Princess Yeri. Hours earlier I exhale, looking at the letter in my hands. What does Collins have to tell me about Magnus? It seems urgent. I guess I would have to see him tonight and tell him myself. I will tell him about my decision with king Ozar. If I do not do it today, it may become complicated. At this moment, my maidservants are in the room, folding laundry and speaking to each other. Diana, on the other hand is somewhere in the castle. She will not face me. She is too upset. This is the woman that has taught me pride and honor. In the face others, I may seem rigid and prideful as ever. Yet, it is only because I learnt it from her. “No, he did not look at me.” Alice states. “He looked at your breasts. I saw it.” Beth says. “I will kill myself before I ever allow a Orizon guard do that.” Alice says. “Don’t lie, Diana is not here. You won’t squeeze your ears.” Beth says. Alice is about to retort when she sees me at the door. “Oh, please…don’t stop now.” I say and Beth chuc
Alpha King Ozar.The scene has etched into my soul.Yeri was sprawled on the floor, her gown lay disheveled and pulled down to her waist, exposing her undergarments that barely concealed her bosom. Her skin was flushed, and her chest rose and fell gently with each breath as she lay, seemingly asleep, against Collins. That bastard of a brother! He was also bare-chested, his shirt discarded nearby, his arm draped protectively over Yeri’s shoulders.The intimacy of the scene is undeniable. Collins bare skin pressed against Yeri’s and it is all I saw. She has been sleeping with Collins this entire time? All the time where she accepted my ring and made me worship her…she was doing this with Collins? If all we found were letters to Magnus, I would have forgiven her. But that scene has broken my heart. It has broken me so bad that I cannot think of anything else except it. What does Collins have that I will not give her and more? Why would Yeri do this to me? I was about to give her everythi
Mehera.I trailed behind Agnes, my steps are hesitant and I constantly have to look back. Bertha pushes me to go further. We have descended into the lowest servant wing. It is a dimly lit and musty part of the castle where the servants responsible for cleaning the pipes and other menial tasks resided. The air is thick with the scent of damp stone and the unpleasant odor of the castle's inner workings.The corridors are narrow and the walls are lined with worn, wooden doors, each leading to small, cramped rooms where the lowest-ranking servants slept.“This is where that whore deserves to be.” Agnes whispers and I look at Bertha who smiles.“What about her servants?” I ask.“Those fools…I have departed them from her. I have sent them to another division.” Agnes says and a part of me feels sorry for Yeri. But what can I do? This is not about her. It is about me being the queen that I deserve. Maybe when this is over, I will recover her from here and place her somewhere slightly better.
Princess Yeri.“Answer me!” Camille shrieks.I sniff, looking at the ground and holding the pieces of my clothes together. Throughout the night, I had been in the same position, pondering…wondering. Where did I go wrong? Where did I leave my weaknesses? How could this happen? The second letter wasn’t from Collins. Someone did this to me and it’s someone in the castle.“Yeri, I’m speaking to you!” Camille says and I pinch myself. As soon as I close my eyes, a streak of hot tears rolls down my cheeks. I cannot forget how Ozar looked at me. Was it the moment where he held me close? As he inquired, searching for the reasons why I would do this…I saw his eyes cower with tears. From the depths of his being, I broke his heart. I broke the warrior to the point where he couldn’t control his own tears. I look at my empty finger. He has taken back all of his promises, he hates me.“You will rot in here if you don’t speak to me!”“Do you think I am stupid enough to do something like that?” I ask
Princess Yeri.The smell of horse dung is thick in the air. I tie a napkin around my nose and mouth in a desperate attempt to block out the worst of the stench, but it does little to help. My hands are dirty, gripping the handle of a broom as I sweep the muck into a bucket.The straw on the floor is mixed with dung and urine. I stick my tongue into my throat in order to control myself from vomiting. I put my weight into each sweep, my arms are aching from the effort. For a moment, I stop to stare at my hands, they are red, begging me to stop doing this to them. The sweat from my brow drip down, soaking the fabric tied around her face.“Wow, you finally did it.” A stable boy says, looking around. He is a man with warm bronze skin, light brown hair, which is tousled and slightly too long, falling into his eyes. His eyes are a clear shade of hazel, flecked with hints of green and gold. His clothes are simple—worn trousers and a loose, sleeveless shirt that clung to his form with sweat,
Alpha King Orizon.I extended my hands to Mehera. My expression is stern—I can’t help it. My eyes are distant too and for this, Mehera hesitates for just a moment before placing her fingers into mine. The cello player, stationed at the side of the grand hall, begins to draw the bow across the strings, filling the room with a sombre melody. The rich, deep notes of the cello resonate through the space, adding a weight to the atmosphere that matched the tension on my face."A step to part.” The instructor says.The dance begins. I take a step back. Mehera mirrors my steps, her gown swishes around her ankles as she moved in time with me. There is a palpable distance, a lack of warmth that is evident even in the way our hands touch. I don’t know how to pretend as if I didn’t suffer an heartbreak two days ago. It is four days to the royal wedding. A wedding that is to take place between I and a woman that I am distant to. I am many things but it is never a pretender.We come together briefl
ContdAlpha King Orizon.“Do you even like her?”“Do you even want this or are you just angry?”“Are you just making decisions in anger?” Camille expresses. I have not replied to one of her questions yet, she continues to put them forward. I do not look up from my task. I run a cloth along the length of the blade, his focus seemingly entirely on the weapon in his hands. The rhythmic motion of my cleaning is almost hypnotic, the metal gleams brighter with each pass.At the last question, silence stretches out. The only sound being made is the quiet rasp of the cloth against steel.“Camille, do not ask brother about these things. Do not know he cried?” Asher says and I lift my attention to him.Seeing that, Asher turns his face away and Camille looks at me in worry.“Your cried?” She asks.“No.” I say, fixing my sword in its scabbard.“You cannot let this pain consume you. You can’t make decisions in retaliation.”“Mehera is here because I told the dowager that I was ready to marry in t
Princess Yeri.“Dasmey?” I say, and she looks back at me, proceeding to fold the laundry.“Yes.” She states and I take that as my chance to come forward.“Were you able to pass a word to Camille? Did you tell her that I want to see her?” I ask.“She is prince Kaine’s wife. No servant can just go to a royal, especially not a servant who works at the pipe and oil quarters.” Damsey says and I exhale.“So, no?” I ask.Damsey lets go of what she is doing and she turns to look at me.“I asked one of my friends in the castle to try and pass a word but I doubt it will ever get to her. You can only hope.” She“Thank you, Damsey.” I say, showing appreciating but it doesn’t reach my eyes.“Have you not given yet? How is it that you have not accepted your reality?” Damsey contends.“You have been a servant all your life. I have been a princess for all my own life. I have the world tongue, why would I accept this reality?” I begin.“People you have lost everything.” Damsey says, flatly—her eyes it