Ch 14: The Prince’s Tale

He had had her in his arms, after everything he had fought through to return to her, she had been there, in his grasp, and now, she was about to be gone forever. Calder couldn't even begin to process what was happening.

He remembered the first time he had laid eyes on the beautiful redhead in the market. Her smile could melt your heart, and her eyes burned into your soul. He didn't fully understand why, but he needed to be near her, to know her, protect her, love her. It didn't matter to him when he found out she was a witch, he would find a way to be with her. She was kinder and stronger than he could imagine, and brilliant in more ways than he could count. She was perfectly flawed and the only one he ever wanted to have by his side.

The night before he left on his quest, they had made love for the first time, and it felt like the passion had turned to lava inside him. There was no experience he could compare it to. A part of him burned eternally for her, and so he swore to himself that he would complete his journey faster than even his father and return home to the sorceress who had bewitched his heart, to take the throne and change the laws that kept them apart.

He knew she was the only one for him, knew he couldn't live without her, and it was that which made him strong as he fought to conquer the land in the North, guided him as he wandered the wild forests to the West, gave him the power to cure the villagers who were plagued in the South, and ultimately brought him back from death when he faced it and fell in the East.

The entire experience in the Land of the Dead was still a blur to him. He had recalled approaching the sacred stone, kneeling before it, naked and exposed. And when it had tempted him and choked his heart, his love had outshone the darkness. But as he rose, knowing he had succeeded, that he could finally return to her, something had called to him. A whisper, something dark and sinister. He had turned to find its source but all went black.

He knew he had died, he knew his body had fallen, but a fire had burned in his soul so fierce that the cold clutches of the afterlife had released him. When he awoke, however, he was a prisoner in his own body.

The demon who had taken hold of him refused to tell him its name, but it was cold and malevolent and wanted the power Calder held in his birthright. Whatever horrid purpose it had for it, it didn't say, but Calder knew it would bring nothing but terror and death.

For days he struggled against the demon but to no avail. It knew his past, his emotions, it knew how to talk like him, mask the lies in his story, how to sway even the closest to him that it was indeed Calder that rode beside them. His own men who he had ridden with for five years, his Captain of his Guard and best friend who had trained with him for many before that, none recognized the difference, and he had grown weary and defeated.

He had all but given up, but when he returned home, she was there. Standing on the landing of the Royal Magic Advisory. His love. The woman who without even knowing, had brought him through pain and death to stand before her again. His emotions betrayed him though, and the demon had taken an interest.

He had fought so hard to break through when the demon cornered her in the hall. He knew its plan to take her and use her power. He had only gotten through long enough to utter her name before the demon took hold again, but his Tasha was smart and cunning and honorable. The demon wasn't able to trap her.

It wasn't able to outsmart her either. He had been watching her during the authentication ritual. Despite Calder's hope that someone would see that it was not him in control, they announced his success, but Tasha knew something was wrong. He could see it in her eyes.

All day, the demon had tantalized the idea of taking Tasha for its own, torturing Calder who, having spent five years longing to be near her, now only wished she would run far far away from him. But instead, she lured them to the woods, alone, defenseless.

He screamed and fought against the demon who used his own feelings to seduce the woman he loved, and his heart shattered when it kissed her and tried to have its way with her. But when he felt Tasha searching his mind he pushed with all his might, and finally, she saw the true form behind his eyes.

The demon knew it wasn't long before she figured out that it wasn't her prince she was interacting with and decided to either sway her or kill her. It was as if Calder had walked into hell. This was the worst torture he could imagine and again, he hoped beyond hope that she would stay far away. But she didn't. The demon had her in its grasp.

Once again, however, she figured it out. She was smarter than most and dared to see what others could not. He knew because of that though, her life was in danger, so it caught him off guard when the demon decided to use her to help it take a physical form so that it could walk among the people unhindered.

When she fled the room, he could have cried in joy. She had escaped, but the demon taunted him, claiming it knew she would return. Calder only hoped that Tasha had gone straight to Errant. He had grown up with the Grand Sorcerer and knew he would know what to do, and when Tasha didn't return, Calder felt relief. Whatever happened to him, he had accepted, so long as she was ok.

So when she came back, despair overtook him. The demon had convinced her to return. Somehow, she had found a way to release it to save Calder but he knew the demon would only kill them both the second it was free. She insisted on making a pact with it, however, and suddenly Calder knew it was now or never to break through and beg his love not to do this.

He had been looking for a weakness in the demon and he knew that its guard was down when it thought it had won, so with all his strength, he fought through to the surface. The look on her face when she saw that it was truly him made his heart blaze. Gods how he loved this woman. He begged her to let him go but all she had said was to trust her. He did, but he didn't trust the demon that was clawing its way back to the surface.

There was no time for him to recover when it finally took hold and flung the Prince back to take control. The pact was made. Tasha would have no choice but to free it now. And when he realized the demon's plan to seduce her, he felt sick. He screamed and yelled as it touched her, begged, and pleaded to take its hands off of her. But the demon was powerful and he could only watch in disgust and horror as it teased and pleased her.

There was only the smallest sense of satisfaction when he saw the look on her face after, the same disgust he held. But he knew what she was going to have to do later and his soul was crushed. She had asked him to trust her though, so that was what he had to do.

The demon didn't trust her, however, despite the pact, and it had tried to find a trap in the clearing, but if she had set one, she had hidden it well. There was a hesitance in the demon finally, and it made Calder happy to know she at least made it as uncomfortable as it made her.

None of that was any comfort, however, when she was suddenly naked and offering herself to the demon. Had the situation been different, he would have been awestruck by her beauty. She was perfect in every way. But this time, he wished he could shut it all out and not remember her body on top of his, the demon cackling inside. It had been weeks since he had rested, for the demon never let him, and now, he was exhausted and defeated.

But Tasha did something he never expected. She tricked the vile beast, and pulled it from him into herself, locking it away inside her. He was free, and she was there, her face in his hands, his eyes locked with hers, truly, the two of them there together, for the first time in five years. Everything that had happened would just be a bad dream. He had made it back at last to the woman he loved.

It was as if time had stood still. She was there, and he was free. Nothing else in the world mattered but her. And then the world had crashed down on them.

Errant was not a bad man, but he was stubborn and true to his oaths. Calder wasn't going to let him take Tasha away from him though. He refused to. But she was willing to go. How could she so easily let them take her? She was throwing away her life, she had thrown it away the moment she had decided to try to save him, but he wouldn't let her do that again. He had to do something, anything.

When he had grabbed her and kissed her, he had no idea if his plea would work, but he kissed her with all of the passion he had held onto for five years. In that kiss he told her how much he loved her, begged her to stay, to fight. He could feel fire between them, a burning that grew.

He had given them away though, and Errant was furious. He had taught Calder many things, all of which the Prince had taken to heart. But his warning about Royal and magical bloodlines mixing hadn't stopped him from falling in love with a witch.

He didn't care anymore though. He wasn't going to lose her. Even when Tasha left with the Grand Sorcerer, he swore he would do everything and anything to get her back.

**Author's Note:** *Hope you all enjoyed the double update! I loved getting to recap the story from Calder's point of view finally! More Cal chapters are coming up so stay tuned! Let me know what you think! Love and light my beautiful people!*