Angel? Did he just call her Angel?
'Now tell me, Angel', she suddenly heard his voice inside her head. It seemed to be a memory, but only of his voice and nothing else. He had called her Angel before, but when?She met his gaze and, being this close to him also felt familiar, even though she could never recall being this close to his face.He released her hands and she took a step away from him, but not in fear. "You have bad manners, My Lord." She said, rubbing her wrists. "You might think that I can't do anything, but if you keep mistreating my brother because you enjoy it, then I'll stop sending him here if I have to. He looks up to you and if this is how you behave, then I don't want my brother to aspire to be someone like you."The smirk on his face disappeared, and his gaze hardened.Angelica looked him in the eyes as she curtsied. "Have a good evening, My Lord."Turning her back to him, she walked away.Rude and ill-mannered, she muttered to herself. He truly seemed to enjoy mistreating her. She saw that gleam in his eyes and it was disturbing. She had seen enough men who took pleasure in seeing a woman helpless. It was not something she wanted to see more of.Hopefully, he cared more for his life than killing the "killer".During dinner, Angelica noticed her brother couldn't even hold his spoon because of his bruised hands."How did you get those?""When the sword is knocked out of my hands, it hurts."Angelica nodded. "We could find you another trainer if you like?"William shook his head. "No. I want Lord Rayven to train me.""What about Lord Quintus? I heard he is a skilled swordsman as well.""Lord Quintus teaches me the laws and politics. He is closest to the King and the King takes his advice seriously. He is a respected Lord and he made many good changes in his town." Her brother explained. "I am learning from everyone what they are best at.""It is a smart thing to do," she said.Lord Quintus made his town better, while Lord Rayven did nothing when people were dying in his town. She hoped the king would step in and do something. Her heart ached every time she heard about another death of a young woman. She should have lectured Lord Rayven on human decency."What is the King's speciality?" She asked."Charm." Her brother replied simply.Charm? Yes, he was charming, but that couldn't just be it."He knows his charm works on everyone, and having people on his side makes him more powerful. It is a good trait as a king. It makes people blind to his mistakes because they want to believe he is good."Angelica doubted the King again. Did this mean that he was so good at charming people that she didn't want to believe that he was the killer? Did his charm work on her? She didn't know what to think or believe anymore.The night was cold and the moon peeked out from behind the dark clouds. Angelica watched the gloomy night sky through the window while tucked up in bed. The killer could be out looking for his next victim at this hour while she lay comfortably in her bed.Why young women, she asked herself. Could it be because they were an easy target? Or did the killer do something to them before the murder?She shook her head at the disturbing thoughts that came to mind. Then what about people thinking it was an animal that killed the woman? Thomas had told her that they had found bite marks caused by a wild animal's teeth. They had also found marks from claws on their bodies. That certainly didn't sound like a human was killing these women.Maybe it was an animal, but Angelica felt like there was more to it. Something that wasn't human or animal. It sounded absurd, but she couldn't find another explanation."Do you believe that there are beings other than those we know of in this world?" She asked William, after sensing that he was awake."I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were."Angelica saw a black bird fly by her window and then it came back. It was a raven and it sat in the tree outside her window. A raven was also a symbol of death.The death of the previous King was still suspicious and the arrival of the new King and his men had made many things better in their kingdom except for her town. This made her question if Lord Rayven was the problem, like everyone said. The symbol of bad luck and death.She couldn't deny that there was something dark and disturbing about him.'Tell me Angel,' she heard his voice in her head again. She didn't know what disturbed her more. The fact that she couldn't remember when he called her 'Angel' the first time, or the fact that he dared to give her a nickname.She touched her wrists, remembering his hands around them. His strength still surprised and frightened her. She questioned how she had even dared to confront him.Looking outside the window again, she watched the raven sitting on the branch of the large tree. She often looked outside the window and she had never seen the raven before. Why outside her window tonight? Was she the next victim? Was this a sign?Angelica woke up early in the morning and as she walked down the stairs, she heard her father's voice coming from the parlor. She was so relieved until she saw him with Sir Shaw. "Father, where have you been?" she asked, going to him. "I had a few things to take care of." He replied. Angelica looked at him with a frown. Just what exactly was he up to? "I was talking to Sir Shaw about your engagement. We will have the ceremony next week.""Father?" She looked at him, appalled. He just came back and already decided she would marry Sir Shaw. "It is my final decision." He said. Angelica stared at him for a long moment, but he ignored her and proceeded to talk to Sir Shaw. Sir Shaw had a slight smirk on his face, rejoicing over her father's decision. His joy would be short-lived because she would not marry him. She would find a way out. Ignoring her father's plans for the moment, she decided to talk about the important matters. "Lord Rayven was here looking for you." "I went by the
Angelica studied the silent exchange between the two men. They glared at each other and at last the King won the glaring contest. She could see him daring Lord Rayven and even though Lord Rayven was fearless, he wasn't reckless enough to defy the King.The King looked down at William. "Taking care of your body is equally important as training. Without good health and strength to carry on, you can't become the fierce fighter you want to become. Also, remember physical strength is only half the strength. Train your mind as well," he advised him. "I will, Your Majesty."The King squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. Lord Rayven gave William a nod to follow him and left without another glance at her or the King. "Would you like to eat some sweets?" The King asked, turning to her. "I would love to," Angelica smiled. The King watched her in silence as she sipped her coffee. His gaze was distracting her while she tried to think of what to say to him. Many thoughts were going through her
Angelica's chest felt heavy and breathing became difficult. She wasn't stupid. Lord Rayven knew about her father's plans, but he was using other words to warn her. Knowing something like that and not telling the King would otherwise be seen as betrayal. Why was he doing it then? Why was he warning her and not telling the King?She took a deep breath. "I will. Thank you," she said and tried to walk past him before she could see her reaction, but he blocked her way. His gaze hardened. "Lady Davis, you might charm the King but you won't fool me. I don't know why you have taken an interest in him, but I would be careful if I were you. Don't try anything stupid." What? Angelica became confused. Did he suspect her also? He went from helping her to protecting the King."I don't want any harm to come to His Majesty," she assured him. "I hope not." They looked at each other for a short moment before Angelica felt uncomfortable and pushed past him, rushing to find her brother. She didn't k
Eva combed Angelica's hair while she thought about her dream. A red-haired woman? Why? There weren't many people who had the same hair color as her. The woman also predicted that Skender would be King which made her think that this was something that had happened in the past. Something that was more than a dream. It felt like a memory as strange as that sounded.The way they were dressed was different from how people dressed today, which also indicated that this was in the past. Angelica shook her head, thinking of how crazy she was for actually believing that this could be a memory of the past. Skender would look different today if it was a memory and she would have been the woman, or at least someone she knew. But the woman was unfamiliar to her. Skender. He looked so beautiful in her dream with his clear blue eyes and vibrant smile. It was unlike the way he smiled today. In her dreams, he seemed genuinely happy until the woman rejected him. In reality, there was always a hint of
Angelica was surprised to find him in a bookstore. He stared at her hand on top of his and Angelica quickly removed her hand away. He picked up the book from the shelf before looking at her. "I'll take it," he said. Well, it is not like she could fight him to get it. She nodded. "Do you like reading?" Angelica smiled, realizing that he was being sarcastic. He always seemed annoyed. Eva watched them from a distance, looking worried. "Then maybe you can lend it to me. I'll read it fast and give it back to you so you can put it on your shelf." He narrowed his eyes. "Do you like to read about monsters?" She nodded, "Yes. It seems like we have the same taste." Angelica wondered why he picked this particular book. She could hear him say the title 'the monster is me' in his dark husky voice. She would have believed him had he said so. Lord Rayven ignored her and went to pay for the book. The seller's eyes widened and his hands trembled slightly as he received his money. A sigh lef
Heartless? If she only knew? He watched her get dragged away by her maid, who had been panicking the whole time. Foolishly brave, he thought to himself before going back to the castle. Skender was busy dealing with humans when he went to see him. Rayven couldn't understand how he could be so patient with the old men talking about making their kingdom better when the only thing they cared about was their own personal benefits. But who was he to judge? He was just like them. Selfish. When the meeting ended, the courtiers and Lords left the meeting room avoiding him on their way out and only the seven of them remained. "You missed the meeting, Rayven." Skender spoke displeased as he sat down. "I have nothing to add," Rayven said, pulling out a chair to sit down as well. He put his book beside him. Lazarus leaned over his shoulder, taking a look at the book he bought. "The monster is me." He read the title and nodded thoughtfully. "Are you sure?" He asked him. Lazarus loved to b
Who am I, you might wonderMy face is only a cover For the monster inside I try to hideBut if you look closer into my eyes You might discover my disguiseFor I am no man, and I have no soulNo heart, and a beast I can't control Alone, I suffer at nightAnd when the sun rises again, I pretend to be alrightMy only wish is to be released from the chainsAnd the hatred that runs through my veins But I know that the end is nearI shall dig my own grave And rest in it with no fearBecause death is all I craveRayven closed the book. Whoever wrote it had described his suffering so well. Death was indeed all he craved. He looked over at the boys' training and his gaze fell on William. The boy was working hard and getting better each day. He caught up to the older boys that had longer training than him. His hair got in his eyes as he fought, distracting him and giving his opponent a chance to knock the wooden sword out of his hand. The boy then proceeded to hit William with the wooden
"My Lady, someone is asking for you?" Eva informed. "It is a man. He is waiting outside." Angelica frowned. A man? It couldn't be Sir Shaw because Eva knew him. "Did he not tell you who he is?" She looked confused. "I… I didn't ask." "It is alright. I will go see him." Who could it be, she wondered. When she went outside, she found a man on his horse. He wore a black cloak that covered his face. When Angelica neared, he removed the cap, surprising her. "Your Majesty?" He smiled. "Angelica." She looked around, but he was all alone. What was happening?"Are you busy?" He asked. "No, Your Majesty." "Would you mind spending some time with me?" The question surprised her. She hadn't seen him for a month and thought that he was angry with her the last time they spoke. She didn't understand why he kept showing interest in her. The last thing she needed was to like someone and become disappointed. He was easy to like and feel safe with. Angelica thought of denying his request befor