4 - Apollo

                                    

                                          
Even though he had slept in his own, comfortable bed for the first time in months, Apollo woke up feeling exhausted. The prince was grateful for having his castle, servants and chambers again, but that didn't mean he was free from being haunted by the memories of all the horrors he had been through. 
Apollo slept all night, but it hadn't been a pleasant kind of sleep. The prince had been cursed multiple times by now, and he was beginning to feel the effects of it. His body felt heavier, his movements were sluggish. The prince was tiring more easily—it was as though the slightest task required a great effort on his part. That night, as he had been lulled to sleep, he had felt his body become tense and rigid, as if he were once again under the influence of Jacks's curse, which had forced him into a state of suspended sleep.
Worst of all, he'd been feeling a strong headache that came and went, and that sometimes became so strong that he thought his head would explode. It started with a slight throbbing in one of his temples, which increased and then radiated throughout his skull, making him feel as though needles were piercing the back of his head. He had never felt anything like it before.
Apollo wouldn't admit that to anyone, of course, but he was terrified. 
Not only was the prince suffering the physical and mental consequences of the curses, but he also had to deal with the damage they'd caused to the world around him. The day before, Apollo had spent hours and more hours resolving things related to his return from the "dead". He had come back to Wolf Hall to find out another prince—an impostor, of course—had claimed his throne. Upon hearing Apollo had miraculously returned, this prince Lucien—or whatever his real name and title were—somehow managed to escape. Apollo suspected Lucien had had help from people inside the castle, and the prince had already sent a group of guards to hunt him down. However, Apollo had other priorities right now.
He knew he had to secure his place as prince heir, and he was aware that he needed supporters if he wanted to do that. Therefore, he had made sure to meet with a few members of the Council of Great Houses to explain all that had happened to him. He hadn't expected the heads of the Great Houses to be so skeptical at him, though. They knew Lucien had run away, they were seeing Apollo himself before their eyes, and yet they didn't seem too inclined to believe his story. The prince had been asked many questions, had received many sharp, suspicious looks. Apollo was surprised to see that those people—people he had known for all his life—were so distrustful and wary at him. 
Nonetheless, his effort proved to be worth it after all. Although it hadn't been easy, Apollo was very talented when it came to delivering great speeches, and he got what he wanted: he had proved to the Great Houses that he was Apollo Acadian, crown prince of the Magnificent North, returned from hell to rule his precious kingdom. Apollo truly believed he had started to earn back their trust. He imagined it would be difficult, but the prince knew that if he played his cards right, he'd have them in the palm of his hand eventually.
Apollo was also very worried about capturing Lord Jacks, an old friend of his who proved to be the real villain in the end. Jacks had cursed Apollo, and made people believe that he was dead—not to mention the great deal of pain he had put the prince through. But still, the worst thing Jacks had done was endanger the person Apollo cared about the most.  
Her, who was his biggest concern among all the others. 
Evangeline Fox.
His wife.
His love.
His future queen.
His.
Apollo was so worried about her that he sometimes thought he was going insane. All he had been doing since the moment he woke up was to ensure she would be safe. The prince had already taken dozens of initiatives to protect her: he'd emptied the wing in which she was accommodated in the castle, sent her dresses and gifts to keep her occupied, placed guards to watch her doors and to follow her around. He had even sent Dr. Irvis Stillgrass—one of the castle's oldest physicians—and his apprentices to go examine Evangeline and make sure she had no remaining memories of the Magnificent North.