Rae “What was I thinking?” Anna voiced out and I felt like the gravity of the situation was just hitting her. Anna’s shoulders trembled as sobs wracked her body. She covered her face with her hands, her breathing uneven, and my heart clenched at the sight of her breaking down. "I don’t know why I decided to bake him a cake. Now I have ruined things between us," she whispered through her tears. "I’m such a fool, a big fool.” I moved closer to her, wrapping my arms around her tightly. "Anna, don’t say that ably yourself," I murmured, stroking her back gently. She sniffled, pulling back slightly to look at me, her eyes red and filled with doubt. "It’s the truth, Rae. I should’ve just kept the fact that I knew it was his birthday discreet, shouldn’t I?" I sighed, shaking my head. "No, don’t do that to yourself. You were just trying to do something nice for him." "I feel like an idiot Rae and while I sit here I can’t stop replaying this situation over and over in my head," she
Alison“I’m really sorry you had to go through that,” I murmured after what felt like an eternity of silence. I had been thinking of what to say to make him feel better.“You don’t need to act like that,” he said with a small, bitter laugh. “I have made peace with the situation.” I studied him for a moment, the way his jaw tightened, the way his hands curled into fists at his sides as if he were trying to contain something too painful to let out. “Have you?” I arched my brow.“I don’t mean peace like I have let it go. I just have accepted the fact I am always going to be unwanted, like some fucking weed.”“Don’t speak like that. You are very well wanted, look at how the people of this pack adore you.” I pointed out.“That’s because Neither of them knows who I am.” He said. “If they did they would never let me rule.”“From one unwanted soul.” I teased. “You are more acceptable than you think.”“You sound like mom. She always tries to make me feel special.”“That’s because you’re!
RaeAs soon as the doctor left, I let out a heavy breath, sinking into the chair. My fingers curled around the fabric of my sleeves as I tried to process what had just happened. “I thought I was fine,” I muttered. “Or at least… getting better.” Jace leaned against the nearby table, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied me. He had this look on his face which I tried to read when he noticed I was staring at him closely he managed to mask it. I turned to look at Anna and I noticed her expression was similar to Jace’s.“I hate the way you both are looking at me.” I voiced out.Anna furrowed her brows. “We are just concerned.”“This isn’t about you being concerned. That look…it’s the same look you gave me the day you found me close to the lake.”“I promise you, we are not looking at you that way.”“Your eyes tell a different story.” I pointed out.“Look Rae, we are just concerned about you.” Jace voiced out. “It’s nothing more.”I rolled my eyes. “I hate feeling this way, no
RaeThe moment we took a turning that led to the bridge. I was faced with an empty road.We were the only ones walking down that path and I was glad. Heavy winds began to blow and I barely had time to adjust my cloak before I noticed Luigi walking towards us, his eyes were locked on Jace before flickering to me.His expression darkened, and I could already sense his displeasure. “What is she doing here?” Luigi asked sharply, his gaze narrowing. “I told you she’s only allowed to stay hidden if she wants to remain in the pack.” His tone grew louder not giving Jace a chance to speak “What if the people see her and they-““There’s no need to worry.” Jace cut him off. “That’s why I made her wear a cloak so she would stay hidden.”“You should have saved yourself the stress and kept her in the palace,” Luigi said taking a step forward. “You just had to go against my demands.”“I apologize for going against your demands but I only did it for the right reasons.”Jace turned to look at
Rae Jace leaned back against a rock after those words left his lips. He had his eyes focused on the sky and I could see a familiar gleam of mischief in them.I turned away from him, focusing on my surroundings. It was peaceful—until Jace decided to ruin it. “Have you ever gone swimming in the morning? You know… butt naked?” he asked suddenly, tilting his head at me. “Swimming yes, naked in a lake when the sun is up that is a no!” I pointed out and Jace shook his head.“You’re about to find out how fun that is!” Jace stood heading in the direction of the lake.I shot him a look. “A king isn’t supposed to do that.” He let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. “You’ve got it all wrong. A king is meant to do whatever he wants.” And with that, he pulled his shirt over his head, dropped his pants, and, without a second thought, dove into the water. The splash sent ripples across the lake, droplets of water catching the sunlight like diamonds. “Jace!” I yelped, taking a step back.
RaeThe morning sun poured through the kitchen windows as Anna and I busied ourselves with breakfast. The scent of freshly baked bread filled the air, and so did the sizzle of eggs on the stove. I cracked another egg into the pan, focusing on my task when Jace sauntered in. “What are you two up to?” he asked, leaning against the counter with a smug grin. “Making breakfast,” I replied without looking up. Jace hummed. “For me, I assume?” Anna and I exchanged a glance before I smirked. “Nope. You’re not included.” Jace’s brows shot up. “Oh, really?” “Yep, that’s a little punishment for what you did yesterday.” I pointed out.“You are acting like I did the worst thing,” Jace said slowly. “You made me act like a frog.”I rolled my eyes. “I was trying to take you back to your kingship roots. You know in fairytales all kings were somewhat related to frogs.”Jace furrowed his brows. I was about to speak when he dipped his hand into the bag of flour sitting on the counter and thre
RaeThe evening air welcomed me as I stepped out of the car. I had agreed to Jace’s demands. Not one of my best choices but it wasn’t like I had any choice other than to agree.I could still hear Anna’s voice in my head.“You need this Rae.” She said knowing fully well that I didn’t need it or could she sense that a part of me craved to be reunited with Von.I know I sound crazy. But I knew Anna couldn’t sense that. She couldn’t possibly see through all my fake acts and false hesitations.Anyway after Anna, had told me how much I needed to go Jace didn’t hesitate to show me how much of a pest he could be. “Come on Rae!” He said hovering above me, as he waited for my reply.“Listen to Anna!” He added. Just like that, I agreed but little did neither of them know that I did it for myself and not because they pressured me.“Are you okay?” Jace’s voice caught my attention and I looked at him.“Yeah.” My reply was simple and Jace seemed satisfied with it. My eyes lingered on him and I
RaeThe anticipation in the air could be felt like a heavy wind. Every nerve in my body was taut, bracing for whoever—was lurking in the darkness. Jace and I held our breaths, waiting for a figure to emerge from the shadows. But when the rustling finally gave way to a small form stepping into the dim glow of Jace’s lamp, we were both dumbfounded when we looked closer. It was a rabbit. Jace let out an exaggerated groan. “You must be bullshitting me.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, look at this furry little guy,” I said, stepping out of our hiding spot. The rabbit twitched its nose, its small, quivering body frozen in fear. Slowly, I crouched down and picked it up, cradling it gently in my arms. Its fur was soft beneath my fingers, its tiny heart pounding against my palms. Jace just grunted, rubbing a hand down his face. “All that tension, and it’s just a damn rabbit.” “Don’t say that,” I called out. “Animals have feelings.”Jace moved closer to the creature and it thre
Von The distance between Rae and me grew day by day. And I didn’t try to close it. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I understood why it was happening. This was too much for her to process—there was too much pain involved. She needed space, and I wasn’t going to force my presence into a storm she hadn’t calmed yet.So I kept to myself, locking the emotions away and burying my mind in strategy. Every hour was spent thinking, reading old texts, flipping through scrolls.I was searching for any solid thread that could lead to the artifact the seer spoke of. I wanted to be sure that it was real and just something that was made up, when I finally found an old book that documented old artifact I was happy. So it exited. As I closed that book, I made my decision. I was going to find it. And I wasn’t going alone.Landon was coming with me.The idea settled like steel in my bones. I dragged myself out of bed, the morning chilly air biting at my skin as I stood before the mirror and
Von I was torn between two options—go after Rae or deal with the information that the guard just delivered to me.My feet itched to chase her down the servants’ quarters, and to make her feel better… but duty pulled me in the other direction.Roy was already a few steps ahead, and I followed him down the corridor, my gaze still locked on the hallway Rae had disappeared into.“He told you he found a witch?” I asked, my voice sharp.Roy nodded without looking back. “Yes, Your Majesty. Said he found her near the valley.”“And you believe that nonsense?” I pressed, picking up my pace.“What do you mean?” Roy glanced back at me.“Do you really think he found a real witch? Or is this just some random old woman he picked up to fool us again?” My tone was filled with suspicion.Roy hesitated. “I… I don’t know. He seemed sure of her. That’s all I can say.”I didn’t push him further. I clenched my jaw and kept walking, letting silence carry the weight of my thoughts. Landon was a snake—one wh
Rae I stared at Anna in disbelief, my lips parted but no words coming out. I couldn’t believe what I just heard. I felt like I was in a nightmare. I managed to pull myself out of the haze staring back at Anna. “You’re saying… I have to die to save the kingdom?” My voice cracked as I spoke, and my legs felt unsteady beneath me.Anna gave a slow nod, her eyes filled with sadness.“I don’t understand,” I said, forcing myself to stand. “Why me? How am I the reason for the curse?”“I don’t know, Rae,” she replied gently. “But Von might. He’s been keeping everything to himself. I think he knows more than he’s saying.”I shook my head. “This can’t be real. I refuse to believe it.”My heart pounded in my chest. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The walls were closing in. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind, crashing into each other. I didn’t want to cry, but tears burned behind my eyes anyway.Anna stepped closer. “Please calm down. Landon’s looking for a witch. He believes there might b
RaeThe dim light crept into view, it was blurry and soft at first, like a distant memory trying to settle into focus. My head felt heavy, and my body… foreign. I blinked a few times, trying to ground myself in the space around me. Everything was unfamiliar. I was disoriented. My arms ached, and when I looked down, I noticed wires—tubes—stripped across my body. I couldn’t tell if they were for healing or restraint.Then suddenly I heard soft sobs which broke through my haze.I turned my head, and my eyes landed on Anna. She was hunched over in a chair across the room, her shoulders trembling. Her voice cracked as she muttered to herself, “I think I’ve made a mistake… I shouldn’t have let him go…”What was she talking about? And why was she crying?“Anna…” My voice came out hoarse, it was low and if she wasn’t sitting close by. I was sure she wouldn’t have heard it.Anna’s head jerked up after those words left my lips. Her eyes widened like she’d seen a ghost. “Rae?” she gasped. T
VonThe moment, I saw Landon move I halted my steps, trying to figure out where he was heading. He directed his horse towards the side of the river while he rested on one of the stones. He was facing me now, but because of the trees I was well hidden and I couldn’t be easily detected. I kept watching, waiting for the opportunity when he would finally turn his back. Eventually, he did, and just as I was about to launch myself at him, my horse let out a sharp, loud snort.Landon jerked his head up and during that moment his eyes found mine. I wondered if he had seen me, but the moment I saw him reach for his horse I got the answer to my question.Landon pulled his horse out of the river in one fast move, climbed onto the saddle, and kicked hard. The animal responded instantly, racing through the shallow water, splashing and tearing through the trees.“Landon!” I growled, then yanked my reins.I mounted quickly and dug my heels in. My horse moved forward, its hooves digging into the t
VonI stared at Anna with a coldness that could freeze fire. My eyes locked onto hers, searching for answers, for some kind of remorse, but all I saw was silence. Her lips stayed pressed together, and it was clear she wasn’t planning on explaining anything anytime soon.My anger ignited. It roared up from my chest like a beast unchained. I hit her against the cage once again.“You dare remain silent?” I growled through clenched teeth. “You set him free and you stand here with your mouth shut like it means nothing?”Her gaze flicked to mine, and finally, she spoke in a soft tone. “Even if I explain things to you… you’ll never understand.”I scoffed, tightening my grip. “Did he promise you something? Huh? Is that it? Did Landon feed you some sweet little story?”“No,” she snapped back. “He didn’t promise me anything.”I let out a humorless laugh. “Then why? What in the hell made you think this was a good idea?”She yanked her arm out of my grasp. “Because he said he wants to help this c
Von The night had arrived.I sat in my chambers, wide awake. My sword rested beside me on the table, a sharp glint catching the flicker of torchlight from the wall. I hadn't slept, not even for a second. My instincts told me tonight would be the night they'd try it—the traitors among my guards. Anna’s warning had been clear, and my men were ready. My loyal guards were stationed throughout the palace, hiding in shadows, crouched in corners, armed to the teeth.I paced slowly across the room, boots echoing faintly against the stone floor. Then—just as I paused—came the sound. A low grunt. Then another. It started outside my door. The fight had begun.I moved quickly into the shadows, pressing my back against the cold wall. I could hear the scuffle grow louder. Then came footsteps rushing toward my chamber. Someone was coming for me.I didn’t move.I waited.The door creaked open. I saw the silhouette step in, sword drawn. He didn’t see me. He thought I’d be asleep.He took three step
Von The room was quiet except for the steady ticking of the clock on the wall. I had taken my position at the edge of the bed, my hands resting on my knees, the weight of everything pulling at my chest. Anna stood by the door, her brows furrowed, her lips pressed in a tight line. “Are you going to speak or not ?” I asked, my voice hoarse from lack of rest.She stepped closer, looking over her shoulder like she was afraid someone might be listening. “I don’t know if you are ready to hear this.”I sighed. Nothing else would surprise me, for the past few weeks I had watched my life go for bad to worse to wise. I knew nothing she would say would make a difference in my life.“Just say it, Anna!” I tried to keep my voice neutral trying not to lose my cool.“They’re plotting to kill you, Your Majesty.” Anna finally said.My eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”“I overheard the guards talking with a few locals,” she said, her voice low. “They’re working together. They want to overt
Von The deaths in the kingdom had not stopped. Every day brought another body, another cry for help. And in the middle of all that, the truth I had learned clung to me like a second skin. Rae—no, Rose—was my sister. That revelation shattered something in me. It was like a rope had snapped. The very bond that once tethered me to her had been sliced clean through.I no longer looked at Rae the same. Her smile, her voice, the warmth in her eyes—it all haunted me now. I dared not to think of our memories, the feeling of me thrusting into her, the sound of her calling out my name. It felt like a nightmare. I forced myself to think of something. It wasn’t easy and to make things worse I started having dreams. Horrible, violent dreams. In them, I killed her over and over. Sometimes with my hands. Sometimes with a blade. Sometimes I just watched her die, unable to stop it. Every time I closed my eyes, those dreams returned, more vivid and terrifying than the last. Sleep no longer gave m