The Prince In The Dark
The carriage ride was unnervingly silent.
Ariel sat stiffly, her hands resting on her lap, feeling the weight of the Veil Maiden's enchantment pressing against her skin. The fabric shimmered faintly with magic, ensuring that no one—not even she—could lift it before the binding was complete.
The Celestial Prince's court had not followed.
She was alone.
The realization was unsettling, but Ariel did not let it show.
Outside, the celestial carriage glided smoothly over unseen roads, moving too swiftly, too silently to be normal. Whatever magic propelled it forward was beyond her understanding.
And then, it stopped.
A soft hum of power pulsed through the air.
The doors unlocked.
She did not move.
A moment passed. Then another.
A shadow fell over her.
Someone stood just outside the carriage.
She heard the rustle of fabric, the faint shift of armor, the quiet inhale of someone watching her.
The silence stretched.
"You switched places with the princess."
His voice was deep, smooth, and dangerously calm.
Ariel's fingers curled against the fabric of her dress.
He knows.
The carriage door opened fully, allowing the moonlight to cast long, eerie shadows across the gilded interior. A cold breeze seeped in, tinged with something unfamiliar—a scent sharp and metallic, like frost-coated steel.
He stepped in. Tall. Towering. Broad-shouldered.
His robes were ivory, gold-trimmed, regal—but beneath them, armor gleamed, polished and intricate, molded to the powerful form beneath.
His hands were bare, large, and strong, resting at his sides like a beast waiting to strike.
But it was his mask that drew her breath short.
It was white. Smooth. Featureless—except for the faintest carvings of celestial symbols that glowed softly against the dim light.
There were no openings for eyes.
Yet, she knew he was staring right at her.
Watching. Measuring. Amused.
Ariel swallowed but kept her voice steady. "What are you talking about?"
The prince stepped closer.
The air seemed to shrink around them.
Ariel willed herself to remain still, to ignore the heat that radiated from him, the overwhelming presence that made the space feel smaller.
"You know exactly what I mean," he murmured.
His voice was dangerously quiet, low, velvet, edged with something unreadable.
He tilted his head, studying her through that unreadable mask.
Before she could react, a single finger brushed against her veil.
The touch was so faint, so teasing, yet it sent a shiver straight through her spine.
His voice dipped lower.
"Should I lift it?"
Her breath hitched.
The Veil Maiden's enchantment should have made that impossible. No one but her groom could remove it.
But the way he said it…
Like he could.
Like magic did not apply to him.
Like rules were made to be broken beneath his touch.
Ariel clenched her fists.
"If you are my husband, then do as you wish."
A pause.
Then came a soft chuckle.
Dark. Amused. Almost… pleased.
"You're bold."
She tensed.
His fingers lingered near her veil for a moment longer, he pulled back.
"Very well."
He moved away, settling into the seat across from her, his posture languid, confident, as if he had all the time in the world.
Ariel exhaled slowly.
The carriage began moving again.
'This wasn't was I planned… not at all'