LusiaMy heart was a wild drum in my chest, pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.What had I just done? And how had I been able to do it?The moment my arms wrapped around King Dane, a rush of panic swept through me, tightening my throat and making my breath unsteady. I had acted without thinking, driven purely by instinct—by some deep, desperate need I couldn’t understand. Now, reality was catching up with me, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it.I was afraid to look up. Afraid to see whatever expression lingered on his face. Would he be angry? Annoyed? Cold and unreadable, the way he always was?I couldn’t bear the thought.But at the same time, detaching myself from him felt just as impossible. My fingers curled tighter into the fabric of his shirt, holding onto him as if he were the only thing tethering me to this moment, to this reality. The warmth of his body seeped into mine, strong and steady despite the rigid tension in his frame.He hadn’t moved.Hadn’t spoken.Hadn’t
DaneI froze.For the first time in a long time, I had no idea how to react. Her words rang in my ears, sharp and undeniable. I love you.It felt like a punch to the chest, knocking the air straight out of my lungs. My body remained tense, every muscle locked in place, refusing to respond. I could feel the warmth of her pressed against me, her arms wrapped so tightly around my torso that I could feel the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat. She was trembling—whether from fear or anticipation, I didn’t know.Slowly, I turned my head, my movements stiff, and my eyes landed on the top of her head. Her brown hair was a mess, strands tangled and wild from the events of the day. It was roughened from her constant fidgeting, from the way she absentmindedly tugged at it when she was nervous. She always did that—touched her hair when she felt uneasy.And right now, she was still. Holding on to me like she expected me to disappear at any second.I clenched my jaw, my gaze shifting past her, staring
LusiaI woke up to an empty, aching feeling in my stomach.Hunger gnawed at me, but it wasn’t just physical. It was something deeper, something rawer, clawing at the edges of my mind before I was even fully awake.My eyes fluttered open, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, casting golden patterns across the room. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to stretch, my muscles sore yet oddly light, as though I had slept deeper than I had in weeks. But then, a flash of memories came into my mind. The memory of last evening slammed into me like a wave, and I shrank back into the bed, curling in on myself as mortification settled heavily over me.What have I done? I didn’t realize what I did yesterday. It had been wrong in so many ways but I had done it anyway. Last evening, I was consumed by my emotions. I had let them get the better of me, and I did horrible things. Things that scared me as I thought about it now. I had kissed King Dane. Not on the lips, but close eno
Dane The moment Lusia looked up at me, something inside me shattered. For the first time in my life, I felt utterly paralyzed—not by fear, not by rage, but by something far more dangerous.Her hazel eyes, wide and full of uncertainty, locked onto mine, and in that instant, I felt everything at the same time. My body felt like an endless pit filled with different emotions that kept on stirring, making me feel every bit of them. I could feel them consume me and I wasn’t able to pull myself out of the pit. I was stuck, drowning as my body succumbed to them. I felt all of them. Guilt. For making her doubt herself. I had told her to stand up for herself and when she did, I pushed her away. I was stupid to do so. I was supposed to be proud of her. She had stood against Kiara and held herself. She left the room the better of the two of them. Love. For the way she stood before me, fragile yet unyielding. She didn’t want to let go of me out of fear that she would never see me again. Anger.
LusiaI stood frozen, watching Dane’s retreating as he strode out of the room, his posture tense, his steps urgent. My lips still tingled from his kiss, but the warmth I had felt only moments ago had vanished, replaced by an unbearable coldness.I had just confessed my love to him.And he walked away.My throat tightened as I swallowed hard, forcing back the tears burning behind my eyes. What did you expect, Lusia? That he would pull me into his arms and return my feelings? That someone like Dane—the man who had once hurt you—would suddenly open his heart to love?You’re a fool.I inhaled sharply, steeling myself before stepping out of the room.The moment I did, I felt it.The cold press of metal against my skin.My body locked up in shock, and before I could react, a voice whispered harshly in my ear.“Stay quiet and follow me.”My breath hitched. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.Kiara.Her voice dripped with venom, each syllable laced with the kind of hatred that had simme
LusiaI could hear the sounds of laughter and muffled conversations as I struggled to get a hold of reality. I was slowly coming back to consciousness but it was taking longer than I expected. I could feel my head pounding hard as I slowly opened my eyes. The light in the room almost blinded me and I was forced to shut them up immediately. I groaned as I tried to move my body but I couldn’t. “Look who’s finally awake,” I heard a familiar voice say. It was Kiara’s. There was no doubt about it. I opened my eyes slowly again, adapting to the light in the room. When I did, I looked around my surroundings. Before me sat my brother, Finn, in King Dane’s chair. I was surprised at the audacity he had. Coming in here and acting like he owned the place on multiple occasions was embarrassing. I never thought that defending my brother up to this point would make him disgrace himself like this. If King Dane caught him, he would be dead. There was no doubt about that. Standing by the chair was
LusiaThe moment Kiara brought me down on my knees to the wooden floor, I barely had time to catch my breath before Finn made his move. I watched him tentatively, waiting to see what his next move was going to be. Was he going to torture me the same way Kiara did? I didn’t think so. Maybe he had something else special in his mind. He rose from King Dane’s armchair, his movements slow and calculated, the kind of arrogance that made my stomach twist with anger. His boots clicked against the floor as he approached, each step echoing like a countdown to something terrible.I tried not to flinch, tried not to show how much my cheek burned from Kiara’s slap, but my body betrayed me. My breath came fast, my ribs expanding and contracting in shallow, uneven bursts. I was still kneeling from where Kiara had dragged me, my body aching from the force of it.Finn stood over me now, looking down as if I were some insignificant thing. His lips curled in disgust.“Stupid girl,” he muttered before p
LusiaMy entire body locked up the moment Finn stretched his arms lazily, his expression one of boredom. He was losing interest. That should have been a good thing. But I knew better.“Well,” he said, rolling his shoulders, his voice thick with amusement, “I think that’s enough for me.”Enough for him. What the hell did he mean by that? Was this some kind of game to him? It seemed so. My stomach turned violently. He was using me for his amusement. As always. That wasn’t a surprise. He still hadn’t changed a bit. I hated him Finn never left unfinished business unless he had someone else willing to finish it for him. Dread pooled in my gut, thick and suffocating, as Kiara exchanged a look with him, silent understanding passing between them.They were leaving. And they were leaving me here. With him.That was the last thing I wanted. It was the one thing I dreaded most. Leaving me here with Koen. He was going to come at me. I was certain that he wanted me. I turned my head slightly, jus
DaneThe scream tore through the dungeon, sharp and desperate, bouncing off the cold, stone walls like a wounded animal’s cry. I hadn’t expected it. No, not from him. Keon had been a proud man when I first came into his cell. He was someone who thought of himself as strong. Now, he was nothing but a shaking mess of fear, his back pressed against the wall as if he could disappear into the cold, stony wall. For a moment, I simply stared, surprised. Then a slow, amused chuckle slipped past my lips.He was trembling so hard I could see the shudders racking his body. His hands clutched the rusted chains at his sides, fingers digging into the metal as if they could anchor him. His chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths, his eyes darting between me and the cell door as if expecting me to charge in and finish what I had started.I took a step closer, dragging my fingers along the iron bars, letting the sound scrape through the silence. His breathing hitched. I stopped in front of the d
DaneI was heading towards the last cell which was Finn’s. He was the last person I wanted to see. Finn Slater had come into my castle without my permission and threatened his sister, Lusia. Harming her in the process as well. If there was any of them who deserved the worst punishment it would be him. I was angry that he had still returned no matter how many times I had forgiven his behavior towards Lusia and me. The only reason he was still standing here was because of her. He was alive because Lusia wanted it. No matter how much she hated him, she didn’t want him dead. And I couldn't understand why. Someone like him didn’t deserve to be alive. His audacity and bravery were just a facade. Deep down, I know that he was terrified of me. And I could see that as I stood before his cell now. Finn stood inside, his back pressed so hard against the far wall that it seemed he was trying to melt into it. His royal robes, which looked amazing when he first arrived here, were torn and filthy,
DaneI crouched to Kiara’s level, watching her shudder as my presence towered over her. The cell was dimly lit, the torchlight casting shadows that danced against her pale, trembling face. Her breath hitched, and for the first time since she had been thrown in here, she truly looked at me. Not just with defiance, not just with hatred—but with fear.Good.Then she screamed.“I will let everyone know!” Her voice cracked, raw from her previous outbursts. “They’ll know the truth! That you—” she gasped, chest heaving, “—killed Luisa’s parents! That you kept her locked away in your castle, refusing to let her leave despite being told by the council!”Her words echoed through the cold, damp space. And then I laughed.A deep, unhinged sound that filled every inch of the dungeon. It rumbled through the stone walls, making the torches flicker as if even the flames feared me.Kiara flinched.“You think,” I chuckled darkly, shaking my head, “that I care?” I leaned in closer, lowering my voice to
DaneIt was my fault. I was late. I had been held up. That was why I couldn't be there in time. I would have stopped that fool from touching her. I would have made him pay for laying his hand on her skin. He still would. They were all locked up. Lusia was barely breathing.Her body was a ruin of blood and torn flesh, her skin marred with fresh welts and deep bruises that made my vision blur with rage. She was too light in my arms, too still. Every shallow breath she took felt like a battle she was losing, and I refused—refused—to let her lose it.Her blood still coated my hands. I could see it every time I flexed my fingers, feeling the warmth of it seared into my skin like a brand. No matter how much I wanted to stay by her side, to watch over her as she fought to recover, I had unfinished business.I stormed through the hallways of the castle, my grip firm but careful, her head cradled against my chest. My coat swallowed her fragile frame, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing was enough.
Lusia Koen’s fingers ghosted over my skin, slow and possessive, as if he had all the time in the world. My body was betraying me, writhing against the cold floor, my muscles locked in a feverish heat I couldn’t control. I wanted to claw at my skin, to rid myself of this cursed reaction, but I was trapped—trapped inside my own body, trapped with him.I tried to move away from him, but I couldn't. I was still bound. I was helpless as I lay on the wooden floor. I was irritated with the way he touched me, but my body accepted his touch because it was familiar. And also because it wanted to be satisfied. The feeling of disgust and lust drowned me. I was lost on what to do. There was no escape for me. I was trapped. “I’ve missed this,” he murmured, his voice low and satisfied.A shudder wracked through me, bile rising in my throat. I waited for him to take over me. I had no other choice. King Dane wasn’t coming. I had waited for too long. I had bought him all the time in the world, but it
LusiaMy entire body locked up the moment Finn stretched his arms lazily, his expression one of boredom. He was losing interest. That should have been a good thing. But I knew better.“Well,” he said, rolling his shoulders, his voice thick with amusement, “I think that’s enough for me.”Enough for him. What the hell did he mean by that? Was this some kind of game to him? It seemed so. My stomach turned violently. He was using me for his amusement. As always. That wasn’t a surprise. He still hadn’t changed a bit. I hated him Finn never left unfinished business unless he had someone else willing to finish it for him. Dread pooled in my gut, thick and suffocating, as Kiara exchanged a look with him, silent understanding passing between them.They were leaving. And they were leaving me here. With him.That was the last thing I wanted. It was the one thing I dreaded most. Leaving me here with Koen. He was going to come at me. I was certain that he wanted me. I turned my head slightly, jus
LusiaThe moment Kiara brought me down on my knees to the wooden floor, I barely had time to catch my breath before Finn made his move. I watched him tentatively, waiting to see what his next move was going to be. Was he going to torture me the same way Kiara did? I didn’t think so. Maybe he had something else special in his mind. He rose from King Dane’s armchair, his movements slow and calculated, the kind of arrogance that made my stomach twist with anger. His boots clicked against the floor as he approached, each step echoing like a countdown to something terrible.I tried not to flinch, tried not to show how much my cheek burned from Kiara’s slap, but my body betrayed me. My breath came fast, my ribs expanding and contracting in shallow, uneven bursts. I was still kneeling from where Kiara had dragged me, my body aching from the force of it.Finn stood over me now, looking down as if I were some insignificant thing. His lips curled in disgust.“Stupid girl,” he muttered before p
LusiaI could hear the sounds of laughter and muffled conversations as I struggled to get a hold of reality. I was slowly coming back to consciousness but it was taking longer than I expected. I could feel my head pounding hard as I slowly opened my eyes. The light in the room almost blinded me and I was forced to shut them up immediately. I groaned as I tried to move my body but I couldn’t. “Look who’s finally awake,” I heard a familiar voice say. It was Kiara’s. There was no doubt about it. I opened my eyes slowly again, adapting to the light in the room. When I did, I looked around my surroundings. Before me sat my brother, Finn, in King Dane’s chair. I was surprised at the audacity he had. Coming in here and acting like he owned the place on multiple occasions was embarrassing. I never thought that defending my brother up to this point would make him disgrace himself like this. If King Dane caught him, he would be dead. There was no doubt about that. Standing by the chair was
LusiaI stood frozen, watching Dane’s retreating as he strode out of the room, his posture tense, his steps urgent. My lips still tingled from his kiss, but the warmth I had felt only moments ago had vanished, replaced by an unbearable coldness.I had just confessed my love to him.And he walked away.My throat tightened as I swallowed hard, forcing back the tears burning behind my eyes. What did you expect, Lusia? That he would pull me into his arms and return my feelings? That someone like Dane—the man who had once hurt you—would suddenly open his heart to love?You’re a fool.I inhaled sharply, steeling myself before stepping out of the room.The moment I did, I felt it.The cold press of metal against my skin.My body locked up in shock, and before I could react, a voice whispered harshly in my ear.“Stay quiet and follow me.”My breath hitched. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.Kiara.Her voice dripped with venom, each syllable laced with the kind of hatred that had simme