That… was very straightforward. I glance at the Empress, as one would at a senior co-worker when meeting with a foreign client. She gives a hearty laugh, and waves me over. I settle on one of the four armchairs arranged around the table, two of which are already occupied. Alright, I’ll stick to bei
Wait, what? Were we just speaking in another language?! It all sounded like plain English to me!! “So she does.” The Empress agrees “I will admit I had my doubts, but it seems she really does know her way around words all over the world.” “You really flatter me, Your Highness.” I manage to say pe
Before I could myself turn to stone and crumble away, an attendant comes to inform us that a carriage is here to take Lady Josephine home. “I will have to take my leave now,” She says happily “Lysander, that rascal. I told him I might be late, but he sent a carriage when the sun is still up.” Bare
A thought occurs to me, and I bite the inside of my cheek, stringing together a question. “Your Majesty,” I say with practiced formality “I know it may be presumptuous of me, but may I ask something?” “You’ve already asked me something.” The Empress snorts “What is it, Dinah?” “Is there som
After a long moment of silence, I can’t help the question I ask; “Your Majesty, what about the man who got rejected?” Some hint of emotion flickers across her face, and her hand reaches for her arm, rubbing over the place Lycans have their mark. I get the feeling that she’s not even aware of what
The underground library is cold. It’s somewhere around evening, I can guess. I’ve been coming to the underground library after the Empress lets me go after accompanying her the whole day. I lean back against a bookshelf, my head hurting like something ran over it. Tomorrow is the banquet. Right
“My talents are wasted in this place!” I frown, but not really. I’m too happy to care about anything else right now. Something soft touches my face, and my eyes fly to Zen. He’s pulled a small handkerchief from his pocket, and is holding it to my nose. “Your nose is bleeding, My Lady.” He says, tu
“You’re exhausted, My Lady.” Zen says, and I realize he just flicked my forehead Well, I didn’t have much for lunch, and we did go to lots of places with the Empress today. So I suppose, I am a bit over the limit. The nose bleed did have a reason for it after all. The excitement of my discovery rea
I barely manage to find a waste bucket before everything I had for breakfast retches out. My throat burns. My vision is blurry. I dry heave every single thing in my stomach, warmth seeps out of the corners of my eyes. I can’t breathe. The smell of blood is everywhere. I sit there, holding the edges
The smell of rotting flesh is disgusting. Its muscle memory to pull the gloves over my hands, pick a scalpel off the medical tray. The body on the metal table in front of me has no head. ‘You have to take a sample of flesh, a sample of blood and take a look at the internal organs.’ Aunt Cynthia’s
How adorable. Apparently, I’m the only one who thinks so, since when I turn back around, everyone from the fourth prince and the first order to passing strangers and our coachman is looking on in disbelief. Is it so difficult to imagine Zen would get along with children? “Don’t leave your mouth ha
“My Lady, am I mistaken or is the fourth prince avoiding me?” I look up from knotting the satchel to my belt to face Zen. There’s a slight furrow in his brows, and he looks at Lukas, standing far, far from us and talking with the first order soldiers. The fourth prince has indeed, been avoiding Ze
I need to move. But even as I think that, I cant bring myself to move. He’s holding me too firmly, I think, entirely reasonable. I won’t be able to slip away like this. Even the most critical part of me can’t find that to be entirely an excuse. After last night, I doubt there’s anyone who would lik
I wake up to the sound of a door knock. My sleep hazed brain registers the sound, recognizes it, and promptly ignores it in favor of cuddling into the warmth of my bed once more. I don’t want to wake up just yet, since last night I fell asleep so late— Last night? My eyes open, blurry with sleep,
But he’s looking at me now, as if the answer might crush him, as if he’s bracing himself for it. I reach out to drape my arms over his shoulders gently, they hang down in front of his chest lightly. “Why? Because you did your job?” I ask quietly, hold his gaze “Or because you didn’t hesitate to do
“Lift your arm, please.” I say, and my voice comes out soft If we weren’t sitting so close to each other, I would’ve missed it. His shoulders tense up, the even breathing stilled into nothing. “You don’t have to do that, Dinah.” Zen finally says My brows furrow. Zen might be a warrior among warri
On the second floor hallway of the hotel, my eyes drift to the room where Zen is supposed to be. My room is just at its side. I wonder if I knock on his door right now, would he be annoyed? He did ask not to be disturbed. The image of his bloodied arm flashes in my mind. Just a moment. I just want