Even so, it’s been a decade, and the House of Sigmond can never return to what it was before it was brought down. It’s been a decade too long. Zen looks entirely too alone on the stage, in front of the emperor. “Do you, son of Ricardius Sigmond, whose forefathers served the crown until the last of
“It gives me a great sense of security, to have the House of Sigmond standing with the church and the crown, especially in such uncertain times.” The Emperor has settled back in the throne, and an attendant has taken the key from me for safe-keeping. That should be fine, I hope, given it was right
“This Banquet has turned out so interesting already,” Arzen continues “The Archbishop was just telling his Majesty about the gift Lady Dinah has prepared for this day.” He doesn’t turn his face to us, nor do I turn my eyes to look at him, but I can just hear his stupid haughty smile in his voice.
I curse under my breath “I’m not ready yet!” “You’d better be.” The Empress is standing above us before I can blink “Your Majesty!” I stand hurriedly to curtsy “You said it’d be just after this song ends, but it hasn’t yet— “It takes time to move everything into place.” The Empress says, her voic
He steps back, as gently and easily as he’d enveloped me in his frame, and once his shadow is gone, I’m left standing alone in the bright light of the moon. Was that a pep talk? Right now?! I walk the rest of the distance and stand at the podium, my face still warm. But it doesn’t matter! He’s righ
The ending paragraph seems like the most normal anyway! “The same occurred for the next 12 nights, and as the sun arose on the 13th morning, the other gods looked upon the two lovers and to remind them of the difference in the station of a goddess and a mere mortal, turned him into a hideous beast
When he says nothing, finally, I wretch my gaze to Zen. In the pale moonlight cutting through the small new leaves and web of branches, I can see both his arms wrapped around his stomach. Is he… shaking? Zen bursts out laughing. He’s laughing so hard, and so unrestrained for a moment, I even forg
“I have a question.” Just as Dinah sits down, she looks up with dark eyes gleaming with curiosity. I take a seat by her side. “Go ahead.” She leans back as much as she can, until her feet hang slightly above the floor of the gazebo. The fur of the cape brushes her jawline, and Dinah looks ahead i
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