Jotham, Silveran Capital
2030Hazel couldn't help but wonder why there was a black blood in Silvera especially because Silverans couldn't stand black bloods.
"Hazel, you look beautiful as always"Hazel turned at the sound of the familiar voice that had just complimented her."Dad?" She gasped, shocked."How are you?"She clenched her jaw in annoyance. How dare he just show up like that and expect her to be happy with him?"Really, dad? You expect me to answer that question?" She spat, her eyes burning with fury."I understand that you're upset-""Upset just doesn't cut it, dad. I am outraged! I am in this situation because of your cowardice" she hissed and her father sighed, remorse in his eyes."Hazel, I sent you here because I have a plan" he whispered and she frowned, eyes narrowed.
"Come, we need to talk in private. It's important"Hazel had a feeling that whatever her father had planned wasn't good but she followed him anyway. They quietly walked into a tea room. Hazel sent the maids away and sat down on one of the couches."So, tell me. What plan did you have in mind?" She asked. Barron let out a long sigh and ran his palm over his face. He knew his daughter well. She was no coward but if she felt that his plan was not worth it, she would reject it. At this point, he was worried about what her reaction was going to be. "Dad? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Hazel, the Rubian army needs your help" he began and she furrowed her brows, confused.
"My help? I don't understand. How can I possibly be of help to the army?""We have a plan to overthrow Silvera. We just need you to help us get rid of the royals"Hazel stared at her father as if he'd gone mad. If he wasn't sitting on the couch like a sane human, she would've believed that he'd gone crazy. "Wait, you're serious?" She asked with a gobsmacked expression on her beautiful face.
"Yes, I am. Did you expect me to treat such a topic lightly?""Exactly. Did you listen to yourself? You're planning to what? Overthrow the Silveran royals? Then, what? Are you going to usurp their throne?" she hissed.
"Hazel-""Don't Hazel me, dad. Did you hit your head or something? Dad, these people are not like us. They are not simple red blooded creatures! They have silver blood, dad. Silver! These people can stop a moving jet without making contact with it if they wanted to. They can commit murder by mere eye contact. I'm sorry, but I just can't do that"Barron was deeply perturbed. His fear had finally come true. If Hazel wasn't going to accept his plan, it meant that she'd accepted her fate. The grief he felt was stifling.
"Hazel, do you understand that you're going to be getting married to the crown prince of the people we've hated for most of our life? Do you really want to take that risk?" He asked and she looked away, her eyes downcast."There's nothing I can do, father. Besides, this is all your fault""You won't have to be their queen if you would just-""No. I have made up my mind. There's no way I'm going to do what you've just asked of me. It's too much. I can't do it"They remained silent, a heavy tension hanging between father and child."Where are my brothers?" Hazel suddenly asked.
"They're not coming" her father responded, a sad note in his voice."Why not? This is probably the only chance I'm going to get to say goodbye"Hazel knew that her brother's wouldn't abandon her like that. They loved her and were very fond of her. Even if they were upset, they would have shown up already."I drugged them""You did what?!""I had no choice. I didn't want them to get involved and get themselves in trouble. Knowing your brothers, they would most likely try to break you out from the palace"Hazel knew her dad was right but she couldn't help but feel miserable."So, this is it. It's over" she mumbled and Barron lowered his gaze, feeling his heart squeeze. Hazel quickly wiped off the tear that was making its way down her cheek. She rose to her feet and turned away from her father. "Goodbye, dad" she said and walked away without looking back."Hazel? Are you alright?" Caden asked his fiancée once she got to him.
"I'm just really tired, that's all" she responded, suddenly feeling sheer exhaustion."I'm sorry about that. Do you want to get some rest?" He asked and she nodded."I'll send some guards to escort you to your chamber" he said to her, his eyes filled with concern for her."Thank you" she croaked and he nodded.***
Hazel was bored out of her mind. The soft music that was playing in her chambers did practically nothing to help her relax. Unable to bear it any longer, she rose to her feet and grabbed a black and white, poker doted cotton shawl from her closet. She draped it over her head and secured it around her neck. Then, she carefully sneaked out of her chamber."Your highness? Are you going somewhere?"She stiffened and turned to look at the two guards who were watching her with puzzled looks on their faces."No, um-I just need some fresh air" she replied and they both exchanged glances."You should've just told us. That's what we're here for. Tell us where you wish to go and we will escort you there" one of them said and Hazel mentally groaned.
This was particularly one of the reasons she detested being a royal. There was just no place for privacy!Nevertheless, she decided to walk along the hallway slowly."Your highness, you're heading the wrong way" one of the guards said and she frowned.
"I am?""Yes. That way leads to the east wing. The crown prince instructed us to stay away from the area""Really?""Yes, your highness"As they moved on, deviating from the original path, an idea came to her mind. Smirking to herself, she suddenly doubled over and let out a cry of pain.
"Your highness!"
She let out another cry of pain and sank to the ground, clutching her stomach."Your highness, are you alright?!" they both asked and she croaked out a reply."Get some help, please! My stomach hurts really bad! It's unbearable!" She cried and one of the guards immediately ran off. Hazel was pleased that her plan was working, so she decided to spice things up a little bit.She fell to the ground, feigning tears as she sobbed and whimpered. The guard who was left behind looked scared out of his mind. If anything happened to the crown prince's bride, he would be equally blamed.
"Water" Hazel croaked and his eyes widened."You want me to get water for you, your highness?""T-thirsty.... Please" she whispered and he took off in order to get water for the future queen of Silvera.Seeing that she was now left alone, she rose to her feet and continued down the palace halls. On getting to the East wing of the palace, she halted. Caden had asked her not to enter the East wing of the palace, but why?
She was curious. She wondered if there was some mystical creature that was hidden in this wing. Driven by her curiosity, she stepped into the East wing, deciding that she was going to be careful enough to remain hidden. She quietly took note of the locked doors of the chambers. The area was awfully quiet and Hazel felt like she'd just stepped into a graveyard. When she got to the East wing garden, she was surprised to see how beautiful it was. The flowers were unique and the scent of the air was alluring. For the first time since she'd stepped into Silvera, she felt peaceful. There was something about this part of the palace that was different."That was some godly acting back there, Rubian" a deep voice said from behind her and she turned around with a start. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the person who was now in the garden with her. He was wearing a black cloak, a white shirt, matching pants and white boots. From what she could see, he was 'six foot -something' of pure masculine muscles and bones.He pulled back the hood of his cloak and she gasped when she saw his eyes. They were violet!It was him!The man in the shadows!"Who are you?" Hazel asked, watching him carefully. He smiled and her eyes widened. If Caden was gorgeous, this black blood was drop dead gorgeous. He slipped his right hand into the pocket of his pants."I would've said curiosity killed the cat. Who am I kidding? You're no cat. But, you really are nosy, aren't you?" He said, turning away from her. She watched him as he plucked one of the multicolored flowers that looked really attractive. He walked towards her and lowered her shawl from her head. Hazel's heart began to thud madly when his lavender scent drifted into her nostrils. He gazed at her for a moment, his eyes swimming with amusement. He slowly positioned the flower on her hair."There, that's much better" he said but Hazel couldn't stop staring at him. She noticed the length of his dark lashes, wondering why on earth a man would have such lovely lashes.His skin was so pale and it had such a
Jotham, Silveran capital2030*** For a moment, Hazel was frozen to the spot, too shocked to move. She hadn't expected the queen to notice her presence. But again, the queen was no ordinary person. Hazel's wide eyed gaze met Yuka's and he sighed, wiping off the blood from his lips."There's no one there. I'll take my leave now" he said and the queen narrowed her eyes. "I was so sure I sensed-""You must've sensed the maids and the guards" Yuka interrupted her, his eyes discreetly telling Hazel to leave. She snapped out of her daze and walked away, feeling troubled. Why was Yuka being treated like an animal? Why did they despise him so much? Hazel did not have the answers to these questions and this worried her to no end. So, when the royal family joined her at the table, she felt utterly ill at
Yuka stared at Hazel as she embraced him. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that he was shirtless. But then, he felt her crying, her tears dampening his skin. It bothered him a lot. He knew that she was probably going through so much and was barely adjusting to life as the future queen of Silvera. He felt sorry for her. "Yuka?" She whispered, her head still resting on his chest. "I really don't want to make you uncomfortable, but you're so warm and you smell so good" she said and raised her head from his chest to look at him."You know that, right?" She asked with a smile on her face, despite the tears in her eyes. "Of course, I know. It's my body, isn't it?"She grinned and embraced him again. Suddenly a bubble of laughter escaped her lips. "I have no idea why I'm enjoying this. I really wish..."She stopped herself, but Yuka knew what she was going to say. She wasn't going to say that she wished that he wasn't Caden's brother. Neither was she going to say that she
"Your highness? Can I come in?" Hazel sighed and stroked Yuka's fur one more time. She watched him as he jumped down from her bed and was soon staring at her from the window."Come in" she said, still staring at Yuka's cat form."I'll see you later" she whispered and he jumped out of the window right before the door was opened.Violet stepped in. She was dressed in a white blouse and white pants, her blue hair in a ponytail. Hazel's eyes widened when she saw her. "It's good to see you, Violet" she said and Violet grinned. "How is the royal life treating you?" Violet asked, smiling at her."Adapting to it isn't as easy as I thought" Violet squeezed her hand gently and set to work. A bluish glow appeared on the tips of her fingers and spread further to her upper arms. She gently touched Hazel's black eye and healed her. By the time she was done with healing the future queen, Caden walked
"Are you threatening me right now, your highness? No, wait. You are threatening me. Wait until Caden hears about it" The queen was getting more riled up by the second. She couldn't understand why Hazel was so immune to her. She hated it. Evey other person in the palace was completely under her control. Everyone but Yuka and Hazel. She was frustrated. Since she couldn't get either of them to fear her, she was pissed. "I have a hunch that you stole the Sceptre. But since I have no proof, I'm going to let that slide.... for now.You want to act all tough and fearless. That's fine by me. Maybe, just maybe, you're going to end up six feet below the ground sooner than I thought" the queen said and walked away. Hazel glared at the Queen's retreating figure even though, deep down she was worried. Prince Caden was boiling with anger by the time he arrived right in front of the door of Yuka's chamber. He
"Yuka. Hey, can you hear me?" The second prince groaned as he slowly came to, Hazel's voice sounding like it was coming from far away. "Can you hear me?" Hazel asked one more time as she gazed at him. He squinted at her when she finally came into focus. "How are you feeling?" She asked and his eyes widened when he realized that she was in his chambers again. "No, no, no. Hazel, you shouldn't be here. The queen-" he began but was silenced by the finger she placed across his lips. "Forget about the queen. You lied to me" she said, her brows furrowed. He sighed and lowered his gaze. "You told me that the effects of the poison was only going to last for a night" she said. "Hazel-""Don't 'Hazel' me. What the queen has been doing to you is just not right. How can you even stand it?""I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to blame yourself for my punishment" "How are you feeling?" She asked and he gave her a h
Jotham, Silveran Capital2030 To say that Hazel was tensed would be an understatement. She couldn't stop pacing back and forth in her room. She needed to act quickly, but a couple of guards were outside her room. She wouldn't be able to sneak out of her room without being noticed. Hazel had a hunch that among the men standing in front of the door, one of them was a spy that the queen had put in place to monitor her. Negative thoughts invaded her mind.What if she eventually told Yuka to help her and he refuses? What if he agrees to help her, but ends up being too late. She swallowed hard and shook her head, trying to ward off these ugly thoughts. Just before dinner, Hazel decided to sneak out of her room through the window. It was a strenuous task, but she did it anyway. She managed to sneak into the East wing of
The silence that followed the crashing sound of glass shattering as soon as it made contact with the floor was deafening. For a moment, everyone was frozen to their spots, mouth agape. When they all finally snapped out of their daze, the queen rose to her feet with her eyes burning with anger. Her gorgeous light blue dress had wine stains on it and the silverish- blue liquid that was also now staining the previously spotless marble floor was proof that the glass shards had injured her. The king rose to his feet, knowing that his wife was about to do some real damage to his daughter-in-law."Clarice, calm down. It was an accident. Right, Hazel?" the king said and Hazel nodded, her eyes glinting mischievously. Prince Caden's gaze met Hazel's and he frowned when he realized that there was nothing remorseful about her. If anything, she looked like she had hurt the queen on purpose."Hazel, apologize to my mother, wil
HAZEL Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door of my husband's study. I was nervous. How well was he going to accept what I was about to tell him? I froze when I remembered that today was supposed to be our first anniversary. It wouldn't make sense for me to tell him now. Earlier, I had a meeting with the wives of the generals and that meeting had taken nearly the whole day."Your highness?" I turned to look at Gwon, my new bodyguard. "Yes?" "His Majesty has requested for your presence. He is in the east wing garden." Gwon escorted me to the garden where Yuka had prepared a romantic setting. The beauty of the sunset was in full display as well. Yuka rose to his feet and made me sit in front of him. "How was your day?" I asked as we ate. "It was quite long" he responded. True, he was busier than ever these past few days. "How about you?" He asked me. "I had a long meeting with the wives of the generals. It went well" I told him. He nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry I for
"Marry me, Hazel" Those words made Hazel's heart skip. This was it. She would finally become Yuka's. As soon as she parted her lips to give him a response, the door was pushed open. Nazu and Caden walked in. "Hazel, are you alright?" Caden asked, a worried look on his face. "I'm fine. It's all over." A smile tugged at his lips. "You truly have the spirit of a fighting queen, Hazel. You should marry my brother already" he said and she laughed. "He was just asking me to marry him" she said and his eyes widened. His gaze rested on Yuka who was glaring at him. "Oh...sorry. I ruined the moment, didn't I?" Caden mumbled. Hazel turned back to face Yuka. "Yes, I will marry you. Isn't it obvious?" She said, giving him a chaste kiss on his lips. Yuka wrapped an arm around her waist."Don't tease me if you aren't ready for the consequences" he whispered in her ear and she smirked. "My apologies, my dear."She sounded smug but Yuka didn't mind. "Hazel, can we...talk?" Nazu asked. "Sure
Jotham, Silveran Capital. Hazel blinked, taking in the sight of the garden she found herself in, alongside the others. With three main black bloods in the group, they had shared themselves and teleported all at once. "Are you alright?" Liv asked General Barron who looked a little winded. "I'm fine. I have never experienced this before. I just need to catch my breath," he said.Behind him, the Spiers triplets were doubled over, hands planted on their thighs. They were winded as well. They had insisted on taking part in the fight.Violet, Kai and Lhyle stood side by side. Rhen, Charlotte and Alyvonne were in the same group. While Hazel, Yuka and Kyan were in a group of their own. "So, this is Silvera's palace?" Shade asked. Hazel nodded in response. "It looks pretty huge" Trey commented, unsheathing his sword. "We are in a real war for the first time in our lives. This is crazy" Carl stated. "You can back out if you want to. You don't have to do this" Liv said. "Don't say that.
Silvera's capital. "I have made my decision concerning your wedding with Anya" Clarice said to her son. She was sitting in the throne room and Caden was standing in front of her, his head lowered. "What decision have your made?" Caden questioned, his shoulders stiff with tension. "Your wedding will be postponed" she said and he looked up quickly, his puzzled gaze meeting her blank ones. It was unlike her to do something like that. Within the past weeks, she had been reminding him of the fact that he was going to get married soon. "Postponed? Why is that?" He asked. She shrugged. "Just because."He frowned. "Why now?" She rose to her feet and walked towards the double doors that led to the South wing garden. "A major event is going to happen soon. I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch" she commented. Caden's frown deepened. He wondered what she was up to. Whatever it was couldn't be good. "I heard about the troops you sent to Anslem. Isn't that too much? Haz
No one moved. All eyes watched the queen as she walked towards the huge portal that had opened suddenly. Anya bit her lower lip, tensed. This was not the first time she was seeing a portal that opened out of nowhere. But, this was ten times more horrifying than the ones she had previously encountered. And this one didn't look like it was going to vanish anytime soon.Clarice stopped in front of the looming portal and held out a hand towards it. A golden pearl which was the size of a base ball appeared on her palm, it's light shimmering like the rays of the sun. It was almost blinding. Most of the guests had looked away as a result of the intensity of it's brightness. Many other who were curious, continued to watch. "Don't be rude. This is not part of the deal. The time has not come. Accept this token of mine" she said and flicked it into the portal which shriveled up and vanished from sight. Clarice turned to face the guests, a cold smile on her face. "I apologise for the
Quadam, Galactica. Hazel stared at her lover's pale face, her eyes brimming with tears. He was in a lot of pain. She could tell by how much his brows were furrowed. Liz and Yuka's mother sat by his bedside, their melancholic gazes fixed on him. 'He's dying' Liz's heart wrenching words were still fresh in Hazel's memory. She knew it wasn't the end. However, the thought of him dying made her heart ache. If he wasn't in so much pain, her grief would have been less heavy. "Seeing that look on your face is equally heartbreaking, love" Hazel forced out a smile at the sound of Yuka's strained voice. She had been so lost in thought that she had missed the moment he had opened his eyes and gazed at her. "You don't have to say anything, you know. You are already in a lot of pain as it is" Hazel's voice trembled and her eyes watered. Yuka opened his eyes again and squeezed her hand weakly. "It's not over, you know. You don't have to look so glum" "I know...but... I can't help it" she
Quadam, Galactican capital. "I don't understand. How is this possible?" Yuka croaked and the red haired woman began to walk towards his bedside. She dropped down to her knees, the tears now making their way down her cheeks. "Forgive me, Yuka. Forgive me for being late" she said and Yuka curled up into a ball, his back to her. He clutched at his chest as pain ripped through him. Childhood memories slithered their way into his mind. He thought of how miserable he'd been, as a child. He thought of the number of times he was accused of murdering his mother. He thought of the nightmares and the trauma. He thought of his loneliness and the fact that he'd been forced to grow up too quickly. It was all because his mother had left him alone right after he was born. How was he supposed to process the fact that she was still alive and had left him to survive on his own?The pain in his heart swelled to the point where he was gasping for air. His chest felt like it was being compressed and no ma
The knock on the door of Caden's chamber startled him into consciousness. After Nazu had left, he'd fallen into a deep sleep, due to his exhaustion and pain. He didn't want to get out of bed, so he ignored the pounding on the door. When he still didn't give any response, the pounding intensified. "I know you're in there, Caden! Open the damn door!" Anya yelled. "Go away, Anya" Caden said, annoyed by Anya who continued to knock on the door. "I swear I just want to tell you something important. You have to hear me out, please!" She yelled. Letting out a sigh, he got out of bed, gritting his teeth against the pain. He slipped on a robe and started to limp towards the door, his brows furrowed. When he opened the door, Anya's eyes widened. "You don't look so good" she said and he rolled his eyes. "You're the one who called me out. What do you want from me?" He said and she lowered her gaze, a worried look on her face. "You might not believe what I'm about to say" she said. "Get on
Hazel remained by Yuka's side, her gaze resting on him. Once in a while, she found herself stroking his hair and whispering into his ear, assuring him that he would be fine. He was still unconscious but his fever had gone down by a few degrees. It was fortunate that Lhyle and Violet had returned right on time. Violet was a blushing mess and Lhyle had a subtle smile on his face. They had returned with both food and medical supplies. Kai ended up administering some fluids to Yuka through IVs. "I didn't know silverans used IVs too. I thought it's reserved for red bloods" Charlotte said. "Everyone can fall sick, you know. It just differs when it comes to the disease causing organisms" Kai responded. "His color is returning, that's good" Violet commented. Hazel sighed with relief and took hold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "He's going to be okay" she breathed and Lhyle nodded. As if on cue, Yuka stirred. Everyone rushed to his side. There were all relieved to know that he wa