He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing his energy on the task at hand.Ragnar watched him closely, his eyes fixed on the diviner as he began to chant strange words under his breath.Jethro's voice was low and guttural, and he repeated the same words over and over again, his body beginning to sway with the rhythm of his incantation.As he chanted, he began to shake on his mat, his movements becoming more intense with each passing moment. His eyes remained closed, but his face contorted with concentration as he delved deeper into his divination.Ragnar watched in silence, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He had started to have little faith in the diviner's abilities, but he had no other options. Jethro was the best he knew of. The chanting continued for several minutes, and then Jethro suddenly fell silent. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, his body still shaking slightly."Well?" Ragnar demanded, his voice sharp with impatience.Jethro took a moment to co
Miranda walked into the maid's room and positioned herself in front of the mirror that hung on the wall. It was an old, vintage piece with intricate designs etched into its golden frame. It was a full-length mirror, standing tall and proud against the wall. The glass itself was slightly warped, adding a subtle distortion to the reflection it cast.The surface of the mirror was speckled with tiny spots, some of which appeared to be smudges or dust, while others were the result of years of wear and tear. The edges of the mirror were lined with delicate floral patterns, the vines curling and twisting around each other in a graceful dance. The ornate details of the frame gave the mirror an elegant, almost regal appearance.Despite its age, the mirror still managed to capture and reflect light beautifully. The sun's rays shone down upon it, casting beams of light that danced across the room. The light reflected off the surface of the mirror, creating a dazzling display of colors that danc
Ragnar sat in his chambers, the dimly lit room illuminated only by a few candles and the light of the full moon shining through his window. He watched intently as ten young women filed into the room, each more beautiful than the last. They were all wearing long robes that covered them from head to toe, but he could sense their excitement as they lined up before him. He smiled knowingly at them, their eyes darting between him and each other nervously. Slowly, he nodded his head towards them, signaling for them to begin. One by one they began to untie their robes with trembling hands until finally they stood before him wearing nothing more than thin slips of fabric that barely concealed their curves. Ragnar slowly stood up. He began to slowly walk around them, his gaze lingering on each of them in turn. He walked over to the first girl, letting his eyes linger on her body. He could feel the anticipation radiating from her as he stepped closer. Reaching out, he took hold of the thin li
"Push!" Sara said firmly, as she placed a hand on Amona's belly, feeling the contractions. Amona groaned in pain, but obeyed the command, bearing down with all her might."Good, good, keep pushing," the physician encouraged from the foot of the mat. The pain was intense, the kind that made her want to scream at the top of her lungs. But her screams were muffled by the napkin held tightly over her mouth. She tried to focus on her breathing, but each contraction made it harder to catch her breath. Sweat poured down her face as she clenched her fists, gripping tightly onto the hands of the two women holding her.Her entire body trembled with each wave of pain, and tears streamed down her face. She couldn't think about anything else but the agony coursing through her body. She tried to remember what the physician had told her, to push when he said push, but even that was becoming difficult to comprehend. All she knew was that this pain was unbearable, and she wanted it to end.As each co
Sara walked into her chamber, a few steps away from the delivery room, and closed the door behind her. She walked towards the large ceramic tub filled with warm water that she had prepared earlier in anticipation of the delivery. The room was dimly lit, with only a few candles flickering on the shelves around the room. She started to undress slowly, taking off her white gown, which was stained with blood and sweat. She placed it on a wooden stool next to the tub and stepped into the warm water.The water felt soothing to her skin, and she let out a sigh of relief. The warm water eased the ache in her back and the tiredness in her limbs, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. She reached for the bar of soap and lathered it in her hands before rubbing it gently on her arms and legs. The water became cloudy with the dirt and grime from her body, and she felt satisfied with the cleansing.She took a deep breath and submerged herself in the water, letting it flow over her head a
Aurora slowly sat down in front of her vanity mirror, her back straight and her posture regal. She started to take off her ornaments and jewelry one by one.Her fingers delicately worked through the fastenings of the necklace around her neck, feeling the cold metal on her fingertips as she did so. removed the necklace, and the weight on her neck eased as she placed it gently on the vanity table in front of her. She exhaled a soft sigh of relief, feeling lighter already.Next, she removed the dangling earrings that framed her face. She felt the gentle tug on her earlobes as she took them off, and she placed them in a small dish on the table. She ran her fingers over her earlobes, feeling the indentations the earrings had left.Aurora's fingers then moved to her wrists, where she started to undo the clasp of the bracelet Derek had given her as a gift. Aurora then removed the rings on her fingers, one by one, feeling the cool metal slide off her fingers. She placed each ring carefully
Derek sat on the chair with his eyes piercing through the maids standing in front of him. Each of them had their heads bowed, fear written all over their faces. "I repeat, which one of you was sent to spy on me?" Derek's voice was low, but his tone was firm.The first maid, Sayde, spoke up first. "Your Highness, I swear on my life that I have never spied on you or anyone for that matter. I have only been doing my job as Aurora's personal maid."Derek nodded, but his eyes were still fixed on them. "And what about you, Yorie?""No, Your Highness," Yorie replied, her voice trembling. "I would never betray your trust in me.As Derek continued to question the maids, his voice grew louder and more insistent. He demanded that they tell him the truth, warning them that their jobs were at stake, but they maintained their testimonies.It wasn't like he actually expected the culprit to come out and say they were the mole. The old artefacts room in the royal arena was a sight to behold. The roo
Nanda rolled her eyes and said, "You must still take me for a child."Astena chuckled softly, "Of course, you're a child...even barely fifteen."Nanda huffed and said, "I know where Miranda is, mother. I know she's still there in that werewolf pack."Astena looked at her daughter intently, wishing she didn't know so much. "What do you mean, Nanda? How do you know she's there?"Nanda's eyes darted away from her mother's gaze for a moment before she spoke up, "I saw it that day…the day I showed you the crystal ball.”Astena looked at her daughter with a pained expression, wishing she didn't know so much. Nanda was wise beyond her years and it was both a blessing and a curse. Astena had always been honest with her daughter, but she also knew the importance of protecting her from the harsh realities of the world.She sighed and knelt down beside Nanda, gently taking the basket of flowers from her hands. "You're right, Nanda. Miranda is still with the werewolf pack," she said softly, her v
LAST CHAPTER.The market square was bustling with activity as people went about their daily business. The sound of merchants haggling with customers mixed with the clucking of chickens and the neighing of horses. Suddenly, a hush fell over the square as rumors spread that the king and queen were coming. People started to run frantically around, hurrying to catch a glimpse of the royal procession.As the excitement grew, people began to push and shove each other, trying to get a better view. Some even fell to the ground, but they quickly got back up and continued their attempts to see the royal family; the leaders of their pack. It was clear that many of them had never seen the Alpha king before, and this was a momentous occasion for them.As the excitement grew, people began to push and shove each other, trying to get a better view. Some even fell to the ground, but they quickly got back up and continued their attempts to see the king. It was clear that many of them had never seen the
Gasher's heart was pounding so hard that he thought Ragnar might wake up. Ragnar's guards were nowhere to be seen, and the room was eerily quiet. Gasher took a step closer to Ragnar's bed. He could see the veins bulging on Ragnar's neck, and his chest heaving up and down with each breath. He felt a surge of anger and hatred towards the man who had caused so much pain to his family.As he got closer, Gasher could see the sweat on Ragnar's forehead, and the look of tension in his sleep. He wanted to laugh at the sight, but he knew he had to stay focused. He couldn't let his guard down, not for a second.Gasher raised his sword, ready to strike. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should say something. But then he realized that there was nothing to say. Ragnar had brought this upon himself, and he had to pay the price. Gasher looked down upon him with a cold, hard stare, and then he swung his sword down towards Ragnar.Gasher stood in the darkness of the night, sword in hand, rea
"Speaking of the queen, have you heard about what happened between her and Ragnar? I heard she attacked him in his chambers!"The group erupted in laughter at the thought of the petite queen attacking the powerful Ragnar. "I can't believe she had the strength to do that," one of them said between chuckles.Zen, the man who had noticed Gasher's distraction earlier, chimed in with a more serious tone. "I heard that the princess was stabbed by a guard.”Some of them nodded in agreement.“He's still at large, but who knows, one of us might even be the killer,” another added looking at the others with playfully suspicious eyes."But do you guys reckon Ragnar will do if the prince and his wife are eventually found?" one of them asked, his voice shaking slightly."I don't know, but I wouldn't want to be in their shoes right now," another replied.The conversation died down as they continued to walk in silence, the only sounds coming from the rustling of leaves and twigs under their feet. Th
The six rainmakers were travelling through the thick bushes in silence. They had all their ritual tools and materials being pulled in a cart by two men. Fred, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped walking. The other five members of the party looked at him with worry in their eyes as he remained silent, his gaze fixed on something ahead of them.One of the cautiously asked,“Why did you stop? What is going on?”There was no answer from Fred as he continued to look around warily. He then took out a small Dagger from his belt and soon after three more men did the same, taking out their daggers too. The two women held onto each other tightly as they felt fear rising within them about what might happen next. In a flash seven masked men jumped out of the bushes and charged towards them. The two men who were pulling the cart immediately ran for their lives, leaving the other four to fend for themselves. The attackers began slashing and stabbing at them mercilessly as they screamed i
The six people in white robes stood still, eyes closed, hands clasped together as they waited for Fred to start the eclipse calling ceremony. The burning pyre in the center of the square emitted a warm glow, casting flickering shadows on the ground. Suddenly, Fred began to dance around the square, howling words that were incomprehensible to everyone but him. He walked around, rattling the short stick in his hand, while the others in white robes began to sway to the beat of the music.Gasher watched from the sidelines, his face tense with anticipation. Fred's dance grew more intense, his howls louder as he worked himself into a frenzy. His feet pounded the ground as he twirled, his arms flailing around him.Ragnar watched from his seat, his eyes fixed on the spectacle before him. He was surrounded by Gasher and a few other guards, all of whom looked on with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. As Fred's dance reached its climax, Ragnar leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he watch
92.Carissa stirred from her slumber as she heard the faint creak of the door opening. Her eyes fluttered open, struggling to adjust to the dimness of the room. "Who's there?" she mumbled, her voice hoarse from sleep.A familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, and Carissa's eyes widened in recognition. It was Era, one of the maids who worked in the palace. Carissa struggled to sit up, wincing as she felt the dull ache in her bones. "Era, what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion.Era walked towards her cage, her footsteps as silent as a cat's. "The princess asked me to give you this," she said, tossing a key towards Carissa. The princess? Carissa thought, confused. Why would she give me a key?Carissa looked down at the key, hesitating before picking it up. She turned to Era, about to ask her what it was for when she spoke up. "What else would it be for?" Era said, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice. "It's the key to the cage. The princess
The maids frantically packed their belongings, the room filled with commotion. Some were shoving each other, while others were arguing about their belongings. One maid shouted, "That's mine, give it back!" while another retorted, "No, it's not, I had it first!" The room was chaotic, with everyone trying to grab their things as quickly as possible.Another maid was trying to pack her jewelry when she realized that her necklace was missing. She searched frantically through her belongings, but it was nowhere to be found. "Has anyone seen my necklace?" she asked the others, hoping someone had accidentally picked it up. But nobody had seen it, and her panic only grew as she thought about losing something so valuable.In the midst of the chaos, one of the maids accidentally knocked over a vase, causing it to shatter on the ground. "Oh no, what have you done?" exclaimed another maid, irritated. "Can't you be more careful?" The maid apologized profusely, but the others were already rush
Magnus furrowed his brows in a deep frown as he observed the vast plains below. The beauty of the land was undeniable, with its rolling hills and expansive fields, but Magnus couldn't appreciate it in his current state of mind. His thoughts were consumed with anger and frustration.Overlooking the vast expanse of the plains below the beauty of the landscape was undeniable - rolling hills stretched out before him, dotted with verdant trees and grassy fields. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over everything it touched. The sky was a canvas of oranges, pinks, and purples, with wispy clouds painted in hues of gold and silver.But despite the beauty of the scene before him, Magnus could feel a deep anger burning inside him. He clenched his fists tightly behind his back, his knuckles turning white with the force of his grip. His gaze shifted beyond the horizon, where the borders of the Scorpion Zeal pack lay. Hatred for his enemy burned within him, fueled by a desire for ve
One of the men, engrossed in the task of cutting down the tree, noticed a faint movement in the distance. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out what it was. Suddenly, he realized that it was a woman walking towards them. He called out to the others, "Hey, look over there, a woman is coming!"The others stopped what they were doing and turned to see for themselves. They chuckled amongst themselves, joking about who the woman might be and whose type she might be."Maybe she's into tall, dark, and handsome," one of them said, eliciting a round of laughter from the group."Or maybe she's into strong, silent types," another chimed in, earning a few nods of agreement.She appeared to be weak and disoriented, barely able to stand on her own two feet. Her movements were slow and unsteady, as if every step required all of her strength.Her hair was disheveled and fell messily around her face, which was pale and contorted in pain. Her dress was torn in several places, and blood had soaked t