Part Five: The Aftermath... A Consequence

"Moonflower?..."

Night didn't even turn back to him. Instead, she walked away, leaving the king of the valley, her husband, there, a shocked and pained grimace on his face. 

"Moonflower..." Snugglemagne frowned. It was like that for a long time ever since that day. He managed to bring her back somehow, but after that, she grew distant, empty, void of her usual personality. 

Was this... the curse she had warned him about? Was it the curse's fault?

He couldn't stand it. He hated how quiet she had been, how much they had drifted apart because he had been weak enough to succumb to that harpsichord's spell. 

"Snuggleberry, what-" 

"Silence you fiend! You've put me under your spell! You truly are the ultimate villainess! How dare you even use that... that horrendous nickname!" 

He shut his eyes in pain. How could he have said that? How could he have been so cruel to his wife? He was a pathetic excuse of a husband, of a king indeed! All 24 of his predecessors would be so disappointed in him! 

He had to do something about this, but what?

A week of being ignored, of not knowing what was in her mind as she chose not to speak to him, to disappear, and to basically treat him like a shadow had driven his anxiety-ridden mind to extreme measures, to do the unspeakable, though. 

"Moonflower?" 

"...." 

Endless nights of no sleep had finally caught up to him as he suddenly tackled her from behind, gripping her tight but not too tight so she wouldn't suffocate, unable to handle the silent treatment anymore. Why was she ghosting him like this? He wanted, he had to know!

"Wha- Snugglemagne, unhand me!" 

"Not until you tell me why you're like this! I-I... I can't take this anymore Moonflower! Please, if it's the curse, if you hate me now, at least tell me instead of doing this!" 

"W-What?!" Night's eyes widened at this. He thought she hated him? Why would he-

Wait, was it because of her distancing lately, ever since she came back to him? 

"I-I... I can't take it anymore! P-Please just tell me already!" he begged. 

Hearing his pleading tone, Night flinched. She hadn't meant to make him feel that way, but at the same time...

"I-It's not your fault," she admitted. "The fault... it's mine, not yours." 

"H-Huh?" he stopped, his grip loosening slightly as he heard the vulnerability in her voice. "W-What are you talking about?" 

"They... they only went after you because they knew it would hurt me," she closed her eyes. "And I'm sorry about that. It's my feelings that led you to feel this way. This taught me something valuable, to be honest."

"Something valuable?" 

"It told me that my feelings will only get you hurt. It will only bring you pain. I was the fool for thinking it was possible. Our romance was never meant to be," she said. 

"E... Excuse me?" 

Night looked like she was struggling, but she managed, "I only cause you pain, s-so maybe w-we should stop this-" 

He couldn't take it anymore. He hated how broken, how fragile she was. How could his moonflower, the one who blossomed under the harshest conditions, who was the most beautiful under the moonlight, how could he have stomped on her beauty like this because of a so-called mythical harpsichord...? 

Without thinking, he rushed in and hugged her, surprising her again, "S-Snugglemagne?" 

"I-I... I don't want you to leave. I don't want to stop. I'm the one who should apologise to you, Night, for what I did to you. I should have been stronger, I should have fought back, so forgive me, but let's move forward together, please. Don't give up on our love, please, Moonflower..." 

"Snuggle... berry..." Night couldn't help but be touched by his feelings. Loathe she was to admit it, she didn't like it either so maybe, they could start over, maybe, there was still hope in their love. 

Later on, as Night slept, Snugglemagne walked over to the phone and called someone, his eyes cold and angry. 

The pain they had caused his Moonflower, oh, they were about to get it back tenfold. 

"Hello? My liege, what's wrong?"

"Sheriff, I have a favour to ask from you," he said. 

Revenge was finally coming.

venusaura Alright, it came out quite well! What do you think?