Chapter 6 The prince and the monster

"Wh.. What are you doing, why are you squeezing me" Erys finally voiced out and Axel released her with a smile.

"Its called a hug......ERM What's your name, if you have one"

"Yes I do have a name, I'm Erys" That was what Nyx used to call her. "and you are?" She stretched her hand forward like she saw the men do in the market.

"Axel, Prince Axel" He took her hand and placed a kiss on it again and Erys shivered involuntarily when his lips touched her skin yet again.

"You are a prince?" She was surprised. The last prince she met trued to kill her. Yet this one was kissing her hand, she narrowed her eyes. It all looked suspicious, she wondered if this was another plan to capture her. She had to be careful.

"Of course i am, do I not look like one to you?" He said and Erys took another look at him. His dressing alone screams royalty. His clothes are made from the best and most expensive fabric around, even his footwear could buy more than three of the dress she stole from the market.

"Now that I look at you, you do look like royalty and you are very beautiful, are all royalty beautiful too" She asked innocently as she stared at his face. She admired his sea blue eyes, they were the prettiest she had ever seen. Not that she had seen plenty of blue eyes, it was the only one she had ever seen.

"I honestly don't know" he said. That was a really weird question she asked. Just then he remembered the reason he was here in the first place.

"Erys?" Her name had never sounded so lovely.

"Yes" she answered absentmindedly. She couldn't stop looking at his beautiful face.

"Can I continue drawing you, we do not have all day now do we?" He said and she snapped out of whatever trance she was in.

"Yes.. Yes. Of course,you may" She returned to her former position. With a small smile on his face, Axel set back to work.

*******

AT THE PALACE

Haisley stared at the sunset. She was worried about her brother, It was getting late and Axel still wasn't back. Axel had never gone hunting on his own. While growing up, their father taught them self-defense, sword fighting, hunting and all other activity but Axel was never interested in them. He still learned though but was never interested in them as she or Theodore was. Now he had suddenly gone hunting, Haisley hoped her brother was okay.

"Haisley!" She heard a voice call her name with authority and rolled her eyes. There was only one person who called her like that, her mother.

She turned to look at the Almighty Queen Adalyn, her mother. "Mother" She called with a fake smile.

"What brings you to my chambers, you could have just sent for me" she said, even though she didn't like her mother, she was still the first queen of Devon and must be respected.

"Leave us" her mother said to the maids who bowed before exiting the room.

"Haisley, King Declan would be here tomorrow" She said slowly while Haisley wondered why King Declan would be visiting Devon.

"But why mother?" And why are you telling me this?' she added in her head, her eyes narrowing.

"He'll be here to meet you, he sent a proposal, he wants to court you Haisley."

"What!" Haisley exclaimed. Court her? What did she mean by that?

"I'm not surprised the new king wants you as his queen, you are a beautiful and well trained princess after all" Her mother said

What?, Court her, no, no, no, no. She doesn't want anybody, she's not ready for that.

"What did you do mother!" She cried. "Did you reject the proposal?" She asked hoping the queen would say she did.

"Why would I, of course we accepted the proposal. In few weeks Haisley, you'll be married and crowned new queen of Valeria, isn't that great!" Her world came crashing down as soon as she heard her mother say that.

"No mother, that's not great. I do not want to be crowned queen of Valeria. I do not want to marry anyone. I'm just twenty mother, King Declan is almost five years older than me!"

"What nonsense are you saying child, I wasn't up to that when I married your father"

"That's you mother, I'm different"

"You are a princess, it's your duty. Now I don't want to remind you. By next week, prepare to meet the king of Valeria and behave like the well trained princess I taught you to be" Queen Adalyn said and walked out of the room.

**********

"And.... I'm done" Axel said as he held the drawing in admiration. It was the prettiest thing he had ever drawn and that was because Erys was the prettiest thing or person he had ever seen.

"Come see" he said to the girl who stared at the river.

"Are you done" she asked staring innocently at him. Axel nodded and watch as a smile spread on her face. He watched in amusement as she skipped to where he was standing and snatched it from his hands.

"This is beautiful, is this really me?" She asked in awe. The figure she was looking at looked heavenly, and her wings were simply breath taking.

"That's exactly how you look like Erys"

"Really?"

"Yes Erys, you are really beautiful" he said and Erys frowned. "But everyone calls me a monster, monsters aren't beautiful" she said sadly.

Axel stared at her having nothing to say, everyone calls her a monster but she didn't look like a monster to him. She was far different from the monster everyone claims she is.

"Don't let them get to you Erys, you are not a monster, you are just a misunderstood person" he said truthfully, just then the sun began to set.

"Its beautiful, Luna and I use to watch the sun set everyday" She muttered sadly.

She clearly had no friend except from 'Luna' and Axel could see that.

"I could watch the sun set everyday with you" Axel said and her face lit up.

"Really?"

"Yes, of course, I'd make sure to come everyday and watch the sun set with you" He said and Erys frowned.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes I have to, my mother and sister must be worried, don't worry I'll come tomorrow" he said and her stomach growled .

"Are you hungry?" He asked and she nodded. She hadn't been eating much these few days.

"Here, you can have my lunch" he said bringing out a buttered loaf of bread from the bag he carried.

"Thank you" Erys said as she collected the food, she was really hungry. She took a bite out of it and moaned in delight. "This is even better than the ones I take at the market" she said as she hungrily devoured the bread.

Axel as she devoured the bread, now he understands why she steals from the market. She needed it for survival, if he were in her shoes he'd have done the same, anyone would have done the same. Oh poor girl.

He shook his head.

"I'd better be on my way" he said to Erys' hearing

"Will... You bring some..ehm loaf of..b... What's it called again" she muttered frustrated.

"Bread?"

"Yes bread!" She'd forgotten the name the humans called the delicious meal. "Will you bring some when you come tomorrow?"

"Ah of course, we make the best breads at the palace"

"Thank you" she said timidly.

"Good night Erys" he said before walking away. She smiled, he was the first human to tell her good night. He made her feel like a normal person today. He didn't mind her appearance and didn't look scared or bothered by it at all.

"Good night" she whispered even though she knew he was gone.