The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

In only a second, two more guards were down in the pool of their blood, and an intense battle ensued, one that the palace guards were obviously going to lose.

"RETREAT!" Alicia screamed at the guards.

Some turned towards her voice, and as soon as they saw her, they heeded her warning, racing back towards the palace doors.

The rogues seemed really amused, and so did Tyra, who was laughing with them. She had turned with her horse and was now facing the palace doors.

Alicia watched in fear as some of the guards who were badly injured struggled to keep running. Some had fallen to the ground and could not even get up. While the few that were fortunate to not have been attacked have already run back inside the palace.

It was indeed obvious that the rogues were messing around with them because they just watched them and didn't chase, believing they would die either way.

There were only about 13 guards still alive, and only about 5 of them looked fine enough to make it to the palace doors.

Alicia had never been so scared and lost in her life. She didn't even know when Harvey pulled her until they got to the palace doors. However, before she could enter inside with him, she pulled her hand from his hold and ran back to help the guards trying to reach the doors.

"MY LADY!" Paulina, who was already inside, yelled in fear.

Lance and Harvey also looked at her with wide eyes, but Alicia was not paying attention to anything else. She kept reminding herself that this was Harold's kingdom. If anything happened to it, she wouldn't be able to save him either.

Why was he always unconscious at the wrong time?

Tears of fear rolled down her cheeks as she helped a guard up to his feet. His stab had been in his stomach. If he wasn't going to die from the stab, then he probably would from the infection of the blade. But she believed that there was nothing these physicians here couldn't treat.

It was a struggle pulling him up, and when she finally did and looked ahead, she saw Harvey running out to also help.

Lance looked hesitant for a moment and looked like he was cursing her in his head before he also ran out.

Two women whom Alicia believed to be Lance's mother and Harvey's mother, who had come to look for their sons and make sure they were inside the palace before the doors were locked, tried to hold them back, crying, but could not.

As Alicia pulled the young man along with her, she could see the fear and hesitation in Paulina's eyes, and the sharp look in Alicia's eyes told Paulina not to think of stepping out.

"MY LADY!" Paulina screamed while pointing behind Alicia. At the same time, Alicia felt a sharp kick to her side before she could turn shot by an arrow, which Harvey, who was ahead, was able to quickly cut off with his sword before it flew past the palace door.

around, and that sent her falling along with the guard to the ground.

The kick was courtesy of Lance, who had just saved her from being shot by an arrow, which Harvey, who was ahead, was able to quickly cut off with his sword before it flew past the palace door.

From the ground, Alicia looked at the direction it had come from and realized it had been shot by none other than Tyra, who was looking at her with an evil expression and getting ready to use the bowstring a second time with a determined look in her eyes that told Alicia she didn't intend to miss this time.

What ever did she do to Tyra? She stared at her in disbelief.

"This... isn't worth it. Save yourself." The guard Alixia was trying to save said to her weakly. This time, they were lying side by side on the ground.

Alicia held his hand and tried to pull him up with her as she said, "I will save you—"

"No. You... can't." He interrupted her. "But... thank you. For trying." He gave her a warm smile before he closed his eyes.

Alicia looked at him, sobs escaping her lips.

She didn't know exactly why she was crying. Was it fear? The fact that she failed?

But she didn't have the time to focus on that, especially when another arrow was coming at her.

This time, she was able to dodge it and stand up quickly to help another guard.

By now, Lance and Harvey had been able to save the rest and were on their way to help lead the two last living guards back to the palace, despite their parents' protest.

Alicia grabbed the last guard and hurried along with him. She kept her eyes behind her to look at Tyra, who was aiming another arrow at her, but then Tyra suddenly stopped and looked ahead of her, yelling, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?"

At the same time, Alicia heard a commotion ahead and looked at the palace doors that were... CLOSING?

It seemed like an intense argument was also happening inside, and she could briefly see some guards dragging a stubborn Harvey away while Lance's mother was pulling him with her and yelling at him.

"WAIT!" Alicia yelled as she hurried her pace towards the door, but she kept seeing less of the inside as the space kept getting smaller and smaller, and just before the door completely closed, a crying Paulina forced herself out, falling to the ground.

Alicia stopped in her tracks, stunned.

Did they just... lock her out?

The door was so thick that she could no longer hear a sound from the other side. Everything was suddenly quiet.

She looked down at Paulina, who looked up at her with teary eyes.

"My... lady..." Paulina sobbed.

"What... happened?" Alicia asked in disbelief. Her voice came out so quietly that it was even difficult for Paulina to tell what she was asking.

"They said... they do not want a witch inside with them," Paulina informed her in tears.

Tyra was livid. But seeing how Alicia had been locked out despite always acting like a saintess and caring about them made her feel better. A whole lot better!

She felt so good that she forgot about her annoyance and began to laugh.