EVELYNThe next page contained two detailed sketches. The first depicted a monstrous figure labeled The First Alpha of the Werewolves, Alpha Elrod—a nightmarish fusion of man and wolf. His expression twisted in eternal agony, his heart pierced by a silver dagger.The second sketch, in stark contrast, portrayed his daughter, Moon. The artist had been far more merciful in painting her. Unlike her father, she was drawn with an ethereal beauty—her features fierce yet strangely soft. Cascading hair framed her delicate face, resting elegantly on her shoulder, and she wore a dress woven of moonflowers. Though faded with time, her features carried an eerie familiarity, strikingly similar to the woman in my dream.My fingers traced the contours of her face, almost as if moving of their own will. For a moment, it felt as though she were gazing back at me, whispering something just beyond my grasp.But truth isn’t always comforting. Sometimes, it is agonizing. Horrible. Sometimes, you wish you h
EVELYNIt was well past noon when I finally had a moment to stretch my overworked body. I devoured a sandwich and drained a full cup of strong tea that the servant had brought me before I finished reading the last three petitioning papers on my desk.One might assume that being a queen promised endless luxury, unchallenged authority, and an insouciant existence. But in reality, this had been my daily routine ever since I was crowned the Queen of Hescor three months ago—gorging down cold sandwiches and fueling myself with cups of strong tea between work breaks. Still, even that was preferable to enduring extravagant banquets filled with pompous lords and prying officials.I pushed the tray aside and reached for the two letters on the cabinet. Both bore an indication of the sender—a seal at the corner of the envelopes—marking them as messages from Tiryn. I pried the first one open and pulled out the folded parchment—it was from Leila.Over the past months, Leila had sent me five letters
EVELYNIf storms were made of reporting sheets, endless queues of petitioners, and nagging lords filled with complaints and unrealistic pleas, then my life after the coronation could only be described as stormy.I rubbed my temples as I put down yet another ridiculous petition—this one requesting justice for a missing kitten. According to the petitioner, the kitten had disappeared while he was visiting the main market of Halian, and he suspected that a human foreigner had used some “nasty” trick to steal it away.Thanks to the Ozora-Eanica Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation—signed by Hescor, Tiryn, and the two other werewolf nations of Eanica half a month ago—the number of foreigners traveling from Eanica to Ozora had been steadily rising. Though other nations remained cautious, Cole and I were expecting to receive their diplomats in the coming weeks. Tiryn’s example had piqued their interest, and they were beginning to see the great potential in establishing trade and dip
EVELYN“You don’t believe us, do you?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them, sharper than I had intended. “You don’t believe in our determination.”Oakley studied me for a long moment before a grin flickered across his face, his usual cavalier attitude returning. “Let’s just say I’m afraid. Or maybe I’m tired of fighting for myself. Time to seek something else in life, isn’t it? Perhaps an exotic beauty in a foreign land. I hear some human girls have a particular taste for fluffy animals—”“Don’t change the subject,” I cut him off, glowering. “You’re not someone who scares easily.”“I wasn’t,” he admitted, inhaling deeply. “But I am now.” His smirk faded, replaced by a hardened expression. “Her husband has erased her past to give her a new life, a paradise of his own making. And I won’t be the one to destroy it.”It took me a moment to understand who he meant. Maria.“I saw her three days ago,” Oakley continued. “I imagined she’d be suffering under the hand of some lord, a
EVELYNI had never known there was a secret room attached to the Alpha’s Study, hidden behind the towering bookshelves that lined the wall opposite the long marble desk. A concealed passageway linked the two, its entrance masked by books that Cole now pushed aside. He twisted a small, inconspicuous knob, and the hidden door clicked open.I followed him inside, ducking low as we maneuvered through the narrow, dark passage. When he opened another door at the end, we stepped into a small chamber. It was even tinier than the room I had once lived in as a maid, furnished only with a round desk, a few chairs, and a cabinet against the wall.Despite its minimalism, the chamber exuded opulence. The desk was inlaid with jade, and each chair gleamed with embedded gemstones that caught even the faintest light.Clearly, this space had been intended for secret meetings—perhaps even assignations. Against one wall sat a low love seat, large enough for one person to rest comfortably. Or two, if they
EVELYNSkyla blinked.For the first time since I had stepped into her cell, she looked truly caught off guard. Her lips parted slightly as if to form words, but no sound came out.I could understand why she was so shocked. According to the traditional Hescorian law of crime and punishment, as the heir of a rebellious Great Lord, she would be sentenced to death. If not death, it would be a life-long sentence of heavy labor and exile – just like the punishment my family had received.Personally, I wanted her to suffer that fate. I had no intention of showing her mercy – mercy she neither deserved nor ever would. But as the future queen of Hescor, I couldn’t. I couldn’t let my personal hatred dictate justice. I was determined to change Hescor’s wretched, severe penal system, and I wouldn’t allow myself to become a hypocrite in the process.Collective punishment had a long history in Hescor. It’d be difficult to abolish, as many lords firmly supported it, or so I had been told.I recalled