Chapter 6Ellie povI swear I wouldn't cry, but right now? Tears were cascading down my eyes freely, my heart heavy as a stone, and my legs too heavy to be moved further.I fell to my knees, my head hitting against the floor. Even though a small whisper in my head pleaded with me to be strong, I couldn't muster the courage to be the strong woman it wanted me to be.Biting my lips, I rested my head on the cold floor, tears streaming from my eyes into my ears.“Here is too dark. Hello! Is anyone in here?” my lips quivered, and my body tensed as I lurked around in the dark.Suddenly, a cold ran down my spine and the hair on my body began to rise, my heart beating rapidly. I could feel my heart almost jump into my as something evil stood behind me.Don't ask me how I know it's evil if I didn't turn back. I know. My instincts told me it was evil.A deadly snare which rumbled in my ears, and caused me to jolted and when I turned to check it out, I saw darkness. Nothing, not the physique of
Chapter 5I coughed, and tightened my hands around my throat while the maid rushed over to my side, I shook my head and pointed towards the door.Gullible freaky maids. I laughed and jumped to my feet to cover up the revealing space on the wall.Soon they returned but I was lying in my bed. From my half-closed eyes, I watched as they approached me with Lefika in their midst.Lefika's hands rested on my forehead, and her eyes pierced through mine. "Princess, are you okay?"I nodded. "I just need some sleep," I responded."You'll sleep after taking your medicines and soaking yourself in the herbs. Tomorrow you'll be led to the prince's chambers so we have to do everything to make sure tomorrow's event is successful."I nodded and smiled. "Is the bath ready?" I asked and Lefika glanced over her shoulders. I rose, pretending to be weak then I headed straight to the bath while Lefika and the maids trotted behind me.I drew in a deep breath as my body sank into the bath and for some momen
Chapter 4The queen's words cut deep, her tone dripping with disdain. "No squatting – kneel and eat the food you wasted. Whether it's badly cooked or not, you have no choice. You're not here to be pampered like a princess; you're here to cure my stepson, the Crown Prince who's gone feral." Her gaze pierced mine, her voice icy. "You can't decide your life or live as you like. We'll decide for you. And you're just a weak human from an inferior realm; worthless, stinky, and brainless." Her smirk was a cold, calculated gesture.I knelt, my fists clenched at my sides, staring at the rotten, stinky food. I gritted my teeth in anger, seething with resentment. This humiliation, I'll make her pay for it someday. I didn't care if she read my mind; my determination was clear. With tears streaming down my face, my trembling hands reached for the food, hoping the queen would relent, but her silence was deafening.I forced myself to eat the maggot-infested food, a putrid mixture of rotting scrap
Chapter 3Ellie pov"'Watch out and stay safe, princess!' The words startled me, and they kept replaying in my head even as I tried to sleep. I couldn't shake off the fear from last night, and now, as I lay awake, the warnings resonated deeply. Swallowing a lump down my throat, I used the back of my hand to wipe the beads of perspiration off my forehead. The door clicked open, and the maids sauntered in, warm smiles spreading across their faces. They lowered their heads, their eyes fixed on their feet, and said in unison, "Greetings, mortal princess."I rose to my feet, restless, casting a wary glance at them from the corner of my eyes. "You didn't eat your food?" one of them asked as she stepped forward to gather the remains from the stony floor. "The consort shouldn't learn about this, or else...""Hum!" The other maid cleared her throat, and I turned immediately to face them. "Else?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. The maids both fell to the floor, and shuddered. "You should
Chapter 2Ellie povPanic lived and breathed in my veins at the woman's words, whose name I learned was Lefika.She continued. "And his curse would only be broken if he mounted a bride who was a firstborn and a virgin, but it seems that every one of those kingdoms was deceiving - those girls ended up being torn apart before the beast prince would even mount them. Or perhaps the prince's cure didn't require a virgin firstborn at all; maybe there's another antidote we haven't discovered yet." "So that means I might die in seven days if I'm being sent to the prince's chamber?"The woman covered the distance between us, and her hands rested on my shoulders. "Dear. We can't tell but hopefully, the moon goddess used you as leverage to cure our prince." The tears strained at the rim of my eyes. "Why didn't they just end his life? They are suffering him." The woman's hands quickly covered my mouth. In a low voice, she spoke. "You shouldn't be caught saying that. That's treason, and you'd
Chapter oneEllie povThe air thickened with a graver silence at the sight of huge creatures before us, that even a drop of a pin would have been heard.The Anthrika werewolf. There is so much dreadful news about the Anthrika werewolf. They are ruthless, drain their prey of their blood, can cover a hundred kilometers in two seconds, have sharp ears, and active vision, and are very calculative and cunning in their ways.They are audacious! Lack of deference bowed to no one, and..."Weak mortals, today we've come to pick the bride for our prince. I hope she's ready cause we've no time to waste here unless you'd be entertaining us with food; food as in noble blood," The man at the left with a burned scar around his right chin spoke, his words interrupting my thoughts, and a predatory smile twisted across his face.The court jerked and gasped. Including my uncle who was the village Viscount.After what felt like an eternity, my uncle cleared his throat and snapped his fingers. "Bring her!