Chapter 7 Taking a bite of the fruit platter Ellisia brought in for me, I continue pulling up the files of the Maids that were confirmed to have slept with Demitrias. It been two days since announcing my intention to the Guards and only a handful of men who sided with Juden Trilavantas have pledged their loyalty to me. Without needing to be told, Sky had assigned men to keep an eye on this small group, knowing that until we are one hundred percent certain of their loyalty, we will have to be careful around them. “Have the three ladies who are confirmed to be pregnant agreed to a DNA test?” I ask Sky as he walks over and steals a strawberry from my plate. “Yes they have. We already obtained a sample of Demitrias’ saliva and if the test confirms he is the father, we will be firing those ladies and giving them enough compensation from the Trilavantas estate to tide them over until the children are in school. The others suspected of sleeping with both Demitrias and Juden have been fire
Chapter 8 "Turn left right here. Its the last shack on the street" The hummer turns at the next street, Sky effortlessly navigating the rough slums with my help. The trip was short, about an hour from the Palace with the slums being on the south side of the Capitol, and this opportunity gave me a chance to see just how my city is divided. After a minute of driving onto the road, the vehicle begins to slow as Sky navigates the many large pot holes in the road. “Tough street.” He sighs out, his knuckles on the steering wheel turning white as he holds it in a deathlike grip. “Its worse after a storm. One wrong step and you end up knee deep in a hole.” Chuckling, I begin pointing out where the worst ones are until finally Sky pulls up beside the shack and shuts of the engine. “No offense, but this place looks unsafe.” He muses as we climb out of the Hummer. I shiver from the cold winter air and hurriedly make my way towards the back with Sky following behind me. "It looks better insi
Chapter 9 Standing in front of the familiar wooden door with the paint chipping and pealing away, my hand is raised to knock, to let Liz and Ron know I am home, but the nerves inside me causes me to hesitate. "You going to knock?" Sky asks, concern lacing his voice. "Eventually" He sighs at my answer and steps beside me, knocking on the door. Instinct tells me to run and hide, but a strong grip on my wrist keeps me in place as Sky gives me a helpless sigh. I know he is doing this for my own good, but I don’t think I am ready to face Ron and Liz. A muffled shuffle coming from the other side of the door tells me it is to late to back down now and in seconds the door is pulled open, Liz’s smiling face morphing into one of shock. "Allison?" Her voice cracks as tears slowly make their way down her wrinkled face before her surprisingly strong arms pull me into her for a hug. She smells like cinnamon and in moments my own tears fall from my eyes and I return her hug. "Ron, come here" Sh
Chapter 10 The ride back to the Palace is quiet, Sky focused on getting back safe and sound while I reply the nice night I had seeing Ron and Liz again. I wished they had agreed to move into the Palace but knowing that still treat me the same is the best outcome for me. One of the things I know I will need to get done as soon as winter ends is fix the roads leading to the Slums. With this, many of the residents there can easily leave to find better jobs and return safely without having to worry about the cracks and pot holes in the road. “So what do you think of my honorary grandparents?" I finally ask Sky as he turns onto the farm that will take us to the garage. "They are nice people." I laugh at Sky's answer as he presses a button and the barn doors open. He drives slowly into the underground parking until the hummer is returned to it’s rightful spot. "Either way, you're going to come with me when I visit them right?" I ask while climbing out of the Hummer and grabbing my bag f
Chapter 11 "See that girl?" A calming voice with a slight southern accent calls out as he helps his son to weed the garden. "The one singing to the roses?" The boy asks, his green eyes watching the little girl as she sings a lullaby to the flowers. "Yes my boy." "What about her father?" The young boy looks to his father wondering what this lesson is about. The girl is only three and he is eight. Why would he be interested in a girl wearing a frilly dress. "That is our future Queen, Princess Allisara. If you plan on being in the Royal Guards, you must learn to protect the people and things that she loves. Do you understand?" "Yes father..." ♔ Jerking awake from my dream, I look around the unfamiliar dark room wondering just where I am. It takes a moment for me to realize that I spent the night reading in the Library while Allisara researched into law making and abolishing. A soft sound made me reach for my gun ready to take down any threat but I soon realize that the sound is A
Chapter 12 "Some one help me!" Pressing myself against the sturdy tree, I find the nearest branch and use it to swing at the wild dogs. Their barking and howling fill the air and their sharp teeth snap towards me, dripping with saliva. If help doesn’t come soon, I will be their dinner. "I'm coming!" A boyish voice calls out, over the sound of the dogs. I do my best to fend off the dogs until someone fights his way through the horde, slicing away until he reaches my side. He shields my small body from the wild dogs, his sword swinging and slicing as they lunge at us. I try to see who it is that saved me but his face if blurred, as if my mind isn’t ready to let me see my savior. "Are you okay, Princess Allisara?" I nod yes when he looks at me, doing my best to keep my tears from falling. I don’t want this boy seeing me cry. “Take my hand then. When I give the signal, we run.” He instructs me, his right hand stretching out behind him as he stabs at a lunging wild dog, killing it befo
Chapter 13 Staring down at all the men standing in front of the stage, I notice the divide between the Guards that have sworn their loyalty to me versus those that are still loyal to Juden. Inwardly sighing, I look to Sky and Arian who stand in front of the stage facing the men before I look down to the list of names in my hand that Arian gave to me before we entered the Dining Hall. “You all probably know why you are here.” I begin, looking each and every man in the eyes. “As stated, it has been three days since I announced that I expect loyalty from my men. Many of you have bent the knee - including all of the Squires - but there is a small group who still refused to do so.” My eyes move to those loyal to the Trilavantas, many looking at me with distain while others look uninterested. Unfortunately for them, many will be imprisoned for their crimes that Arian and his men have uncovered. “When your name is called, step forward.” I order, lifting the list to chest level for the me
Chapter 14 “You sure you want to do this today Alli?” Staring at the door that will lead to the dungeon, I debate on if I am ready or not for this. The last time I saw Juden was six days ago when I barged into the Throne Room to take back what’s rightfully mine. “No, but I need to. He has all the answers I need.” Sky hums at my answer, his steady presence calming me. With a deep breath, I motion for the Guards to open the doors and begin to descend the stairs. Five minutes and I find myself on the first floor of the dungeons, expecting to see a damp dingy hallway and not a place brightly lit with secured doors spaced evenly on either side. “Which one is his?” I ask, looking towards Sky who takes the lead. “Last one on the left.” We walk in silence until we come to the cell, anxiety growing inside me. Something deep inside me tells me he is the reason why I grew up in the slums. “Has he said anything since being imprisoned?” I ask the Guard Max who was tasked to guard Juden. “Oth