2 The Half Beast Prince

"You... you're truly a monster!" Syrena gasped, panting, as she struggled to free herself from the prince's grip.

A smirk formed on the lips of Prince Lagardioz.

"You have bewitched me!" the prince shouted in anger.

"Please, Prince! We would never do such a thing!" King Dione pleaded, his face filled with sadness. The purpose of the planned alliance marriage was precisely to fend off the attacks from the black kingdom of Valcke in the north.

"Please forgive our daughter. She is young and foolish!" the bearded man continued.

Who would have thought that the king of Ruxenia would kneel before Prince Agenor to save his daughter from her arrogant future husband? It was an unprecedented sight, a king humbling himself before a prince from a foreign land. The queen and ministers followed suit, as did the guests and bodyguards.

Gazing at King Dione's sincere plea, Prince Lagardioz released his grip on Syrena's neck. The girl took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air.

[Oh my gosh! Why must it be like this? It would be better to die now than to live forever with this prince!] Syrena grumbled, clutching her reddened neck from the strangulation. Tears welled up in the grey eyes of the princess as she fought back the urge to cry.

"Thank you for your generosity, Prince Agenor," the king said regretfully.

"I will ensure that this alliance marriage does not fail," King Dione added with hope.

"No! I refuse to marry a monster like him!" Syrena's scream once again filled the tense atmosphere. All eyes immediately turned to the brown-haired girl with flowers adorning her head.

The king took a deep breath. It was difficult for the ruler of Ruxenia to let go of his pride to save his daughter, but her behavior had provoked the prince's anger.

"You have heard it yourself, haven't you? Your daughter prefers war over peace! She seems thrilled by my transformation. How can I not think that this foolish girl is the one who bewitched me?" Prince Agenor stared at Syrena, his expression growing more hostile as his brows furrowed sharply.

[What did he just say? I'm foolish? Tch! At least I'm not more foolish than a king who failed to strengthen his own kingdom!] Syrena sneered inwardly.

"No, Prince! Please ignore her!" the top advisor of the Ruxenia kingdom pleaded.

"I have no interest in the affairs of a small royal household like Ruxenia. If you fail to properly educate her, I will make sure to educate her with the sword! See you on the battlefield, King Dione!"

Prince Agenor turned around and left the royal hall of Ruxenia. Chaos ensued. Everyone present at the king's daughter's engagement looked disapprovingly at the princess, but they refrained from speaking out of respect for Syrena's father as the king.

The gaze of the king and Queen Ruxenia fell upon Syrena, who appeared to be watching Prince Lagardioz's departure with a smirk.

"Arrest Princess Syrena! Lock her in the dungeon!" the king bellowed in anger.

Two bodyguards immediately seized Syrena's arms. The princess struggled and screamed, "Release me! How dare you treat me this way!"

"Your Majesty! What is happening?" Syrena continued to scream, her eyes searching the faces of everyone present. However, the enraged king and queen paid no attention to her cries. King Dione's eldest daughter had earned a reputation for her unruly behavior.

Before long, Syrena found herself confined to a dark and stuffy room with no ventilation. The sound of a lock echoed as the door was securely closed, mingling with Syrena's whimpering.

"Today, you have made a grave mistake, my princess. I am deeply disappointed," the queen uttered as she turned away from the first daughter of the Dione family.

"I refuse to get married! I refuse!" Syrena cried out in frustration from behind the bars. Her hand reached out toward the queen's dress, but the queen moved further away, leaving her in solitude and shadow.

**

Prince Agenor slammed his hand on the table filled with food. The delicious aroma wafted through the air, enticing anyone except Prince Agenor to partake in the feast.

"What is the matter, Your Majesty? Is the food not to your liking?" asked Prince Agenor's guard as soon as he saw his master leave the dining room. Flynt's black eyes glanced at the untouched food on the table.

"I have suddenly lost my appetite," the prince replied, taking a deep breath.

Strangely enough, despite feeling hungry, Prince Lagardioz's interest in the palace food seemed to disappear into thin air. Especially when he saw a whole grilled chicken dish placed on the table, a wave of nausea washed over him, making him reluctant to linger at the dining table.

"Please have a little something, Your Majesty. Since returning from the Ruxenia kingdom, you haven't eaten anything. I am concerned for your well-being," Flynt said sincerely.

An unsettling feeling settled in the heart of Prince Lagardioz. Whether it was due to hunger or the changes within him, the lizard on the palace wall triggered a gathering of saliva in the prince's mouth, but he had no appetite to eat.

"How about we go hunting, Your Majesty? Usually, you can't resist the thrill of the hunt," suggested the black-haired bodyguard.

Flynt seemed more excited than Prince Agenor.

"Good idea, Flynt. However, I feel too tired for that now." Several days without eating had dampened the prince's hunting spirit.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Let me handle it!" exclaimed Flynt eagerly.

"Very well, if that's what you wish."

It didn't take long for Prince Agenor and Flynt to reach the stables. As usual, the second son of King Lagardioz headed towards his beloved dark horse.

"Are you sure you want to ride, Your Majesty?" Flynt asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"What do you mean? Should I walk to the forest?" the white-haired prince sneered at his bodyguard.

"That's not what I meant. Why don't you fly, Your Majesty?" Flynt pointed at the large wings attached to Agenor's back. It was the first time someone had shown excitement and noticed the two wings on the back of the second prince Lagardioz.

"Fly?" The black-winged prince rolled his eyes.

"Well, it doesn't sound like a bad idea," admitted Prince Agenor.

In an instant, the white-haired prince began to flap his wings. Initially, his body lifted just an inch off the ground. With more vigorous flapping, Agenor soared out of the stables.

"Wait for me, Your Majesty!" Flynt shouted as he mounted a brown horse with white markings on all four legs.

"These wings are quite remarkable!" A smirk adorned the lips of the white-haired prince as he glided through the air. For the first time, he felt a sense of relief upon realizing his unique new ability.

Before long, Prince Agenor and Flynt ventured into the forest. From the treetops, the prince looked down with satisfaction as he observed the yellow leaves falling from the trees.

From his elevated position, Agenor noticed Flynt taking aim at a stag. At the same time, the second prince Lagardioz's eyes caught sight of a snake slithering towards Flynt from the top of a tree.

"By the gods, my eyes!" the prince exclaimed, amazed by his newfound ability to see.

In a swift dive, Prince Agenor descended, grabbing the snake's head and swiftly breaking its neck.

"Your Majesty!" Flynt exclaimed, astonished.

Unbeknownst to Prince Agenor, he sank his teeth into the snake's body and voraciously consumed it.

It turned out that the change in Prince Agenor's form affected not only his physical appearance but also his appetite. After several days without consuming human food, the second prince found satisfaction in raw animals to satiate his hunger.

Realizing he was no longer an ordinary human, Agenor clenched his fist.

In the evening, during dinner, dozens of rats in a metal cage scurried about, creating a noisy commotion. The sound grated on Prince Agenor's servants, sending shivers down their spines.

The golden eyes of the second prince, Lagardioz, fixated on the gray mice, provoking a salivating response. Caught between nausea and hunger, the prince's mind became muddled.

Annoyed, Agenor seized one of the rats from the cage and devoured it raw. The screams of the mice and the blood dripping from Prince Lagardioz's lips made the maids suppress their urge to vomit. One servant even sought permission to leave the dining room, unable to bear witnessing Prince Agenor's gruesome meal.

"You've gone too far, Syrena..." Agenor growled, his fists clenched on the table.

"I promise you won't live in peace for much longer!" he continued.

Prince Lagardioz wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

"Flynt!" Agenor called out to his right-hand man. The black-haired man at Agenor's side, who had closed his eyes multiple times to collect himself, stood tall before his master.

"I'm here, Your Majesty." Flynt saluted the son of King Lagardioz.

"Tell the entire Geraky legion to prepare for Ruxenia immediately!" Prince Agenor's orders were resolute.

Flynt's face twisted with concern. However, he knew better than to interfere in his master's affairs as a loyal servant.