~Dominic~
It all happened right in front of my eyes, and yet, I refused to believe it. One moment, I was looking through my bedroom window at Aurelia receiving a letter and reading it, and the next moment, she was opening the gate to leave. I bolted out of the house to stop her, but I was stunned to see her picked up by someone really fast... so fast that it was all a blur.
I reached the gate the very next second, but she was high up in the sky. She appeared to be leaving willingly, but who was that?
"What was that?" My mother came out the next instant.
"I don't know. She just took off with someone, by air." I shrugged in frustration.
I was extremely restless from inside. I could suddenly sense that she was in danger.
"I got a very disturbing vision just now. Are you sure she wasn't taken away by force?" My mother's visions weren't helping the situation.
"I am not sure. She looked up at the sky and walked out of that gate exp
Once upon a time, in a land unknown, in a time forgotten, there lived a king, King Xerxes. He had two lovely wives, and he loved his life. One day, the king went hunting, deep into the woods, and got attacked by a ferocious beast. His body was mauled and ravaged, and he was on his last breath when a beautiful witch saved him, breathed life into his dying body. The king was filled with love and gratitude for the witch and asked her to make a wish. The witch asked for his love, to take her as his wife and show her the royal life.
~Aurelia~"Hurry up! We will be caught if we don't leave right now!!" Callie harshly whispered while I took my sweet time to look my best."Almost done," I whispered back and checked to see if the coast was clear."The carriage is by the fountain. I will exit through the kitchen door."She dashed out of the room, and I followed her course slowly to not raise suspicion.Callie ran right into the person that we wanted to avoid."You two! Where are you going?" Princess Amara asked her."Er..." Callie looked at me nervously."To see the men that are training. I mean... we are going to serve drinks to them." I mumbled, failing to make our story believable.Amara raised her brow."So there's a new hottie that you two are fawning over?""Kind of" Callie giggled to which Amara rolled her eyes."Do you need anything?" I asked, hoping she didn't. We were already late."No, it's just that
~Dominic~It's the same smell again! That faint intoxicating mix of sandalwood and wildflowers — sweet and lovely, so addictive. It reminds me of Spring, the eternal kind, and the feeling of being close to the woods, mud, and nature.Trapped in the palace with duties and responsibilities, I yearned to be set free... to run in the woods and feel the wind in my hair.For the past two years, I caught a whiff of this irresistible scent now and then in the palace. At first, I thought it was coming from that snooty princess, and I ignored it because I didn't want anything to do with her.But then, the subtle sandalwood wafted out of the kitchen once, suppressed by the aroma of freshly baked garlic bread and herbs--- I was pulled out of my thoughts when I got a sharp blow to my temple.I returned my attention to the man who hit me, a pentathlon champion. All it took me was a few seconds to knock him out of his senses. I heard the figh
~Aurelia~Dark struck upon us as we headed home. I was a shaky mess wanting to say too many things all at once."He saw me, Callie!! He touched me too!" My heart was still pounding against my chest long after we left the fighting pit."And what did you do? Ran like a scared chicken. How disappointing!""He was staring at me with those intense blue eyes. What would you do if Dylan got hold of you and studied you for a good minute or so?""I would jump into his arms and kiss him deeply.""Yeah, right! You would have fainted on the spot.""Whatever! How did he... uh, why did he approach you? Do you think he saw us stalking him and Dylan?""You make it sound so terrible! We weren't stalking, we were observing secretly.""Same difference, ladies," Marlo chuckled, "We've arrived.""Oh, shit!""What now Aurie?""What's the Prince doing on this side of the palace? He's right behind that pillar," I p
~ Aurelia~Time stopped for the two of us. His fingertips dug into my arms as he tugged me towards his firm chest. I was afraid to blink, for I still wasn't sure if it was all a dream. He might disappear from my sight if I took my eyes off him even for a second.His hand reached out to touch my face and stroke my cheeks, setting them on fire. I leaned into his touch, wanting to feel his rough hands all over my face as much as I could. Unfortunately, he was jolted back to reality when we heard distant footsteps.He stood up brushing off the mud and leaves before giving me a hand, and that's when I realized that all the paint that he had knocked over from the palette onto my hands was now either on his face or his clothes.I swallowed hard before catching my breath again. I never saw him from this close before."What's your name?"I glared at him for a whole moment before taking in his words. My voice barely made its way out and I man
~Aurelia~"How did I miss this?" I said, examining Callie's face, turning it from side to side. A fresh bruise had formed right on her cheekbone."It's just that one. It's okay." She tried to make me feel less guilty.Princess Amara had terrible temper issues. Callie got smacked in the face because the spoiled princess couldn't find me the minute she opened her eyes. I was protected from her abuse because Argus had my back. But poor Callie didn't have that privilege.I begged Argus many times about protecting her too but he didn't care. 'You should be happy that I don't touch her, only because she's your friend,' was his jerkwad kind of response. Callie hated them all with a passion, and I didn't blame her.We both had no one to call as parents until Nana's daughter, the head housemaid, adopted us. But I have been living in the palace for as long as I could remember. These were my people, and I was attached to them.Callie's case wa
~Aurelia~It was a cold moonless night with a chilling breeze. Someone had set the night on fire. Flames engulfed everything, burning dense forests and picturesque valleys below.A tall man with muscles ripped across every part of his body stood on the edge of a cliff. His demonic laughter reverberated through the mountains, and the blazing fire couldn't take away the spine chilling effect that it caused.A tiny frightened girl, probably around four, was squirming in his grip. His laughter came to an abrupt end when one of his men approached him and said in a shaky voice, "The boy has escaped. We still don't know who the father is."The cold demon of a man let out a thunderous roar before kicking the messenger off the cliff. He then shifted his gaze to a woman who was bruised and shackled. Her long dark mane flowed around her perfect pale face. Her stormy grey eyes were filled with rage and tears.""Time to fret, dearie." His blazing hazel
~Aurelia~Hot tears rolled down my cheeks when I saw him move so close to another woman. Callie was probably right. We didn't share any connection. I just saw what I wanted to see all these days. The truth is out now; he doesn't care and I am so stupid.I ran back to the servant quarters and ignored everyone's stares while heading to my room. There was no point in dressing up or dreaming big. Callie followed close behind but I really didn't want her to summarize the disaster that tonight had been.I was going to close the door quickly and cry some more in peace and quiet but Marlo appeared at lightning speed and stopped me."Please give us a moment," He told Callie.She looked at me wondering if I wanted to talk to him."Sorry, Marlo will let you know when we are done."He waited for Callie to disappear from the hallway before closing the door and then cupped my face with concern. Marlo was two hundred years old; he was a Pho
~Dominic~It all happened right in front of my eyes, and yet, I refused to believe it. One moment, I was looking through my bedroom window at Aurelia receiving a letter and reading it, and the next moment, she was opening the gate to leave. I bolted out of the house to stop her, but I was stunned to see her picked up by someone really fast... so fast that it was all a blur.I reached the gate the very next second, but she was high up in the sky. She appeared to be leaving willingly, but who was that?"What was that?" My mother came out the next instant."I don't know. She just took off with someone, by air." I shrugged in frustration.I was extremely restless from inside. I could suddenly sense that she was in danger."I got a very disturbing vision just now. Are you sure she wasn't taken away by force?" My mother's visions weren't helping the situation."I am not sure. She looked up at the sky and walked out of that gate exp
~Aurelia~His words cut through me like a knife."We are a lot more alike than you realize, Dominic. I grew up on the run too, not physically like you, but I am in hiding as well. I think I can understand what you have been through."He didn't respond. With his eyes glued to the ceiling, I wasn't even sure if he was listening anymore."We didn't get to choose what we were born with. That doesn't mean we deprive ourselves of normal life and love. I---""I don't have a problem with who I am, whatever I am. This Royal Guard training and the recognition that I got before soldiers in their twenties and thirties did, none of that would have been possible if I was normal. I wouldn't have been able to afford this house or put good food on the table. Dylan and I were squire boys making almost nothing at fourteen." His face scrunched in annoyance before he continued."I don't want to open up old wounds. I told you way more than I intended to
~Dominic~Her scent assaulted me at the least expected time. Dylan and I were about a mile away from home when I picked it."Hold it!" Dylan yelled behind me, trying to catch up."See you at home," I waved my hand and raced as fast as I could.The scent was definitely getting stronger as I neared my home. What was she doing there? I had been dreaming about her a lot lately. And every dream ended with me sinking my teeth into her neck, making her bleed. What the hell was I? A vampire? Those sharp canines weren't mine.At the same time, I absolutely wanted to do it. It sounded painful for her, but I probably wouldn't rest until I left my mark on her. I guess it was symbolic of how possessive I felt about her. I wanted to rip that Prince and the other guy apart for touching her.They just danced with her. I tried to reason with myself, but there was another voice inside me that was pissed at me for taking it lightly. This voice had bee
I was overjoyed at the thought of eating lunch together like a family today. Callie and I never had that fortune; we usually ate standing at a counter in the kitchen and our meals were delicious but always interrupted.The pasta was cooking in the meat and vegetable stock when I went back to the kitchen. The charmed whisk beat the eggs until nice and frothy while I slowly poured the lemon zest into it."Now, scoop out two cups of that hot broth into a separate bowl and mix the egg-lemon mixture slowly into it. Pouring this tempered mixture will stop the eggs from curdling in the hot pot."I did as she said. Callie was nowhere in sight. She was avoiding Annelise for some reason and looked very uncomfortable around her.The minute I poured the tempered egg-lemon mixture into the pasta pot, containers with dill, pepper, parsley, and salt came flying and added a bit of themselves into the pot. Dill jumped back onto the shelf first and refused to budge or make
We stole horses harnessed to Marlo's carriage as there was no way to take any from the stable without getting caught."He will kill us!" Callie exclaimed.He was definitely going to cut me into pieces, especially because he told me almost every day since I was four to never leave the palace without him."We will come back before anyone notices. Their house is not that far." I said before taking the map out of my snack bag for her to look at."So we just have to ride alongside the woods until we come across a creek?""Hmm yeah, cross the creek and the floodplain and then turn towards the woods again before hitting the fields.""About four miles you think?""or maybe less. We can see part of that creek from the Princess's room.""It's funny they chose living so close to the woods.""I am hoping they don't turn out to be some weird dudes who bury---""Aurie, stop!"I giggled at the desperate idiots we were rig
~Aurelia~Callie was down in the dumps all day."He rejected me... it was rejection at first sight! Do I look that terrible?" She did look like a raccoon right now because she didn't wash her eye makeup since last night.She looked anything but terrible. With brilliant deep-set eyes, dimpled cheeks, and luscious ruby lips, her face was so attractive that the Princess got jealous and mad half the time for that reason."Of course not! Did you rub him the wrong way about something? I mean, you are very funny but he may not b---""I was nervous, and we barely talked. The music was so loud on that side of the dance floor that I could hardly hear myself think.""I don't know what to say to you except sorry, Callie... can't make heads or tails of these two guys. They probably get a kick out of being unpredictable.""Why even approach me in the first place? I never expected him to. I just went with the flow."I felt guilty and
~Aurelia~Hot tears rolled down my cheeks when I saw him move so close to another woman. Callie was probably right. We didn't share any connection. I just saw what I wanted to see all these days. The truth is out now; he doesn't care and I am so stupid.I ran back to the servant quarters and ignored everyone's stares while heading to my room. There was no point in dressing up or dreaming big. Callie followed close behind but I really didn't want her to summarize the disaster that tonight had been.I was going to close the door quickly and cry some more in peace and quiet but Marlo appeared at lightning speed and stopped me."Please give us a moment," He told Callie.She looked at me wondering if I wanted to talk to him."Sorry, Marlo will let you know when we are done."He waited for Callie to disappear from the hallway before closing the door and then cupped my face with concern. Marlo was two hundred years old; he was a Pho
~Aurelia~It was a cold moonless night with a chilling breeze. Someone had set the night on fire. Flames engulfed everything, burning dense forests and picturesque valleys below.A tall man with muscles ripped across every part of his body stood on the edge of a cliff. His demonic laughter reverberated through the mountains, and the blazing fire couldn't take away the spine chilling effect that it caused.A tiny frightened girl, probably around four, was squirming in his grip. His laughter came to an abrupt end when one of his men approached him and said in a shaky voice, "The boy has escaped. We still don't know who the father is."The cold demon of a man let out a thunderous roar before kicking the messenger off the cliff. He then shifted his gaze to a woman who was bruised and shackled. Her long dark mane flowed around her perfect pale face. Her stormy grey eyes were filled with rage and tears.""Time to fret, dearie." His blazing hazel
~Aurelia~"How did I miss this?" I said, examining Callie's face, turning it from side to side. A fresh bruise had formed right on her cheekbone."It's just that one. It's okay." She tried to make me feel less guilty.Princess Amara had terrible temper issues. Callie got smacked in the face because the spoiled princess couldn't find me the minute she opened her eyes. I was protected from her abuse because Argus had my back. But poor Callie didn't have that privilege.I begged Argus many times about protecting her too but he didn't care. 'You should be happy that I don't touch her, only because she's your friend,' was his jerkwad kind of response. Callie hated them all with a passion, and I didn't blame her.We both had no one to call as parents until Nana's daughter, the head housemaid, adopted us. But I have been living in the palace for as long as I could remember. These were my people, and I was attached to them.Callie's case wa