SERAFINA Sitting in the stillness of the kitchen, the wavering flame of a single candle cast eerie shadows across the room. My mind was still reeling from the early morning encounter with Zahir. The events of the previous hours played out in my head like a broken record, and the mix of emotions I felt was hard to shake.Despite his unsettling nature , I had been able to soothe Zahir with gentle words and soft touches. As I ran my fingers through his hair and whispered words of comfort, I could feel the tension in his body slowly release. Eventually, he had let me go, and I had left him to rest.But now, as I sat alone in the dark kitchen, I couldn't help but wonder what it all meant. Was this a step towards a…better relationship between us, or was it simply a moment of fleeting comfort for both of us? The uncertainty was unsettling, and I felt my heart rate quicken.As I sat there lost in thought, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something had changed between us – even if it wa
HERAI paced back and forth near the entrance of the slave quarters, my heart beating with a mix of worry and anticipation. I scanned the shadows around me, hoping no one was watching my every move. My eyes kept darting towards the entrance, waiting for Pam to show up.What if someone saw me? What if they knew what I was up to? The consequences would be disastrous. I couldn't afford to be caught. Or have the news related to King Zahir. I heard footsteps approaching, and I tensed up, ready to bolt if necessary. But there were only a few slaves passing by, and they gave a curtsey and then went on their way. I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding.Where was Pam? I checked my pocket watch; she was already ten minutes late. Did someone find out about our arrangement? I waited, pacing back and forth, checking the shadows, and praying that Pam would show up soon.As I kept a lookout for anyone watching, I saw Pam step out of the slave quarters. She looked around cautiously, making s
SERAFINA I felt disoriented as I stumbled behind Dahlia, trying to keep up with her brisk pace. My head was pounding, and my body felt heavy and sluggish. I couldn't understand what was happening to me."What's going on with me?" I groaned, holding my head in my hands.Dahlia glanced back at me, her expression sympathetic. She could see that I was struggling to keep up with her."You're feeling the effects of the changes, Princess," she explained. "It's perfectly normal."I looked at her bewildered. "Changes? What changes?"Dahlia sighed, "You see, usually you would have left the King's quarters very early in the morning, around six, if he had woken up at his usual time of three. But since he woke up late today, it messed things up and we had to make some adjustments."I frowned, "Adjustments?"Dahlia nodded, "Yes, we had to change the schedule and rearrange your duties accordingly."I rubbed my temples, trying to make sense of it all. "But why do I feel so tired?""Your body is stil
SERAFINAVallie's sister didn't need to say more and I was already out of the storage room, and without hesitation, I sprinted as fast as I could to get there. Vallie's sister followed behind me as we raced towards the quarters. Dahlia, joined in at our quick pace. My heart was pounding as I anticipated the worst-case scenario for Vallie As we approached the quarters, my mind was swirling with different possibilities as to what might have happened. The conditions for the slaves were already squalid, so the thought of a child suffering in such conditions was unbearable. Surely, it must be exhaustion or lack of food causing her harm. The system here was cruel, and it didn't spare anyone, especially not children.As we arrived, I rushed into the room, scanning the area to find the young girl. The room was large, and it took me a moment to notice that the other slaves had huddled together on the other side of the room. My heart racing, I pushed my way through the crowd, desperate to see
CHAPTER FIFTY–FOURSERAFINA I hurried through the opulent halls of the palace, my arms clutching Vallie's lifeless body to my back. Every step seemed to weigh me down further, as if the weight of the young girl's fate rested on my shoulders. My heart pounded with fear and desperation as I envisioned the bleak reality of her dying alone in a dark corner, abandoned to the mercy of fate.Finally, I arrived at the physician's quarters, and without even knocking, I burst through the door. My voice shook with urgency as I pleaded for help, my eyes darting between Vallie's face and the physician's stern expression."Please, you have to help her!" I said, my voice almost cracking with emotion. "She's barely breathing, and she needs urgent medical attention."The physician looked up from her work with a scowl, and I could sense her annoyance even before she spoke. "I'm sorry, but I cannot treat a human slave," she said, her tone cold and dismissive. "It's against our policy, and you know that
SERAFINAHera stormed in, her eyes blazing with anger."What is going on here?" she demanded, her voice sharp and cold.I turned to her, feeling a sense of panic rise within me. I knew that I had to tread carefully, or I could end up in serious trouble. "It's Valle.," I said quickly, my voice shaking slightly. "She's sick, and the physician is trying to help her."Hera's eyes narrowed as she looked at me, suspicion etched on her face. "What do you mean, sick?" she asked sharply. "Is she contagious?"I shook my head quickly. "No, Mistress," I said, my voice urgent. "It's not contagious. She's been poisoned, and the physician is doing everything she can to save her."Hera's expression was icy and unyielding. "I don't care, Serafina," she said coldly. "You broke the rules, and worse, you threatened a royal physician into doing the same thing. What were you thinking?""Please you have to understand," I said urgently as the queen walked into the physician's room, her eyes blazing with anger
SERAFINA As the girls spoke about the only way to leave the palace being through "The games," I felt my confusion morph into disbelief. I struggled to wrap my mind around the idea that something as cruel and inhumane as this could exist within the walls of the palace.The girls hesitated, exchanging looks before one of them spoke up. "The games are organized by the palace soldiers," she explained, her voice low and hushed as if she were sharing a secret. "They seek to take advantage of the slaves whenever they need to leave the palace without the permission of the king or the Mistress."My stomach churned and I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized the true extent of this horrific practice. The soldiers were using the slaves, who were already in a vulnerable position, for their own gain and pleasure without any concern for their safety or well-being. The thought of the slaves being subjected to such brutality and exploitation made my blood boil.I knew in my heart that I could
HERA I couldn't sit still. My mind was in turmoil ever since I received a letter from Lord Timothee. I paced around my room, clutching his words tightly in my hand. I weighed the gravity of his expectations. His words echoed in my mind, each sentence piercing through my thoughts like a dagger. I could feel the weight of his expectations pressing upon me – he knew that only when Serafina was gone would he have the opportunity to get the King out of the way with my help. That alone was a reminder of the dangerous game I had played.I carefully unfolded the letter, the crisp parchment revealing Lord Timothee's elegant handwriting. His words held a sense of urgency which matched the gravity of our plans. Every word seemed to come alive, reminding me of the immense responsibility I held, and had messed up somehow. "Hera,I trust this letter finds you well. I write to inquire about the progress of our plan concerning the young Princess slave Serafina. Has the potion been successfully adm
Yes, the book has come to and end! God, it fills me with so much joy to have finally give. This book a befitting ending☺️ I would like to say a big thank you to my readers for putting up with me and still sticking around to read my book. Special shout outs readers with the names Pab, Debra LeBaron Mixer and Chanlin Davies! Y’all are the real MVPs who also almost made me cry whenever I didn’t update and I read your comments, lol. Although I understand that it all came from a place of love for my book and I am so grateful! Thank you so much for coming on this journey with Zahir and Serafina! Now, I know some commonly asked questions. Will there be bonus chapters? Well, I’m thinking about but chances are…I won’t, lol because it will be a huge spoiler for the next book. Yes, the heard right, the next book!☺️In case you haven’t noticed, our dearest human and Lycan couple are having the first hybrid! You did not also forget the prophecy too, did you? Haha😅Well, writing the next book s
ZAHIR It was still dusk and the first morning light was yet to appear. The silence was deafening and I was sure that if I screamed, my voice was going to ring around the whole of Lycaronia. I was relieved. So relieved that everyone was able to escape. I had watched Serafina leave with King Zach and Dahlia in the carriage, not calming down until I got information that they were out of the boundaries. It was just me. Even Steven had left with the others. I had ridden him with the duty of taking care of everything until my return, if it ever happened. But I knew I had to end this once and for all so I stayed back and waited for the Prince to arrive. He was going to meet the shock of his life. I mounted my horse and rode to the eastern part of the boundary as King Zach instructed. According to him, he was going to be coming in through that direction. So I waited on my horse, rage boiling through me when I heard the sound of heavy hooves beating and drawing close to the b
ZAHIR. Several men were stationed in different parts of the border. In less than an hour, the human army had filled the whole place, coming with horses, chariots and carriages. They all helped in informing people. They went from house to house, warning the people about an impending attack while the others helped in the evacuation. Some families left with their vehicles while some were helped into carriages and transported to different Kingdoms. It was safer that way. This went on for several hours nonstop but this didn't eradicate the panic that filled my soul. I remained restless, making enquiries on how things were going on functional posts. I was assured not to worry by Steven. "Where are they being evacuated to though?" Steven asked when he returned from his inspector to give me details of what was happening. "They would have to stay in the Kingdoms for the main time. It's the only option we have because Aries is probably on his way here. We can't risk him finding
ZAHIR. It had to be a dream of some sorts because I didn't believe it was King Zach standing before us. A bigger dream that Serafina was carrying my child. If anyone told me two surprises couldn't coexist, I could easily debunk their statement with these scenarios happening before me. As soon as he set eyes on Serafina, his lips trembled as tears filled his eyes. He moved towards her, his arms spread out to wrap her in a hug but I stretched out my hand, stopping him as he made a move. "How dare you?" I asked, my voice in a low rumble. "What are you doing here? How did you get into my Kingdom?" My eyes narrowed on him. He raised both of his hands in surrender, his expression giving nothing away. "I mean no harm. I am here with good intentions." "Then state it." I gritted out, ignoring Serafina who stood beside me, moving from one side to the other. "I am here to warn you about something," He continued, then his eyes darted towards Serafina. "I am sure she know
SERAFINA. A gust of wind blew my hair forwards and I forced it back behind my ear before taking in my environment. I was standing on a pier. I recognised this immediately. Turning, I began to walk out of the pier towards the sandy beaches. I was finally back to my mother and this time, I wanted to remain here for good. I wanted to be with my mother. I was done going through all the pain and suffering and didn't want to go back anymore. Being here, right where my mother was, mattered the most to me and I was glad to finally make my way back here. I caught sight of her. She was still dressed in the same clothing. She was gathering sticks to make a fire and when she caught sight of me coming towards her, they dropped to the ground and she straightened. I stopped before her with a teary smile on my face and she pulled me into a hug. We remained in silence until she pulled away and wiped the tears off my cheek. "I want to remain here with you, mother. I don't want to go bac
ZAHIR. For days, I stayed locked up in my room, drinking my life away and inflicting pain on her when I had the chance to. It was equivalent to inflicting pain on myself but I was unable to stop myself, unable to stop this pain in my chest. Hell, I was far more miserable than she was, beating myself up each time I inflicted pain on her. But there was nothing I could do about it. I was long gone. Things had gone awry in a space of a few days since finding her rummaging my things. I had sent her out in anger and so much hurt. Hell, I had expected her to say something to pacify me at least. Something she really meant and not some stupid fucking apology. Then I thought she had escaped from the palace, unable to take more from me. It had put me through so much panic. I knew how I had searched for her while beating myself up for putting her through a lot only for her to coke running back to me herself. My anger had returned, only intensifying when I caught a whiff of an all too famili
HERA. Thunk! Sweat dropped from my brows as I kept cutting wood with a heavy ax. Well, it wasn't so heavy but with how I had moved from a position where maids were at my beck and call, this was a fucking downgrade. But that didn't really matter right now. Not even the splinter that pierced through the other surface of my skin. I pulled it out and continued to split wood, sweat pouring down my back. Once I was done, I gathered the wood in my arm and took it to the furnace where I usually cooked, dropping them all to the floor and looking down at my palm. With every passing day, it was a countdown to the tone Zahir would tire of Serafina and come back to me. Very soon, I was going to be out of this terrible place and in his arms once again. Hours ago, I'd been returning from the river after going to fetch water for my hut. It was really far away and I was so exhausted and had been on the verge of breaking down and bursting into tears. I had cursed Serafina in my mind, wish
SERAFINA. "Remain still and I'll let you go. I mean no harm." A distinct familiar voice said from behind me. I nodded and the hold was released. Turning, it was Prince Aries standing before me. My eyes widened in surprise and I blinked to be sure I wasn't seeing an apparition. I had seen a lot of that recently and I wasn't sure what to believe anymore. He smiled. "Yes, it's me. I know you don't believe but it's me, Sera, it’s Aries." "I know who you are," I blinked, taking a few steps back and wondering if I should be happy about this development or if I should feel uncomfortable. However, I couldn’t hide my shock. It’s the second time Aries has found his way into Lycaronia somehow. “How are you here?” In one move, he was standing before me, his eyes light with cheer. Then he pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around me and filling me with his warmth. I was just taking all of this in when he pulled slightly away and cupped my cheeks. His lips brushed mine in a so
SERAFINA. In a space of one day, things had fallen apart. So bad that I couldn't even pick up the pieces. I'd be thrown out of his chambers thereby, reducing me from the post of his mistress to a mere slave once again. I had returned to my room in a teary mess, trying not to think of how he had looked at me with utter disdain, like he couldn't stand me. How had he gone from being all over me to barely wanting me to be in his presence? As much as I tried not to think too much about it, I was greatly hurt by it. I couldn't stand the gossip from the maids either. Whenever I passed by a group, all they did was glance at each other, their gazes telling tales I didn't need to hear verbally. A few of them were bold enough to whisper when I passed by. I couldn't even snap at them to stop. That respect had been stripped off like it was never even there. I had lost favor in the sight of the king, they said. He must have gotten tired of me because I couldn't satisfy his needs, all