Chapter Sixteen.Mercy's POV. Lunch was awkward. I sat there, chewing on my food, barely tasting anything, while Laura, of course, was the centre of attention. She was sitting there, all perfect and polished, showing off her manners like she was some kind of princess. Every time she smiled, my stomach twisted in knots and I looked at her, hoping my jealousy didn’t show on my face. Marion was laughing… laughing like I'd never seen her do before. Even John, who hardly ever showed any real emotion, had this steady smile on his face. It was like they were all under Laura's spell. I hated it. Was I the problem? I picked at the food on my plate, trying to ignore the flutter of jealousy burning in my chest, but it was impossible. I wasn't just jealous. I was livid. I could barely look at her without feeling like I might explode. The memory of her wiping the floor with me during that sparring session two days ago was still fresh in my mind, and even worse, I had the proof on my body, ever
Chapter Seventeen. John had left early that morning, giving both Laura and me a list of chores to keep us busy. I’d overheard him talking about heading into town for some supplies, leaving the two of us alone at the house. It wasn't unusual for him to leave, but the timing felt off, especially after last night. “Make sure you chop the dry wood by the shed and clear out the leaves in the front yard.” John had said in his usual calm, authoritative tone. He looked at Laura and me with the same stern expression. “I expect everything to be done by the time I get back.” I nodded, trying to keep my face neutral, but I could already feel the tension bubbling beneath the surface. Laura, on the other hand, had smiled sweetly, like she always did whenever John was around. As soon as he left, I could already tell this was going to be a long day. “Well…” Laura said, stretching her arms over her head as she walked out into the yard. “It looks like it's just you and me, Mercy. How exciti
Chapter Eighteen.Mercy’s POV. I stayed on the ground for what felt like forever, staring at the dirt. My knuckles throbbed, and my back ached, but it was nothing compared to the guilt churning in my gut. What the hell had I done? I had let my anger get the best of me, and now Laura… Laura had every reason to hate me more than she already did. I heard her footsteps behind me, the crunch of leaves as she shifted, but she didn’t say anything. Slowly, I forced myself to get up. My body felt heavy, weighed down by shame. When I turned around, Laura was still holding her lip, the blood now dried in the corner of her mouth. Her eyes flicked to mine for a second, and I saw a flash of anger and pain, and maybe even confusion, but she quickly looked away, wiping at her lip again. “Laura.” I started, my voice barely above a whisper, “I’m so sorry.” She didn’t answer. Instead, she just kept rubbing her shoulder, twisting away from me as I stepped closer. “I said I’m sorry!” I repeat
Chapter Nineteen.Mercy’s POV. I paced my room, my heart hammering in my chest. John had just gotten back, and I knew he’d hear about what happened with Laura. Every second that passed felt like a countdown to some kind of punishment. Would he yell? Would he make me pay for it in some twisted way? I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t about to sit there and wait for him to call me out. Taking a deep breath, I decided to face it head on. I left my room and headed to the living room where I knew he’d be. As I rounded the corner, my stomach dropped. Laura was standing there, leaning against the doorframe with that smug little smirk I’d come to hate. Her lip was still swollen from earlier, and the sight of her made the guilt in my chest twist a little tighter. “John...” I started, but I didn’t get far. John held up a hand, cutting me off before I could explain. “Laura.” He said calmly, looking at her. “You want to tell me what happened?” Of course, she jumped at the chance. Laura straig
Chapter Twenty.Mercy's POV. The cold, hard ground met my back with a thud, and I winced as pain shot through my body. Laura stood over me, panting heavily but still with that smug, triumphant look on her face. She had the upper hand, again. I groaned and rolled onto my side, pushing myself up to a sitting position. “Getting slow, Mercy.” Laura said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. “Maybe next time you’ll land a hit.” I bit my lip, refusing to respond. Instead, I focused on catching my breath. My body ached, but there was something different this time. My movements were smoother, more controlled. Despite being thrown to the ground, I didn’t feel defeated. I knew I was getting better. Slowly, but surely. We were sparring again, just like we had countless times before. But this time, something was changing inside me. I could feel it. Each punch, each block, felt more natural. My body was adjusting, learning. Laura, on the other hand, was clearly enjoying herself. She wiped t
Chapter Twenty One.John's POV. The memories were sharp as blades, slicing through the present. Even after all these years, I could still feel the memories of that night pressing down on my chest like it had just happened. Fifteen years. I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes, letting the past pull me back, even though I knew better than to relive it. Some wounds never heal. Some promises never let you forget.--Flashback.- The night was cold, and the sky overhead was a deep shade of black, no stars, no moon. Just darkness. The clash of swords echoed in the distance, a sound I had come to know too well. I ran, heart pounding in my chest, my breath coming in sharp bursts. The king was just behind me, struggling to keep up, but I couldn't slow down. If I did, they would catch us. “Keep moving!” I shouted, turning to glance at him. His face was pale, covered in sweat, his eyes wide with fear. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Kings weren’t supposed to look like this. But
Chapter Twenty Two.Mercy’s POV. I spotted Laura sitting alone on the bench by the training grounds, her arms crossed, head down, and her usual scowl plastered on her face. The air was cool, but not cold, and the distant sound of swords clashing filled the background as others practiced. Laura had always been distant, closed off. She gave off a vibe that said “stay away,” but I wasn’t in the mood to care today. I walked over to her and sat down without asking. She immediately tensed up, eyes narrowing, as if she was ready to bite. “Hey.” I said casually, leaning back on the bench. She didn’t even bother to look at me, she just scoffed and moved to stand up. “Don’t bother.” She muttered under her breath, that same familiar edge in her voice. She always had something cutting to say. Before she could leave, I reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently but firm enough to stop her. “Hold on. You remind me of someone.” Laura rolled her eyes and made a face, trying to pull
Chapter Twenty Three.Mercy's POV. For the first time, Laura didn't have a snarky comeback. She just sat there, staring at the ground, looking like she was struggling to find the right words. It was rare to see her speechless. I sighed, rubbing my palms together as the coldness of the memories filled me. "So, I made the decision to leave. I couldn't stay there, pretending like everything was okay when it wasn't. I couldn't be part of their perfect little family anymore." Laura stayed quiet for a moment longer, then she finally spoke, her voice softer than I'd ever heard it. "That's... that's a lot to deal with. No wonder you left." I nodded, grateful she wasn't pushing for more. I'd already said more than I intended to. "Yeah, well, it wasn't easy, but it was the only thing I could do." Laura nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "I can't imagine what that must've been like. But... you're better off without them, right? I mean, if they couldn't see your worth..."
Chapter Twenty Four. Mercy’s POV. The scream pierced through the air, sharp and terrifying, cutting into the quiet evening like a knife. I froze for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest as I looked at Laura. Her wide eyes met mine, mirroring the same shock and confusion that was quickly taking over my mind. We didn’t waste time exchanging words, our feet were moving before our brains could catch up. We sprinted towards the source of the scream, my heart racing with every step. Marion’s voice was frantic, echoing in the distance, and as we rounded the corner of the house, the sight that greeted us made my blood run cold. John was on the ground. I couldn’t believe it at first. My eyes refused to accept what they were seeing. John, who was definitely the strongest man I knew, was lying there, lifeless. Marion knelt beside him, her face pale and stricken with panic. Her hands were shaking as they hovered over him, unsure of what to do. “Master! Oh my God, master!” She scream
Chapter Twenty Three.Mercy's POV. For the first time, Laura didn't have a snarky comeback. She just sat there, staring at the ground, looking like she was struggling to find the right words. It was rare to see her speechless. I sighed, rubbing my palms together as the coldness of the memories filled me. "So, I made the decision to leave. I couldn't stay there, pretending like everything was okay when it wasn't. I couldn't be part of their perfect little family anymore." Laura stayed quiet for a moment longer, then she finally spoke, her voice softer than I'd ever heard it. "That's... that's a lot to deal with. No wonder you left." I nodded, grateful she wasn't pushing for more. I'd already said more than I intended to. "Yeah, well, it wasn't easy, but it was the only thing I could do." Laura nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "I can't imagine what that must've been like. But... you're better off without them, right? I mean, if they couldn't see your worth..."
Chapter Twenty Two.Mercy’s POV. I spotted Laura sitting alone on the bench by the training grounds, her arms crossed, head down, and her usual scowl plastered on her face. The air was cool, but not cold, and the distant sound of swords clashing filled the background as others practiced. Laura had always been distant, closed off. She gave off a vibe that said “stay away,” but I wasn’t in the mood to care today. I walked over to her and sat down without asking. She immediately tensed up, eyes narrowing, as if she was ready to bite. “Hey.” I said casually, leaning back on the bench. She didn’t even bother to look at me, she just scoffed and moved to stand up. “Don’t bother.” She muttered under her breath, that same familiar edge in her voice. She always had something cutting to say. Before she could leave, I reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently but firm enough to stop her. “Hold on. You remind me of someone.” Laura rolled her eyes and made a face, trying to pull
Chapter Twenty One.John's POV. The memories were sharp as blades, slicing through the present. Even after all these years, I could still feel the memories of that night pressing down on my chest like it had just happened. Fifteen years. I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes, letting the past pull me back, even though I knew better than to relive it. Some wounds never heal. Some promises never let you forget.--Flashback.- The night was cold, and the sky overhead was a deep shade of black, no stars, no moon. Just darkness. The clash of swords echoed in the distance, a sound I had come to know too well. I ran, heart pounding in my chest, my breath coming in sharp bursts. The king was just behind me, struggling to keep up, but I couldn't slow down. If I did, they would catch us. “Keep moving!” I shouted, turning to glance at him. His face was pale, covered in sweat, his eyes wide with fear. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Kings weren’t supposed to look like this. But
Chapter Twenty.Mercy's POV. The cold, hard ground met my back with a thud, and I winced as pain shot through my body. Laura stood over me, panting heavily but still with that smug, triumphant look on her face. She had the upper hand, again. I groaned and rolled onto my side, pushing myself up to a sitting position. “Getting slow, Mercy.” Laura said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. “Maybe next time you’ll land a hit.” I bit my lip, refusing to respond. Instead, I focused on catching my breath. My body ached, but there was something different this time. My movements were smoother, more controlled. Despite being thrown to the ground, I didn’t feel defeated. I knew I was getting better. Slowly, but surely. We were sparring again, just like we had countless times before. But this time, something was changing inside me. I could feel it. Each punch, each block, felt more natural. My body was adjusting, learning. Laura, on the other hand, was clearly enjoying herself. She wiped t
Chapter Nineteen.Mercy’s POV. I paced my room, my heart hammering in my chest. John had just gotten back, and I knew he’d hear about what happened with Laura. Every second that passed felt like a countdown to some kind of punishment. Would he yell? Would he make me pay for it in some twisted way? I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t about to sit there and wait for him to call me out. Taking a deep breath, I decided to face it head on. I left my room and headed to the living room where I knew he’d be. As I rounded the corner, my stomach dropped. Laura was standing there, leaning against the doorframe with that smug little smirk I’d come to hate. Her lip was still swollen from earlier, and the sight of her made the guilt in my chest twist a little tighter. “John...” I started, but I didn’t get far. John held up a hand, cutting me off before I could explain. “Laura.” He said calmly, looking at her. “You want to tell me what happened?” Of course, she jumped at the chance. Laura straig
Chapter Eighteen.Mercy’s POV. I stayed on the ground for what felt like forever, staring at the dirt. My knuckles throbbed, and my back ached, but it was nothing compared to the guilt churning in my gut. What the hell had I done? I had let my anger get the best of me, and now Laura… Laura had every reason to hate me more than she already did. I heard her footsteps behind me, the crunch of leaves as she shifted, but she didn’t say anything. Slowly, I forced myself to get up. My body felt heavy, weighed down by shame. When I turned around, Laura was still holding her lip, the blood now dried in the corner of her mouth. Her eyes flicked to mine for a second, and I saw a flash of anger and pain, and maybe even confusion, but she quickly looked away, wiping at her lip again. “Laura.” I started, my voice barely above a whisper, “I’m so sorry.” She didn’t answer. Instead, she just kept rubbing her shoulder, twisting away from me as I stepped closer. “I said I’m sorry!” I repeat
Chapter Seventeen. John had left early that morning, giving both Laura and me a list of chores to keep us busy. I’d overheard him talking about heading into town for some supplies, leaving the two of us alone at the house. It wasn't unusual for him to leave, but the timing felt off, especially after last night. “Make sure you chop the dry wood by the shed and clear out the leaves in the front yard.” John had said in his usual calm, authoritative tone. He looked at Laura and me with the same stern expression. “I expect everything to be done by the time I get back.” I nodded, trying to keep my face neutral, but I could already feel the tension bubbling beneath the surface. Laura, on the other hand, had smiled sweetly, like she always did whenever John was around. As soon as he left, I could already tell this was going to be a long day. “Well…” Laura said, stretching her arms over her head as she walked out into the yard. “It looks like it's just you and me, Mercy. How exciti
Chapter Sixteen.Mercy's POV. Lunch was awkward. I sat there, chewing on my food, barely tasting anything, while Laura, of course, was the centre of attention. She was sitting there, all perfect and polished, showing off her manners like she was some kind of princess. Every time she smiled, my stomach twisted in knots and I looked at her, hoping my jealousy didn’t show on my face. Marion was laughing… laughing like I'd never seen her do before. Even John, who hardly ever showed any real emotion, had this steady smile on his face. It was like they were all under Laura's spell. I hated it. Was I the problem? I picked at the food on my plate, trying to ignore the flutter of jealousy burning in my chest, but it was impossible. I wasn't just jealous. I was livid. I could barely look at her without feeling like I might explode. The memory of her wiping the floor with me during that sparring session two days ago was still fresh in my mind, and even worse, I had the proof on my body, ever