I found Paige at the end of the hall and when she noticed me approaching, she rose, waving a hand in my direction. I nodded, gripping the new tray I'd taken,"Hey," I slid into the wooden bench across from her and placed my tray on top of the table. "Sorry I took so long, I tripped earlier."She arched a brow, her spoon pausing mid-air, "You tripped?" I nodded and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously but made no comment. We ate in silence, the only sound accompanying us was the scraping of forks and spoons against the china plates. "No news of Cora yet?" I asked, lifting my eyes to stare at her.She shook her negatively, "She said she has some business outside? I don't know, when I asked earlier she was all evasive." She waved her hand dramatically."Evasive?" She hummed in agreement and I frowned, recalling the last time I'd seen the dark-haired female. Cora had been strange lately, she spent more time out of the court and was always having 'business' with someone. I remembered the
"Wow, this is delicious."I take another huge bite from the sandwich, moaning delightfully when the flavours hit my taste buds. I heard him chuckle, however, my eyes remained closed as I relished in the wonderful sensation the food was giving me."Here, you'll like this," He handed me a small packet containing fries, I looked at him warily and he gestured for me to take it, "It's equally good, just dip it in here," He pointed at a small cup filled with ketchup.I did as he said, sliding the fry into my mouth and chewing, I grimaced, swallowing hard. He barked out a short laugh on seeing the expression on my face,"You don't like it?"I shook my head, rinsing my mouth with water, "Nope," He gave me a small grin and resumed eating, and I did the same too.We'd spent the last few minutes stuffing our faces with different food, I was surprised he had the time to put this together. When I saw the different meals laid out in front of me, my mouth was salivating. Back home, I never had the o
Drip, Drip, Drip.The constant sound of water dropping against the floor was the only sound that I could hear. I felt weak, my head buzzed painfully and I couldn't open my eyes. Where was I?"Look, she's waking up."Heavy footsteps accompany the voice and I groaned lowly when a hand took hold of my face. "Still looks half dead to me." Another voice spoke and I forced my bleary eyes open.At first, I couldn't make out anything in the pitch blackness but slowly, my vision began to adjust and I saw him,The stranger in front of me looked haggard, his blonde scruffy and unkempt, wide blue eyes regarding me cautiously. My breath hitched and I tried to scramble away from him but I was stuck,It was then I realized that I was strapped to a chair, my legs and hands bound to the rickety metal seat. I opened my mouth to scream, it was obstructed by the cloth taped into my mouth. The reality of my situation dawned on me then,Blue eyes chuckled menacingly, "Y'know it was fun watching you wake u
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"I weakly apologized to the woman, urging my legs to move. My throat felt scratchy and dry, I was depleted. I looked over my shoulder but the crowd made it impossible to see anything. Countless people were flocking the streets, my shoulders bumping into different people.I couldn't run further. I needed to rest.I looked behind again, and I saw them this time. Carlos was gaining in fast with blue eyes only a few paces ahead. My heart jumped to my throat, and I raced forward,The back of my legs protested, and a sharp pain in my ribs stunned me. I pushed at the people clustering around me. I felt suffocated, my chest heaving with each strained breath. I had to escape. I couldn't let them catch me.My legs slowed down, and I had to drag my feet against the asphalt. People cast me curious looks, eyeing me like I was a dangerous animal that was let loose.I knew I was a mess, my hair was all over the place. I was sure there was blood caked on my face, I w
The doctor came a few hours later, he was a kind, bubbly man who kept asking me funny questions so I wouldn't notice the syringe piercing into my skin. After he'd bandaged my ankles and given me some painkillers, I was left alone once again. Theo came in to check up on me and made sure I ate before leaving for important work. "Would you like anything else, Miss?" My gaze flickered towards the young brunette smiling down at me, she'd bathed and changed my clothes, although, the outfit looked like it belonged to a man. The sleeves were too long, and the pants barely fitted my waist but it was more comfortable than anything I'd ever worn."No, thank you." She nodded and stalked off, closing the door softly behind her. The low classical music playing in the background was the only sound that accompanied me in the large room. My eyes traced the various tapestries hung in different corners of the room, the King was an artistic man, that much was sure.However, I didn't know where I was.
"Miss Winchester, it's Lady Calloway." Hurriedly, I pushed myself from his lap and landed on top of the bed. When he looked at me, I turned my face away, tugging at the lapels of the shirt jacket. My heart was still thumping rhythmically and I swallowed the uneasiness building inside me,He'd almost marked me. My fingers went up to the spot, trailing the area tenderly. I could still feel it, the ghost of his canines grazing my skin,"Miss Winchester?"My eyes flew open, Lady Calloway was standing beside me. Her hard eyes accessing, from the top of my head to my curled legs and then back again, hazel eyes fell on me and I stiffened,She took in a deep breath before saying, "I'm glad you're safe." She settled on the spot close to my leg and placed a hand there, "How are you feeling?"I nodded numbly, my eyes searching the room for Theo. She must've noticed because she cleared her throat softly,"I asked him to leave us." My eyes flew to hers and she arched a brow, "What do you know ab
"The Queen wants to see me!?"My voice raised high and was laced with incredulity, studying her with unwavering attention. She sighed dejectedly, her head hung low, auburn hair falling like a curtain around her face,"Yes, she called the moment you arrived." She rose her head, and I noticed how drained she looked, "Is there any objection?"A lump built in my throat but I swallowed it, shaking my head, "I don't believe I have a choice." She regarded me for a moment before sighing, "Go get dressed. Wear something presentable.""Paige told me the second test was supposed to hold yesterday but it got put off." I leaned forward, resting my hands on top of the mahogany desk.She cocked a brow at me, "Yes, a potential bride got kidnapped under our nose. You can't possibly expect the test to go on!" She inhaled deeply before continuing, "If the captors were bold enough to take one girl, what's stopping them from taking another? The competition will be put on hold until we find the perpetrat
She moved her castle and I copied her. She cast me a dark look and I smiled sheepishly in return.We'd been at this for almost an hour now, after she'd asked me if I was good at chess to which I said no to, of course, she demanded I play one game with her. So I did the only thing any rational person would have done, I copied her, movement for movement.Needless to say, the Queen was not impressed by my tactic."So I heard you were rescued on the street," She moved her knight, claiming one of my smaller pieces. Her butler clapped in response and I scowled at her,"Yes, I was."She hummed under her breath, eyes flickering to mine for a moment, "Who saved you?"Instinctively, I opened my mouth to respond but paused when I remembered Lady Calloway's words. I risked a peek at the Queen, and although, she had a calm aura about her, the slight wrinkle in between her brows told me something else,"The imperial soldiers," I improvised, offering her a gentle smile."Soldiers or soldier?" She cr