Novel-novel oleh KM Ramos

CasimirNight cloaks Lilac Palace like a thick velvet blanket, the only sound in the air is the rhythmic rustling of leaves outside and the far-off howl of a distant wolf. The corridor outside my room is dim, moonlight slipping through the tall arched windows, painting silver streaks across the marbled floor.And the door to my room? Unlocked.I check it again, just to be sure. My hand hovers over the knob, fingers curling around the metal. It gives way with a soft click.Opening it just a crack, no resistance. No chains. No locks. I hone my senses and no guards. Not even Sanders.I step out, barefoot, silent as the shadow. I narrow my eyes at the silence and the peacefulness of it all. Something tells me this is a trap of some sort.I pad through the corridor, muscles coiled and ready to pounce or counter whatever it is that wants to catch me off-guard. However, the palace is still. No patrols. No alarm.For a princess's palace, this place is pa

Another day, another uphill climb for me. The silence in the room presses on, thick and heavy, suffocating the space between all of us. Sanders hums softly as he chops vegetables in the kitchen, the sound of his knife against the cutting board the only thing filling the air. I sit on the counter beside him, watching as he prepares tonight's meal. Casimir is leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, face black. It's been three days since he stopped eating. Three days since he started his silent rebellion, expecting a reaction from me. I gave him none. I know what Casimir is doing. He thinks if he refuses food, I will either snap and punish him or force-feed him like the other Were Royals would. His golden eyes bored into my being and I just ignore the uncomfortable stare he's been subjecting me since he started this nonsense. He has been eating fine since he got here. But ever since another failed attempt to get a rise out of me, this is p

A couple of days later...Casimir moves before I even register it. A shadow is shifting in my periphery, and a blur or motion is too fast for my Were eyes to fully process. The next thing I know, he's looming over me, his golden eyes sharp with intent, his body angled forward like a predator about to pounce on his prey.My pulse spikes but I force myself to remain still.I was never a predator type despite me being a Were Royal. It's another pathetic trait of mine that sealed another nail in my coffin as the useless Were Princess in the kingdom.However, there's still some Were in me that gives me the strength not to react to Casimir's predatory aura.I don't look up from my embroidery. If I do, I'll give him what he wants–fear, hesitation, or any sign that I may not be the sadistic and cruel Were Royal but a weak one who he can easily control like a puppet. But I'm not that same girl who once ignored the world because she was too afraid to fight bac

Casimir's gaze darkens, frustration rippling through him. He wants me to be angry, that's clear. He wants me to react the way every Were he's ever known would. But I won't play into his expectations.Instead, I finish picking the shards and sweeping the tiny pieces in the small dustpan. I stand and head to the small room that serves as a storage room for my cleaning materials, dumping the broken crystal into a trash bag.This room, like every other room meant for Were Royals in the Kingdom, has a small room specifically for their slaves. And no, it doesn't mean that room is supposed to be the slaves' break room but more like a torture or punishment room, depending on what the Were Royal feels like.In my case, I use it as the cleaning room where I store my cleaning stuff. Whenever the borrowed maids don't feel like showing up for their scheduled clean-up, there's no way that I'm letting Sanders do all the cleaning all by himself. Besides, it's a bit unbecoming for him

The Royal’s Oath is a sacred magical vow exclusive to the Were royal bloodline, binding the speaker to their word with an unbreakable force. Once sworn, the Oath manifests as a sigil—glowing silver script that appears on the royal’s skin and fades once the promise is fulfilled. It is a mark of power, trust, and absolute authority.It was once a power that dates back to the first Were kings, who wielded it to command loyalty from their subjects and assure them that they are worthy of their loyalty and reverence.If the Were Royal who made the Oath didn't follow through, they will be punished, depending on the severity of the Oath they made. The heavier the promise, the severe the punishment.Now, the Were Royals make it a point to hide the existence of the Oath as much as possible. They even erased records of it from the Royal Library.However, the Lycans are well aware of the whole thing and they refuse to forget it as a reminder that even the W

I suddenly wake up with a feeling deep in my gut. I look around my dark room, the moon is still high in the sky and everything seems quiet and peaceful.Deceptively so.The air in Lilac Palace is still, too still for my taste. Outside my window, moonlight spills from across the courtyard, illuminating the delicate lilacs in the vase by the window, a soft breeze sways the blooms gently.It should be a peaceful sight but unease prickles at the back of my neck.Something's wrong. I just know it.Without a second thought, I leap out of bed and throw on a robe before stepping out of my chambers. My feet carry me down the hall before I even fully register why, my instincts taking the lead. The palace is quiet at this hour but I trust my instincts.They haven't failed me yet. I just failed myself because I didn't follow and trusted them before.That's when I heard it.A scuffle. A sharp curse. Some heavy footfalls against polished marble.I move