AZALEA

"I now bind this curse to start. With my death, the curse is done..."

This line repeatedly haunted my dreams after the hunting competition. Maybe because I was anxious about what was waiting for me after becoming the official Crown Princess. When I came here, it never occured to me that I was capable of being a queen, even denying the possibility before, but everything was different now.

There was no turning back even if I broke my fragile heart.

Yumi dressed me up after serving breakfast in my bed. I was now alone in the Ruby Palace and the whole place felt a little empty. All the candidates were gone and I was the one who survived.

As for the matters with the Admiral Duchy, after their dark schemes were exposed, they resisted against the Royal knights who were sent to capture them. Thus the Duke, Duchess and their son met their cruel end. They died fighting and the army they secretly raised and prepared for rebellion were immediately disbanded and some of them were punished and put to jail.

To show mercy and some consideration to Lady Candice, she was freed from prison but her title was revoked, becoming one with the commoners now. She was sent to the countryside, away from the capital, to start her new life.

Losing everything was without a doubt devastating but it was admirable that all these tragedies were not even enough to break her already breakable heart.

Though I could still feel her lingering heated gaze, full of hatred, which was directed at me before she left. Perhaps, hatred was the one thing that kept her going, that kept her alive. Hatred could also be a driving force to survive.

Prince Dion and the second Prince, Prince Grey, dealt with all the chaos. It had been days since I last saw the Crown Prince and somehow, my chest was constricting from this strange feeling of longing and yearning for someone. All the warning signs in my head were clear, whispering that I might end up with a broken heart if I failed to suppress these feelings, making me doubt all the decisions I made for a second but it was a blessing in disguise that Queen Adriana was giving me personal lessons about etiquettes and some royal secrets only the queen should know. That was why I could keep myself away from these destructive thoughts for a while.

Oh, how can love be this destructive? Maybe I am loving the wrong way.

I never thought that love was something this uncontrollable. My feelings were growing as days passed and I was hurting just by missing someone. It was a complicated feeling how I could miss a person when I actually thought I was already used to being alone. Maybe humans were actually not meant to be alone.

I heaved a breath when I entered the queen's drawing room, wearing an elegant blue ruffled dress with my red curls tied in a loose bun, leaving some strands wandering in my pale freckled face.

Queen Adriana was having tea with a distant look upon her face as she stared at the full bloom garden of red roses. The garden's vibrance was the opposite of the dead garden in the Ruby Palace. Her cold and beautiful face looked ethereal under the sunlight seeping through the gigantic glass windows. There was a mysterious glint in her blue eyes that I couldn't quite discern. Sadness? Longing? I couldn't quite tell. In the first place, I didn't know anything about the queen.

It was always like this since the king fell ill. Perhaps, she was worried about her husband's health but I might be wrong. The king's illness could no longer be hidden from the court and the nobles so they decided it was already time to pass the crown to a new ruler. Maybe the queen was worried about that too.

There were no longer peaceful days in the palace as the preparation for my wedding with Prince Dion was hastened. The servants paced back and forth to clean and decorate the halls and throne room. The seamstress got my measurements to prepare dresses for different occasions—for the wedding and for the days when I officially became the new queen.

Meeting Prince Dion was understandably beyond possible now because of the circumstances we were both facing. He was also busy overseeing the kingdom and court's affairs while his father was resting.

The wedding will be held two weeks from now. Everything was so hectic that even breathing seemed a luxury.

I curtsied to pay respect to the queen and sat on the chair across from her.

She voiced her concern about me being the Crown Princess before but she had no choice but to bitterly yield with the outcome.

Queen Adriana turned her attention to me without smiling. "Drink some tea first, Princess Azalea. You have to work with me today. I'm planning to gradually hand over the queen's tasks to you."

She lifted the teapot and poured some in my teacup. I was quite taken aback that she personally served me tea. I showed some gratitude, an awkward smile, before drinking.

"When you first came here, you said you don't like the Crown Prince at all. It never occured to me that you'll make it here," Queen Adriana said out of nowhere that I almost spilled the tea I was drinking. "When you first arrived here, you looked like the type to flee at the first mention of feelings, of love. It's easy to tell that you're also determined to guard your heart. You're like a different person now."

I choked so I immediately put down my teacup.

I let out a wan smile. "It's a shame that I have to admit that I have fallen—I have fallen in love, Your Majesty. Human hearts are weak to temptations such as love. Despite the fact that my heartglass may fail, it's absurd how I still want to take the risk and try."

Queen Adriana's gaze became distant. "It seems that's the case. I can no longer do anything about your feelings but I shall remind you of your duties as the queen. Even though I don't have full confidence in you, I still don't want you to break so easily. . . now that my son will become the king soon. As much as possible, try to suppress and contain your emotions. You have bigger responsibilities on your shoulders now. The kingdom must be put above anything else. Your responsibilities are more important than love. You have to support the king and manage the palace while he is ruling and managing the kingdom's affairs."

I swallowed hard. I could feel the heaviness of the responsibilities I would accept soon. "I understand, Your Majesty. I will try to support the Crown Prince to the best of my abilities without letting my emotions be a hindrance."

Queen Adriana studied my face with an intent gaze before continuing. "Don't demand too much of his time. You must understand that the king is always busy with the kingdom's affairs. It will only hurt you if you ask for too much. Too much of everything can kill you."

I nodded as I lightly bit my bottom lip. She was right. I must not get too greedy.

"And remember, only sleep with him when it is the scheduled date for bed sharing. It will be too risky for both of you if you have more kinship than necessary. Emotions can endanger your hearts. My son is very fond of you but you must keep the intimacy in moderation. Try to control yourselves. He is the most important figure of this kingdom. He can't die out of heartbreak."

My face slightly reddened. "I understand, Your Majesty."

Queen Adriana stood up and I followed her inside her office. She handed some papers. "These are the budgets allotted for each palace down to the servants. You must handle the expenses well. You will completely take over the queen's tasks so better learn everything from now on. Work with me starting today."

Queen Adriana pointed at the small empty desk and chair near the gigantic glass windows with draped red velvet curtains. "You may occupy that desk and we'll start working with the transition now."

I nodded quietly and sat on the empty chair. I reviewed the documents handed to me by the queen. She was patiently explaining and supervising everything to me in a professional manner without animosity at all. It was quite surprising. Maybe she really had no choice but to accept that I was the one who survived the selection.

~~~

Queen Adriana watched me and gave clear instructions on how to manage the palace for days. She also formally introduced me to Steward Alexander who was her most trusted servant, as the soon-to-be new master of the queen's palace.

She was in haste because once the coronation was over, the king and queen would move into the Royal Villa to rest and enjoy the remainder of their days. It was a rule that they could no longer interfere with any business related to the palace's affairs.

In the afternoon, Queen Adriana stood from her seat and invited me for tea.

"I believe you already know most of the things you must learn. Steward Alexander will also remind you of all the appointments and deadlines so you don't have to worry about anything else. I will let you keep your maids if you want them to closely serve you when you become queen. It is your right to choose your ladies-in-waiting. Now, another pressing matter at hand—some things you need to know about the curse. My son is also definitely taking these special lessons now too."

My heart hammered against my chest at the mention of the curse. I intently stared at the queen who was also staring straight at me.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but these details won't probably help you to fix the curse," Queen Adriana explained because maybe she noticed the hope seeping in my amber eyes.

I swallowed hard and eased my shoulders as I laid my back on the chair, a little disappointed.

"The red-haired girl was not actually a witch," Queen Adriana revealed but I was no longer surprised because I was already aware of that fact. "She was framed. But of course, the royal family can't recklessly reveal the truth because of those nobles who are opposing the royals. The royal family can't afford to be dethroned. I'm telling you this so you won't be surprised when a rebellion suddenly arises. You must protect this secret since you're already with us in the same boat."

I sighed. "Well, there is no use in revealing this secret in public anymore. It won't fix the curse but would only bring chaos. I don't intend for this kingdom to fall in chaos, Your Majesty," I honestly answered.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Queen Adriana said before standing up. "All right. Let's visit the king now. He also wants to see you—the future queen. Let's pay our respect."

I straightened the back of my long dress and followed her to the king's chambers.

When we entered the room, King Arthur, who was already thin and pale, was lying on his bed as if all the remaining strength in him was already nearly drained. He weakly smiled at the queen when their eyes met.

"So you came with the Crown Princess, my dear," King Arthur muttered under his breath.

I curtsied to show my respect. "Greetings to the sun of this kingdom. May the gods bless you with good health, Your Majesty."

Queen Adriana nodded. "I'm slowly transitioning my duties to the Crown Princess, Your Majesty. It's about time to rest from all the affairs of the palace and court."

Queen Adriana sat near the edge of the king's bed. King Arthur stretched out a hand and the queen held it with care. It was the first time I saw such a gesture from her. So she could be affectionate too. She helped him sit and lean on the headboard.

King Arthur weakly smiled at me. "How are the tasks, Princess Azalea?"

I let out a small smile. "There is a lot to do and there are things I still need to understand but I feel like I can manage the queen's responsibilities. I just need some time, Your Majesty."

King Arthur slightly nodded. "That's good to hear. Actually the queen is also praising you about how good you are at handling the matters in the palace. She also believes you'll do well with your duties."

My face suddenly reddened. So the queen could praise others too. I was in quite a shock that I couldn't utter any words.

"Don't flatter her too much or she might think that I'm being too lenient," Queen Adriana scolded the king.

King Arthur let out a low laugh before facing me once again. "I heard my son loves you."

I bit my bottom lip. Without a word, I nodded because I was quite embarrassed to admit it without the other person knowing.

King Arthur let out a weak and concerned smile. "I see. It must be hard for both of you. I heard that he wants to fix this curse. I hope for his success."

I gazed at the king with confusion. "Aren't you going to reprimand us, Your Majesty?"

King Arthur let out a light chortle. "It's impossible now. It's not easy to change someone's feelings. It's nearly impossible unless you're not really meant to love each other. But there's something I wish you to do. Don't openly display your love and affection in public. There are people out there who want to break the royal family. If they discover my son's weakness, it will cause problems. Please be careful. Not everyone will genuinely wish for someone's happy ending."

I chewed on my lips. The king was right. There were nobles who were against the reign of the royal family. This love could only put us in danger. "I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty."

A knock interrupted our conversation. The Chamberlain announced the arrival of Prince Dion and for some reason, my palms turned sweaty but excitement was building inside my chest. Despite the happiness I suddenly felt, I tried to keep a straight face.

Prince Dion entered the room and he was also quite surprised to see me but the corner of his lips slowly lifted into a small smile. It had been a while since we last saw each other.

Prince Dion stood next to me and slightly bowed his head to greet his father. "How is your health, father?"

"It's not getting any better. How's the preparation for the coronation and your wedding? How's the court?"

"About the wedding preparation, I heard everything is going smoothly. Though some nobles are still against my coronation, they can't do anything. Now that the Duke Admiral's house has already fallen, the nobles of the opposition are keeping their silence. They didn't want to be involved with the Duke Admiral's crimes. They can't afford to be branded as traitors now."

King Arthur nodded and gazed at his son with a stern expression. "I'm glad everything's going as planned. Just make sure to properly hide your weakness from them. Some people are black hearted. They can do anything to bring you down. They are willing to do any underhanded methods just to win."

Prince Dion glanced sideways and stared at me. "I will. I will protect my weakness and hide it from anyone."

Somehow, my heart skipped a beat. It was a dangerous skip.

"All right. If there's nothing else, you can both leave now," King Arthur dismissed with a little wave. "Spend some time with the Crown Princess."

With a flushed face, I curtsied while Prince Dion bowed. We turned to our heels, heading outside the king's chamber. It was quite awkward how the king was letting us spend some time alone.

"It's been a while, my princess. My apologies. I couldn't get away from all the tasks piling up in the king's office," Prince Dion rasped with an apologetic smile.

I bit my bottom lip to hold back a smile. I couldn't get used to it whenever he referred to me as 'princess'. My face was already ablazed. "It's fine. I'm just glad you're doing well, Your Royal Highness."

"Seriously. You should be calling me by my name now," he teased with a small grin.

"I'll do that when we're alone," I answered, trying to keep a straight face.

"Then I'm looking forward to that. I'll walk you back to your palace," he said with a grin but it slowly faded after a short while. His voice turned a little stern. "By the way, the wedding and the coronation will be next week. Everything will be official by then. Every noble will be present. You have to be careful when interacting with them. Some are just pretending to be allies. They might approach you with ill intention. You have to guard your heart at all costs. Even if it means we need to act cold upfront."

"Just like your parents? It's surprising that they have such a better relationship than I actually imagined."

Prince Dion smiled a little. "Yes, just like them."

I nodded. "I understand."

"You'll definitely find the palace duties exhausting but please bear with me." Prince Dion's blue eyes gazed at me with a silent apology.

I cocked my head to stare at him and stopped walking. "You worry too much. I can handle these things. And I want to at least support you. Since there are nobles who are still against the royal family, we need to be careful."

Prince Dion eyed me with visible concern. "Yes. About that. . . I'm afraid you'll be targeted this time. They will watch your every move. You'll be the center of everyone's attention and criticisms. But worry not, I'll protect you with everything I've got."

I let out an understanding smile. "I'll try my best to protect you too."

He awkwardly scratched his head with a coy smile. "Thank you."

We passed through the garden and reached the Ruby Palace.

The sun was already setting and the sky was already a tinge of red orange. Prince Dion stood still in front of the entrance and tilted his head to check the already old and worn out place. It was already an old structure so maids were trying to maintain the palace as much as they could. There were already molds forming in between some cracks and crevices and the bricks were already covered in dust.

"This place will be abandoned once again when you move to the queen's palace. Since the next selection will take about twenty-five years or so," Prince Dion quietly uttered.

"How about a renovation?" I asked with furrowed brows.

Prince Dion sighed. "Well, once you become the queen, you can do whatever you want. But I think we shouldn't touch this place unless the curse has been lifted. Maybe there are still some clues left here. We can't afford to completely lose the clues."

I understood his concern. "You're right. Then once the curse has been lifted, I'll restore this place."

I tilted my head to look up at him. He smiled down on me. "Alright. It seems the next time we'll see each other is on the coronation day itself. I'll be meeting with the nobles quite often. I also asked Duke Ross to continue investigating the curse and Woodcrest. Take care for now, princess."

I eyed him with concern. "I know you're busy but take your meals on time. Take care of yourself too. We won't meet too often because you're the pillar of this kingdom, but I will try to support you to the best of my abilities. You can always lean on me when you're already tired. You can always turn to me when you need someone who listens."

Prince Dion smiled. He leaned down and kissed my right cheek. "I'm really happy to see you today. I missed you so much that I feared that my heart would actually burst and explode. But then, all the worries and fatigue suddenly disappeared just by seeing your face. Love can be so magical and healing and miraculous at times."

I was a bit stunned as my cheeks flushed. Something was burning in my throat as my eyes turned a little hazy. I could only utter such simple words.

"I longed for you too. I missed you too."

~~~~

I heaved a deep breath as the servants straightened and fixed my overflowing off-shoulder wedding dress and carefully covered my face with a veil while we were staying in one of the chambers in the king's palace. Everything was pure white together with the tulips I nervously held in my hands.

It was also the day of the coronation so my things were already moved to the queen's palace.

My heart pounded on my chest, feeling a little anxious.

This was the day I would officially become queen and a wife.

"You're all set, Your Highness," Yumi said with a beaming smile.

I nervously smiled. "Thank you."

"I'll walk you to the entrance of the hall," Yumi offered, her smile never fading.

I nodded and thanked her.

Yumi carefully led me in front of a huge double door guarded by royal knights on each side.

I took a deep breath as I waited for the royal knights to open the double door. From the inside, I could clearly hear the sound of joyful wedding music played by an orchestra. I also heard the announcement of the host as he announced my name and welcomed me as Prince Dion's bride.

The double door slowly opened and at the end of the hall, near the throne, I found Prince Dion with a small smile curling on his lips. He was definitely happy to see me so I relaxed a bit and the tensions on my shoulders suddenly eased.

I slowly walked on the red carpet leading to the throne where the king and queen were seated. There was a priest on the side to perform the rites of the wedding ceremony.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw my father and brother who kept their face cool and expressionless while my mother was tearing up as she covered her mouth to suppress the sobs. Maybe she was too happy that I finally got myself a husband and the most influential man in this kingdom at that. There was no longer a need to worry about my future.

It was a little funny how my mother looked at me with such proud amber eyes. My mother, really, couldn't properly hide her emotions in public.

When I reached the throne, Prince Dion offered his left hand to me and I carefully accepted it. We paid respect to the queen and king.

Prince Dion's face turned blank and emotionless but he lightly squeezed my hand to reassure me. We must keep up with appearances.

The priest uttered the rites of the wedding while I kept a straight face all throughout the ceremony without revealing any real emotions. Queen Adriana prepared me for this.

"You may now grant the Crown Princess a kiss to seal this marriage, Your Royal Highness," the priest announced.

Prince Dion turned to me. He held on the edge of the veil and slowly pulled it up, revealing my pale skin which was already on fire. I was glad that only he could see me up close and the guests wouldn't witness how embarrassed and shy I was.

The corner of his lips tugged into a small smile as if he was thrilled to see me acting like this. He leaned closer and I tightly closed my eyes, embarrassed to actually do it in public. Why did a marriage have to be sealed by a kiss if most of us actually want to avoid love? We were just making a spectacle out of ourselves.

Prince Dion lightly brushed his lips against mine, light as a feather but enough to send electric shocks throughout my body. It was so quick that I almost didn't notice it was already over.

I opened my eyes and stared straight at his intense gaze.

"Let's properly do this later," he muttered under his breath.

The priest already left after announcing that we were officially husband and wife. Prince Dion led me to the throne and after a short while, we knelt in front of Queen Adriana and King Arthur who passed on their crowns on our heads.

"From now on, the Kingdom of Glass will be in your hands. I wish for the kingdom's prosperity and everlasting peace. May you become the sun and the moon to light and guide this kingdom. May the gods bless you with strength and wisdom to rule over this land. May this kingdom be blessed with prosperity and everlasting peace. Long live the new king, King Dion! Long live the new queen, Queen Azalea!" King Arthur officially announced with a voice full of authority.

When we faced the crowd, everyone applauded and chanted. "Long live the king! Long live the queen!"

My mother had the most cheerful applause while some other nobles kept their cool and some were definitely unhappy but they were expected to play along.

As a part of the tradition, when a new king and queen were crowned, people gathered outside the gates of the palace to cheer on the new rulers so we walked to the balcony to greet everyone who anticipated the kingdom's new sun and moon.

The whole place rumbled from the loud cheers coming from the common people. They were happy for the new queen and king until they noticed the color of my hair. All the attention suddenly focused on me. Slowly, the cheers faded into dead silence. I could see their conflicted gaze as their eyes focused on me.

Dion gently squeezed my hand. We couldn't even wave to acknowledge them because of the awkward silence.

Dion turned to the people and delivered his speech despite the awkward atmosphere. "Our beloved people, thank you for coming here and for witnessing this blessed day of our ascension to the throne. As the new king and queen, as the new sun and moon, we promised to serve you, to hear your voices and sufferings, to improve the quality of everyone's lives, to turn this kingdom into a prosperous and peaceful one. We hope everyone will stay with us in this new journey of our lives. Please lend us your support and strength to make this happen. There is also something I want to achieve. I want to find a way to break this curse that withholds us from loving and opening up freely, from laughing and smiling. I believe the time for us to be free is near so please hang in there. Until then, be strong and do your best to fight, to survive and to live. May the gods bless this land. Long live the Kingdom of Glass!"

The crowd who was once silent suddenly shifted and raised their hands and roared into a loud cheer. The once awkward atmosphere suddenly dispersed. It occured to me that the new king has his way with words and the color of my hair was suddenly forgotten by the majority. It was a relief that he could actually charm them and turn the tide to our side. I was completely certain that he would become a capable ruler.

Dion pulled me back inside the hall and proceeded with our first dance. The occasion was surprisingly draining and everyone approached us for a greeting, expressing their blessings. Even Duke Ross and Princess Avi hand-in-hand congratulated us with a smile. Soon the princess would marry the young duke too and will leave the royal palace.

The former queen and king had to excuse themselves to return early because of poor health and they also believed they were no longer needed at the after party.

My mother, whose eyes were watery, approached us together with my father and brother.

"Congratulations on your wedding and coronation, Your Majesty," my father formally greeted. Well, they could no longer carelessly call me by my name so they had to show us respect.

"We're really happy for the both of you. Take care of my daughter, Your Majesty," my mother turned to the new king, King Dion.

Dion smiled a little to reassure them. "I will. You don't have to worry about your daughter. She's in good hands."

The exchange didn't last long because more nobles approached and swarmed around us so they had to quickly excuse themselves. It was exhausting but I tried to maintain my neutral face as I interacted with all of them. I was not good at discerning who my friends and foes were so I had to treat them with caution. I secretly winced because my feet were already swelling and aching and I could only secretly sigh and wait until everything was finally over.

It was such a long day for me, as someone who was not fond of socializing.

Dion leaned closer to me, realizing my discomfort.

"If you're already tired, you can head in first. I'll take care of the rest here," he gently whispered.

I furrowed my brows. "Is that alright?"

Dion nodded and eyed me with confidence. "They will understand. Who will go against the queen's wishes?"

I shook my head and smiled. "Alright then I will head in first."

I left his side and walked to the balcony leading to the hallway. Yumi accompanied me back to the queen's palace. When I looked around, I was once again in awe of how beautiful and grandiose the whole place was. Everything seemed to be glittering in luxury with jade and gold and ivory. The high ceilings were graced with high arches and exquisite paintings and murals and golden chandeliers.

I headed inside my new room and Yumi followed. The Royal Knights guarded outside my door.

"Do you want us to prepare for your bath, Your Majesty?" Yumi asked.

"Please do," I answered as I sat on the couch and removed my white heeled shoes and wore a pair of fur slippers. I leaned my back on the couch and closed my eyes to rest. My muscles were sore and I felt so drained. Today, many nobles tried to curry favor from me and it was really hard to tell what their real motives were.

After some time of rest, Yumi approached me. "Your Majesty, your bath is ready. We also prepared your night dress for the first night. Will you check it, Your Majesty?"

My face flushed when I suddenly remembered what was expected to happen next. It was quite embarrassing.

I shook my head and walked to the enormous bathroom where a huge tub with a warm scented bath and rose petals waited for me.

Yumi helped me undress and helped me get in the tub. I leaned on the edge and closed my eyes as she massaged my hair and back.

I finally married Dion. I instinctively touched the glass heart visible in my chest. It was no longer perfect and some small cracks were already visible in my heart. I was quite ashamed of my heart's weakness and due to my insecurities, my heart constricted a little. It seemed insecurities can break a heart too.

I took a deep breath. After bathing, I changed into my red silk dress. Yumi helped me to dry and comb my hair before leaving the room.

When I turned to the ticking pendulum clock, it was already eight in the evening and I was slowly getting more nervous as I quietly sat on the edge of my soft bed with white canopy drapes hanging on all its sides, while the whole room was illuminated by some lamps.

There was wine on the center table but I didn't think it was proper to get myself drunk before my husband even got here.

I almost jumped from the bed when I heard the consecutive knocks on the door.

"It's me, my queen," Dion announced.

I couldn't help how my heart pounded against my chest.

"Come in," I nervously breathed.

After a moment of pause, Dion entered the room. He already had a change of clothes with slightly messy wet hair. When our eyes met, he smiled at me, full of mischief, closing the door behind him.

"Did I make you wait?"

I frowned, maybe to hide the growing embarrassment. "Not really."

He approached me in long strides and stood in front of me as he opened his arms as if waiting for a warm hug. I heaved a deep breath and hugged his torso tight. He gently patted and caressed my red curls.

"I don't know what to say," he uttered under his breath. "This is all new to me."

I also didn't know what to say, afraid that words would fail me. I actually couldn't explain the happiness and fear simultaneously welling in my chest.

"I feel like I'm about to break," I mindlessly uttered how I felt at the moment as I buried my face in his rock-hard abdomen.

Dion stiffened but heaved a deep sigh to loosen up.

"That will never happen. I won't let that happen. You just have to trust me. Just believe in me," Dion rasped in a hoarse voice. "I love you, Azalea. As the king of this kingdom, I shouldn't have given in to this temptation but I love you enough to break the rules. My parents trained me to have a perfect heart without blemishes and cracks but I allowed you to get through my defenses. I know this love is bad but I'm ready to break for you."

My breath halted. "I love you too, Dion. But my insecurities are slowly getting into me. What if I turned out to be so needy? Possessive? Greedy?" I asked in an uncertain and weak voice. "What if I fail to support? What if I break my heart because of my weakness? I don't want to harm you."

Dion let out a low laugh. "Look at me," he beckoned.

I freed him from the hug and tilted my head to look up at him with watery eyes.

"Don't be afraid. I won't be too narrow-minded as to misunderstand you or be annoyed with you. Have some confidence that I will accept you no matter what you are. We'll overcome this curse together before our hearts break," he gently said as his blue eyes stared at me. "We'll end the curse of this generation."

I tightly bit my bottom lip as tears slipped from my eyes. I believed him.

"It's alright. Everything will be alright. I want you to be happy even if that means I'll break."

He held my chin and lowered his face. He lightly kissed my neck before finding his way to my lips as I tightly shut my teary eyes. He kissed me with determination. Slow and deep and passionate.

***