.........Evaki ........."You’re not spending the night with me tonight?" I ask Paris on the phone. Despite being told we couldn’t spend nights together, we've done so every night when Paris is here. It's been nine months since I moved into the palace, and I'm finished with my training, or I at least know what's expected of me since the queen says we don't stop learning until we're dead. Sweat and tears were shared in these past nine months, but Paris’s parents, Tory, Antonis, and Stefania, have all been there for me. Stefania and I have gotten close as well. Two months after our lunch meeting, I was invited to my first event as a guest speaker. I was a nervous wreck, and Paris had other responsibilities he couldn’t neglect. So, when he wanted to cancel, I stopped him and said I had it under control, even though I didn’t. Tory was not here, and Anton was with Paris. It was the queen and I attending the event, and I couldn’t fall apart in front of her and look weak, not if I still
..........Evaki .........I open my eyes to the shrieking sounds of birds and the rustling of trees as they celebrate the dawn of a new day. A victory smile makes its way onto my face. It's morning, and I made it. But my back says not so fast. I groan in pain, clutching my stomach as I sit up. My bones hurt from sleeping on the floor, and the bed of leaves didn’t help much. I hear the sound of tree branches and leaves cracking, and I know someone is coming. And just then, the branches that were used to seal the hut are opened, and I know I have to get out. I get up and head towards the exit, and I find the two women waiting for me. They show me the way, and I start to walk, the older one walking in front while the younger one walks behind me, neither of us saying a word. We can’t talk; we are not allowed to. I’m mad at Paris right now. He and I spoke about the bonding ceremony, and he said it was like a wedding ceremony but a more traditional one. He said nothing about this medieval
..........Paris.........I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I look back to see Anton, my supporter, looking sleek in his uniform. Today is the day that my mate and I become one. The woman of my dreams is finally about to be my wife. All my life, I have avoided thinking about this day. I cared about Stefania, but she wasn’t my mate, and even though I was committed to making it work with her, I couldn’t pretend to be looking forward to this day. I consoled myself by reminding myself that I’ll be taking over from my father, who’s carried this burden since he was a boy. He is finally going to rest. He will still be available to advise and will later join the council, but it's not the same as ruling. But now, standing here today, it hits differently. The gods saw my heart and brought me my one true love, and in the past nine months, this day has been all I have thought of. Suddenly, even this load that had been so intimidating is not anymore. She makes everything easy and worth it."You
.........Evaki..........Everyone turns to me as I enter, making me feel like I’m wearing ten-inch heels, and I’m grateful for Tory’s dad’s firm arm on mine. The walkway is beautifully decorated with lit lanterns, candles, and a greenery lining. I feel like my knees could give way at any minute as we make our way down the aisle. But everything changes the moment I look up into the eyes of my soulmate, who looks breathtakingly beautiful in his silver uniform. He smiles as he takes a step down to meet me before taking my shaky hand in his. "You are beautiful," he says softly, and a tear falls from my eye as I compliment him in a voice that doesn't sound like mine.The priest begins with a greeting and a prayer before asking us to join hands. We take each other's hands, both trembling as Paris fails to hold back his tears. The priest tells everyone why they have gathered here, but I don’t hear anything after that as I start to get lost in my mate’s eyes. I’m snapped out of the trance
..........Evaki.........."Here, child. Drink this. Don’t be afraid; it’s going to be alright. You have nothing to fear," one of the women says, and I take the cup and drink. I immediately feel the need to pee the moment the last drop makes its way down my throat, and they tell me to go ahead and pee but add that I must ensure the toilet doesn't flush, so I turn off the automatic flush. I walk over to it and sit down, and it feels like I’m peeing five liters of water. They walk up to the toilet when I get up, and I lean on the bathroom cabinet, shaking with anxiety, but they look back at me and tell me I can go. I find myself repeating what they said, and they say yes, I can go wait with Paris. After nodding, I walk out, and I find Paris on his feet. He walks up to me and pulls me into a hug, and I wrap my arms around his waist. I don’t say anything, and he doesn’t either. I just lay my head against his chest and let the tears that have been threatening to fall silently roll down
.........Evaki........."Welcome to Arcamia, my love," Paris says as we step out of the car, and I gape in awe at the beautifully designed five-star resort."It’s beautiful, Paris," I let out a breathy reply, lacing our fingers together as we are led inside the modernly designed building. The resort comprises eight separate two-story buildings with beautiful surrounding gardens facing the sea.We enter our suite, and I immediately walk over to the balcony, mesmerized by the beautiful view of the white-sand beach. I hear Paris thanking the porter before hearing the door close. He walks up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist before placing a kiss on my head."Want to check out the place?" he asks, and I turn around and face him. I nod and open my mouth to speak, but he leans down and captures my lips in a tender kiss, cutting me off. I wrap my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, but there’s a knock on the door, causing us to pull away from each other. Paris takes my ha
..........Evaki ..........I look out the window at the picturesque scenery as we travel down the winding roads of the countryside. We've been driving for almost an hour, and we've now left the city completely behind. I slide down my window, the fresh air invigorating as I marvel at the rolling hills dotted with wildflowers and streams. This reminds me of my village. I enjoy city life, but if I had to choose between city and country living, I would choose the latter. Paris looks at me and smiles, and I return the smile with an even bigger one. "We’re almost there," he says, raising my hand to his lips and leaving a kiss atop it. We drive in comfortable silence for a while before we finally arrive at our destination, and I gape in awe at the opulent mansion in front of us, surrounded by lush greenery and a stable close by."Where are we?" I whisper, my eyes wandering to the stylish patio as we pull into the large driveway, and he says we are home, confusing me. He comes around to my
.........Paris ........."Are you ready?" I ask Eva, and she nods, whispering a yes while the familiar pain stifles my heart as I hear her heartbeat rise with fear. We came back about an hour ago from our new home, and her mood immediately shifted once we got back here. She pretended like it hadn’t, but I could see and feel that it had. I’m trying to lessen the pressure, but it’s not helping. She feels like she’s letting me down by not falling pregnant, and it’s tearing her apart. It’s making her feel unworthy.I let her go and head to the door to let the elders in. They enter and follow me inside after greeting me. She knows what to do since this isn’t her first checkup, so she follows them toward the bathroom. I wish I could be there, but I’m not allowed in, so I head toward the window and look outside. I don't know what I'm looking at, but I'm unable to sit. Eva confessed to me while we were in Arcamia that she went to a fertility clinic with Tory. She expected me to be mad that