Chapter: CHAPTER FIFTYWhen I returned from outside, I found Jemima sitting on the couch with concerned yet relieved eyes. Tension emanated from her body, so much that it resembled a person gripping something fragile, but somehow that tension transformed into a strength that has withstood all trials. Stealthily, I walked to her, almost as if walking not to awake a sleeping child. "It's all right, my love," I said soothingly, as if to a frightened beast. "This will be all right." I wanted to comfort her but the very doubt glittering in her eyes held my claiming the truth at bay. "Let me make some soup," I decided, steering the focus away from her pain. "It helps to dull the ache." I knew that soup did really nothing, a mere comfort, but comfort is comfort. Jemima nodded, her answer just a whisper, "Okay." The very tone she used made it seem like even whispering required a struggle. Into the kitchen I went, my hands acting on their own accord, as though one were performing an exercise learned long ago.
Last Updated: 2025-03-08
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY NINEWhen I got out of the vehicle and stepped onto the aged asphalt surface of the old warehouse, my vision started to hunt the environment, like the one searching for treasure hidden. Like someone hiding their true intentions, the dim light thrown long shadows on the ground. I walked cautiously, footsteps echoing on the walls, like a person trying not to wake somebody up. I looked around the room, taking in everything from dusty crates to rusty machinery, like someone pulling pieces together, probably to fit a puzzle. And then, I saw Kalmia. As if that treasure had finally been found. She was bound to a chair, arms tied behind her back-like a captive. The face was pale and drawn, almost like that of someone exhausted by a long journey. From her looks, one could tell she was real-well, well, extremely-tired, like one who has spent all energy reserves. Her eyes looked sunken, gaunt, like someone peering into the darkness, and her skin was dry and cracked, like a person suffering from deh
Last Updated: 2025-03-07
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY EIGHTFrozen in shock, I stood there, while Jemima's words hung over the scene like a challenge waiting to be answered. "Kalmia is missing," she finally said; her voice was soft and hesitant, the voice of a woman afraid of being criticized. I felt a shock of panic, as though some being had punched me in the solar plexus, and I managed, "How? Who took her?" But in my mind there was such a noise of thought, like a flash of lightning trying to assemble a jigsaw from the previous night. Jemima, gazing into the pit, stated, "I don't know. I woke up this morning and she was gone. But I heard a shout during the night, I just didn't know it was her.” The words hung on her lips, laced with deliberation, like a person trying to explain something very complex. Fists clenched, I walked with that furious anger, trying to stifle a storm inside me toward the doctor's office. Smoke filled my mind about my missing daughter and now my missing wife. "My daughter was the first; now it is my wife," I said,
Last Updated: 2025-03-06
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY SEVENI woke with a jerk, body raising with tremendous force as I came to the stark realization that it was already morning-the next day-a new day; a day with a fresh batch of worries, new tides of anxiety washing over me like a cold dark wave. An unwelcome slant of sunlight flashed through the window, hitting me hard, forcing me to squint, while the dull throbbing ache crashed down upon my head like a sledgehammer. "Kalmia! Jemima!" I screamed, my voice a loud urgent sound bouncing off the walls, but not a breath seemed to be heard-just that awful, wrenching silence that tore through empty walls as if I were shouting into a vacuum. And memories snapped into view; how they were at the hospital the night before? My heart sank, my stomach twisted with worry, a knife turning in my gut. Stood up, forcing it with all my will, the body weary, the muscles stiff from tiredness, the grittiness in my eyes from sleeplessness. It was like crawling out from the depth of a dark, bottomless pit. I mad
Last Updated: 2025-03-05
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY SIXARROW’S POV "Yes, doctor," I said, and enthused was I to enter the room. Such calm soothing: the drone of air conditioning, a soft hiss of papers across the desk awaiting great news. "As I sat, Dr. Smith glanced up, his eyes sparkling and warm, inviting me to sit down before his desk. "Lovely news for you, Mr.-Arrow," he said, the rapt smile radiating with enthusiasm, as I settled into the chair. My heart racing with anticipation, and I fought to calm my breathing as I waited for the doctor to go on. "Oh, I cant wait to hear this, doctor; what is it?" My voice was charged with excitement; my heart raced as I waited. Enthusiasm was evident in my voice, and my heart was racing in expectation. "Your wife is responding so well," Dr. Smith said, full of beautiful optimism as he leaned comfortably back on his chair. The words reached my ears like music-the music of hope. A huge burden lifted from my shoulders as I could finally release the breath I had been holding. The heavines
Last Updated: 2025-03-04
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY FIVE In a worried tone, she asked, "What happened, Mr. Arrow?" stepping towards me. Her eyes seemed to survey the whole scene. I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to regain some self-control; for deep inside, my blood was boiling."This...maniac has summoned me,"I said, pointing my finger with an air of accusation at the shaking man in indignation. Instead of treating me with the respect and care I deserved, this man was spouting rubbish. His wounds cut deep into my soul. I could feel my anger boiling over at the rekindled memory of his insults, and I fought to keep my feelings under control. "Calm down, Mr. Arrow. Explain it to us," another man said from the crowd in a gentle and soothing tone while stepping toward us. "You're still angry," he stated. At that moment, the doctor arrived through steamrolling the crowd with forbidding, autocratic expression etched all over him. "What in heaven's name is going on here!" he said firmly and in a commanding tone. How--oooohhh, I felt relief at h
Last Updated: 2025-03-03
Chapter: TRAINING WITH THE CHILDREN “So until the royal investigator is punished for the accusation without evidence, I will be away from the castle”, Brenna said calmly. The king sat at the tip of her bed and turned to her, “You have to understand that I am a king and have certain duties. Compromising should not be allowed in this position! You chose this life when you married me, you should expect things like this. Yes, you are innocent but the royal investigator has to do his job. You definitely cannot hold such a big grudge against him”. Brenna smiled, “I am your wife before being your subject. You are my husband before being the king. If you do not care about me, save my face at least”. “What nonsense! What do you mean by I do not care about you? I am doing this because I care about you! If I let this slide without investigations, it will look like I’m covering up for you”, the king replied. “I will not sit back and watch the insult! If he cannot prove me guilty in three days, please permit me to do wh
Last Updated: 2025-01-19
Chapter: TRAINING WITH THE DRAGONS“Mother, what brings you here?”, Azar decided to ask to end the topic of pregnancy and avoid further fight. “To take her, training will begin shortly. I would have sent someone to come take her but I was afraid she’d decline”, the empress said with a smile plastered on her face. “I’m afraid she’d have to skip training for now”, Azar said. The empress looked at Azar, a little dumbfounded, “I am quite hurt that you dare speak against your mother and the Empress but it’s fine, I understand your sentiments as she is with your child. But your father and I have already discussed this. She is not even worthy to carry your…” “Mother”, Azar cut her mid-sentence, “Enough with all these. She cannot begin training immediately because she is with child” Kaliyah was touched seeing the way Azar supported her but then she thought, “It’s not like he cares about me, it's about his child”. “She is weak and clueless about this empire and about the kind she carries in her womb! She has to be taught!
Last Updated: 2023-10-28
Chapter: WITH CHILD“It’s nice to meet you, I am Princess Kaliyah”, Kaliyah greeted monotonously and without expression. The woman clicked her tongue, “And I am Azar’s mother, the empress!” Kaliyah raised her brows, Azar? It must be the name of the father of her child. She quickly schooled her expression and bowed slightly, “My honor. Is there a problem?” “No, I came to see the human we have been expecting”, she couldn’t hide her disgust when she said ‘human’, “You will begin training in 30 minutes, get ready”, she said and turned to leave. “Wait”, Kaliyah stopped her and the empress paused, without turning back, “I just got here, shouldn’t you think of giving me food first and letting me rest before I go for whatever training I need to go for” The empress chuckled and turned sideways to talk to her, “You are hungry and you cooped yourself up in your room, that’s funny. Were you expecting me to come to serve you? Get ready, in half an hour, you will begin training. Being late will attract punishment
Last Updated: 2023-10-28
Chapter: THE LETTERIn the throne room, The king was seated on his throne with a distraught expression on his face. The royal investigator, Morat, the chief commander, Brenna and Kenna, were seated in the throne room.The sky was dark and cloudy as it was about to rain and the hall was dimly lit concealing the look of anxiousness and fear on the faces of Brenna and Kenna.The royal investigator cleared his throat, “The contents of the letter are highly incriminating, proper investigation has to be done, my king”“Are you trying to say I would do such a thing? Are you trying to say that I would leave the kingdom without even telling the king at night? This is treason!”, Brenna said angrily and stood up, “The writer of that false letter and the royal investigator must be charged with treason”. Kenna stared at her mother silently with obvious fear in her eyes.“But I am not the one who wrote the letter”, The royal investigator retorted politely with an expressionless face.“Silence everyone!”, the king orde
Last Updated: 2023-10-01
Chapter: LEAVING WITH THE DRAGONThe days passed quickly, with Kaliyah keeping to herself and not leaving her room to avoid further drama. She had to be careful, she didn’t know what Brenna was planning. It was already the day when the dragon said he would come to take her.She was sitting by her dresser with Rheagal styling her hair.“Do you think I should style my hair or just let it down? The dragon females rarely style their hair”, Kaliyah said thinking of all the female dragons she had met before. They were beautiful but arrogant and they looked down on humans. She wondered how her life with them would be.“Whatever you want will be fine but you have to look presentable as you will finally be meeting the dragons today”, Rheagal replied. She was nervous and scared of what may happen today. Brenna had been silent and had done nothing since Kaliyah almost had a miscarriage, it made Rheagal think she was up to something.“I’ll leave my hair down then”, Kaliyah said, “Bring me the letter I wrote yesterday”.Rheagal w
Last Updated: 2023-09-23
Chapter: BLEEDINGThe following morning, the atmosphere of the palace was stained with worry and tension as news of Princess Kaliyah’s bleeding had spread in the palace. The maids and workers in the palace had already been warned to not spread the word outside the palace. Naturally, news of Kaliyah having a miscarriage was already in the air in the palace.In Kenna’s brightly decorated room, she was at the dresser while her maid was styling her hair. She was ecstatic at the news she heard. If she couldn’t get a dragon, Kaliyah would not also be given that privilege. The maid who was putting the pins suddenly stopped, “Milady, wouldn’t it be weird for you to dress up like this when such a shocking thing happened last night?”Kenna’s smile wavered a little and she turned to the maid, collected a pin from the maid’s hand and stabbed her in her arm, “Since when were you given the privilege to talk to me casually?”The maid stuttered and moved backward in fear as Kenna moved towards her. She couldn’t even c
Last Updated: 2023-09-23