Naked, Lucas carried Isabelle to the river. She was cold and must have fainted from shock. Seeing the girl up close, he remembered her. She was the girl he saved from a hungry tiger three years ago. That explained her fascination. He carried her to the cabin she had asked him to carry her to three years ago. He was still naked but he hardly cared. He had to make sure the beautiful stranger was safe. He dropped her gently on the veranda and took his leave.

At the Alehouse, news had spread about a wild animal attack that left three of the prince's men dead. An eyewitness revealed the gruesome details of the state of the men when he found them.

"If only they knew," Lucas whispered to himself.

"It's the Pegasus." A fat bearded man said. The whole building burst out in laughter immediately this was heard.

"You're way over your head." A female sex worker commented.

The man refused to be fazed. He continued,

"I once had an encounter with the cunning creature..."

The man continued speaking as Lucas tried to remember when he had met the man.

"The Pegasus came at me, slapping across the face with its wings. There seemed to be a hidden sharp object in its wing. when it hit me,

my face tore. I was bleeding as I ran for my life."

Everyone seemed to slightly believe the man's tale as they wondered why witches existed if pegasus' do not. The discussions suddenly changed to the coming eclipse that the kingdom's scribes had predicted. This news particularly interested Lucas. The people talked about everyone was instructed to stay at home to avoid a bad omen which the eclipse signified. Not for Lucas though. He was going to remain human for a whole day. He needed to celebrate. Another news was picked to be discussed upon.

" I heard the Blackwood's matriarch died."

The news made Lucas spit out his celebration drink. His father was dead? He had only last seen them since he was afflicted with the curse. He hadn't bothered to visit them considering they all thought he had absconded and out of fear of what they would do if they learned of his curse. The news quite upset him as he thought of how his brother and mother would cope.

"It's so sad. Despite their affluence, their first son ran away. Their second is horribly sick and can barely manage their family's Manor."

"They deserve it though. They were pretty tight-fisted for a rich family."

The speaker of such vile words was Tony. Lucas did not waste time in dealing him a blow. The man tumbled over his stool, hitting the ground with a loud this and vomiting the fermented beverage he had just consumed. No one had the right to say that to his family. The man looked up at him drunk,

"What's your problem? Do you know them?"

The squabble was beginning to attract people. Lucas did not want that. When people ask too many questions, they usually got their answers. He left the bar.

***

Frederick fumed. Looking at the empty chair near him with the food untouched enraged him more. His maids knew better than to attend to him now but that did not spare them from his wrath. He stood up angrily from the dining and pushed a maid out of his way. The Isabelle of a girl annoyed him a lot. She would not respect him or listen to whatever he said. He was beginning to suspect she had a man outside. The mere thought of that enraged him. He paced around the parlor like a bull. He needed to drown his emotions. Now, Frederick didn't drink. There were a lot more intoxicating things to wine.

"You?" He called to an indentured servant that had caught his eye recently.

"Follow me.", He ordered. The indentured knew more than to defy her master. In minutes, echoes of what was transpiring filled the mansion as Frederick did wicked things to the maid.

Resting on his bed and satisfied, Frederick instructed the maid to dress up and leave lest his soon to be bride caught him in a compromising position. Immediately those words crossed his mind, the doors of his Chambers flung open. Isabelle was there, wet and all, a shocked expression written on her face.

"You womanizer! She accused, her wet hair bothering her sight.

Frederick looked the least concerned as he spoke back.

"Where were you?"

Isabelle paused for a brief moment then talked,

"I get it now. You must have messed with the Prince' woman and that's why he sent men to rape and kill me." She whined.

"Prince Alexander?", Frederick asked to be sure. He asked a question to be sure but that question confirmed Isabelle's suspicion, he was a womanizer.

She burst out of the room as Frederick chased after her unable to meet up to her, not after his recent exercise. He let her run but reminded her something,

"You can run Isabelle but you can't leave. You need me, your whole family needs me."

Isabelle knew he was right, she hated that he was right. She sat on the lonely bed that had been accustomed to her. This was her life now. She was going to get married to a chronic womanizer who had no respect for harm as a person and as a woman. Her life after their marriage was definitely not going to be a bed of roses. She, however, had a choice. Either live with a rope tied securely to her neck or a rope tied for her to escape. The latter seemed promising and for the first time in her life, Isabelle felt selfish. She was tired of always fulfilling everyone's goals and neglecting her's. That Isabelle was dead.

The cock had refused to crow in the morning. The sun was gone and it was confused. It was pitch black all over Astoria and no one could leave their houses. It was all superstition. They believed this was the very day that the demons were free to roam the earth. Packing a few of her things and throwing them down the three-story building, Isabelle prepared to abscond. She had handcrafted a makeshift rope out of her bedsheets which she shredded. Knitting lessons finally paid off. She tied the rope to one of her bedstand made of pure marble. It was heavy enough and would carry her weight. She climbed down successfully despite her initial paranoia that it would loosen and she would plummet to her death. She picked up her loads and took to her feet.

***

The eclipse had come and apparently, Lucas was still human. He had the opportunity to walk around for a whole day. He planned to use the whole day like a free-spirited Sprite but the news about his father's death had killed all those dreams. He was just going to sit down at the stream wondering why he had looked into the eyes that dangerous witch. He still cursed that day. The cracking sound of a broken twig alerted Lucas of an unwanted presence.

"Who's there?" He boomed.

A lady came into view. It was the same redhead that had a knack for being in trouble. Call it coincidence but this was fate.

"Who are you?" The lady demanded.

"What's a lady doing out so early? You almost look like you're running away."

Lucas read Isabelle like a book. It was quite what she had done or was still doing. She couldn't go back to her womanizing suitor or her parent's house. She was trapped then out of the blues came a handsome stranger. Dark-haired, slightly unshaven but cute all the same. His rich brown eyes looked like mirrors that could trap any woman's soul.

What are the odds? Isabelle knew it was unwise to converse with strangers but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Please Mr?" She asked hoping he could get her question and tell her his name.

"Lucas." He replied, his voice was soothing. What she even doing? Isabelle wondered. She was meant to be thinking her present predicament not how nice a stranger's voice was.

"Can I get a place to stay?" She asked, more like begging.

"I have money. I'll pay." She added.

Lucas did have a shack, he made for himself when he was still coming in terms with his curse and more he was broke and couldn't get food or Ale. He didn't want to get close to the girl but he really needed the money.

"Sure. But it's below your standard." He said.

Isabelle hardly cared how bad a state his house was, she just wanted to lay her head down and eat something.

"Whatever." She declared and he led the way.

Along the way to his house, Lucas tried to question the lady. This was his first real social contact with the human world and he wanted to make the most of it.

"Are you running away from something?" He inquired. The look in her eyes was exhausted. She was surely going to tell him.

"Yes." She admitted." It's just everything about my life. My family and my husband to be. You'll never understand."

Oh, Lucas knew. In fact, he understood. He grew up hating his life and family. He fell in love with a cursed witch who used him and now he felt alone and trapped.

"What about you?" Isabelle asked.

" No backstory." He replied and she didn't press on.

" You know, you never told me your name?" Lucas asked trying to change the subject.

Isabelle smiled and replied,

"I don't give my names to strangers."

She was probably retaliating on him after he refused to tell her his story. It's wasn't like he didn't know her name. He remembered it like it was yesterday. Three years ago, she had revealed her name in a trance-like state and since that day the name, Isabelle never left his mind.