Chapter 4 - Temporary Kindness

Before Reis walked away, Nyneve hold on to his arm.

“Let go.”

“No. You’ll definitely commit murder and I won’t allow it!”

“We’re even. You had no right to command me.”

“I am not commanding you! I am stopping you from doing something terrible.”

“Terrible? Will I be terrible if I killed a monster? Or does everyone here look up to him?”

“Not everyone look up to royalty, Reis,” she said in a calmer tone. And that caught his attention. “We heard about their misconduct and lies so we all had our doubts sometimes.”

“Then why stop me?”

“Because…” she said while letting out a breath. “I don’t want you to make this bad decision. Revenge seemed sweet before you have it. But the satisfaction you’ll feel won’t last that long.”

“You talk as if you knew a lot of things.”

“No. I don’t. So enlighten me. What happened to your brother?” she asked sincerely.

Reis seemed hesitant at first but perhaps the thought of his brother calmed him a bit.

“Ruan was like an older brother for me. Unicorns cannot help but see each of us like a family since we’re becoming extinct. As you know, you humans hunt us for our blood or for our ability to heal any sickness there is.”

“I didn’t know that,” she admitted.

“Surely you jest.”

“It is true. I only knew about your kind because of the book I once borrowed.”

“Then it wouldn’t matter if I’m gone now. But at least that prince will get what he deserved.”

“How did your brother die?” she asked while hoping to change his mind.

“The prince asked him to cure his illness. As a child, he was a sickly kid. He was only lucky to reach his teenage years but everyone knows he’ll soon die. He met Ruan when he got lost in the forest. Ever since then they become friends, or so that was what my brother thought. Years passed, the prince did not know that the man he befriended is a unicorn until he told him of his condition. He told Ruan no one else can be declared as the next king once he dies so their family’s bloodline will eventually end.”

“We heard the news before that Prince Artavius was supposed to be married at a young age. But other kingdoms were not interested to keep ties with them for they knew of his condition. He must have been desperate then.”

“Desperate to kill another just to live longer that’s for sure. The moment Ruan showed him his true form he healed the prince thinking it was enough as a gift to their friendship.”

“But… if he healed the prince then why did…”

Nyneve was unsure how to phrase her question but Reis understood.

“He killed my brother so he can have an eternal youth. Our horns can easily heal anyone but our blood offers an everlasting life.”

Nyneve gasped.

“So the prince is now… immortal?”

“No. But he certainly did not look older than he should be, isn’t he?”

Nyneve could not help but nod. The prince seemed young and healthy as she stood in front of him. But she could not focus entirely on his appearance because Reis already reacted harshly to the prince.

“I’ll be leaving now.”

Nyneve was about to step forward but stopped herself when she heard his added remark.

“Do not try to stop me again. I no longer have any debt to pay to you.”

“I wasn’t asking to be repaid in the first place, Reis,” she said while looking into his eyes.

Reis removed her scarf on his head and covered her face with it.

“Then you also probably didn’t know this. That once you help our kind, we must repay you by doing whatever you asked or else we will be cursed. If you do, then perhaps you’ll also asked me to heal your face or maybe grant you an eternal youth as well.”

“I see. That’s why you were eager to help me get that reward,” she said sadly.

“It was what you wanted. And you agreed.”

Nyneve nods while looking down. He was right. She did agree. But it was no longer what she wanted as of that moment. Yet saying it out loud would be pointless.

“I won’t ask for that anyway,” she said instead after he walked past her.

“What?” he asked as if he misheard her while he turned to look at her again.

“My face,” she smiled while pulling her scarf to show her ugly face to him. “I will not change it even if you can.”

She turned her back to him so he would not see how sad she felt now that they are parting ways. Nyneve can only keep on walking before she does something she might soon regret.