"Pastries?" The woman chuckled, mirth bubbling within in. Upon first glance at the tall, pale-skinned maiden in front of her, she would never have suspected her of any crime which was why she had stepped up immediately on seeing those brutes trying to sever her hands. "It was not the best thing to do, I admit but I was in a precarious situation! I did not want to steal at all but I had no other option. I guess I should return them…" Naomi sighed heavily, her stomach grumbling furiously. The apple and dried meat she had eaten back in the forest had all but disappeared from her stomach. "There would be no need for that. Come with me." She gave Naomi a small smile as she turned and began heading in the direction of the main harbor and the shops. Not of her own volition, Naomi followed her. The woman was nothing to her but a stranger; she could not understand why she felt such an indescribable pull toward her. She had no reason to trust the woman asides from the fact that she had saved
"Help me, please!" "Help me!" Prince Daegal woke up with a start, panting heavily as sweat poured from his forehead and dripped down his bare chest. He pushed his long, dark mane away from his face and ripped off the thick blanket covering his legs. Taking in large gulps of air to calm his racing heart, he planted his feet on the cold floor and rose. With his breathing now under control, he walked over to the large balcony adjoining his chambers and leaned on the parapet, reveling in the cool night breeze. The world was still enveloped by darkness; the only sources of light being the bright crescent moon and the plethora of twinkling stars covering the night sky. Ever since the blood moon appeared in the sky and his betrothal to Lolo Nerina followed, he had been plagued by vague dreams that refused to let him have a peaceful sleep. At first, he kept on seeing those cold eyes of Nerina; her gaze burning with malicious intent and her lips stretched in a smile that was more insidious
"Bllergh! Oh God, why?" Naomi moaned as she emptied the contents of her bowels into a small, wooden bucket. Within two weeks of the sea voyage, she had vomited at least forty times and could barely keep any food down without feeling nauseous. She usually found peace in the ocean and loved being at the beach so she thought she would also enjoy being at sea on a free ship voyage. She was greatly mistaken, and she still had to endure three more weeks of the torturous journey before she would arrive at Nebulos. "There, there. You'll be alright. Easy," Nezetta cooed as she held Naomi's long hair which was dampened with sweat, away from her face. She had made sure to hold in her laughter at the sight of Naomi's Sea sickness so that she would not feel bad. It was difficult to do so because it was weird to see someone so disturbed by the churning of the waves to the point of not being able to keep food down. Nezetta mostly felt awful though on seeing Naomi suffer. She did not kn
"You're next, Naomi," An eerie voice declared. The malicious tone was the trigger that jolted Naomi from the nightmare she was in. Panting and disturbed, she clutched her head in her hands, willing the remnants of the nightmare to be gone. Tears seeped from her eyes as she was forced to relive the horrible death of her parents again, but this time was different. Back in her world, she usually woke from the nightmares before she could figure out exactly how they had died and why she was spared even though she was within the same vicinity as her parents. They always remained unclear even after therapy. When they had returned years after and Victoria had helped her through them, they were still vague; unambiguous but still horrific enough to leave her in a cold sweat. However, as she neared the kingdom of Nebulos, the nightmares became clearer… as if Nebulos held an attachment to her and her increasing nearness to it was unraveling the bond and acting as a medium to help her figure o
…Suddenly, Naomi clutched Nezetta's arm in a vice-like grip causing goosebumps to run up the entire length of her arms. "She beckoned me closer… and I sat beside her. She ruffled my hair against my protests. I was smiling… I was happy… "Then she opened the package. Oh no, why did she open it? It exploded! They're dead. They're burning! It's hot… so hot… I'm so scared… I want them back…" As Naomi cried, she started gasping for air. Somehow, Nezetta was losing her to the nightmarish torment she had just come out of; It was as if it was trying to pull her back in to drown her under its crushing weight. Frenzied, Nezetta held Naomi's shoulders in a tight grip, trying to force her to make eye contact. "Naomi, look at me! Please, just look at me!" "Mama… Dad…" She gasped, her chest heaving as she tried to break free of Nezetta's grip. "Naomi!" "Why didn't I go with them? Why did they have to be taken away from me? Why am I so alone?" "Naomi! I'm here with you! Just look at me!" She
CHAPTER 24 "Welcome, Emperor. The kingdom is yours, Your Majesty." Chief Kaius, brother to Emperor Vulcan and Paramount Chief of the kingdom of Nebulos, bowed deeply though his tone was cold and unfriendly. "Thank you… Brother. It is wonderful to be home after all these years." Emperor Vulcan managed to muster a weak smile. His love for his brother had not waned over the years but he could still sense his brother's feelings of disdain hidden under the cloak of respect and duty. Emperor Vulcan had been reluctant to host the engagement ceremony in Nebulos but with the urging of his advisors, he had relented. Now, his main goal was to try to heal the enormous wound in their relationship that had been festering for years. "Uncle," Daegal inclined his head downwards in greeting. "My Prince." An awkward silence reigned in the courtyard of the Star Castle till it was broken by Chief Kaius's steward. "Your Majesty, My Prince, you must be tired after your long and stressful journey. C
Nezetta's eyebrows shot up at the worried and frazzled expression on Naomi's face. "Are you okay? Why do you look as if you have seen a ghost?" Naomi chuckled nervously as she began brushing the length of her hair again to occupy her hands. "I'm fine! You simply startled me, that's all." "Are you certain?" Nezetta pressed, her forehead creasing with worry. "Of course. Don't look so worried about me. Everything's fine." "As you say. Anyway, I want to show you something. Can you come on deck? That's if your sea sickness has subsided though." "Okay, just give me a few moments." "Alright, I will be waiting," Soon as Nezetta closed behind her as she left, Naomi slammed the comb back on the dresser and buried her head in her hands. She had to figure out what to do once she got to Nebulos. She was not sure if she could believe anything that Nerina said since it was blatantly obvious that her ambition was the most important thing to her. However, she still found herself wondering wha
The Estorian harbor in Nebulos was even larger and more sprawling than the one in Vishwum. It was unlike anything Naomi had ever seen. As Naomi disembarked from the ship, she sighted large trading vessels and smaller boats and ships bobbing gently on the sparkling blue sea. She had never seen the sea shimmer like that before. "Wow… Nezetta… Estoria is even more beautiful than I imagined and I haven't even visited anywhere yet!" Naomi exclaimed as she looked around in wonder. However, Nezetta only responded with a stiff nod and a curt reply. "Hm. There is still more to see." Ever since Naomi decided to try to build a bridge across the gaping hole in their relationship caused by the secrets she was keeping, Nezetta had changed. Naomi would have been fine with keeping everything a secret but her conscience constantly pricked her each time she shared a kiss with Nezetta, held her hand, or caressed her smooth skin. Still, she fought back the urge to divulge every single detail but en