Lyra's POVMy heart was beating dangerously fast; the need to run away was provoked within me. I needed to get away from here as soon as I could. Being in such a place was a lot traumatizing, and I honestly didn't want to deal with any more trauma.However, as I turned to meet the man I had come here with, he seemed unmoving like a hill, stoic, cold, and utterly ferocious. His two hands were tucked into his pockets, and the wind ruffled his hair continuously. His sunglasses gave him the look of undeniable respect, and I knew at once that he was not scared, seeing the army that was waiting for us.His courage or lack of fear made me wonder if it was sane that I was terrified when he surely wasn't.I wondered if this could be a joke, a prank? Some sort of messed-up tradition.The men at the dock were about twenty, but whether or not he was skilled and adept in what he did, he surely couldn't win against all of them. And these ones seemed more skilled than the ones that Devlin had brough
Lyra's POV"I'll show you to your room," Marilyn said, and I nodded my head.I followed right behind her as she climbed up the staircase and then walked to a door in the hallway. There was nobody around, and the place seemed poorly illuminated.I looked around, and there weren't any other persons who used that hallway. The walls seemed to have been cleaned in a hurry; the lights on the hallway kept flickering and then gave out in surrender.I wasn't pleased. I wondered if Marilyn was doing this on purpose; I wondered what was going on here. There seemed to be another force at play here, one that wasn't Philip's and neither was it mine.There was something notable from what I could see, and it was that Marilyn was suspicious, and so was the room she was leading me to.I walked to the door where she had stopped and then opened the door. I was met with a small bedroom; a small bed sat in the middle of the room, and I didn't have time to finish the scrutiny with my eyes when my nose felt
Lyra's POV"I couldn't believe what I had just heard; I looked at him, unable to fathom the reality of the confession he just made. I shook my head. It seemed like my head was filled with air because I couldn't believe that my brain had stopped working for a moment. What other reason could there be that I couldn't understand the simple words he had just said to me?I was fighting against my rationality to not understand and not believe it either."What did you just say?"He nodded his head and walked past me, "I am impotent, Lyra," he said, and his hands found his waist, "I cannot bear children. And I am a ruler. I am a ruler who cannot bear children. At first, I thought the problem was with the wo…""Look at me when you address me."He instantly turned around and met my eyes. I was sure he obeyed before he gave it a second thought because the second his eyes met mine, they fell."I'm sorry," he muttered."What do you mean that you're impotent?"He raised an eyebrow at me, "I am impot
Lyra's POV.I could not stay still in the same room with him anymore. At first, I had been looking to stay in the same room with him, even getting angry at Marilyn for not doing it. But now, I desperately wanted to thank her.She did a good job.It was as if she knew right from the start that staying in the same room with him was not a good idea.Under his scrutiny, I walked out.I knew Philip to be a respectful man, and he didn't chase me because he respected my decision. But having been told this news, I wondered the real reason why he didn't run after me.If he claimed to love me, would he not try to get me to see from his point of view? Would he not battle to be understood?There was only one answer to that question: he doesn't love me, and that's why he isn't affected by anything. That's why it doesn't bother him because he doesn't actually care about me.I walked back to the room Marilyn had showed me. I didn't have it in me to fight anymore. I walked to the curtains and pulled
Lyra PovEverybody in the room turned to look at me. My words also succeeded in shocking me because this had been said straight from a place of rage.I looked to my side where Philip sat. He had paused. Unlike others, he didn't turn to stare at me, but rather, the food he was eating was suddenly not interesting. He dropped his fork and then pushed the plate forward."Yes," he suddenly said, "we're getting married tomorrow."Pamela and Kayla looked at each other. Kayla looked to be more surprised, but Pamela's own was at a minimum. None of them appreciated what I had said, but I said it anyway because their response was what I had been hoping for.I nodded my head, "Philip and I decided that we shouldn't push this forward anymore, and if we have it after I give birth, it'll be too late, so we're deciding now.""You're only like a few weeks away, what's still late?" Philip's mother asked.I knew she didn't like me as well, but I ignored her expression and smiled, "It would be. I think i
Lyra PovI didn't know when I slept off. After Philip's mom left, I was back in the ugly dark room alone, waiting for Philip. I waited for hours, but he didn't show up, and eventually, I slept off.And I didn't wake up until I was comfortable enough to.My eyes fluttered open, and I walked around to the bathroom to wash my teeth, but that was when I saw that I didn't have a toothbrush nor toothpaste.I shook my head.This was literally the worst service ever.And that was when a knock came from my door.It was early in the morning, and I knew that the servants were about to start their business. They were probably here to clean the room, or maybe someone was here to give me a toothbrush.I was anxious. I didn't want to believe that Philip was the one standing on the other side of the door because I didn't think I could take it if he wasn't the one after I expected him to be there.I ignored how my heart thumped and went forward to get the door open.And unlike I thought, it wasn't Phi
Lyra PovWe both turned around to look at the person who had called. It was a girl with short, straight hair. She was already making her way to us; the wind made her hair look like a mess, but it didn't stop her beauty from being seen.The girl had deer-like beauty, akin to that of a model, with beautiful bright eyes. The wind made her hair look like a mess, but it didn't diminish her beauty.She was taller than I am but not as tall as Philip, and her physique was one of a kind. She had curves that made her look divine; her legs were straight and long, and her waist was quite slim. Over her jeans, she wore a black leather shirt that accentuated how tiny her waist was.And this girl, this goddess, knew Philip."Tessa," he called her name, "what are you doing here so early in the morning?"However, as she met up with us, instead of answering that question, she wrapped Philip in a tight hug. What irked me was how tightly Philip reciprocated it.I knew damn well that this wasn't his siste
Lyra PovI turned to look at her again. I hadn't ever thought I'd come across women that were sexually attracted to other women. She was beautiful and very sexy, and I couldn't help but wonder what had propelled her to love a woman.I turned to Philip, "what if she gets mated to a man? What will she do?"Philip shook his head, "we don't know if that will ever happen. There's a possibility, but basically, we hope it never happens. I'm pretty sure she would just reject him and then find a chosen mate."I nodded my head, "has she ever been with a man? How did she come to the realization that she likes women?"Philip shook his head, "you do know that being queer has nothing to do with your past experiences. Whether or not she's been with a man, it doesn't matter; what matters is how she feels now."I smiled at him. He wasn't alienating her because of her difference in preference; instead, he treated her just like the rest. He treated her with compassion, love, and respect just like the ot