The Palace Beast

*** THE KINGDOM OF MAXIS ***

The night weather wasn't friendly, neither was the night calm. Heavy rain poured down. The lightning flashed and thunder roared. The unsteady wind blows across the land. The wind keeps blowing the leaves of the trees and the birds have gone into hiding due to the heavy rain.

Princess Bonnie was lying in her chamber. Beside her bed sat Prince Oswald, the Crown Prince's younger brother and the Earl of Wizithon in the Eastern part of Wex. He rescued her from the furious hairy beastly creatures and took her home.

He waits patiently for her to regain consciousness. His heart was jumping around in his chest but he got hold of himself. He worried about her.

Finally, the waiting time is over. Princess Bonnie opened her eyes and slowly rubbed her bleary eyes. Her head was still reeling from the rough crash.

"Where am I?" Her voice sounded groggy.

Her sight was immediately drawn to a young man dressed in a royal mantle. He had a shiny goatee. When she looked again, she realized it was Prince Oswald. Her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Princess," he called out in a soft voice, standing at his feet. "How are you feeling?" His eyes lit with an eager glow.

"I am feeling weak, but with you by my side, I will be well soon."

She tried to sit up but Prince Oswald held her down gently. "Don't try to get up. The healer said you need enough rest."

Prince Oswald is the third son of his father, King Charles, and was made the Earl of Wizithon on his 20th birthday. It's eight years past and he's doing a great job. His immediate elder brother, Prince Eliot, was made the Marquess and trusted to defend and fortify against potentially hostile neighbors. Their elder brother, the crown Prince, was made the Duke of Weslex, which is in the Northern Kingdom of Wex. In their noble role, they have nothing in common, no similar royal duties. The only thing they have in common is chasing after one girl, the Princess of Maxis.

Princess Bonnie obliged. She's feeble. Breathing with a sigh of relief, her eyes were lit with curiosity. "Did anyone else survive?" She looked worried and at the same time felt guilty about her actions.

Prince Oswald lowered his head slightly and thought for a moment. He doesn't know how to break the news to her. When he had put the words together in his mind, he fixed his eyes on her. "Only your maiden survived," he said. Beads of tears streamed down the Princess' eyes. Her dazzling eyes blurred with tears. "It's my entire fault! I killed them all!" she cried out, sobbing like a baby.

Her guilt is eating her up from the inside. She should have listened to her father's decree about leaving Maxis. She's desperate to be with the Crown Prince even though she has been spending time with all the brothers and having affairs with them all. She did prefer to spend her birthday with the Crown Prince.

Princess Bonnie's tears pierced Prince Oswald's heart. He hurts to see her tears. His soul is heavy and his heart bleeds for her. He slowly sat at the edge of the bed and started wiping her tears. "Don't beat yourself up. It's not your fault they died." He had no idea she was journeying to Saxon village to meet his elder brother, the Crown Prince.

His concern at the moment is to see her physically strong and emotionally strong as well. Good thing he arrived on time before the beastly creature would sink its claws into the princess' chest.

Princess Bonnie tried to speak about the incident but she was choked with tears. She hates herself for leading fifty-one men to their early graves.

"It will be okay, my dear," Prince Oswald said, lowering his head, he kissed her on the forehead. "It will be okay," he whispered once more.

"Where is my maiden?" she barely squeezes out. "I need to see her."

"I don't think that will be possible now."

"Why not?" she stared with curiosity.

"She's still unconscious and being attended to by the healer."

A wild sob escaped the Princess' lips. "She can't die!" Her skin crawled and her bones rattled as her muscles screamed with fear. June is known to be her best friend even though she serves her as her maiden. They have become so close that they easily relate to each other. "I need to see her."

She tried to get up once more but Prince Oswald, like before, held her down. "No my dear, you can't," he said in a polite voice.

"And why is that?" Another sob escaped her lips. Her eyes blurred with tears again. "I need to be by her side."

"I know, but you need to get well first."

When Prince Oswald swifts in to save the day with his men, one of the beastly creatures had already dug his claws into June's stomach. Although she was found to be with a faint pulse, whether she lives or dies depends on how the healer handles her.

As he wanted to speak further, his words were cut off by the creaking sound of the door. He swirled, casting his gaze at the door. His eyes hardened and narrowed into slits on making a profile of his brother, Prince Damon, the Crown Prince of Wex and the Duke of Weslex.

Prince Damon stepped towards Prince Oswald, glaring at him with hostility. Before Prince Oswald could react, Prince Damon shoved him backward, screaming, "Stay away from the Princess of Maxis."

The entire kingdom felt like it was closing in around Prince Oswald. In his mind, he was growing larger and larger, expanding with rage. If he didn't do something, fast, to get himself under control, he'd explode and take out on his brother and everything around him. He clenched his right fist and pulled his brother back with his left hand. He stood his ground and rolled his shoulders back, glaring at Prince Damon. "She belongs to me, not you, and not Prince Eliot!"