ELISE'S POV I spent my day doing the chores I had been assigned. It seemed as if I was given a larger share of the chores and I didn't know why. I guess it was Gina's way of punishing me and Ms Kelly's way of making sure I stayed in my space. As I worked, my muscles ached with exhaustion. I had bee
“Here,” she said “You’ll carry these to the tournament grounds. I expect you to be at my side the entire time. And don’t think for a second that you’ll get a break.” I looked at the bags in horror. Surely, she was joking. There was no way I could carry these bags all the way there. I struggled to l
I looked at Gina in surprise. "Me?!" I shrieked Jackson laughed loudly. Even my parents joined in. “Gina, darling,” he said, “pick a better opponent. Elise here couldn’t handle a feather, let alone a real fight.” "You're right" my mom said "Don't waste your time on her, my dear" My par
I ran as fast as I could out of the arena. I ran until I reached the woods. My breath came in ragged gasps as I ran. I ran through the trees, thinking of everything that had happened. The pain of seeing my once loving parents now so cold and distant tore at my heart. The words my father said to me
GINA'S POV I slipped into a special dress that I had picked out myself. It was a tight black dress that hugged my curves in all the right places. I smiled as I looked at myself in the mirror. I recalled the events at the tournament. I'll admit, I never expected Elise to be so strong. For a moment
GINA'S POV I had never felt such anger boiling in my veins. Jackson had the audacity to compare me to Elise. Elise, of all people. I couldn't let that slide. This as all Elise's fault. With Helen at my side, we stormed toward where Elise was. She was supposed to be washing guards in the backyard.
ELISE'S POV The note from Helen burned a hole in my pocket all day. I couldn’t concentrate on anything, not with the questions I had in my mind. Was this a joke? A trap? Or something else entirely? I kept replaying the earlier confrontation in my head, searching for clues, but I found none. Why
ELISE'S POV I could hear the distant sounds of the ball from my room. The music and laughter from the grand hall echoed through the walls, refusing to be ignored. Everything was so loud that I could hear the ball clearly. I laid on my bed and closed my eyes. My head sank deeper into the pillow, b