[ THE WARRIOR'S STORY ]JACQUELINE'S P.O.V — ~ “When we all die, where do we go?” ~That is a question that every living human on Earth asks from time to time. And there are multiple answers to this question. Most believe it depends on how you have lived your life on Earth. If you have proven to be worthy of the Kingdom of God, you will ascend to Heaven. And if you have lived a bad life, you descend to Hell. But I went to neither of those places. In Alkhemi, you are either floating in the Heavens, or you're going through something worse than Hell. It is a mixture of both. But for me recently, I have been going through hell.Like now. “Ahh!” I let out another war cry as I run towards the man with blue eyes and dark, brown hair.My sword is raised as I near him. Then, all of a sudden, the sword slips out of my hand. When I snap my head around, I find one of the seven with their hand lifted up, and fist clenched. I am shocked by this extremity of power. But I do not let it distract
[ THE LOVE THAT KILLS ] Despite our various differences, we are all tied together by one thing. Death. In the Kingdom of Alkhemi, everyone and everything has died at least once. We all die at the end. Despite our differences, we are all made similar by one thing — mortality. But then, even death allows for dissimilarities. We all die in different ways. Some are killed by a lover, others by sickness/illness, and many are killed in fatal accidents. And luckily for some, they get taken away by natural causes, such as old age. But this is not for those people. This is for those who have been wrongfully and forcefully snatched away from their loved ones before they got the chance to say 'goodbye'. [ JACQUELINE ] I remember when I had asked Jacqueline how she had died, and what she got reincarnated as. Our conversation had gone this way. “What about you? Are you a Vampire?” I had asked.“Do I look like a Vampire?” She had joked, running a nervous hand through her hair like she
[ IN WHICH SHE ESCAPES THE PROBLEM OF SIN ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V— My eyes avert from the ceiling when I hear the door open. With dazed brown eyes, I search for the intruder. Entering through the door, I find him there. Sin. The door closes gently behind him. “You are awake.” He states. I roll my eyes away and I sink deeper into the sheets. Letting out a moan, I stretch my body out on the bed, before I say, “You sound surprised.” I can hear the slight confusion in his voice as he replies. “No, I am not surprised.” My eyes dart to him. He stands at the foot of the bed, and his tall build hovers over me. “Of course, you are not surprised. You are used to this already. You are used to having me around, used to having me come back to you. I never leave you. So, when I was laying there, dying, you were probably relaxed while everyone else was worried.” He settles onto the bed. The mattress moves from his weight. “You do not know what you are talking about.” Stubborn as always, I say. “
[ IN WHICH SHE ENTERS THE PROBLEM OF ROME ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V— I place my palms on the railing of the balcony. Worried, I peer over the metal bar. Below me, there is nothing.I see nothing. The land of Alkhemi has been covered by darkness. And that means it has been 12 hours since Sin had left with the warriors to the Land of Avsky. He should have been back by now. They should have saved Jacqueline and returned by now. A quest like this shouldn’t take much time except something bad had already happened. … [something bad like what, November?] … The voice in my head asks. I try to ignore it, but she speaks again. … [you think they may have died? yes, you are right, they have died] … “Shut up.” I growl, slapping palms on the cold railing. After that, the voice silences. I'm hoping it silences forever. Despite this new found silence, I am still troubled with the possibility that something bad has happened. Luca has proven to be dangerous. It will be a mistake to underestimate him
warning: this chapter of The King's Maiden you are about to read has been labelled mature, because of it's sexual content which may not be suitable for all readers. viewer discretion is advised.[ IN WHICH SHE KEENS INTO ROME ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V — I am out of control. But I do not mind. I like this. I like this version of me that Rome has managed to pull out. I want to explore more, to see what happens when he tempts me with the forbidden. Unable to control myself, I find myself keening against him. I rub my chest against him, getting relief from the sensation. “Ugh, Faye.” Rome groans, tugging my lower lip into his mouth. “You make me so hard.” His hand on my back dips lower and lower, until he is between my thighs. I part them, aching – aching so desperately – and his middle finger, eager as ever, pushes against my pussy. “Oh shit.” I whisper, fisting his shirt. Maybe because of the fabric of my shorts, that one finger is giving me just the right amount of pressure to make the
[ IN WHICH SHE LIES ] Sin got back that same night. They all arrived safely that same night — no scratches, no cuts, no injuries. They had arrived all in one piece, chanting a victory song. The warriors who had accompanied Sin to the battleground were full of light despite being surrounded by the darkness. Anyone could tell that they had conquered effortlessly and accomplished their goal of saving a fellow member of the Grand Alkhemi. They had Jacqueline with them. She had a blanket around her. She was the only one with bruises and cuts on her face. Her white hair had been stained with blood. By the way she gripped the blanket around her shoulders, I knew she had been desperately trying to cover up her other bruises. When I laid eyes on her, I was filled with so much anger that I wanted to teleport to the Land of Avsky myself, find Luca and beat the crap out of him. But who was I to talk? I was just as evil as Luca. I had done something so despicable that I deserved to be punishe
[ IN WHICH SHE LEARNS ABOUT JACQUELINE ]I place a gentle knock on the door. Seconds later, it opens. It reveals the battered face of the female warrior. She has cuts and bruises decorating her pale, white skin. From her appearance, I can tell that she wears her bruises both physically and emotionally. She has purple blotches on her cheekbones, and dark circles have covered her once-beautiful under eyes. When I saw her last night, I tried approaching her, but she quickly ran upstairs to her room before I could get close. Even then, her bruises did not look as bad as they do now. It seems that while cleaning the wounds, she had accidentally injured herself for the second time. Or maybe it wasn’t an accident. And she deliberately hurt herself? “Oh, poor you. What did Luca do to you?” I reach my hands to touch her swollen cheek, but she quickly takes a step back. In a harsh tone, she says. “My apologies, your majesty. But I would like to be alone at the moment.” “Oh.” I mouth, retr
[ IN WHICH SHE IS FOOLISH OR MIGHT HAVE COMPLETELY LOST HER MIND ] NOVEMBER'S P.O.V —If my hours spent with Jacqueline has taught me one thing, it is that — 'do not live your life with regrets'.Regrets eat you up, slowly. They devour you. They diminish you and shatter your whole being. So, I promise to live without regrets. Honestly, Jacqueline's situation isn't so different from mine. With each decision I make, I feel like I am self-destructing, leading myself closer and closer to my death. Because why the hell did I give into Rome? Why did I let my emotions control me? Why did I give into lust? Why did I let him touch me? And why did I like it so much? Why do I crave his touch every second of the day? And why do I crave him more than I crave Sin?This secret will be the death of me.But I am glad that I have come to this realization. So, now, I will stay away from Rome — the secret and the mistake. He might as well be a temptation.If I make a mistake that I come to regret in the
[SIN’S EULOGY] I am cursed. I have been cursed to never find love. It is a curse placed on me by God to forever live my life in bitterness and loneliness. It is the price I have to pay for waging war against Him and leaving the Heavens behind. I am sorry I dragged you into this mess. I am sorry you had to suffer with me, November. And because of this, I will let you rest. I will not reincarnate you this time. I will not put you through this rivalry and madness again. It is hard to let you go, but I know it is what I need to do. I will let you go. I will let you go, Gwyneth. I will let you go, Faye Donovan. I will let you go, November Starkey. It is time for you to rest. You have been an impeccable Queen over the years. The whole Kingdom thanks you. I just wish those years were longer. You always get taken away from me when I need you the most. Or maybe that is how it was always meant to be. I was meant to never have you. You solved the riddle. Rome’s death was the only way
warning: you may cry.[ IN WHICH SHE DIES ]November’s last p.o.v —Rome’s body trembles beneath the sword. Rome has been stabbed in the heart with his own sword. He died by his own sword, both literally and metaphorically. I watch as he immediately drops to the ground. Veins pop out of his neck, head, and hands as he starts to lose oxygen. Rome’s bloodshot eyes glare angrily at me. I can see him fighting his own death, so I push the sword in deeper so that he can't fight it.This time, I have not been possessed by Faye’s vengeful spirit. This time, it is I, November Starkey that has decided to kill. I kill Rome, because it is what that is needed to be done. This is what I should have done a long time ago.“The Kings have to leave for a purer world.” I say as tears well in my eyes. I do not know why I am weeping at this moment. Well, I guess it would make me a total psycho if I don’t feel any type of pain after killing someone. “You are polluting this world, Rome. Your rivalry with th
[ IN WHICH ROME DIES ]NOVEMBER’S P.O.V —I slam the sword onto the metal bar. The action causes a clanging sound to echo through the Castle.The most important thing that the disturbing sound does is that it causes the Lycan to drop to the ground. Since he is at his highest level of power, it means that his senses are at the highest level as well. He gets triggered by his heightened sense of hearing. Rome’s monstrous voice growls in irritation as his hairy hands clutch his ears. I watch him with teary eyes as he drops to the ground.I don’t stop there.I keep on hitting the metal bar with the steel sword.Sin’s eyes search the room for the source of the sound. Confusion swirls in his grey eyes when he sees me with the sword. His size slowly decreases as his anger turns into confusion. I watch with teary eyes as his wings shrink to normal size.I stop when Rome has attained his normal size as well.Now, he is naked, but I don’t pry my eyes away. It is normal for a wereanimal to have n
[ IN WHICH SHE MAKES A DEATHLY DECISION ]… [you have conceived a child. Luca isn’t telling a lie] …Tears form in my eyes. “No.” I stare at Luca’s face which has now assumed the color of his red hair due to the reduction in oxygen. “It can’t be.”“Please, don’t tell me you are in doubt.” He grumbles. “You sleep with a man, without contraceptives and expect to not get pregnant? Come on. It can be. You exhibited all of the signs. The morning sickness. The emotional instability. The nausea and the pain.”Right there on the floor, I start to hyperventilate.My hands start to shake.Am I not too young to carry a child? I would be twenty soon, but right now, I am nineteen years old with a child growing inside of me. What is this? This wasn’t supposed to happen. I did notice that I didn’t get my period while I served as Queen, but I always thought it had something to do with my awakening as Faye Donovan. Faye Donovan is dead. My blood is black which clearly means that I died. Dead people ca
[ IN WHICH SHE LEARNS A SHOCKING TRUTH ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V — I rise from the ground. The air is musky. Dust particles has polluted the air. My throat closes up at the reduction in oxygen and I begin coughing hard. Tears well up in my eyes at the painful action, but soon, my lungs grow accustomed to the dirt in the air. I take in deep breaths before I begin walking. Waving my hands in the air, I try to push the smoke and dust out of the air so I can see, but it is of no use. The dust settles in the air, refusing to leave. Realizing that my efforts are useless, I blindly pave my way through the Castle. I blink several times to get a clear vision of my surroundings. That’s when I see the body of the sorcerer laying half-dead in a corner. “Lake!” I yell as I hurry towards him. I drop to my knees instantly. I pick his body into my arms, shaking him awake. It doesn’t work. Lake continues to lay unconsciously in my arms. His arms fall to his side, limply. There is no blood on his cloth
[ IN WHICH SHE HAS TO SAVE BOTH KINGS ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V — In no time, we get to the Castle. However we stop in our tracks when we spot something unsusual — the gates. The gates are always shut and heavily guarded. But not this time. This time it has been left wide open and unguarded. “Seems Sin has already made an entrance.” Lake squats, and when he rises back to his feet, he holds a huge black feather in his hands. It is the feather from Sin’s wings. “We have to get inside now.” I nod. We leave the feather laying there on the ground as we run past the gates. Once we get inside, we spot a crowd of guards gathered at the door. Their voices are louder now that we stand close to them. They’re all speaking in a thousand tongues, so I cannot decipher what it is they are arguing about. But from the looks of it, it seems that they are struggling to get the Castle doors open. “Come on.” I tap Lake on the shoulder, and he follows me. We both run towards the guards surrounding the Cas
[ IN WHICH SHE DEBATES ON THE LYCAN KING’S DEATH ] NOVEMBER'S P.O.V —“Hurry up, Lake!” I scream, not bothering to look behind me. “We need to get there on time.”“Queen November, wait up.”“There's no time, Lake. Let's go!” That's when a hand pulls me back, forcefully. I whip my head around, my curls slapping me in the process. Once I have been forced to a stop, my chest begins to rise and fall as I pant, struggling to breathe. “Why don't we think this through for a minute, huh?” Lake asks me, panting hard as well. We are both tired. We would kill for the opportunity to find shelter and catch our breaths. We have been running through Lucian City, trying our best to get to the Castle as fast as we can. The King had let his wings out and flown over to the Kingdom. He is fast. We are slow. If we waste any more time, Rome might have already been killed by Sin. “There's no time for that, Lake.” I glance in the direction of the Castle. “We need to get to the Castle. He could be killin
[ IN WHICH SHE TALKS ABOUT LYCAN BLOOD ]I feel worse than I did earlier this morning.My hands grip the sheets as I try to reposition myself on it.After my interaction with Luca on the roof, I immediately called on Eirene to help me back to my chambers. I couldn’t walk on my own. I felt dizzy, weak, and felt like throwing up for the second time. Eirene had noticed this and quickly informed the maids. When nothing they could do helped with my fever, they called on Lake. He did all he could to help. His sorcery of healing and medicine helped bring my fever down. But I still feel like something is wrong with me. Something or someone is still swirling within me, and it doesn't feel good.… [there is something wrong with you] …Her voice echoes in the empty room.“Yeah, no shit. You don’t think I know?” I groan in pain as I try to sit up on the bed.… [no, i don’t think you know] …“What are you trying to say, Faye?” I complain.My headache gets worse each time I open my mouth to speak.
[ IN WHICH ROME DECIDES TO SETTLE ] ROME'S P.O.V —“You are here.” I say.There's a ruffling sound behind me, and then, his voice sounds. “It seems you have been expecting me.” “Yes, I have been expecting you for a weeks now. We haven't spoken in a while. I figured you were due for another visitation.” I turn around to face him. When I catch the livid expression on his face, I decide to add, “Also, I could hear your heart beating angrily in your chest from many kilometers away.” Lust has a grim expression as he glares at me. “Good,” he says. “Then you know that I am furious. That I am angry with you.”With a sigh leaving my lips, I straighten my clothes. I do not want to have a conversation with Lust this early in the morning, but knowing how he is, he wouldn't let this slide until I give him my ears. “Don't you think it is too early to be angry?” I say as I turn my back to him, facing the full-length mirror. “And don't you think you shouldn't provoke me?” I move my hands to my