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
FLASHBACKThe man had fallen from one of the windows high above them, no doubt tumbling through the air in a cruel twist of fate before landing on the cobblestones below with a sickening thud. His limbs were twisted at odd angles; his neck bent unnaturally to one side; his face frozen in an expression of shock and pain—all evidence that he had not gone quietly into death’s embrace. Aurora felt tears sting her eyes as she looked upon him.The royal maids and guards around them were similarly stricken, some of them openly weeping as they looked upon the body with a mixture of grief and surprise.One by one, the servants began to fall silent until only a few whispers echoed through the courtyard. Soom, the show ended with the man's body being carried away and others dispersing. Aurora similarly made her way through the Royal Arena, back to her chambers, when suddenly she felt a jolt as someone bumped into her. She was caught off guard and stumbled a bit before catching her balance.
FLASHBACKMiranda stood in front of the door to Aurora's chambers, anxiously fidgeting with the hem of her dress. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door, hoping the guard on the other side would let her in.A gruff voice answered from behind her . "What do you want?""I need to speak to Aurora, it's important," Miranda replied, trying to sound confident.The guard hesitated for a moment,. "I'm sorry, but Aurora is not to be disturbed at the moment. Please leave and come back later."Miranda pleaded with the guard. "Please, I really need to speak with her. It's a matter of life and death."The guard scowled."I said no! Now leave before I have to use force.""Please, just a few minutes. I promise I won't cause any trouble."But the guard remained firm, pushing her away from the door. "I don't care what your reasons are, you're not allowed in."Defeated, Miranda stumbled backward and turned away from the door. The guard's grip was firm, his large hand encircling Miranda's
Derek anxiously waited in the corridor outside the physician's chambers as the physician approached him with a small pouch of herbs."Here you go, Sir. As you requested, a pouch of herbs," the physician said, handing over the pouch to Derek.Derek hesitated for a moment before opening the pouch and inspecting its contents. He felt a wave of sickness wash over him as he realized what he was about to do. He knew he had no choice, but the guilt was still weighing heavily on his mind. Slowly, he examined each herb, hoping that there was some way he could back out of this. But he knew that he couldn't. With a heavy sigh, he closed the pouch and looked up at the physician. "I hope it won't hurt her health," he said, trying to sound as confident as possible.The physician reassured him, "Oh no, Sir. These herbs are completely safe. They will only terminate the pregnancy in her womb, nothing more. She might feel some minor pains for a day or two, but that would be all. Her health won't be a
Derek's heart was pounding as he saw the maid preparing to pour the herbs into Aurora's drink. He couldn't let it happen. He walked over to her quickly, grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from the drink."Okay, hands off," he said, his voice low and urgent.The maid looked startled, but she didn't resist as he took the pouch of herbs from her hand."I'll do it myself," Derek said firmly. "You can leave now."The maid nodded and quickly left the room, looking a bit confused. Derek watched her go before turning back to the drink.He took a deep breath, trying to steady his hands. He knew what he had to do, even though it made him sick to his stomach. Derek's heart was pounding so hard that he could barely hear anything else. His mind was in chaos as he held the pouch of herbs in his hand, staring at it as if it held the fate of the world. He walked towards the window.As Derek opened the windows, a gust of wind rushed into the room, blowing his hair back and ruffling the paper
Aurora's hand shook as she clutched the belly knife tightly, her fingers turning white from the pressure. With her heart racing and her mind set on her plan, she lifted her skirt with her free hand, exposing her thigh. Taking a deep breath, she quickly sliced the blade across her skin, wincing at the pain but determined to carry on.The wound started to bleed profusely. The blood flowed out of the cut and dripped down her thigh, staining her dress and pooling on the floor. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, and Aurora felt lightheaded from the loss of blood. She tried to stifle a gasp of pain and clutched her thigh with her free hand to slow the bleeding. The blood was thick and dark, and it seemed like an endless stream. It flowed out of the wound in a steady trickle, forming a small puddle on the floor. The sight of the blood made Aurora feel nauseous, and she had to steady herself against the table to avoid falling. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to calm herself do
Derek entered Aurora's room, and as soon as she saw him, she sat up on her bed,.“Derek…”Derek said nothing, instead he walked quickly over to Aurora.His arms wrapped around Aurora's small frame, pulling her close to his chest. She could feel the strength of his embrace, the warmth of his body radiating against hers. It was a familiar feeling, one that made her feel safe and protected.She leaned her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. It was a calming sound, and she found herself slowly relaxing in his arms. The scent of him filled her nostrils, a mixture of leather, musk, and something uniquely Derek.Aurora closed her eyes, enjoying the moment of closeness with him. She could feel his fingers tracing patterns on her back, sending shivers down her spine. His touch was gentle, but she could sense the underlying strength behind it.For a moment, they remained like that, wrapped up in each other's arms. It was a peaceful moment, one that Aurora wished c
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