HERAI stared at Lord Timothee in disbelief, my mind racing to comprehend the depth of his devious plan. The intensity of his gaze held a glimmer of mischief, and it sent shivers down my spine. His words lingered in the air, each syllable dripping with a sinister intent."Don't be narrow-minded, Hera," he taunted, his smirk widening with satisfaction. "I'm not going to be stupid enough to suggest that we infect the whole palace. We're just going to make sure it affects only one human."A surge of anger mixed with concern coursed through my veins. "You can't be serious," I exclaimed, my voice laced with disbelief and a hint of desperation. "You're willing to risk everyone’s lives, just to get Serafina's?"Lord Timothee's eyes gleamed with a twisted delight as he leaned in closer, his voice laced with a chilling confidence. "I'm not suggesting this out of selfishness, Hera. It's for the greater good. Our greater good. This is the most efficient way to ensure her removal."I took a step
HERA Lord Timothee had signaled for one of the caregivers to bring one of those affected with the plague to us. As the caregiver aided the sick man’s step to us, I immediately used the hem of my cloak to cover my nose and mouth – I can't risk getting the disease. If Lord Timothee wanted to risk getting the illness, then that was his problem, not mine. The sick man was coughing profusely, he emitted thick mucus which the caregiver made sure he coughed into a container. His body was littered with red spots, his body was emaciated and all his bones outlined against his skin. He looked terrible. “Greeting, Lord Timothee.” The caregiver curseyed before us. She had not given me any special greeting because she probably didn't know who I was, as I had covered half of my face with the cloak. It was better like that though; I'd prefer she doesn't know my identity – I wouldn't want my name to be the fodder for their gossip.Lord Timothee took a cautious step backward and I followed suit,
SERAFINAI was done with my usual chores for the day: I had woken up early to go to the King's chambers and grind his ink and then, I had served him his food. Now that I had completed all my tasks, I could finally rest for the day.I walked down the hallways and made my way to our quarters. I opened the door and stepped in, only to see that the rest of the girls were eating their food. Vallie stood in the middle of their midst, chirping happily about something as she ate the food.Her elation brought a smile to my face and then I shut the door behind me and moved further into the room. Immediately the girl saw me, a beaming grin illuminated her face."Serafina!" She squealed and ran over to envelope me in a hug. I staggered, almost falling as she embraced me with great force, but I found my footing and then hugged her back, patting her head."Hey there, Angel. How are you?" I greeted as we disengaged from the hug."I'm fine!" She looked up at me with a smile and I could see that she h
ZAHIR I sat on my throne. The throne room was adorned with the intricate tapestries and grand chandeliers, but today, my mind was very far from the luxury that surrounded me. The doors creaked open, and Steven entered into the throne room, his eyes filler with worry. He bowed low before me, and I waved him to rise, eager to hear what news har brought such unease to his demeanour."What is the matter?" I demanded, my voice sharp and impatient. "Your majesty," Steven began, his voice trembling slightly, 'the plague…it has somehow infiltrated the palace. Many of the slaves have fallen ill, and it's spreading rapidly.`` The words hit me like a dagger to the heart. How on earth had the plague breached the palace walls? How could this have happened? I had made sure that the few people who had contacted the plague be kept in a secluded area away from the main parts of the Kingdom. So how the hell had it gotten into the palace, of all places?"How is this possible, Steven?" I seethed, my
ZAHIRAs I made my way to the meeting hall, my mind was clouded with disappoinment and frustration. The corridors to the palace where liner with guards and servants, they offered their greetings, but I paid them little mind. The plague that har befallen my Lycaronia weighed heavily on my shoulders, and I felt a crushing sense of failure for not being able to stop it's spread. In moments like this, I loathed the crown on my head, sometimes I often felt ill–equiped to bear it. My thoughts drifted back to the day the previous King had bestowed this crown upon me. I had never sought nor desired this, yet he had trusted me me enough to thrust it upon me. I couldn't help but feel that I had let him down, failing to live up to the expectations he must have had when he placed the burden of the Kingdom on my shoulders. The path to the meeting hall felt longer that usual as I walked with heavy steps, and the weight of the crown on my head seemed to grow with each passing moment, and I coul
CHAPTER HUNDRED AND SEVEN SERAFINA In the dimly lit cell, I tendered to the sick people with a heavy heart. The air was thibk with the stench of sickness, and I could feel the weight for their suffering pressing down on me. The sound of every cough sent shivers down my spine.I couldn't believe that I was the only one among them who hadn't been infected – I believe. But I couldn't rejoice in my good fortune. Instead, I had to vodus on carring for them.We had nothing in this grin cell, no proper food or water, and certainly no medical supplies. But I refused to stand by and do nothing. I did my best to offer comfort and relief, using torn strips of cloth as makeshift bandages and using whatever water we had to bring down the fever. I pushed myself to the limit, ignoring my own exhaustion and hunger, driven by a sense of duty. I held their trembling hands, wiped their sweaty foreheads, and whispered words of encouragement, even as I felt my own strength waning.The sound of a loud
HERA Immediately the coast was clear, I left the palace and went to the Tavern that was nearby the palace. I knew Lord Timothee wouldn't be able to resist a good drink, he always came there each time he left the palace. I stood at the entrance of the Tavern, my eyes searching the bustling and loud crowd of men drinking and smoking. I spotted the familiar gray haired man sitting at the far end of the arm. There he was. I adjusted my demeanor as I approached Lord Timothee. My face softened into an expression of concern mixed with urgency. He looked up, and for a moment, his eyes betrayed a hint of surprise before he quickly regained his composure and greeted me with a charming smile."Hera," he said smoothly, opposed to the way he usually called my name like it left a foul taste in his mouth, "what brings you here? I assume you've heard the news of how the council meeting went..""Yes, I have and the King has already started working towards the excecution," I replied, lowering my v
ZAHIR"Your Majesty, forgive me, but may I inquire about the reason why you want to set out this late?"I glanced at Steven, "Have you given the guards the instruction to take the infected slaves to the execution ground?""Yes, Your Majesty." He said. "They are en route as we speak.""The execution ground," I murmured, almost to myself. "That's where I will be off too. I shall go alone Prepare the horses, we shall move discreetly so as to not arouse suspicion."Steven nodded, "As you wish, your Majesty." He said and took a bow, then he turned around and left my chambers. -:-I had left the palace in secret, making sure no one was aware of my departure. As I rode, I followed the direction my guards had taken with the infected slaves, desperate to get there before it was too late.My thoughts were consumed by a mix of determination and anxiety as I rode through the dimly lit atmosphere, the sound of the horse's hooves echoing through the quiet night.Once I was safely out of the palac
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