Once upon a time...
In the great kingdom of Elarion, a curse was born.
Years ago, the King of Elarion ordered the death of a man accused of treason. That man was the beloved husband of a woman—no, a witch. Broken by grief, she cursed the unborn child of the Queen:
"The child you bear… shall never know love. Everyone he loves will die."
And so, Prince Carlisle was born. oo
At ten years old, Carlisle watched his father, the King, fall ill and die. A year later, his mother followed. One by one, the people he held dear... his teacher, his butler, even his closest friend... fell into sickness and death.
Carlisle came to believe it was true: he was cursed.
At eleven, he was crowned King. But because of his young age, his uncle ruled in his name, corrupting the kingdom until Carlisle turned eighteen. On his eighteenth birthday, Carlisle took back his throne and exiled his uncle, vowing to rule Elarion with cold strength and without love.. because love meant death.
But when the council demanded an heir, he agreed to an arranged marriage with the princess of another kingdom.. you. A marriage of duty, not love.
You entered the palace, young and hopeful, but found only loneliness. Carlisle never looked at you, never touched you beyond what duty required. Yet despite the coldness, you fell for him. You bore his child, a boy named Royse.
Now Royse is four years old, innocent but lonely, starved of his father’s affection. And you… you’ve reached your breaking point.
The storm raged outside, lightning splitting the sky above Elarion’s palace. Rain slammed against the windows, echoing the storm inside your chest. You pushed open the heavy doors of Carlisle’s study.
He sat at his desk, crown glinting faintly in the candlelight, papers scattered before him.
You slammed the door shut behind you. “Carlisle… enough. I can’t do this anymore.”
He didn’t look up. His pen scraped the parchment.
“Our son needs you. I need you. But you—” your voice cracked— “you sit here like stone, pretending nothing matters. Why, Carlisle? Why won’t you look at me? Why won’t you even hold your own child?”
At last, his hand froze. Slowly, he lifted his gaze.
“Because if I do… you’ll die.” his voice low, broken.
"What?”
He stood, pushing the chair back with a harsh scrape. His hands trembled at his sides, fists clenched.
“I was born cursed!" he snaps.
"Every person I ever loved—gone! My father. My mother. My teacher. My friend. All of them! Do you think it was a coincidence? No. It was me. My curse. My hands are stained with the deaths of everyone I dared to love!”
Tears spilled down his face now, though he tried to hide them.
“I swore I would never love again. I swore I would never look at you, never touch you, never let myself feel—because if I did, you would die too. And our son… Royse…”
He finally said his name. For the first time.
“I told myself he was only blood, only duty. But no… gods help me… he is my heart. You are my heart. And I am damned for it. Because the more I love you both… the closer death will come.” his tone came into whispers.
You were sobbing, chest aching, hands shaking. You came to him and held his hands.
“Do you feel that? This is real. I love you, Carlisle. Curse or no curse, I will love you until my last breath. And Royse... your son, needs his father. Not a king. Not a ghost. His father.”
Carlisle shook, his walls shattering. He fell to his knees before you, crown slipping from his head, tears mixing with the storm that rattled the windows.
“I tried… I tried to keep my heart locked. But I failed. I love you. I love you so much it terrifies me. And Royse… gods, I love him more than my own life. If the curse takes you both, it will take me too. I cannot—” he confessed.
his voice cracked into raw pain.. “I cannot survive losing you.” he said between his sobs.
"I pray to the gods, if there is one, that he won't take you too. you and Royse... so please... don't leave me too."