The Damned Princess

The whole palace was heavily guarded, everybody was on high alert but I knew there was no need for this. He won’t come here; he’s waiting for us to go to him. My mother was waiting for us in the private dining area. We straight away went to her.

Her eyes watered up the moment she saw us, she immediately pulled me for a hug. “My baby” she cried. She has this beautiful soothing scent, when I was a child it would always calm me down. “Noi troveremo Jayson, per favore non preoccuparti Enna (we will find Jayson, please don’t worry Enna)” she said trying to make me feel better.

I have heard it so many times in the past two days that I don’t have any strength left in me to respond, so I just nodded at her. She met with everybody else too and cried even more because she was meeting with her children after so long and yet it was not a happy time.

“I know this isn’t a good time for us but I want my children to sit with us for dinner today”, she said. “I’m sorry mama but I don’t have any appetite right now, I want to go to my room”, I asked. She wanted to protest but my father stopped her and said “you go rest Amore; I’ll send food to your room”. I thankfully nodded at him and left.

When I entered my room, it felt like I walked back into time. Everything was just like how I left it. Mama knew how much I hated it if anybody would move any of my stuff out of the original place and now after I don’t know how many years, everything is still the same.

I took a long shower and when I walked into my closet, I saw the stuff was rearranged such that one wall was empty now. She must have done this when I told her about Jayson, I quickly got dressed and left because I was feeling empty just like the closet and I don’t have the time to cry.

I was going to my father’s office but couldn’t move past the door next to my room. I took a moment and then opened it and went in. I turned the lights on, everything was layered with dust because nobody is allowed in here, not the cleaners, not even my mother.

I never changed one thing in this room, I had hope that he will come back to me. I always thought that there will be a day when he will realize that the love, we share is too pure to be tainted with everything he wanted and he will accept his mistake, but it never happened.

Heracles loved to paint, there are so many portraits he made of me and both of us together. Some he hung on the walls. I used to love his art back then and when he left, I’d come to his room and cry looking at all this. Now, it feels like poison to me, I hate everything and I want to set this room on fire.

One painting caught my eye, it was a landscape. Beautiful mountains and a small castle on one of them, with the ocean on its outlines. I remember, one day he asked me, “when you decide to settle one day, where would you like to go Amore”, Heracles asked. I frowned “how many times have I told you Heracles, only papa calls me by that name”.

He rolled his eyes, “tell me”. I thought for a moment and answered “Tuscany”. “So many places in the world and you don’t even want to get out of Italy”, he asked. I smiled “I’ve been all around the world Heracles, not one place I found was more beautiful than Tuscany. That place has my heart, plus it’ll be close to my family”.

He made this painting for me then and said that this painting represents my dream and one day he will make it come true for me, then he will give this painting to me. After that, I never got a chance to go to Tuscany.

I realized something which I should have understood long ago. I ran to my father’s office shouting for everybody. Becky and my mother came running as well and Liam and papa were already there. “What’s wrong Amore”, my father asked.

“Jayson’s in Tuscany, he took them there papa”, I said breathing heavily. “How do you know Enna” Liam asked. “You remember how I always wanted to live in Tuscany after I’d find my mate”, I told them. Liam’s eyes widened, “he has been under our nose all along”.

“Are you sure Amore”, my father asked. “It’s a hunch papa, but a very strong one. Think about it, we’ve looked all around the world but one place” I said. “She’s right, we would have never thought to look in the same country”, Becky said. “I’ll send my men to confirm, we’ll take action once we’re sure”, said, father.

“No, we don’t have more time to waste. Call a meeting, your best fighters, we’re going on war, now” I ordered. They knew now was not the time to argue with me, so they listened to me and within the next thirty minutes we were in the meeting hall, filled with the best royal lycan warriors and I was standing in front of them.

Everybody was whispering to themselves, wondering why have they been called here. The moment my father stepped on the stage everybody went quiet and bowed down. He gestured them to straighten up and they did. “My children, the Prince and the princess have returned after decades but unfortunately we’re not here to celebrate this”, he said pulling me and Liam closer.

He continued “nothing has ever been kept hidden from my people. You all know everything our family has been through, how one person made us, especially my Amore, suffer so much. I thought when I asked her to leave the palace, I was sending her to a safer place but unfortunately, the danger never left her alone”.

“When she finally found the peace of her life, something that every lycan and wolf spend their life looking for, her mate, Heracles took him away from her. He abducted my daughter’s mate and a friend she holds close to her heart, who happens to be mate of another one of us”.

“You all have always been loyal to me and fought by my side for this kingdom and our family. Today I ask all of you to stand by your princess and fight with her and bring our future Prince back to where he belongs. Can I count on you to be a part of a war that has nothing to do with you” he asked?

There was pin-drop silence for a moment but then someone shouted, “we’ll fight for our princess” and the rest of them joined him. I raised my hand to silence them, “I know I’ve never been the best princess, as a matter of fact not even a good person for most of my life and I’ve made a lot of mistakes but still you choose to stand by me, for which I promise to stand by you all when needed”.

“We’re going on war and I plan on making all my past mistakes right”, I said and they cheered for me understanding that we will bring an end to things that I should have ended decades ago. My father and Liam explained to them how things are going to be done and send them to prepare to leave before the sunrise.

The plan is simple, they leave us as soon as we cut through Heracles’ men and find him. I can’t let them sacrifice themselves to him. There will be people waiting on the borders, in every direction, waiting to bring V and Jay back here while I finish things. I started all of it and I will be the one ending it all forever.

When everybody left my father said, “Amore, Liam you go get ready too and I’ll inform your mother and do the same”. “No papa, wait” I stopped him, “you can’t come with us”. He looked at me like I had lost my mind, “I’m not sending my children on a war like that” he argued.

“Papa, Enna’s right. Most of our men are going with us and if the king leaves too, the palace is left unguarded. You know rogues are always waiting for opportunities like that to attack” said Liam. He wanted to say something but I stop him, “we’re the children of the king of all lycans and wolves, we’ve your blood, we’ll handle this papa”.

He didn’t look convinced at all but didn’t argue either because he knew we can’t leave the palace like this, so he went without saying anything to us. We went to my room and Becky was already there waiting for us. “Why aren’t you resting in your room”, Liam asked her.

She rolled her eyes and asked, “when are we leaving”. I shared a look with my brother and said, “you’re not coming Becky”. She didn’t say anything for a while and then asked quietly, “because I’m not strong enough to fight by your side”. “No baby, you’re very strong but you’re carrying our child now”, Liam told her.

I grabbed her hand and made her sit, “Becky we’d never doubt your strength but I can’t put you and your child in danger because of me. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t let Liam come either but I know he won’t listen”. “Why wouldn’t you want me there with you”, Liam asked angrily. I took in a deep breath.

“You’ve been through enough because of me and I can’t let you both clean up the mess I make every time”. “Enna I’m sorry, I said it because I was angry but I didn’t mean it”, Becky said. “I know you didn’t but that doesn’t make it any less true Becks. I hate it that instead of celebrating the life growing inside you, we all are on a battle because of the poor decisions I’ve made” I told them.

“Sorellina you weren’t the only one who made that decision, we all raised him and we all didn’t expect things would turn this way. But it’s time now, we’ve been quiet for a very long time and now it’s time to end things and we’re doing it together like always, alright” he told me and I smiled gratefully at him.

“I know you both are the strongest but please promise me you’ll take care and come back to me in one piece and with Jayson and V”, Becky said with tears in her eyes. “We will” I promised her and hugged her and Liam joined us.

“Come on now Becky, you need to rest and let Enna get ready, also you have two new guards you need to meet”, Liam said and they both left my room fighting about how Liam is being overprotective and she can take care of herself.

I silently prayed to the goddess to always keep them happy like this and bless them with healthy children and I hope I have a relationship like this with my mate.

I have never been afraid to fight or to kill anybody, but today on one end there’s the life of my mate and on another, it’s a boy raised as my child. “Only goddess knows how bad I wish I could save you both, but you left me no other choice Heracles, so it’s time for me to make the hardest decision of my life now”.