Alpha King's Caged Mate

EVELYNI couldn’t stop thinking about the announcement of the Luna Selection as I scrubbed the floor of Mrs. Porter’s parlor.After the morning roll call, Elsa had whispered more details to me. She was the only maid who still showed me a shred of kindness, though I doubted it would last. She was new here, and in a few weeks—or days—she’d likely come to loathe me like the rest.“Jessica served at the welcoming banquet yesterday,” Elsa had said. “She told me the Dowager Queen made the announcement right in the middle of it—said she’d already sent invitations to all the eligible ladies. And apparently, one of them arrived at the palace for the Selection just last night.”Cole was turning twenty this year, and at that age, most kings in history had already fathered their first heir. But Cole’s harem remained empty. He had no consorts, and the title of Luna Queen still went unclaimed. Whispers had it that the lords and ministers had been submitting petitions constantly, urging him to take a

EVELYNAfter stuffing some bread into my mouth and washing it down with a large cup of strong tea, I headed out toward the Royal Garden.The air was thick with the scent of herbs and fading flowers. The late autumn breeze had turned sharp and chilly. I pulled my collar tight before making my way to the rose bushes.They said the roses had once been Queen Sylvia’s favorite—King Theodore’s second queen. But after she ran away following Cole’s birth, the garden had become neglected.I climbed onto a rock to reach a particularly stubborn branch, and as I leaned forward, a thorn jabbed into my forearm. I hissed and stumbled—A firm hand caught me, fingers curling around my waist.“Evelyn.”My eyes met the handsome smile of Aiden, the King’s Guard. The golden glint of his armored uniform shimmered in the sunlight as bright as his face. He gave me a gentle push, and I regain balanced on the ground.My voice caught in my throat for a moment, but I quickly stepped back and lowered my gaze. “Sir

EVELYNDaniella leaned in and yanked the hair tie from my head, letting my hair fall across my face in disarray. She twisted the tie in her hand and smirked, “now, much better.”“What do you want?” I glared at her. I hadn’t expected she’d be so bold. It was true that she had been constantly bullying me with her little clique, but all of it had been petty tricks – tossing dirt into my dish, sticking out her leg to trip me as I passed.Maybe I had underestimated her. I was annoyed at myself for not staying more alerted, and not reacting faster. I should’ve gripped the paring knife in my hand before I trudged down the dark corridor and approached the washroom.“What do I want?” Daniella laughed. “I told you I’d make you pay, Evelyn. You never thought I meant it, did you? You’re as ignorant and self-centered as ever.”“You better stop. Mrs. Porter wouldn’t tolerate this,” I warned. “She may hate me, but she wouldn’t stand by and acquiesce to this if she found out – ”Daniella slapped me ag

Skyla had no idea what had made Cole suddenly rise and leave in such haste. She stood up anxiously, ready to run after him. “Cole? What happened?” she called.But Marcel stepped in front of her, pressing a steady hand on her arm. His voice dropped. “Mind your language and decorum. By what law should you address His Majesty by his first name and chase after him like this? It’s a grave disgrace.”Skyla shrank back slightly. She knew her father didn’t truly care about reverence to the monarch. He was only performing for the audience. At home, Marcel often referred to Cole as “that little boy” or even “ignorant young man”, and he had never once reflected on his own “grave disgrace”.But she had always been obedient to her father.“I’m sorry, Father,” she murmured, still keeping her gaze fixed in the direction Cole had gone.Moments later, Mr. Barrett returned, breathless from his sprint. He bowed and explained, “His Majesty was suddenly called away on urgent matters. He bids you all to enj

EVELYNI froze.“How did you know something happened to me last night?” I asked slowly. And then, with a jolt of realization, I realized—the mysterious helper who unlatched the door and allowed me to escape. It had been Elsa.“Can we talk inside?” she asked quietly.I opened the door, stepping aside to let her in. Elsa entered cautiously, her eyes sweeping the room before perching on a small stool in front of my tiny vanity.“Your room is so neat, Evelyn. Mine’s a total mess. Mrs. Porter’s always scolding me for it,” she said with a dry chuckle. When I didn’t return the smile, her expression faltered into visible frustration.“It was you who unlatched the door last night,” I said.She tucked a strand of straight blonde hair behind her ear and gave a nervous nod.“How did you know I was in there?”“I…” Elsa hesitated, then hurried on. “I overheard Daniella talking to that servant earlier in the day. She said she was going to ‘teach you a lesson.’ So… when I saw her sneaking off after di