“Hey,” Jasper said as soon as he saw me approaching. When I went down to the playground to get away from the infants, he was hiding under a large, shady tree. I seriously thought I’d find him in the bushes with one of the sisters again. Instead, he was sitting there, relaxing, with two sleeping children on his lap. “The white suits you.”I rolled my eyes at him. A sister offered to wash my dirty pee and poop-stained clothes, but they made me wear their extra tunic in the meantime. Of course, I did not wear the coif and veil that came with it. It’d be too much.I sat at a picnic table and briefly observed the children as they played before pulling my phone from my pocket. I responded to some emails and texts before logging onto social media. We were not permitted to access an account. A team was in charge of all public relations and such. They took pictures or videos and posted them on our websites as if we were actually the ones who were using it. But I have a burner account that no o
“If you could change one thing about this school, what would it be?”I stared at the reporter in front of me and smiled. It was the start of the election campaign and I had opened my booth outside the Science Center in hopes of gaining voters from my own department first before moving towards the others. I baked brownies, blondies, and donuts to share with students who came to my booth. It was a good thing I’ve baked so much because when other students heard about it; I was swarmed. Someone sent me a coffee cart to go with the baked goods. I attracted a good number of supporters and the attention of the university newspaper. They sent someone to interview me, a girl who was the same age as me. She came with a cameraman to document the interview.“I’m glad you asked,” I said. “I have many ideas, but the one thing I can think of at the top of my head is... The university needs to have a better environment. Every day, all kinds of illness are being discovered and obesity is at an all-tim
“Are we there yet?” Jasper ignored me and got out of the car, slamming the door behind him. “Henry...” I couldn't help the quiver of fear in my voice as I grabbed my boyfriend's arm, shaking him. Where did this monster take us? He started awake and I yanked the blindfold off of him. “What are we doing here?” He looked around, as confused as I was before opening the door beside him and stepping out. “Jay?” Henry called out to his friend. As a burst of wind swept the dunes in front of us, Jasper shouted, “It's here.” The wind blew his shirt and snapped his long hair free from its weak tie, forcing him to fight to keep it from floating around and covering his face. “D*mn it.” Henry ducked inside the car as a white helicopter descended in front of us. It hovered just close enough to the sand for us to board without difficulty. “It's our ride, come on.” Henry was leading me by the elbow while I was busy struggling not to sink in the sand and prevent my skirt from being blown away by
Ugh...I jolted out of sleep when someone drew back the curtains, allowing the early sun to stream in through the balcony doors and into my face. My eyes and head hurt. I don’t remember exactly when I dozed off, but it felt more like dawn than night. After Dame Geneviéve’s late night visit, she actually took a chair and sat outside the room to guard it. She freaked me out so much I couldn’t sleep. Obviously, I couldn’t let her know I was awake either.The slamming and squeaking of the metal bars that the maids had unlocked, opened, and concealed from view made my headache worse.“Good morning, Your Royal Highness,” Dame Geneviève said in a cheery tone before she ripped the blanket off of me. It’s cold! “It’s six o’ clock, time for breakfast.”What kind of service were they providing here, really? These people were just as impolite as their boss. I used my elbows to prop myself up and saw the maids were busy walking about the room, doing one thing or another. I fell back on my pillow i
“Satisfied?” a deep voice asked after I hung the ring of spare keys on the hook outside of the servants’ quarters. I hadn’t spotted Jasper when I got there, so when I looked back, I nearly leapt in alarm to see him standing behind me, leaning against a wall.True to his words, Dame Genevieve gave me a spare set of keys without question and let me roam the place. There was no room, nook or cranny I wasn’t allowed to enter and I spent the entire morning doing that. I even found Henry’s room, but he was fast asleep, so I left him alone. I wasn’t sure what I was searching for, but I did find a few things in the manor interesting:First, they weren’t joking when they said the king had lived there since he was a kid. I found dozens of photo albums of him in the painting hall, as well as a painted portrait of him with the Otxoa family. He was six or seven years old then. According to some of the ledgers I found in the library, he stayed on the estate under the tutelage of Izaro Otxoa until t
“No, just you.” I smirked at Jasper, and he laughed.I stared at him, thinking about how easy and pleasant our conversation had gotten compared to that morning. Or every other time since we went to the orphanage. We spent so much time being annoyed with each other. It was exhausting. Playful bantering like this was a breath of fresh air....Wait... Why was I getting soft?“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.”I blushed furiously. The Jasper that I first met was back. I was going to retort something smart when the heavy doors opened and Henry ambled in. Every commoner in the great hall got up from their seats as a sign of respect. They all greeted the king as he passed by them.“Look who decided to join the land of the living,” Jasper joked as soon as Henry was within earshot. My fiancé smiled and took a seat beside me.“You still look exhausted,” I said, concerned. “What time did your meetings end?”“I don’t know... early hours of the morning,” Henry yawned. “I’m still sleepy...”I gue
What I did was stupid and dangerous. I knew that. However, when I thought about it at the time, it made sense to me. In my desperation to prove to Henry that his ideals were stupid, I was thoughtless... and it cost me a life._______I stopped in my tracks before I reached the foyer. I heard rustling and growling outside and looked out the window, shocked to see werewolves prowling in the vast yard. Not just Ulrich wolves, but actual werewolves. Some of the monsters were interacting with the animals, while others stood motionless, staring at the full moon. They were as hideous as ever, not quite a wolf but also not entirely humanoid. They resembled a sickly dog, with thin dark hair, an elongated body, and abnormally long arms and legs, as well as thin long fingers with claw-like nails. From where I stood, I could see that there must be at least fifty of them. I’ve never seen so many werewolves gathered in one place before.I shook in terror as one of the werewolves sniffed the air. It
Just a dream?It was the first thought that came to mind as soon as I opened my eyes. The sun was already at its peak; the room was already bright and toasty and nobody bothered to wake me. I was hungry, but still too weak to get up. I raised my hand to ring the bell on the headboard when I noticed the bandage on my palm. It was as if a dam burst and the memories came flooding in. I sat up, panting, eyes wide in fear and grasping at my neck where I was sure the werewolf bit me. Nothing. Not even a scratch.What happened?I swept my eyes around the room, looking for signs of the beast, but there were none. Jasper, however, was in the corner of the room, near the door, with his arms folded across his chest. His hair was down and he was looking at the floor, his face serious.“You’re awake?” a voice said, and I flinched, turning my head towards Henry, who was sitting in a chair beside the bed. He was hunched over, his elbows resting on his thighs, his gaze fixed on the carpeted floor. My
I let out a blood-curdling scream.“It’s alright, my princess,” Clifford tried to reassure me with a soothing voice as he approached me, but his actions had the opposite effect on me. “Do not be afraid, it’s–”Before he could finish speaking, a shadow leaped in front of me and tackled the butler to the ground with a growl. It was Jasper. They fought over the knife before the duke knocked Clifford out with a punch to the face, dislocating his jaw.“Freddy!” Bridgette screamed. Everyone rushed towards the prince, and they pushed me out of the way. I landed on my behind, the grass cushioning the fall, still too stunned to care.“Are you okay?” I heard Jasper ask. He knelt in front of me. I gazed at him and the hand he offered, still wide-eyed. “Selina, are you hurt?”I shook my head no. I was trembling like a leaf in the wind. I didn't even realize I was crying until the duke put an arm around me, pulling me close to his chest. “It’s alright. It’s over now.”It was strange. Even though h
Someone was standing by the window.The drawing room was dark, but I could see their silhouette thanks to the moonlight shining through the mesh curtains. They appeared to be looking out of the window, their back turned towards me. My heart thumping in my chest, I stepped back in an attempt to escape, only to be stopped by a familiar male voice.“You’re here…” The person finally looked at me. They were wearing a turquoise and gold suit. A royal butler.“Clifford?” I squinted to see the man properly, my eyes adjusting in the dark. He was… smiling. It was unusual, but not unwelcome. “It’s late. What are you still doing here?”“I noticed you were not here after His Majesty’s visit. Where were you?”I closed the door behind me and walked towards my bedroom. “I just went out for a walk. You can go back now.”“Oh, alright. Good night, my princess,” he said, a soft lilt in his voice. “Sweet dreams.”I raised my eyebrows at that. He never smiles or croons. The butler was always professional a
Thank the Rozen Maiden, Jasper was already hard. I don't know what I'd do if he wasn't.He smelled like mint soap and tasted nothing in particular. Like clean skin.“What are you doing?” the Lycan exclaimed, horrified. He shoved me, causing me to fall off the bed. I assumed he didn't intend to do that, as he quickly rushed to my side, visibly concerned. “I'm sorry!”I didn't move from my spot. I hurt my back when I hit the floor, but my pride and dignity hurt even worse.He was right. What was I doing, coming to his room and pouncing on him like that? I have no shame left in me. I couldn’t believe I’d stooped so low.“Hey, are you okay?” the duke asked, and I turned away from him, ignoring him completely. “Don't just lie in there. The floor's cold.”“Leave me alone.”“Selina...”I breathed deeply before opening my mouth and screaming at the top of my lungs.“Alright! Fine! Fine!” Jasper yelled through my screams, stepping back and covering his ears. “Fine, I'll leave you alone, jeez.”
I ran upstairs to the third floor of the Lyall Palace, where the guests’ bedchambers were located. As soon as I reached the door at the end of the halfway, I pounded my fist on the sturdy wood. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night; I need to speak with the occupant of the room.“Princess Selina?” a voice came from behind me. I turned to see Jasper peeking out from an open door across the hall. He looked dumbfounded to see me. “What are you doing here?”I could ask him the same thing because I know that’s not his assigned bedchamber. I walked towards him and his expression turned into a deep concern. The duke stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.He looked ridiculous in his silk pajamas and nightcap.“You can't be here,” he said, his eyes combing the dimly lit hallway for signs of life. “What if other people–”I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to crash my lips into his.When Henry said I could not have a lover while he had one, he failed to co
“Your Royal Highness,” Clifford's voice called from outside my door. I scowled and turned towards it. What was it this time? “His Majesty is here to see you.”“The king?”“Yes, miss.”My eyes almost popped open in shock. Henry never visited me in my room, especially at night, because he was wary of the rumors it might create. What does he want?“Shall I tell His Majesty that you’re indisposed?”“No, let him…” I glanced at the table and noticed the vial of period blood was still there.In my panic, I grabbed it so that I could hide it on the couch again. However, it slipped from my hand and rolled under the table.“Argh!” I tried to reach it, but it was so far away from my hand.“Your Royal Highness?”“Just a minute!” I tried to use my foot, but the vial rolled under the other couch and near the fireplace. Spilling small amounts of thick liquid in its wake. I forgot to put its lid on.The door swung open, and I dived to snatch the vial and, before I could decide against it, threw it in
“I’ve seen the written accord; I have studied it ever since they displayed it in the Museum for all to see. It doesn’t say anything about that.”I narrowed my eyes at the glasses girl, “Are you saying my father lied?” “N-no! I’m saying he’s mistaken, Your Royal Highness.” Nervously, she passed around folders containing graphs, charts, and pictures showcasing ancient texts alongside their modern translations. “I mean, I can’t blame His Majesty, the accord is very old. But… as you can see in your copies, the translation clearly says ‘a child sired by Wilhelm’s blood’ … so, it could be anyone of them, not just the king.”“You mean the spare?” Julian interjected, eyebrows furrowing.“It doesn't matter who is sitting on the throne now,” the girl said, adjusting her glasses that were slipping down her nose. “Even if he has just a drop of the first emperor's blood, he will still be considered eligible. The person Princess Selina decides to marry will inherit both the throne and the title al
My heart had been pounding so hard on my chest when the heathens pushed me into the back of a car and made me lie on my back. It was where they gagged me and tied up my hands and feet. They drove the car for a while, driving through a couple of tunnels and a train crossing and a lot of humps and when they finally stopped, I couldn’t hear the hustle and bustle of the city. All the sounds I could make out were the occasional chirping of crickets, rustling of leaves, and the squelching of our feet against the soft, wet grass when they got me out of the car.The people who took me dragged me carefully inside a building and made me sit on a cushioned couch. The place smelled like rotten wood, stagnant water and dust. By the time my kidnappers pulled the bag off my head, I was already calm and collected. My security team always told me that in an event that I was taken, I needed to preserve my voice and strength. I must not encourage the kidnappers to hurt me, which I didn’t. Aside from the
Jade was talking animatedly to another student while smoothing out the pink poster on the wall. I walked towards the elevator a few feet from them, ignoring them, intending to ride the elevator to go to my class. A few other students were intrigued by the new poster and flocked to the female Lycan, listening to what she had to say.Jade’s soft-spoken voice was loud and clear while she explained to the group the importance of having a ‘well-woman exam’ at least once a year. Her words seemed to be filled with genuine concern and compassion for her fellow women, which made me huff. Where was that concern and compassion when she stole Henry from me?I pressed the button on the elevator again, willing for it to go down faster, but it was stuck on the fifth floor for some d amned reason. With a huff, I turned on my heels, and walked towards the stairs, but Jade’s words stopped me in my tracks.“Me?” She was smiling warmly while looking at the group of students in front of her. “As a matter
“I'm infertile?” I was thankful for the face mask I was wearing because it muffled my loud voice a bit and it helped to not shower the good doctor with spittle when I shouted. After a few days of holding it off because of my pride, I went back to Doctor Ortega’s clinic and endured all of the tests she wanted to do. I had a lot of terrible scenarios in my head during and a few days after the tests, but I never imagined that one. Given the doctor's concern, I thought I was dying. The final result was even worse. To say I was shocked was an understatement. “That's—no, it can't be!” As the future empress, it was my responsibility to have children. If I don't get to have that… I'll be useless. If Henry knew this— “I didn't say that,” the brown-haired doctor said, frowning a little. “I said you have polycystic ovary syndrome, Mary.” “Same difference.” I folded my arms on my chest. “I’ve heard of that condition. I won’t get pregnant if I have it.” “Why would that matter to you? I thou