LOGINIt's the early hours of morning when Lyra suddenly screamed. King Ryker was in the library when he heard the loud-piercing scream. It came again. Followed by the ruffle of bedsheets. He walked in steady strides out of the inner room to see Lyra screaming and thrashing on the bed. Her eyes was squeezed tightly shut, sweat poured from her body and her breathing was erratic. "No...! Noooo, Bami please...! I have to save Emily! No...please! I can't leave her to t-them...!" She cried out. King Ryker watched with a furrow of his brows. She's having a nightmare. Her mind is trapped in the events of her introduction day at the courtroom. "No...you d-don't understand, they will kill her...! They hate me so much, t-they will kill Emily, because they...think...she is...me...!" She sobbed in her sleep. As she lived that horrible moment all over again in her sleep, a crack from the ice-wall King Ryker built around his cold heart fell away. King Ryker watched the way she cried her heart ou
Bami woke up and stared at the hourglass. It shows that it's well past midnight. She looked beside her and watched Veroni sleeping soundly beside her. She'd waited for the girl to fall asleep in Lyra's bedroom before she'd carried her from the bedroom to her room here in the palace. It's only in these moments of Veroni sleeping well that she's able to put some herbs on her and rub her body with the healing herbs that will clear the scars from the scratches she gave herself. Bami got up from the bed and walked to the table. She opened her herb bag and brought out all the leaves, stems and concoctions she packed in it. But as she searched, she couldn't find the most important leaf. How can she not pack the Dorco plant? It's the most important plant she uses in making the Forb-bane. The Forb-bane is the medicinal herb used for healing the skin. There might still be a small leaf of it in the backyard. She left it all scattered on the table and strode out of the bedroom. She checke
Finally, he raised his head and stared at her, "I don't hear a question there, Scarlett.""It just baffles me, Your Majesty. Why you should let your slave move into the Royal Quarters...into Princess Aliya's bedroom...and the slave also happens to be King Valen's daughter.""I didn't move King Valen's daughter to that bedroom. I moved veroni." He reached out for a new scroll and unfolded slowly. He laid it down on the table and scrutinized it thoughtfully."Veroni?" What has that got to do with Bami's crazy daughter? She asked herself inwardly.He spared her a glance. "Have you seen little Veroni, lately?""No, Your highness. The last time I saw her, six months ago, she screamed her head off at the first sight of me." She answered flippantly.He discarded the scroll and stretched out his hand to the bag before him, he took out another new one."You have to see her today, Scarlett. She's willing to get better and it's because of Lyra. She wants to stay with Lyra. I'm letting her. ""Wh
As Lyra took Veroni and Emily out of the palace, the people resumed looking at them in that strange uncomprehending way. Emily skidded her way in front of them, smiling happily and greeting everyone. They returned her greeting with the same enthusiastic. Lyra was holding Veroni's hand, the girl pressed close to her, so afraid of the crowd of people they passed. After staying indoors for so long, she isn't used to them at all, especially they way they look at her. They just cut through another route when a small child suddenly ran headfirst into Lyra. The child pulled back and looked up at Lyra. He looks like a seven-year old and he was dirty from hair to toe, from playing too much. From his tattered clothes, Lyra knows that she's the child of a lowborn. She stared at the spot where the child bumped into her and he saw the dirt on her white gown. "I'm so sorry...! So sorry...!" The boy bowed repeatedly, obviously scared that he'll be punished. She recognized the mothe
Lyra turned to her, seeing the helpless look on her eyes. "I don't want to stay away from you. I don't want to. They will force me too..." She continued. Lyra placed a hand on her shoulder, "All slaves, maids and servants are under Madam Bami and she already knows that you're here. If the king finds out..." she bit her lips, "....we'll cross that bridge later." Emily nodded her head. "Alright, my princess." her lips stretched in a smile, "We live in the moment. No point thinking about tomorrow, right!?" Lyra nodded with a smile. "Exactly. How was your day at the market?" Emily flushed a little and ducked her head. Lyra's brows rose in question. "Emily?" "Sire Vane saw me on the way and he escorted me. He walked me to the market, and even as I picked out my cottons, he just stood there patiently and waited for me." She told her princess shyly, her face glowing. Lyra's eyes widened. She tried to reconcile the image of the stoic, cool personal guard of the king that doesn
As the king slept in her arms, Lyra stood there, still patting his head. She wouldn’t mind standing there for hours if it’ll make him sleep well. He is a man that never sleeps. Time dragged by, his laboured breaths filled the air. His arms around her loosened, but never fell away. His hair was so soft, she just wanted to keep running her hands on it. She didn’t know she started humming until a new soft sound joined his breathing in the air. She wished there was a way to erase the past fifteen years of his life. Of all their lives. But then again, wishes has never been horses, or beggars would have rode it too. Suddenly, the door burst open and Mistress Scarlett walked into the King’s Chambers. She stopped suddenly at the sight in front of her, her lips gapping apart in shock. Lyra lowered her head in a bow of greeting, but she didn’t stop patting the King’s hair or humming to him. Scarlett couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. The king has his arm wrapped loosely a
In the morning of the fifth day after the night the king visited her, Lyra got ready to go to the mines. She woke up and took her bath. She put on her uniform and made her hair. She stared herself in the mirror for so long, staring at who she became. Twenty-two years of living as a princess, an
"Someone wants to see you, Your Highness," Vane announced, coming into Ryker’s room. He was tying up the Imperial letters he's finished writing. He looked up to Vane, "Who is it?" Vane shifted uncomfortably, "She refused to leave. We've tried everything possible to get the girl to go but she re
Lyra was still kneeling, she stared up at the King, her heart beating in her chest. She doesn't know what to expect.Will he share her or command her torture session?"Get up and strip, Lyra." He commanded, opening up yet a new scroll.Vane was in the room and for the first time, Lyra couldn't pick
The next morning, Lyra got her slave uniform. A short gown that stopped just after the knees. She put it on and made her hair. She was taking away early to the slave mines. The mines are mostly where slaves work day and night, helping to extract valuable minerals from the ground. Lyra saw none







