One month. It has been one month of agony. Every day from the moment I wake up to when I fall asleep from exhaustion, I can hear it. When the voice first came to me, I was soundly sleeping. A raspy voice, emotionless and cold, whispered unholy words. It tried to tempt me to hurt the people close to me. The first night was hell, and after that, torment.

The music helps, but as soon as the melody stops. The voices start. Good thing I know how to play many musical instruments. I am the crown Prince, I should be taught in combat, not music. But I have never held a weapon or thrown a punch. Instead, I was forced to play. I have always detested my father for forcing music lessons on me my entire life.

But despite my protests, he pushed me to continue. Because he knew I would need these skills when the curse came. I have been taught in Vielle, Rebec, lute, harp and multiple flutes. The singing lessons were the most tedious and unfortunately not needed. For some reason, my own singing doesn't work on the curse. Others singing does have an effect, but if I sing the voices don't go silent.

Even though what the voices are saying is the most heinous thing you can imagine. The real torment is that they are always there, whispering to me. If it's not the voices, it's music, but no silence. I never thought I would long for a thing as ordinary as silence.

My fingertips have started hurting from playing the strings on the harp. I always hated the feeling of touching them. But the music that comes from a harp is some of the most calming there is. And calm is what I need. In the past month, I have hired multiple singers and musicians who are masters of their instruments. They help keep me sane from the voices. But they can't be with me always, not if this curse is to be kept secret.

The sound of the screeching door cut into the music. Assuming it's just a servant. Ignoring them, I continue playing. But then, between the strings of the harp, I see a pale orange dress walk into view. Looking up, I see the face of my little sister Zora. Her crimped hair pinned behind her head, and her big lips in a grinning smile.

I know that smile, it's the one she has when she is up to trouble. After hitting one last string, I stop. So I can concentrate on what she has to say. The moment I stopped playing, the voices returned to whisper in my ear, their words mixing with Zora's. "Why did you stop? It sounded beautiful?" Zora asks.

The thought of strangling my sister with the strings of the harp plagues my mind, throwing it aside. I reply to her question. "I assume there was a reason my darling little sister came here, and It would be rude not to stop. So I could hear what you have to say."

"I am bored out of my mind. We need to do something." Zora declares. "If you are bored, go read a book." I suggest, even though I know she won't accept that idea. "No, I want to do something exciting, let us sneak out and see the market." There it came, the reason she is here. "Absolutely not." I snap. Her smile turned into a scowl, "Come on Valor, we have done it plenty of times before." She is right, it would not be our first time sneaking out. But things have changed, I can not risk it.

"No, I will not be going anywhere. If you want to go, ask Malika or Alva to sneak out with you." Zora crosses her arms, before complaining that Alva is too anxious about getting in trouble. And Malika doesn't have time, she only has time for her upcoming wedding.

In a few days, my older sister Malika is getting married. With a man our father picked out for her.

Alva she is a foundling our parents took in. But my father has always been cold towards her. I heard him say she is not our blood many times growing up. This coldness has given Alva the fear that if she displeases our father, he will send her away. But I would never allow that to happen to my dear sweet Alva. 

"Maybe Keisha would be interested in sneaking out," Zoras suggested, pulling me out of my thoughts about Alva. "What? She is far too young to do that." Keisha is the youngest of my sisters. "Then you must accompany me. After all, I cannot go alone."

"Why won't you understand I have to be careful with the curse?"

"That's it? You are letting a stupid curse stop you from living your life."

"The possibility that I endanger someone is too great, I can not risk it."

Zora takes a moment to reply, no doubt, she is thinking of a way to convince me. "Valor, you are our future King, how can you let a curse control your life.-" I am about to say something, but she doesn't let me and instead continues. "How can you be a King when you fear walking down the street? You are a coward."

"I am not a coward." I sneered. Even though I am. I fear what I will do, and what I have already done. But like hell, I will let my little sister call me a coward.

"Valor it is a market. There are plenty of street musicians, you can go listen to them if it gets too bad." Zora tried to tempt. But she does not understand, it doesn't get bad. It's always bad, if she knew how bad it is. The voices telling me to hit her hit her hit her over and over again. She doesn't get it, she doesn't know how hard it is.

"Well, if I must go alone, that is what I will do." Zora whined.

"You can not go alone, something could happen to you."

Zora smirks. "Then you must accompany me. After all, a sweet, innocent virgin like me. Needs a chaperone."

She won't let this go, she is sneaking out even if it's alone. How I wish that Malika and I had kept it a secret between us. "Zora, forcing people to do what you want is improper for a Princess." Zora shrugs and says, "As long as I get what I want, I do not see the problem."

"I am gonna go change. Thank you, Valor for coming. You are my favourite brother," Zora says while running out of the room. I yell after her, "I am your only brother!" 

It would be so easy if I just informed a guards about her plans to sneak out. They would stop her, but we made a promise to keep it secret, as long as we are not caught. And so far, that has not happened yet. Which is why I'm leaving to go change, or else I will stick out in the market.

This sneaking out, is not a thing we've been doing for long. It started between Malika and me, together with some other young people, when we were studying at Heilagur. And when we returned home, to my regret, we did it a few times with Zora and Alva. 

On the way towards my bed chamber, I walked through the grand staircase. By it, I see a maid cleaning the railing. The thought of pushing her down the stairs comes into my mind. Ignoring it, I continue my way to the sleeping chambers. I could hide from Zora. If I stay out of her way long enough, she might drop the idea of sneaking out. Then again, she has never been one to drop things. Besides, she is right I shouldn't let the curse control my life. I don't want to be a cowardly prince.

Finally, I turn down the hall, where my sisters and I have our private chambers. My own room is at the end of the hall. The door to Keisha's room stands open, from it I can hear voices. Stopping to peak through, I see my youngest sister Keisha and my dear Alva. They are sitting on Keisha's bed. On the floor are ceramic puppets lying on top of an embroidered scarf.

I did not plan to greet them, but then Keisha saw me and waved. "Hey, what are you two doing?" I ask. Alva doesn't look my way. "Talking," she said shortly. Her voice is cold and emotionless. After taking some steps into the room, I reply, " Any interesting subjects, or is it a secret?" Alva still doesn't look my way, she looks so pretty sitting on the bed. Her light curly brown hair falling down her back, with her two brown elf horns sticking up over her head.

"Alva and I were talking about the dresses we would like to wear one day when we get married." I can't help but smile at the thought of Alva's wedding. Because it would be mine too. I love Alva, I have for years, and she loves me too. "What kind of dress would you want to wear?" I ask. Even though I already know. Alva has told me that many times. She wants a very light red dress with dark red flowers embroidered on it. 

But Alva doesn't answer me. She is still mad. It hurts how she has been towards me the past month. Her coldness towards me is only making the torment I've gone through this month worse. But I can't say I don't deserve it. But it's not my fault, the curse made me do it.

"I am going to wear a green dress when I get married." Keisha burst out."You won't get married for many years, young lady," I say. From the door, I see her scowl, she doesn't know what marriage means. I doubt she would be so excited about it, if she did. How she will basically be sold to whatever man my father thinks has the best offer. The same way Malika has been.

Feeling unwanted, I excuse myself. Two doors down is my own room. The door is brown oak, and it has carved flowers in the frame. My room has a dark brown colour scheme. A chimney sits between a wooden shelf and a wooden desk on the left wall. The room is lit up by the sunlight coming in through the grand windows. By the right wall is a bed. I walk directly towards it and sit on the edge.

Silence. I just want a moment of silence. But the voices, even when I am alone it speak. When no one is here to harm, it will tell me to harm myself. In frustration, I take a pillow and scream into it. I scream to my lungs are empty, and my throat burns. Throwing the pillow, it lands across the room, and I fall back onto my bed.

Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself. Why me? Why did I have to be punished for something I had nothing to do with? After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, getting my breath back. I head over to my dresser. 

Rummaging through it for some old clothes. At the bottom, I find some grey trousers, A white tunic with a brown cape and a couple of worn-out turn shoes. Changing alone is a struggle. My clothes are filled with buttons and ribbons. I must look ridiculous as I struggle to undress my blue doublet. The way I pull and attempt to reach places I can't. 

After getting changed, I leave my room to find Zora. Her room is much like mine. Except she still has her childhood toys. I see she is wearing a brown dress with multiple layers and fringes. 

"What are you wearing? Ordinary city people do not wear fringes to the market." She crosses her arms before replying, "I do not have anything else, the dress I usually wear is gone.-" Thrown out, no doubt, the thing got torn last time we snuck out.  "And you should not complain about how I dress, when you are wearing that, the red is so bright it shines."

I look confused down at my brown clothes, and then back up at my sister, rolling my eyes. "Let's just get going, so we can get back." I groan.

Art by me. Depicting Prince Valor. Honestly, I have regrets with this one. I thought it looked good, but the more I look at it, the more I dislike it.