Behind the mask

Landon could feel the burning glare from his side. He didn't need to turn around to see who it was that was glaring at him. He had a very clear idea of who it was and why the murderous intent was so intense. He glanced at the prince, his eyes pleading with him to stop, he was a very strong person but even he was not up for a lifetime of torture.

To make it worse it didn't hurt him much what he did, the thing that hurt him the most was that he did it to him. The prince was the one who was hurting, having him hate him so much was breaking his heart to pieces. He wouldn't want to admit it but his feelings for the prince were growing stronger and stronger.

His heart was stubborn and kept beating for a beast he was sure would never reciprocate his feelings and that is why the pain was too much for him to handle. He was used to having physical and mental troubles but matters of the heart were new to him and he had no idea what to do about it.

Tears flowed from his eyes as he recalled that day in the words when he had told him to his face that he would never have love in his heart for him. To the prince, he was nothing but a play toy that he hates to the core.

"For someone who doesn't want to make Sly angry, you aren't doing a good job. Little wolf, staring at me so lovingly will make my merphix boil with anger," he whispered sweetly to him.

All the words he said went through one ear and left through the other ear. Only two words echoed in his ear over and over again 'my merphix'. He had no idea what merphix meant but the way the prince's voice said it with so much affection made his heartbreak.

It was similar to the way he treated Ara only with a lot more love if the beast was capable of love.

"If you love him then why are you hurting him by making him watch us like this?" he asked wondering just how cold-hearted the prince must be to treat his lover this way.

"I am not the one who hurt him, Lady Lara," the prince said his voice as cold as ice. "You are the one who hurt him when you decided to walk into my life and become my bride. What? did you think he would have been happy about it?" he asked him curiously.

"But h..he would.."

"Why do you think he came here immediately after the news of our wedding was announced to the world? It was not to congratulate you," he added interrupting Landon.

Landon thought about it and realized that he was just as guilty as the prince was. His walking into their lives is the reason that Sly felt the need to hate him.

"There must be a way to melt his anger," he muttered.

Ryker helped Landon into his tent to help him get ready for the wedding while Zaugustus set up the wedding altar. He took out a crystal from his pocket and used it to get dresses from the palace. He got the most beautiful ball gowns that were made for Lady Lara's wedding.

"Try these on so that we can see which one suits you best," he instructed handing her the gowns.

"Sure," he said with a weak smile. 'It is good to attend my funeral all dolled up,' he thought as he drew the curtains to change in private.

He put on the first dress, a beautiful green balloon gown that stretched to her feet. He walked out and stood before the royal adviser to get his opinion on the dress.

"Looks good but we should go for better, Next," he said like a judge in a fashion contest.

Landon went back and tried another. It was an off-shoulder gown with a bow on the waist. 'I hate that I find dresses to be so comfortable,' he thought and sighed before coming out.

"Definitely No," he said without even looking at him.

"How would you know without even looking at me?"

"Such dresses go well with girls who have full chests. You on the other hand have a flat chest so it does the opposite for you," he said to him. "You should see the royal physician when we return to the palace. He can tell a thing or two about how to develop your body in a healthy and faster way," he added.

"Fine."

Landon tried the next dress, it was a white long-sleeved gown. He looked at himself in the mirror and was surprised at how good the dress felt on him, looked so good in the dress.

"Perfect," he heard Ryker say close to him.

"But we just need to add a few more touches," he said and pulled Landon along with him. He made him sit down and got a comb.

"This dress is so simple so why do you think that it is perfect?" he inquired.

"It's not about the dress but the one who wears it. A good dress should make the one who wears it happy. It is perfect because it made you smile," he replied to him.

"What good is a smile if it won't last. That demon has vowed to ruin my life, he has taken it upon himself to make my life a living nightmare," he said and frowned. "He is a monster who deserves no mercy," he added.

Ryker listened to his words and shook his head. "That kind of thinking will get you killed in the palace sooner rather than later," he said and styled her hair to the back. He held her hair with a golden hairpin and got the jewelry to match it.

"Will they kill me for speaking the truth?" he questioned bitterly.

"You will die for your lack of judgment. In the palace, you will find people who wear different types of masks with different intentions. If you don't learn to see past the mask then you will die," he advised and finished her look by applying her makeup.

"Congratulations on your wedding by the way and one more thing. Always try to see what lies behind the mask," he said and walked out of the tent.

Landon walked away from the mirror towards the exit. Ryker's words echoed in his ear as he walked, he got confused why that had to do with the prince. He wasn't wearing a mask at all, he was just a monster who didn't even value the lives of his subjects.

He walked out of the tent to see a stage decorated with lights and flowers in the middle of the camp. It was simply beautiful, it was right below the two moons in the sky.

"How did you make this in just a few minutes?" he asked Zaugustus.

"Experience, the unpredictable prince is very lazy so I do all of his work. When you are with him for a few years even you will begin to understand him," he said with a warm smile on his face.

"How can you speak about the prince like that. Don't you have any complaints about his wicked ways?" he questioned not quite sure why those around the prince tolerated his wicked ways.

"Wicked?" Zaugustus asked confused.

"He slaughters his subjects without a care in the world and doesn't feel bad for it."

Zaugustus stared at him and asked, "When did that happen?"

"He killed people in the palace, innocent people who meant her no harm. Not once but twice and you are telling me that you were unaware?" he asked him feeling irritated at the injustice.

"Why are you talking about those criminals and how dare you to feel any remorse for them?" Zaugustus asked him getting angry.

"Cri..criminals?"

"How dare you call them innocent and say such things about his highness? Those people whom you are talking about are the ones responsible for killing the prince and you dare call them innocent. They are so innocent that they turned the whole city against the prince and got everyone to attack him. That too until he took his last breath, right?" he asked angrily.

"Zaug, what is the matter," Ryker inquired hearing his shout from where he was.

"The problem is this human, Sly was right and we should have allowed him to kill her," he said and walked away fuming mad.

"What was that about?" he went ahead to question Landon when Zaugustus didn't give him an answer. "I don't know if it is just my imagination or are you just courting death. Why do making everyone angry?"

Landon couldn't reply to him, his mind was still processing what he had heard. "Where is the prince?" he asked him. He needed to get some answers from the demon prince.

"He went down the mountain after Sly. He ran away in anger after what occurred between you and the prince."

"When will they be back?"

"I don't know but you can ask me whatever is that is on your mind," he said. "As the royal adviser I wi.." he began to say but halted when Landon vanished right before his eyes.

He looked around the camp to find him but he was nowhere to be found. He opened his bracelet and activated a communication link with the others.

"What is it Ry, I am not in the mood to talk right now."

"Zaug, we have a problem. Landon is missing," he said and hung up before sensing the same message to the prince and the merman.

"Looks like your beloved has gone missing. I hope whoever it is killing her and I hope she gets a slow and painful death," Sly said happily about that news.

"I hope whoever has her has a death wish which I would be more than happy to grant. If you will excuse me, I have a bride to save," Theo said to him.