Laylin couldn’t understand what Scarlet obsession was with the White Wolf when there were only two living members left of the Rakhbar Royal Bloodline and one couldn’t shift while the other had demonic blood in him but was clearly a black beast. Instead, what interested her was Scarlet's surety that something would surely happen to alter the Government Policies in three weeks. With a sigh, she crossed the hallways. The Palace was quiet unlike the bustle of the day, the nights were hush as graves. Her mind drifted to the letter awaiting her and of course, her husband who would be aware of her meeting with his political rival. How frustrating! Somehow she wasn’t as scared of him as she was before but that may be because she hadn’t seen him or any other beast in their other form since that night. She involuntarily assumed them to be humans. As she was about to enter the hallway of the King’s Palace, her feet halted. A woman, barely dressed in red lace with straight black hair, was l
A transformed beast on his hind legs and bared teeth crouched there, glaring at her with crazed eyes. Her breath came out in puffs. Her whole body trembled. Laylin breathed hard as the predator approached her slowly. “Help me.” A weak whisper left her parted lips. With no other resort, she resorted to the most foolish thing she could do. She ran. She gave chase and the beast on her tail leaped at her. She screamed like a banshee, hoping any savior would come but none actually did. Scrunching her eyes close, she summoned her aura and threw him back at the end of the hallway to buy enough time. The corridor was too long to cross, no matter how fast she was, so instead she banged and shouted at the King’s office backdoor. “Help! Please, there’s a beast!” She banged with all her might. As expected the backdoor was locked, only the King had the key to it. Her anxiety shot to the ceiling, when the beast snorted in a rage at being tossed away and ran to her. She shook the door harder a
“Huh.” She scoffed, slamming her head back on her pillow. The suite was too big for its own good. She felt suffocated. It had been almost a week now but he didn’t even bother checking up on her which wasn’t really surprising. He was probably comforting his bitchy mistress. She had horrifying nightmares, where she is trapped somewhere unknown and the 'Foretold' rings in her ears. She groaned, throwing the pillows at the front wall. Why did she even bother with that cold-hearted man?! To him, she wasn’t anything more than a skirt that was readily available to him! Clenching her fist, she let out her aura. The temperature in the room rose from dead-cold to scorching hot to the point where she ended up sweating in the middle of winter. It was a ritual, she did regularly. Whenever she was in a bath or if she was alone. She exerted every single speck of aura from her body so he couldn't feel it. He wasn’t coming. His carefree indifference should only hurt her pride, but why did it pric
Her eyes were stuck at the scenes, despite her eyes that stung and the tears that streamed down. Her heart beat loudly as she stared at the broken smile of her beloved nanny, Hessy. A woman who was akin to her mother. A woman who was her only pillar. The only one who killed, lied, and betrayed for her without blinking. The only woman who cared for her. She tightened her fist on the rail, her whispering prayer yearning for the impossible. Hessy was on her knees, with her hands tied cruelly behind her back. Her body trembled in the insufferable cold but even her rugged appearance couldn't hide the benevolence she exuded for Princess Scarlet. The dagger was placed on her neck, but the woman didn't even flinch. She mouthed the words 'Live Well.' The Princess's breath hitched and the executioner raised his sword in the air to strike her neck- A hand covering her eyes pulled her back. "No... No! No... Stop it!" She struggled and sobbed wildly but then a menacing slash in the wind, f
The next time her eyes opened she felt every muscle in her body ache. She groaned trying to turn her body but everything was stiff that she couldn’t even get up. Her eyes fell on the closed window with curtains drawn. She was sure the windows were all open when she passed out from overexertion. Frowning, she moaned in an effort to rise from her place when eyes fell on the dark figure in the dim light of the lamp. Was he sick of his other mistress and decided to visit her out of pity?! “Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.” Ambrose mumbled tearing a seal on a letter. Giving a glance at the miserable man, Laylin turned away from him. Right now even his shadow disgusted her. She had tried to persuade him several times before the incident but the man was unrelenting about the 'Witch Hunt'. He killed dozens just to state his pride... She blinked at the opposite wall when it registered in her head that she recognized the letter he was reading. Summoning every bit of her
She was outright dragged into the hall. As all the lowly peasants and slaves testified, it was a time for highborn women to take the burn. The men were already tested. In the end, the people who were discarded were either spies, suspicious, or just an eye sore to the King. She had heard that wretched woman Sayon's brother, was there at every point. Even now Sayon wasn't present, instead, her brother stood firm there sneering at every woman here. She wanted to shout and curse at the King for letting his bitch of a mistress slip through without testing. She realized then that maybe if she had been his 'ideal mistress' and lived as a corpse, she wouldn't need to be here like Sayon. It was disgusting, but Laylin was desperate to live. And when her temper subsided, she guessed as much. She was no better than a lowly slave, ready to bend her head as long as it saves it from being cut. Her eyes fell on Scarlet, who was glaring with puffy red-rimmed eyes at the floor in resentment. Beh
She was roughly thrown on her knees with several swords pointed at her at the King’s feet. The Beasts really didn’t need these sharp tools to sever her head, but they were probably trying to make it as neat as possible. “This bitch!” Sayo advanced toward her huffing and puffing, with his hand raised in the air to strike her. Numb with fear, she scrunched her eyes ready to be struck. 'SLAP!' “Sire!” Sayo agitated cry forced her to open her eyes. The King was holding his arm and bending it at an unnatural angle. With a jerk, he threw him to the opposite wall, creating fear in the heart of those present. Laylin's heart thumped down in shock and fear. “Stay your hand. I have no time to entertain your childish antics.” His voice was a low rumble of warning that froze every living being present. A natural tyrant. Ambrose raised a hand, shooing his guards away back to their posts. Lazily, his eyes fell on her. "You always manage to put up a spectacle for our audience. The attention
Seeing the situation take a drastic turn against her, Laylin's desperate eyes lowered to her husband who was looking at her with a turn of his lips, as if to say, ‘See?’ Her shivering body cowered down as tears welled up in her eyes. She decided to swallow her pride and spout something closer to the truth. Laying breaths came out in pants, her anxiety was getting to her head. The way she was persecuted, she felt convinced that there was no way out of it. She flailed about, feeling light-headed. “No. No, I didn’t and everyone already know that! Doing so, wouldn’t have ever played in my favor. If I had planned it, I would have known this much. It was instinctive with no killing intent. I was just scared of the witch hunt! I was afraid of the examination on my nanny and me! I freaked out and acted. I saw the executions yesterday and I…” She chewed her lips, staring at him with wet eyes, telling him to end this. The entire court waited for the King’s command while he assessed her with
“So Crimson Rukh, how do you feel about marrying me?”His question left everyone present speechless. Even bloodied and battered Ambrose scoffed. Laylin clenched her jaw and tried to walk past him but he blocked her path yet again.At the end of her wits, Laylin burst out. “Get out of my way while I’m being nice!” Her voice trembled as she tried to run to her husband.Tilting his head in confusion, the demon sneered with contempt a second later. "Oh… Is that this dog’s filthy mark? Now that complicates things," he jeers. “I will have to kill him.”With his one tendril, he threw Laylin at a broken pillar and held her there while he slowly walked to the Lycan King."Screw you!" Ambrose spluttered, exerting himself to the fullest despite his state.The demon cackled, throwing his head back, “Your worthless mother didn’t teach you manners.” He picked him up in the air and slammed him back down.Laylin screamed and struggled but her aura couldn’t fight against his sheer force. With her, sev
"...I still think you should see her," Laylin mumbled, in his embrace. When he didn't reply, she buried herself deeper in his embrace. "...Sorry. I should not talk about it recklessly." She mumbled saltily. It was a sensitive subject and she didn't have the courage to look him in the eye.He smirked, looking down at her. She was on edge and sensitive to his emotions. He wanted to pinch her puffed-up cheeks with how adorable she was being. His darkened features at that time must have put her on guard. Instead, he settled with running his hand in her hair. He still remembered the spitfire she was, ready to bite him when he first forced her to be his Mistress.He laid back suddenly on the divan, making her fall on him. "Ambrose!""Laylin." He held her by the waist, settling her on him. She instantly struggled to get off him but he held her there."What?! Someone will see!" she was huffing puffing while her face reddening in embarrassment."Laylin." He called her out again in his low se
"I'm sure you know if you try something, she dies." His eyes swept over Valerie and Ivan. "One less pawn won't make a difference.""No. Not her! Don't touch her!" She desperately tried to crawl but only ended up stumbling and falling on the bloody arena ground. "Let her go this instant!" She begged desperately as her heart was bursting out.Her mother shook her head, her eyes telling her to let her go but it only made Laylin more desperate."Oh, so you love the mother who abandoned you?" Sansy seemed amused and he cackled. "What to do though? You didn't want to be part of my 'shitshow'."Laylin shook her tear-soaked face, "Okay! Okay. Tell them to step back. Let her go and I promise, I will!" Sansy scoffed at the naivety of the Princess, "And why should I let her go?"At the end of her wits, Laylin snapped back. "I will help you!"She couldn't use her aura easily in these handcuffs. No matter how fast her aura might be but the moment she unleashes it, every wizard here will feel the
It happened when all soldiers lost hope and thought they were fighting a battle with the fate to be defeated. ‘BOOOM!’ ‘THUD! THWACK! THUD!’ An explosion collapsed the outer wall of the palace and dark wizards and soldiers alike flooded in water crushing through from who-knows-where. But shock registered when they met the eyes of the person standing where the wall once stood. “I see. I almost missed all the fun.” There stood Princess Laylin scowling at her torn dress getting wet and an equally pissed woman behind her. “Did you really have to go this far? How am I going to walk around in this now!” Valerie was about ready to knock this stupid Princess out. Every man on the ground, thanks to the knee-high water flooding the palace, was shocked at the carefree women barging in as if they were taking a stroll in the garden. Ivan’s eyes widened. ‘That foolish Princess was here, in the middle of a battle! The King was right out of the door. If she dropped dead here, they wouldn’t b
She kept her hand on her belly and smiled solemnly. He was a piece of her and her husband. An heir to her lover. “Ahh.. To be young. Though I don’t really like the man, I certainly despise him less than your mother does. I’m not much of a success as a Red Witch so I have no such obsession with bloodlines or species. I just care for my family.” Laylin bit her bottom lip, shrugging. “Mother is... She will come around.” “Hmm, hope so. But I see... you look madly in love.” Berilla teased, looking at her distracted expression. "It must hurt your pride to love him more than he loves you." “What? No!” Laylin rolled her eyes, her smile still playing on her lips. “He’s the one who is chasing me. I just set my grace on my eager lover.“ She was flexing when both of them knew, Laylin was crazy enough in love to dive head-first in a war zone or in front of a raging monster. Laylin looked away. Her smile deepened. She did love him more but it didn't matter as long as he loved her back. A silen
The palace stood tall and imposing, its marble columns reaching the sky. It had been days since the rightful King had set foot in the home he despised and lived for.But now, with a burning sense of urgency in his heart, he returned to reclaim his throne. Laylin was expecting, he could feel his spawn growing stronger by the day. ‘SHIIINGG!’He walked solemnly, his two long swords dragging behind him. Electric zapping brutally filled the silence as his swords screeched.Previously when he had imagined her carrying his heir, he had wanted to keep her on feathery cushions day in and day out, lavish her with jewels but now he wanted to kiss her the path she walked on.He had no patience left for morons. His Queen was carrying the future King and she deserved better than a humid cave.As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the palace walls, Ambrose stood lonely at the grand entrance.The military he had himself cultivated stood before him, pointing trembling spears
"N-No, please!” The startled young witch screamed and poured her aura in with all her strength as her life flashed before her. ‘FWISSSH…’ The witch toppled back on her ass, waiting to die but as the creature collided with the magic circle it emitted a bright, blinding light. The monster's movements slow, and it gradually, in a fraction of a second, evaporated in the air. It became quiet and all the witches huffed in disbelief, as if under a spell. “Good work.” Laylin turned to the witches with a smile. “This is how any witch, weak or strong, can make the teleportation magic circle.” She clapped her hands, “Well, nobody’s dead, so let’s go under the lake.” It may sound twisted but she enjoyed their fear especially Valerie who was pale. She felt gleefully satisfied. Now, sure, no one will question her about the potency of her magic circle. She felt bad for Eloise but it couldn’t be helped, she was the weakest witch and thus the perfect person to show them the spell worked. Seizing
With a deep sigh, she went to the young Princess. “You think you can handle it after all the… commotion?” She was talking about the things she heard them talk about.The Eldest of the Red Witches looked at the Princess with a faint smile. Laylin remained still. Her countenance was quite ample as she looked ahead at the lake in front of her.Ultimately it didn’t matter if Laylin could or couldn’t. She will have to. For the sake of everyone. For the future.Valerie sighed, “We can do it ourselves too.” Laylin knew it too.The witches could very well pull off a teleportation spell but they didn’t trust her or the magic circle she had drawn especially after Aunt Berilla couldn’t perform the designation spell. The battle with demonic monsters will take more than just technique, hesitation could cost these witches their lives.Only Laylin knew Berila couldn't do it because the Great Mistress had made that spell to pull her into the memory abyss.So the witches needed to believe any of them
‘AAACK!' She pointed the dagger at him and flicked it down. His leg bent at an unnatural angle, his bone stuck out bringing him into a half-kneeling position. “Keep it down. I don’t want a commotion.” She was so calm that it was creepy. Her lazy eyes fell on the Dark Wizard and she smirked. The Dark Wizard tried to cast a spell but nothing worked, he couldn’t take anything as the source. The Dark Wizard had little to no aura or couldn’t control their auras like Valerie. There are two sources for using magic. One is auras that are taken from nature and one is life sources. Dark magicians fuel their magic with life forces which means they kill to do magic. But it doesn’t have to be beasts or humans, depending on the magnitude of the spell even insects can be used for simple spells. She had protected every living being with her aura in the perimeter. Her snake rubbed its head against her neck, and she caressed its scales with a smirk. She enjoyed the Dark wizard's desperate attempts