One day Armaros decided to sneak into the royal palace to meet the princess. He had turned into a fine young man but people were far from accepting him. Yet he couldn’t forget the princess and she haunted his dreams.

He climbed up the garden wall and hid behind the bushes. The princess was taking an evening stroll in the garden. She wore an elegant emerald gown which complimented her beautiful eyes. Armaros gulped hard seeing how gorgeous and attractive she looked.

As the princess drew closer to where he was hiding, he extended his hand and pulled her closer to him and she almost fell on top of him. Before she could scream his hand covered her mouth.

"Please, don’t scream or the guards will come over and catch me. I just want to talk to you, my princess. Can you give me a few minutes of your precious time?" he pleaded and Princess Elsaine who feared for her life vehemently nodded. Her heart thudded insanely behind her chest for a cursed child had dared touch her.

Armaros on the other hand was jubilant that princess was giving him a chance. His handsome face broke into a lively smile and two dimples appeared on his cheeks. Picking up the bouquet of red roses he had brought, he offered it to her.

"Please, accept this, my beautiful princess. This will make me very happy."

Elsaine was feeling disgusted by his nearness and presence and she wanted to alert her guards as soon as possible. Who did he think he was, barging in here and holding her like that?

"Who are you?" she asked keeping her composure and taking the bouquet from him.

"I am Armaros of house Wilfrid, my princess. I just wanted to talk to you but the opportunity never arose. You are very beautiful," he tried to touch her cheek but she flinched away from his touch. His face fell a bit. She wanted to teach him a lesson for daring to come to her palace and trying to touch her, an idea hit her.

"This is not the proper way to meet a lady. We are holding a ball in a few days. Why don’t you come and meet me properly? Wouldn’t you like to dance with me?" the smile that originated on Armaros’s face told her she had him where she wanted.

"That would be my honour. Nothing can please me more than to be able to dance with you," he forgot her initial reaction as his heart swelled in excitement. His warm blue eyes twinkled with the glow he experienced from being able to talk to the princess.

"Go on then, I will meet you at the ball. If you try to sneak in again, I will have you captured and thrown in the dungeon," she warned and stepped back from him. A knowing smile played on her strawberry-coloured lips.

Armaros quickly bowed and replied: "I will not disappoint you," with a satisfactory smile he turned and escaped the way he had initially come. The fake smile Elsaine held disappeared and she threw away the bouquet he had brought. Muttering to herself she made her way inside the castle and called her chambermaid.

"Fix me a bath and throw away this gown. It has become filthy," she instructed. Walking along the corridor with her head held high and her golden locks flowing behind her like wavy noodles, she was proud of herself.

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The day of the ball arrived. Every noble family in the kingdom had been invited to attend it, especially those that had eligible bachelors. Since Princess Elsaine was coming of age her parents wanted to find a suitable groom for her.

Armaros dressed up in the best doublet, cloak and hose he owned. It was red and gold in colour and he appeared extremely handsome as he checked himself in a cheval mirror.

"Who invited you?" his sister snickered up to him, seeing him all dressed up. "It’s Robrick’s chance to land the princess," she talked about their older brother.

"Princess Elsaine invited me herself, and I am going to win her heart and marry her," his mother had joined them and both females burst out laughing at his words.

"Don’t get ahead of yourself Armaros. They won’t even allow you to enter the palace gates. The Royal family is not fond of your kind, considering you people began to take birth when they shunned their witch daughter," his mother’s derisive voice almost made him wince.

"Can you at least see me as someone who has emotions too? Your words hurt me," his stormy eyes fluttered to his mother who held a stern expression as she crossed her arms against her chest.

"And your existence pains me. I wish you were never born," with her nose flared and her sea-green eyes holding abhorrence, she walked away, leaving his insides screaming for the one person who should have loved him the most, loathed him.

Another part of his tender heart died that day.

He still mustered up the courage to head to the ball, hoping that the princess would be more accepting of him.

Princess Elsaine was the pinnacle of grandeur and magnificence in her light pink ball gown. She walked exuding so much confidence with her spine straight and head high. Her golden hair had been pinned up revealing her slim neck.

Every head turned to look at her, and people murmured and gasped in awe at her beauty. Gentlemen lined up to have a chance to dance with her in the ballroom. Armaros arrived with a pink rose in his hand and he made his way to where the princess stood with a bunch of her friends.

"My princess," he slightly bowed down in front of her and offered her the rose. His heart fluttered in his chest seeing how exquisite she looked.

A frown appeared on her face as she looked down at him with a haughty expression and scoffed: "Who let a bloodsucker in?"

The smile on his face disappeared and was replaced by shock.

"Guards, capture him. He dared touch me earlier and sneaked in. Beat him up and throw him out," she ordered with an ominous smile.