"Who are you?" Hazel asked, watching him carefully. He smiled and her eyes widened. If Caden was gorgeous, this black blood was drop dead gorgeous. He slipped his right hand into the pocket of his pants.
"I would've said curiosity killed the cat. Who am I kidding? You're no cat. But, you really are nosy, aren't you?" He said, turning away from her. She watched him as he plucked one of the multicolored flowers that looked really attractive. He walked towards her and lowered her shawl from her head. Hazel's heart began to thud madly when his lavender scent drifted into her nostrils. He gazed at her for a moment, his eyes swimming with amusement. He slowly positioned the flower on her hair.
"There, that's much better" he said but Hazel couldn't stop staring at him. She noticed the length of his dark lashes, wondering why on earth a man would have such lovely lashes.
His skin was so pale and it had such a beautiful glow, she was envious.He took her gloved hand and pressed a kiss to the back of her palm. "Prince Yuka at your service, my lady" he said and her eyes widened further.Prince?Did he just say prince?"You must be Hazel Spiers, my brother's fiance" he stated and she cleared her throat. "It was you" she said and he raised a brow.
"You were staring at me in the dark" she continued and he shrugged."That's right""Why were you hiding?"He chuckled softly."Let me ask you something. Why would a person hide?"She blinked.Was he really antisocial or was it something else?"You are really something else, Hazel. You are not supposed to be here, you know that, right?"She nodded slowly."I don't get it. Why all the secrecy?" She asked and he sighed. "I can't tell you. As it is, you might've already gotten yourself into trouble by trespassing into the East wing"Hazel frowned."I don't see why this is a big deal" she said and he smiled."You're a lot different than I thought you would be. You have to be careful, Hazel. Being too different can earn you so many enemies" he said.Hazel decided not to brood over his statement for now. But as she stared at him, she grew even more curious.
"So, you're really a black blood" she breathed and he shrugged."It's as obvious as it gets" he responded and Hazel tilted her head slightly, noticing the color of his hair."Did you dye your hair or is it naturally that way?" She asked, referring to his shoulder length black and red hair. "It's not dyed""Really? Do you have nine lives?" She asked and he blinked."What?""I heard that black bloods have nine lives. Is that true?"He laughed."Really, Hazel? Is that even possible?" He said and she laughed along with him."Gosh, I really believed it! That's just ridiculous" she laughed. But then, she realized that he had stopped laughing."What?" She said and he smirked."We actually do have nine lives, Hazel"Her eyes went wide."You're messing with me, aren't you?""I'm being serious"She gaped at him, jaw slackened."Wow, that's..... wow" she breathed and he began to casually take a stroll down the garden. Hazel followed behind him, realizing he was the only one in the palace that she felt comfortable around. It was a little weird especially since he was a black blood."I think I know why Caden asked me to stay away from the East wing" she suddenly stated as she strolled alongside the prince.
"You do?"She nodded."I think he wanted me to stay away from you because you're a black blood. Am I wrong?"He stopped and turned to look at her, his expression unreadable. Hazel couldn't tell, but he really liked her company despite the fact that she kept asking several questions. Talking with Hazel felt like breathing fresh air. For him, it had been quite a long time since he had spoken with anyone who wasn't afraid of him. This was another reason why he found Hazel interesting. She knew that he was a black blood but she didn't show fear. Caden seems to have hit quite the jackpot, He thought."Maybe"
Hazel groaned, not satisfied with his vague answer."Do you- do you get lonely?" She asked and he froze. She let out a sigh and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes."I know how it feels to be out of place. I mean, look at me. I'm a boring red blood. I'm not even pretty, but your brother chose me anyway. I don't know why he did that. But, I don't feel like I belong here. I have no idea why it's different with you. Maybe it's because you're easier to talk to. Talking to you feels nice" she rambled.Prince Yuka smiled at how adorable she looked. She was definitely not a push over, he knew. He had a feeling that somehow, he would be seeing more of her soon. "Hazel" he said and she gazed at him with her beautiful brown eyes."Caden isn't blind. You're not pretty" he said and she raised a brow."You're beautiful and even Caden could see it"Hazel felt her cheeks burn, butterflies erupting in her stomach. She felt different when Yuka complimented her. When he told her that she was beautiful, she felt beautiful. She knew it was a bad sign. No one had ever made her react like this before and Hazel was starting to get worried.
"Yuka" she said his name for the first time, liking the way it felt in her tongue."Yes, Hazel? I think I've been gone for so long. Caden is going to throw a fit when he finds out where I am" she said and he nodded in understanding."I'll see you when I see you" she said and he grinned."Of course"She turned and had barely walked three metres away when she realized that she didn't know how to find her way back to her chambers. She turned around and mentally scolded herself."Yuka?"
He turned to face her."I can't find my way back to my chambers. Can you-- help me?" She said, grimacing at herself, sheepishly.Yuka smirked and walked up to her. "Fine. Follow me"***Hazel gazed at the cloudy sky as she sat in her room, two of her maids attending to her. "Zena?" She said."Yes, my lady?" Her personal maid responded."Does prince Caden have a brother?"Zena stiffened."Yes. Why do you ask, your highness?""What is he like?" She asked and Ophelia, Hazel's other maid responded."He's a black blood. He's evil and murderous. It's why we were all instructed to stay away from the East wing"Hazel frowned.She was very sure that their description of Yuka didn't fit him at all. Was he hated that much? If he was evil and murderous, he would have killed her already. Besides, he didn't seem to be a bad person.She let out a sigh, still staring at the cloudy sky. The wedding was supposed to take place in two weeks and to be honest, she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to become Caden's wife and queen. The mere thought of it made her feel very nervous and nauseated.
Later that evening, she made her way towards the court room and was heading towards the dinning area to have dinner with the rest of the royal family.
Just as she walked past the main court, she heard Yuka's voice. She slowly moved backwards and peered into the main court through the half open door.
"I did nothing wrong, father" Yuka said."Don't try to fool me, Yuka! With that smug look on your face, I'm sure you know what you did wrong" the king snapped.The prince sighed and lowered his head."It wasn't my fault. She came to me herself""I'm sure you made her do it, you two faced liar!" Caden spat and Hazel clenched her fist. She didn't understand why they were accusing Yuka of making her go to him. She'd gone to the East wing of her own accord, she needed to let them know."Your highness, I suggest you stay out of it. Your interference is only going to make things worse for Prince Yuka" Zena said from behind her.Hazel clenched her jaw when the king smacked Yuka on the face, hard.
"You were trying to seduce your brother's fiancee, weren't you?" The queen said and Yuka rolled his eyes."You know, if I really wanted to do that, would you really be able to stop me?" He asked. Caden rose to his feet, his eyes burning with fury."Stay away from her!""Caden, sit down" the king ordered and he lowered himself onto his chair hesitantly."Yuka. You will be punished for luring your brother's wife to the East wing" the king stated and Hazel let out a low gasp, clasping a hand over her mouth.Yuka sighed and clenched his fists. A maid handed Yuka a cup containing a white liquid."You know the drill" the queen said and he scoffed before bringing it to his lips. He emptied the cup and handed it over to the maid."I hope that this time you will learn your lesson. You must learn to respect the crown prince" the king said.Hazel watched as Yuka doubled over, his face contorted with pain. Caden looked very pleased and so did the queen. Hazel let out a gasp as Yuka coughed up black blood, tears filling her eyes when she saw how much pain he was in. She froze when Yuka's violet gaze met hers. "Who's there?" the queen asked and Hazel's blood ran cold.
Jotham, Silveran capital2030*** For a moment, Hazel was frozen to the spot, too shocked to move. She hadn't expected the queen to notice her presence. But again, the queen was no ordinary person. Hazel's wide eyed gaze met Yuka's and he sighed, wiping off the blood from his lips."There's no one there. I'll take my leave now" he said and the queen narrowed her eyes. "I was so sure I sensed-""You must've sensed the maids and the guards" Yuka interrupted her, his eyes discreetly telling Hazel to leave. She snapped out of her daze and walked away, feeling troubled. Why was Yuka being treated like an animal? Why did they despise him so much? Hazel did not have the answers to these questions and this worried her to no end. So, when the royal family joined her at the table, she felt utterly ill at
Yuka stared at Hazel as she embraced him. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that he was shirtless. But then, he felt her crying, her tears dampening his skin. It bothered him a lot. He knew that she was probably going through so much and was barely adjusting to life as the future queen of Silvera. He felt sorry for her. "Yuka?" She whispered, her head still resting on his chest. "I really don't want to make you uncomfortable, but you're so warm and you smell so good" she said and raised her head from his chest to look at him."You know that, right?" She asked with a smile on her face, despite the tears in her eyes. "Of course, I know. It's my body, isn't it?"She grinned and embraced him again. Suddenly a bubble of laughter escaped her lips. "I have no idea why I'm enjoying this. I really wish..."She stopped herself, but Yuka knew what she was going to say. She wasn't going to say that she wished that he wasn't Caden's brother. Neither was she going to say that she
"Your highness? Can I come in?" Hazel sighed and stroked Yuka's fur one more time. She watched him as he jumped down from her bed and was soon staring at her from the window."Come in" she said, still staring at Yuka's cat form."I'll see you later" she whispered and he jumped out of the window right before the door was opened.Violet stepped in. She was dressed in a white blouse and white pants, her blue hair in a ponytail. Hazel's eyes widened when she saw her. "It's good to see you, Violet" she said and Violet grinned. "How is the royal life treating you?" Violet asked, smiling at her."Adapting to it isn't as easy as I thought" Violet squeezed her hand gently and set to work. A bluish glow appeared on the tips of her fingers and spread further to her upper arms. She gently touched Hazel's black eye and healed her. By the time she was done with healing the future queen, Caden walked
"Are you threatening me right now, your highness? No, wait. You are threatening me. Wait until Caden hears about it" The queen was getting more riled up by the second. She couldn't understand why Hazel was so immune to her. She hated it. Evey other person in the palace was completely under her control. Everyone but Yuka and Hazel. She was frustrated. Since she couldn't get either of them to fear her, she was pissed. "I have a hunch that you stole the Sceptre. But since I have no proof, I'm going to let that slide.... for now.You want to act all tough and fearless. That's fine by me. Maybe, just maybe, you're going to end up six feet below the ground sooner than I thought" the queen said and walked away. Hazel glared at the Queen's retreating figure even though, deep down she was worried. Prince Caden was boiling with anger by the time he arrived right in front of the door of Yuka's chamber. He
"Yuka. Hey, can you hear me?" The second prince groaned as he slowly came to, Hazel's voice sounding like it was coming from far away. "Can you hear me?" Hazel asked one more time as she gazed at him. He squinted at her when she finally came into focus. "How are you feeling?" She asked and his eyes widened when he realized that she was in his chambers again. "No, no, no. Hazel, you shouldn't be here. The queen-" he began but was silenced by the finger she placed across his lips. "Forget about the queen. You lied to me" she said, her brows furrowed. He sighed and lowered his gaze. "You told me that the effects of the poison was only going to last for a night" she said. "Hazel-""Don't 'Hazel' me. What the queen has been doing to you is just not right. How can you even stand it?""I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to blame yourself for my punishment" "How are you feeling?" She asked and he gave her a h
Jotham, Silveran Capital2030 To say that Hazel was tensed would be an understatement. She couldn't stop pacing back and forth in her room. She needed to act quickly, but a couple of guards were outside her room. She wouldn't be able to sneak out of her room without being noticed. Hazel had a hunch that among the men standing in front of the door, one of them was a spy that the queen had put in place to monitor her. Negative thoughts invaded her mind.What if she eventually told Yuka to help her and he refuses? What if he agrees to help her, but ends up being too late. She swallowed hard and shook her head, trying to ward off these ugly thoughts. Just before dinner, Hazel decided to sneak out of her room through the window. It was a strenuous task, but she did it anyway. She managed to sneak into the East wing of
The silence that followed the crashing sound of glass shattering as soon as it made contact with the floor was deafening. For a moment, everyone was frozen to their spots, mouth agape. When they all finally snapped out of their daze, the queen rose to her feet with her eyes burning with anger. Her gorgeous light blue dress had wine stains on it and the silverish- blue liquid that was also now staining the previously spotless marble floor was proof that the glass shards had injured her. The king rose to his feet, knowing that his wife was about to do some real damage to his daughter-in-law."Clarice, calm down. It was an accident. Right, Hazel?" the king said and Hazel nodded, her eyes glinting mischievously. Prince Caden's gaze met Hazel's and he frowned when he realized that there was nothing remorseful about her. If anything, she looked like she had hurt the queen on purpose."Hazel, apologize to my mother, wil
Anslem, Rubian Capital2030 The triplets exchanged bewildered glances. "How do we know you're not lying?" Trey asked, his eyes narrowed. Yuka let out an exasperated sigh and using his mind's eye, he displayed what was going on outside, on the wall of General Spiers study, like a projector.Eight men were trying to break into the front door of their apartment. General Spiers immediately went pale. Now, do you believe me?" Yuka asked. "What's going on? Why are we suddenly being attacked?" Trey asked."There's no time for questions. It's a life or death situation and if you want to survive, you have to come with me" Yuka said."To where?" Carl asked."Galactica. You'll be safe there" "There's no way I'm going to Galactica! We might be jumping from the pan to the fire itself!" Carl said and General Spiers shook his head. "Listen, if the queen has placed a kill order on us, the only place we can be safe is Galactica" he said to his sons. "But-""Make your decisions quickly because the