The steam is soothing Anna’s mind and she leans against the tub. She submerges into the hot water and reemerges from it, letting the soreness in her muscles go away. Lavi’s strong scent is present even in the bathroom. She does not want to admit it but the musky fresh mint scent is calming her nerves.
Her mind drifts off to their tryst earlier in the morning. She can still feel his lips on her clit and how his fingers touched her in intimate ways. Thinking of that moment makes her blush hard and she tries to forget about it in vain.
“Are you starting to like him?” Thena asks her.
“I do not know…”
Anna really has no answer to that question. At one moment, she wants to kill him and in the next, she wants to kiss him. Her min
Anna stirs a little. There is something warm and hard hugging her but it feels quite comfortable. She nuzzles close seemingly to the bolster and even wraps her leg around it. The feeling reminds her vaguely of the castle she once lived in. She is back in Ezealyra, in her own room filled with comforts and love. Her heart is at peace, her lips curled up with a small smile.“If you are done touching me then can you please wake up already? It is past noon.”A familiar voice breaks her slumber and her eyes fly open. She takes in the scent of mint and realizes that the bolster is…“AHHH!”On instinct, she kicks Lavi so hard that he falls off the bed.“What the hell?” He exclaims in a
“What?” Anna exclaims. “She ran away?”“Yes,” Guinevere nods. “The palace maids talk about it till this day. I only heard a few snippets so I can only tell you what I know. There might be things which are missing…”“Thirty years ago, on the night Lavi was born, Maryan had entered the bedchamber of the former Empress. Even though she had just given birth, she was able to gather the strength and move. She must have been really desperate. Anyways, she snuck into the chamber and a few moments later, people heard the former Empress’ screams. When soldiers barged into the room, they found the Empress dead and Maryan gone. The only thing that led people to believe that it was Maryan who killed the Empress, was a thin gold chain which Maryan used to wear.”
Moira?Anna is thinking hard. The Empress of Faika is rumored to be a kind and sweet person. Ever since the former Emperor died a few years ago, she and Emperor Phillippe have been ruling the country well. She is known to be charitable and helps the citizens a lot.The only problem is that the royal couple still do not have an heir.“When Moira entered the palace and became Phillippe’s mate, the Morales started to gain more favors in the court,” Guinevere reveals. “Her father, Aemon Morales, is the Treasurer and also one of the wealthiest men in the land. He is ambitious and ruthless but hides behind a simple smile. I do not know why the Emperor cannot see through his schemes but he controls the throne.”“Moira is still a m
A grand chandelier is hung in the middle of the ceiling, shimmering with a thousand tiny golden lights which are illuminating the room of the vast estate. Red and orange tapestry made of fur are stuck on the walls in diagonale patterns while the floors are scrubbed squeaky clean. There is a hint of jasmine and lilies in the air while a fire is lit in the fireplace.A thin man in his seventies is standing in front of a bookshelf, looking for a book until he finally finds it. His beady red eyes scan the content and he sits on a couch to quietly read it. His balding hairline is visible under the light and his lips become thinner as he keeps on reading the book.“The laws of Ezealyra are changing for the betterment of their people,” he mutters. “If this keeps up then the Faikans will also demand for the same laws.”
Anna wakes up early in the morning and yawns loudly. The other side of the bed is thankfully empty but she cannot sense Lavi anywhere near her.Is he outside? She wonders. They are supposed to be leaving for the castle of Pir. To make sure that there will not be any more attacks, Lavi is going to take his own men while the Emperor’s army will stay back except for Damien. Guinevere is also accompanying them so Anna doubts that the Emperor will try to do anything to them.But why did he try to kill me along with Lavi? Anna asks herself. Is he conspiring against me? Why?She cannot come to any conclusion at the moment. Shrugging off her ominous thoughts, she focuses on the fact that her brother might be there. He is the current Emperor of Ezealyra so he must have been invited.
His grip loosens on her neck and he slowly lets her go. Anna shifts in her seat while Lavi sits next to her. He is staring at her, wondering why she is telling him this.“I saw my family die in front of me,” she reveals. “They were...they were killed by people they had once trusted. They assaulted my sister too. I can still hear her screams and see her suffering as the men who were supposed to protect her, completely tore her apart until she died. They would have done the same to me as well.”Lavi’s fingers clench into a fist as he hears her tale. Something about her tale is tormenting him as he imagines the torture this girl had gone through. Suddenly, he wants to find those men and rip them apart with his bare hands!“I escaped,” she reveals. “After they blinded me,
Lavi and Anna did not speak for the rest of the journey but he glances at her every now and then. She is bored and keeps on fidgeting in her seat as if she is very restless. The confined carriage is not her favorite mode of transport and she would rather be on a horse than in there. Still, she somehow manages to stay put.They reach the Emperor’s palace very late at night. The carriage comes at a halt and the doors fly open.To Anna’s surprise, Lavi says, “Take my hand. I will guide you along the palace.”She does not have the heart to refuse and strangely, nor the will. Slowly putting her palm into his, she climbs down the carriage. Holding his hand feels a little weird but Lavi does not seem to care.A group of guards from the Empero
Phillippe and Moira are sitting in the garden. Moira is dressed in the finest silk gown while Phillippe is wearing a long purple robe and the golden crown adoring his head. A long table has been placed in the middle of the large garden. Several trays of food are displayed on the table which are prepared by the finest chefs in the country.Over twenty varieties of pancakes of different colors are decorated on the table. The aroma of freshly made buns and baguettes is strong in the air while there is a bowl of soft, scrambled eggs placed in front of each seat. Different flavors of cheese are kept beside the eggs and there are baskets of fried bacon which are refilled after every few minutes.Guinevere is sitting beside the Emperor and Damien is seated next to her. Despite the lavish food in front of them, none of them are eating. They are waiting for