Ariana’s POVWarm water enclosed me and I shut my eyes, letting it soothe me. A stinging sensation follows as it irritates my injuries but I welcomed that too.The doctor had arrived earlier, giving me treatment and a full inspection. There was evident shock on his face seeing as I hadn’t passed out already from the brutal force and sheer exhaustion.It was mandated for me to get bed rest of at least three days and of course I refused it, seeing as it absolutely wasn’t necessary.My mother stuck with me through out the examination and she definitely went through several stages of grief seeing the injuries on my body but said nothing. She only clutched her shoulder, and gasped briefly on several instances, especially when the scratches on my back were exposed.Now, she was with me, in my room, right in my bathroom, giving me a bath. She pursued all the maids away and stated she wanted to do it herself, which I saw no reason why but with the look on her face I knew I couldn’t fight it.

Ariana’s POVI’d realized ever since Jasper’s betrayal or better yet ever since I’d come across the merchant, my life had seized to experience the fortune of calm—except when I was in the arms of the one who was the forth bringer of the chaos.Which made me ponder; had my life ever truly known the presence of calm or were the disturbances something that seemed too small for what I was currently living before my very eyes.Seeing the woman who was at the very epicenter or my rejected mate’s life and my own very agony at a point in time, alive, well and her pregnancy that haunted me at night gone perturbed me.The guards brought her before me and she approached me with a smile which struck me more than anything.“Hello, your highness.” She greeted, taking a customary bow.Stricken by her response, I opened my mouth to say something only for nothing to come out. Her smile grew wider, coming closer to me, holding my arm.“I apologize for the troubles my presence in your life causes you.”

Damon’s POVIt was inevitable, the way I ached to go back to Ariana and her yearning gaze. The redness of her cheeks and ears when she confessed to me, the innocence of her rapid beating heart, and the softness in her eyes anytime I beheld her. The fact that it all belonged to me made this trip all the more bearable.The Central Academy lay erected on a hill, as though it was attempting to stretch across to the sky. When I first learned of the shadow’s plan on coming here to harvest souls, I found it not only repulsive but strangely desperate.Regardless, here I was, like a king’s loyal butler, thinking of strategies to gather enough souls. Except, I was the king.Being an elemental werewolf was knowing the truths and extremities of power, its vast usefulness and ultimate uselessness when it came down to the universe’s commands.Here in this world one had enough to bring everything and everyone to its knees even amongst timelines yet the picture of a good day was a day spent with one’

Ariana’s POVI opened my eyes the next day to see that the entire kingdom had been told a falsehood, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.So I kept mute, watching as the doctor kept calling my name in an attempt to know if I was present, but I stared emptily not answering anyone, not even myself.I remained like that for three days not moving. I kept having nightmares of the moment it all happened, as well as the stark reminder that I was now truly an orphan.The doctor said I had survived a rebel group surprise attack, which to him was a remarkable feat, because my injuries were life threatening. He mentioned that I had a broken bone in the middle of my hand, and a slit arm. There was also a stab on the place above my heart, and the purple bruise on my cheek further showed my pitiful state.He tried to be sympathetic, and compassionate. He talked about my parents alleged disappearance, and his words caused a punch to my heart, not that he noticed.He spoke that Jasper had bec

Ariana’s POVWhen I was sixteen, my mother asked me the kind of wedding I’d dreamed to have and then — though hidden — in love with my best friend, Jasper, I blushed, the daydreams of what would’ve been my happiest day flooding in.With a cheeky smile, I answered, “A quiet wedding, where we’re all surrounded by family and peace with good wishes from the people of Warwick.”Six years later, here I stood, dressed in a fully blown wedding gown, with Jasper beside me, a full prideful grin in display.There was no smile on my face, hardly any presence of life within me but when I was asked to read my vows, I did. When I was asked if I took Jasper as my husband and all it entailed, I let the silence hang for one minute before replying - “Yes, I do.”There was a shaky clap that came after, before it grew louder. My parents weren’t here, smiling at me with so much pride and happiness.The wedding wasn’t a quiet wedding as Jasper invited everyone he could, and the whole wedding looked so sour.