The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

Susan's heart skipped a beat as Alvin turned to her. "Thank you for coming for us," Susan said in a soft voice while looking at him intensely.

"It was on Prince Harold's orders," he reminded her without looking at her. The last thing he wanted was for her to misunderstand him again and make her cry.

Alvin kept his gaze and attention on cutting off the ropes, but he was more careful this time than he was when cutting Williams loose since she was a lady.

Williams pursed his lips as he watched Susan, who kept her gaze on Alvin, who had not bothered to spare her a single glance.

When Alvin was done cutting off the ropes, he was about to leave when she stretched out her hand.

"Help me climb down," she said in a sweet voice that almost made Williams scoff loudly. Alvin furrowed his brows and just stared at her while Williams cringed at the scene.

Seeing how their mother was still watching with displeasure, Williams stepped forward and took his sister's hand before helping her climb out of the carriage. She didn't forget to glare at him as they followed Alvin, who was leading the way.

"This is not right," their mother said to Alvin unpleasantly, but he only gave her a curt bow before walking away, but not before ensuring that the twins were following behind.

Susan could not look at her mother's face, so it was only Williams that gave her an apologetic look as they walked past her.

They had chosen sides, and the least they could do was stick to that decision instead of running away.

"Did you find the maid?" Susan asked as they headed for the palace.

Hearing her question, Alvin's thoughts drifted to what had happened the previous day after Susan's visit. After learning nothing from the kitchen staff, he rode into the village in search of the maid.

The moment he got into the main village, the first news he heard going around the village was the news of a floating corpse. According to the villagers, the corpse of a young lady had been seen floating on the river earlier that afternoon.

Not distracted from the reason he was in the village, he had hurried to the place he believed the kitchen maid lived. He had followed her before, so he knew where she went, even if he wasn't sure she lived there.

Immediately he stepped into the little house that could barely contain his size, he was attacked with a knife by a person wearing a black cloak with a hood. He only shoved the person to the side, but the effect was great on the person, who flew to the end of the wall and hit their back against the wall before they fell to the floor, groaning and crying from pain just as the hood fell backwards, revealing the person's face.

He recognized her. She was the maid he was searching for.

"Please don't kill me. Please," she cried as she tried to rise, but Alvin harshly pushed her down as he walked further into the room and looked around.

There was a bag on the sleeping mat, and from all indications, she had been about to escape when he walked in.

"Were you going to run away?" He asked harshly.

She snapped her head up and when she saw him, her eyes widened and panic flashed in her eyes.

"Please... don't kill me. Please!" She continued to cry, not listening to anything else Alvin was saying.

Of course, she had worked in the palace long enough to recognize Alvin. She knew who he was and who his master was. For someone like him to come find her here, it only spelt doom. Had they been caught? Was that why her sister ended that way?

"The only way I can spare your life is if you tell me what truly happened and who you are working for," Alvin said as he went to crouch down in front of her.

She shook her head vigorously as she kneeled in front of him.

"I... don't know anything. I'm not working for anyo.."

"You should think carefully before you respond to my question. If you lie to me, I won't kill you with my hands. I will make sure I hand you over to Prince Harold," Alvin promised, and the threat seemed to work, because immediately she paled.

"Please, I swear to you I did not do anything wrong. I am only a maid in the palace. Please let me live. Forgive me. My only crime was allowing my sister to work in the palace. I am sorry. Please forgive me," she cried as she rubbed her hands together.

Seeing how she was begging and not answering his question despite her obvious fear, Alvin paused and furrowed his brows. There seemed to be a mix-up somewhere. But at least he was able to confirm their theory that she was a twin.

"So why were you packing?" He asked.

The maid suddenly burst into tears. "I... saw her b-body. I... don't... I don't want to die. Please I'm sorry!" She cried, her lips trembling as she spoke.

Alvin furrowed his brows again as he pondered this. Was that what he had been hearing in the village? Her sister was dead? Which of them testified? Was it the one that was dead?

"Who killed your sister?" Alvin asked, and she raised her head to look at him in confusion.

It was as though she expected him to have the answer to that question, and that made him confused.

"I... don't... know. Isn't that why... you are here?" She asked in fear.

"Why am I here?" He asked, trying to understand her train of thought.

"I... d-don't know..." she said as she sobbed.

Without saying a word, Alvin drew out his dagger and held it against her neck, causing her to cry out, before shaking her head vigorously and raising her hands in surrender. That was all the motivation she needed to speak.

"I... was supposed to take over from her at the palace, but she didn't return home. I couldn't go to the palace and risk getting caught. So today... Today, I heard that a maid's body was floating, so I rushed to see who it was, and it was my sister. I thought she had been caught, and I would be next. I... didn't want her to go to the palace on that night because I feared she would get caught. But... she left... she left... and I could not go and find her there because I was scared. But... she didn't return." She broke into loud sobs, with her entire body trembling.

So it was her dead twin sister who had been with Princess Tyra and had testified against Princess Amber?

"Why were you both switching places?" Alvin asked, still eyeing her suspiciously even though he was beginning to think that she really might be telling the truth.

If she thought the reason he was here was because they had been caught, that meant she had no idea what had transpired in the palace or what her sister had done. But could he trust her?

"Alvin?" Susan called, bringing his attention back to the present.

He glanced at her and remembered her question, "She is dead."