. That was why Ames didn’t know until today. While Arles knew he was seeing a commoner girl, he never knew who and never asked. As for Helman, he might have a private spy keeping an eye on Raffin.
The area outside the walls was not as clean as the area inside the walls, where the nobles lived. The buildings stood in untidy rows, making the streets weave back and forth. Piles of garbage adorned intersections here and there, waiting for the cleaners to bury them. Usually once a week, since cleanliness within the walls was a priority. The first few days Raffin spent outside the walls, the smell was so unbearable that he was sure he would pass out. But he got used to it.
After walking through the streets crowded with merchants and refusing all their offers with the sweetest smile he had, Raffin arrived at Ferula’s shop. Just as he was about to knock on the door, someone opened it.
“Raffin?” Alani greeted. Her brown eyes widened. “I don’t remember meeting you this afternoon.”
“We didn’t.” Raffin shook his head. “Is Ferula here?”
“She’s out. Are you looking for her?”
“No.” Raffin shook his head again. “I was looking for you. Are you going out, too?”
“Not anymore.” Alani stepped aside and opened the door wide, letting Raffin into the anteroom.
“Good,” Raffin said as he stepped inside. “I need to talk to you about something.” He turned, unprepared for Alani, who hugged and kissed him as soon as she closed the door.
“We’ll talk later, when Ferula returns,” Alani whispered.
“No.” Raffin grabbed Alani’s groping hand. He took two steps back. It turned out to be a difficult thing for him to do.
Alani’s face changed. “What’s wrong?”
Raffin adjusted his vest. “It’s time for us to stop,” he said without meeting Alani’s eyes. He didn’t think it would be that difficult. On the way, he was sure everything would go well. But as he faced the girl who had captured his heart in the last few months, it felt hard.
Alani crossed her arms. “What do you mean?”
Raffin braced himself to lift his face and look into Alani’s eyes for a moment. He remembered when he had first met the fawn-skinned girl in a bakery a few months before. Their paths crossed as Raffin was leaving and Alani came in. Their eyes met, and the girl gave him a warm smile. A smile he couldn’t forget in the days that followed. So, he returned to the bakery, hoping to see her again. Whether it was fate or just coincidence, they met again, and Raffin took his chance. Even then, he knew he shouldn’t have. Now he had to face the consequences.
“We cannot continue our relationship,” he said.
“Which noble princess have they matched you with?”
“It doesn’t matter who I will marry.”
“You’re getting married?”
Alani shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Raffin sensed the tension in her voice. The copper-haired girl was about to explode.
“Alani,” Raffin said softly, hoping to defuse the anger boiling in his lover’s eyes. “You knew from the beginning. I cannot promise anything. I thought you understood that.”
“And I thought I wouldn’t fall in love with you,” Alani snapped.
Raffin was stunned by Alani’s confession. Raffin felt the same way. He had fallen in love with her and realized it a few weeks ago. But because he also realized that they could not have a happy ending, he said nothing. He even tried to erase it. Raffin didn’t want to get Alani’s hopes up. Nor did he expect Alani to feel the same way. The girl knew the ri sks of staying in a relationship with Raffin. They agreed not to let their feelings get too involved. But how could he not feel something for the person he fondled and laughed with? The one who brought him small joys and made him feel free for a moment from the norms that bind him?
“This isn’t supposed to happen,” Raffin sighed. “We’re not supposed to love each other.”
“Each other?” Alani lowered her hand and walked toward Raffin. “Do you feel as I do?” She put her arms around Raffin’s neck. The look in her eyes made Raffin’s chest quiver. He wanted to take Alani in his arms and kiss her until they were out of breath. But the future of Ostelux was in his hands, and he didn’t want to disappoint his brother. With a heavy heart, Raffin pulled away from Alani again and stepped into another room.
He turned away, unable to face Alani and say what he had to say. “I must marry Princess Carlein of Krazthea to repay the royal debt.”
“Your brother sold you,” Alani snorted.
“He…” Raffin turned around again, offended by Alani’s words and about to defend his brother, but then he thought better of it. He took a deep breath. Raffin hadn’t come to argue. There was nothing to fight about. Raffin was going to marry Princess Carlein, and nothing was going to change that.
“I am truly sorry, Alani,” Raffin said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You’ve already hurt me,” she protested. “But you don’t have to.” Alani took a wide step toward Raffin. Her delicate hands caressed his face. “I will forgive you. We can live together in a faraway place where your brother won’t find us.”
Raffin took Alani’s hand and put it down. “I cannot. This is the King’s order.”
Alani snarled in annoyance. She turned and crossed the room to shelves of vials. Most of them contained liquid or something resembling a mist of various colors; some were empty.
“You don’t know how many times I told myself not to fall in love with you,” Alani said. Her right fingers traced the shelves as if searching for a particular vial.
Raffin’s brow furrowed at Alani’s gesture. He had a bad feeling. Alani had told him that the vials contained various kinds of magic, some curses, some potions.
“I know you’re a prince, and I’m just a commoner.” Alani moved to the small cabinet next to the shelves. “But deep down, I always hoped that you would love me, too.” She crouched in front of the cabinet and took a set of keys from her dress pocket. As she searched through the keys, she continued. “At first I didn’t dare to hope. But I couldn’t help but imagine…” She chose a key to open the cabinet. “If you loved me, you would do anything for me. Just as I will do anything for you.” She took out a medium-sized box from inside the cabinet.
“I figured you couldn’t live without me, just like I cannot live without you,” Alani continued as she opened the lid of the box. She lifted the vials inside one by one.
“What are you looking for?” Raffin asked. His bad feeling grew worse. It was unusual for Alani to be interested in her mistress’s magical items.
“I imagined…” Alani picked up a vial that contained something black. She looked at it for a moment, pondering. Standing up, she said, “And I’m pretty sure you’re willing to give up everything to be with me.”
“I made no such promise.”
“Not verbally.” Alani put the box on the cabinet. “But from the way you treat me. The way you care for me. I thought if you loved me, you would do whatever it took for us to be together.”
She turned around. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “I cannot bear to see you with anyone else.” As a single tear fell to her cheek, she uncorked the vial. Black smoke came out and flew through the ceiling. “I wonder if the Princess of Krazthea is still willing to marry the prince of the cursed land.”
Raffin stepped forward to grab the bottle from Alani’s hand. But she smashed it to the floor. It shattered, and the black smoke that came out of it grew thicker. The smoke didn’t spread, but continued to coil like a snake.
“What have you done?” Raffin snapped.
Alani didn’t answer. She fell to the floor, both hands covering her tear-stained face.
There was a noise outside. Raffin ran out of the shop. The thick black smoke that came out of the roof of Ferula’s shop had risen high into the sky. Then the smoke spread in all directions, covering the sky with darkness and slowly taking away the sunlight.
“ALANI!”
A woman shouted. Raffin turned his head in her direction. Ferula was running fast, her face red, as red as the dress she was wearing. Her golden skin looked pale under the darkening sky. She glanced at Raffin as if to say something, but went straight into her shop.
People grew hysterical. Some were screaming; some were crying. Raffin himself was at a loss for words.
“Where is Alani?” Ferula came out with a flushed face and bulging eyes.
“She’s inside,” Raffin replied, confused.
“No, she’s not. She’s gone. And she took my box of evil curses with her.”
Worse Than Death
Riding the horse he had requested at the city gates, Raffin and Ferula galloped toward the palace. Day had turned to night in an instant. Candlelight glinted from inside the buildings. Some of the streetlamps had been lit, illuminating their path. Everyone stepped aside as they passed, both because of the horse’s speed and because of Raffin’s distant cries of warning. As they approached the palace, many people gathered at the gate. A beam of white light emanated from the forecourt of the palace, moving toward the sky as fast as lightning.
“Uxar is trying to break the curse!” Ferula shouted into Raffin’s ear.
Ferula never mentioned Raffin’s title, and Raffin never had a problem with it. He thought that because he was dating Alani and often visited her at Ferula’s shop, and sometimes they chatted, Ferula felt familiar with him, so there was no need to question the difference in their status. But when he heard her calling the Grand Wizard by his name, it felt strange. Although, in retrospect, Ferula had always called the light wizards by their names.
Raffin slowed the horse and broke through the crowd fenced by the gate guards. Two of them opened the gate when they saw Raffin.
On the forecourt, the guards, knights, palace officials, and servants gathered almost in a circle. Raffin stopped behind them. In the center of the forecourt, Magus Uxar, the Grand Wizard, and his apprentice, Magus Ivys, both held out their hands. Light emerged from their palms, joined in the air, forming a brighter and larger beam that Raffin and Ferula had seen from a distance.
Raffin felt his hopes and everyone else’s hanging in the air. Several minutes passed, but there was no change. As the light faded, Magus Uxar and his apprentice fell to their knees. A groan of disappointment escaped from the people before they dispersed.
Raffin and Ferula dismounted and approached Magus Uxar and Magus Ivys. The apprentice helped her master to his feet, holding one of his arms in case he lost his balance.
“Uxar,” Ferula called.
The Grand Wizard turned. He was a tall man, but at eighty years of age, he was not as tall as he used to be. His skin was yellowish brown, dulled by age and hidden beneath a dark green robe, the signature color of Ostelux.
“Ferula?” he sighed, sounding as if he was still trying to catch his breath, as if he had just run a long way.
Next to him, Magus Ivys was not much different, but she tried to hide it. Just like her master, the brunette was wearing a robe in the color of Ostelux, which looked oversized on her thin body.
“Your Highness?” Magnus Uxar turned to Raffin. His furrowed brow added to the wrinkles on his face. “Why are you with her?”
“It’s all my fault, Magus,” Raffin said.
“No,” Ferula interrupted. “It is my fault.”
Magus Uxar looked at them in disbelief. Raffin himself hadn’t expected Ferula’s words. How could it be her fault? Because Alani was her assistant, so she felt responsible? But Raffin had made Alani do it. That was his fault.
“Whatever happened, it’s better to talk about it inside,” Magus Uxar said.
A guard came to tell him that the king wanted him in the council chamber. The Grand Wizard let out a long sigh and stood up straight. He released Magus Ivys’s hand and sent her away, assuring her he was all right.
