Von“Your majesty, you have visitors.” The sound of my guard’s voice caught my attention. I had been staring at the grave where my wife was buried. It was sad, that I never got the opportunity to give her a befitting burial and every day it haunts me.I sighed, turning to look at my guard who hadn’t left his spot since he delivered the message.“Who are these visitors you speak of?”He bowed his head. “The councilmen.”I sighed louder than before. I knew why they were here. They probably wanted to ask why I hadn’t given them the news of an heir. Bloody bastard, that’s all they cared about.“Tell them I’m not around!” I said, regaining myself. “And escort them out once you do.”The guard nodded. I made up my mind to give him a promotion if he ended up getting rid of the councilmen. I knew they wouldn’t leave until they had seen me. As much as I hated them, I admired their perseverance.I continued to stare at my wife’s grave, and some minutes later, the guard had returned. “Did they l
RaeThe sound of knocks pulled me from the deep abyss of my thoughts.I was curled in a ball, tucked under a blanket, as if their fragile embrace could shield me from the horrors of what had just happened. My body felt foreign, and I couldn’t stop the tears that stung my face.The knocking continued, and I ignored it, pulling the covers tighter, hoping whoever it was would go away. During that moment, the door opened, and I heard the sound of soft footsteps.“Rae?” It was Anna. I refused to look at her, my voice cracking as I yelled, “Get out!”She didn’t move. Instead, she took more steps forward.“I said get out!” I screamed, my voice breaking as fresh tears spilled down my cheeks.Anna stopped mid-step. “Rae...” she began, but I stopped her from saying more words.“Didn’t you hear what I said?” I snapped, glaring at her through tear-blurred eyes.But she doesn’t flinch. Her gaze shifted, and I saw her eyes land on the bloodstained sheets. Her expression changed at that moment.“Oh.
VonI was angry—no, furious—and that feeling burned through my veins like wildfire. I hated myself for what I had done. I was becoming like him.Calister’s voice echoed in my head.“You’re nothing like him!”“You’re Von! You’re different.” Her words continued to echo.Calister’s words seemed to do nothing. I was a ruthless person. Or in Rae’s words, I was a monster.The weight of my actions sat heavily on my chest, suffocating me. I couldn’t bear the feeling within me, so I turned to the one thing that could quiet it, if only for a while: a bottle of alcohol.I poured drink after drink, drowning in my thoughts. The liquor burned as it went down, but it wasn’t enough to numb the feeling. I kept drinking until the world blurred around me, and my legs felt like they couldn’t hold me up any longer.“I guess it’s time to call it a night,” I said, standing on my feet.I almost fell, but one of my guards who was standing close to me rushed to my side.“Your majesty.” He said, holding me up.
RaeWhen I saw Von, my chest tightened, and every nerve in my body screamed at me to run.Without thinking, I turned to flee, but his strides were longer and faster, and in no time, he caught up to me.His hand gripped my arm tightly, and I froze, too angry and too afraid to fight.“You had me worried.” He said in a firm voice. “I don’t want you wandering off ever again. Do you not understand that you’re mine now? My breeder.”His words ignited a fire in me, and I laughed bitterly, shaking my head.“I will never be what you want, Von,” I said. “Never.”His eyes darkened, and a cold smile played on his lips. “After what happened yesterday,” he said, in a stern voice, “you already are.”My breath hitched. The audacity of his words made my blood boil.“How can you talk about yesterday so casually?” I hissed, glaring at him. “After what you did to me?”For a moment, just a fleeting second, I see something flicker across his face—regret? Pain? But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, rep
VonThe minute my eyes landed on Rae my expression changed.“What are you going here?” I yelled. “I thought I told you to stay in the car.”“I didn’t feel like.” She snapped. “I have the right to do whatever I want don’t I?”My brows furrowed as I matched in her direction. Without hesitation, I roughly grabbed her in my hands, leading her towards the door.My face twisted in my friend’s direction mouthing to him that I would be back soon.The minute we were out of the building I came across my driver who was heading in my direction, “I told you to watch her. What were you doing?”The driver’s face paled as he stammered, “My lord, I tried. She ignored my warnings. I did everything I could.”“Clearly, it wasn’t enough,” I snapped, before facing Rae, my fury barely contained. “Why don’t you ever listen?”Rae lifted her chin and met my glare with one of her own. “I don’t take orders from you,” she said in a thick tone. “And if you must know, I was going to expose you. I planned to tell an
RaeThe next morning, I woke up feeling a bit lighter. I wasn’t sure if it was the sleep or the temporary sense of peace I felt being away from Von. I found myself in the kitchen with Anna, and for the first time in a while, I felt like I could breathe.We were laughing, joking about old stories we’d heard about Queen Calister.“I heard she once made a servant scrub the floor with their shirt because they missed a spot,” I said, grinning.Anna frowned. “I remember when that happened. It was a horrific moment.”“I could only imagine what that poor servant went through,” I replied.“It was a sad experience, but not as sad as when she made the chef cry because he undercooked her meat. The poor man couldn’t show his face for weeks!”“That’s terrible!” I exclaimed. “Sometimes I wondered what made her so cold.”“She married a cold man what did you expect? The king ruined her.”I muttered. “Just like he wants to ruin my life.”My voice wasn’t as low as I thought it would be, and Anna happene
Rae The hallway stretched out in front of me as I increased my steps, only to stop when I felt a slight pull on my left arm. “Not so fast.” Kayla’s voice rang out behind me. I couldn’t believe she followed me. Why wouldn’t she let me be? I turned to meet Kayla’s eyes which were blazing with anger. Her presence immediately set me on edge. “What do you want, Kayla?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, though I could feel my pulse quicken. She stepped closer. “What do I want? After all the damage you’ve done, you have the audacity to ask me that?” “I haven’t done anything to you,” I said defensively, though I knew my words would do little to calm her rage. “You ruined Damien’s life!” she spat. “You killed my best friend and ended the Alpha’s legacy.” Her accusation hit me like a slap, but I didn’t let her see the effect it had on me. “I didn’t ruin Damien’s life, Kayla. The rogues killed him. I lost him too.” Her expression twisted into something cruel. “If Damien
VonThe driver slammed on the brakes, jolting me from my thoughts. I frowned, turning to him. “Why did you stop?”He looked nervous, his eyes darting to the road ahead. “There’s a body on the ground, my lord.”A cold chill ran down my spine. “A body?”Without waiting for a reply, I opened the car door and stepped out. The night air was heavy, and as I walked toward the figure lying motionless on the road, dread began to claw at me. My steps quickened, and when I finally saw who was on the floor, my breath caught in my throat.It was Rae. How did she get here?I dropped to my knees, carefully scooping her up into my arms. “Rae…” I murmured, her body limp and bruised.Anger took over, replacing the shock I felt within. I was sure she was trying to escape when she ran into trouble.I pushed my anger away. Right now, she needed help.“Get us to the nearest hospital,” I barked at the driver.“Yes, my lord,” he stammered, hurrying to comply.As we sped toward the hospital, I couldn’t tear m
Von The sound of the crowd's cheers echoed through the gate, as I raised the artifact in my hand. “I have found a way to end the curse,” I repeated.“To save us all!” I continued. “This would wipe off the pain and suffering we have endured.”“Our lives shall once again be filled with joy.” They continued to cheer me on but their joyous voices faded behind me as I turned my back on them, my heart hammering in my chest. I needed to see Rae. Now.“The Luna has given birth,” Roy said as I stepped through the entrance. His voice was calm, but the weight of his words brought me to a halt. I looked at him in disbelief. “What?” “It’s a girl,” he added, smiling. I didn’t waste a second. My feet carried me up the stairs like the wind was at my back. When I opened the door, I saw Rae—cradling the child in her arms, her face bathed in soft light. My breath caught in my throat.She looked up at me with tired eyes, and then down again at the tiny baby bundled against her chest. I moved c
RaeI stood in front of the mirror, my hand hovering gently over my stomach. My skin was stretched, round, and tight.I rubbed my hands round my stomach and I smiled, but the smile didn’t last. It had been four months since Von had left. Four months since I had last seen him. I never got to say goodbye. The thought still ached deep inside me. I wished I had listened to Anna, wished I had stopped him or at least spoken to him before he left, but I didn’t. I let my emotions take over and eat my mind.Behind me, a voice broke the silence. “Are you okay?” Anna’s voice was soft. I turned to face her and nodded slowly. “I’m fine… I was just thinking. The baby’s almost here.” She stepped closer, worry written all over her face. “Are you scared?” I hesitated before answering. “I’m worried. Not for myself… for the baby.” Anna furrowed her brow. “Why? The baby will be born into a better world—once Von returns with the artifact.” “That’s what scares me,” I whispered. “What if they
Von The distance between Rae and me grew day by day. And I didn’t try to close it. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I understood why it was happening. This was too much for her to process—there was too much pain involved. She needed space, and I wasn’t going to force my presence into a storm she hadn’t calmed yet.So I kept to myself, locking the emotions away and burying my mind in strategy. Every hour was spent thinking, reading old texts, flipping through scrolls.I was searching for any solid thread that could lead to the artifact the seer spoke of. I wanted to be sure that it was real and just something that was made up, when I finally found an old book that documented old artifact I was happy. So it exited. As I closed that book, I made my decision. I was going to find it. And I wasn’t going alone.Landon was coming with me.The idea settled like steel in my bones. I dragged myself out of bed, the morning chilly air biting at my skin as I stood before the mirror and
Von I was torn between two options—go after Rae or deal with the information that the guard just delivered to me.My feet itched to chase her down the servants’ quarters, and to make her feel better… but duty pulled me in the other direction.Roy was already a few steps ahead, and I followed him down the corridor, my gaze still locked on the hallway Rae had disappeared into.“He told you he found a witch?” I asked, my voice sharp.Roy nodded without looking back. “Yes, Your Majesty. Said he found her near the valley.”“And you believe that nonsense?” I pressed, picking up my pace.“What do you mean?” Roy glanced back at me.“Do you really think he found a real witch? Or is this just some random old woman he picked up to fool us again?” My tone was filled with suspicion.Roy hesitated. “I… I don’t know. He seemed sure of her. That’s all I can say.”I didn’t push him further. I clenched my jaw and kept walking, letting silence carry the weight of my thoughts. Landon was a snake—one wh
Rae I stared at Anna in disbelief, my lips parted but no words coming out. I couldn’t believe what I just heard. I felt like I was in a nightmare. I managed to pull myself out of the haze staring back at Anna. “You’re saying… I have to die to save the kingdom?” My voice cracked as I spoke, and my legs felt unsteady beneath me.Anna gave a slow nod, her eyes filled with sadness.“I don’t understand,” I said, forcing myself to stand. “Why me? How am I the reason for the curse?”“I don’t know, Rae,” she replied gently. “But Von might. He’s been keeping everything to himself. I think he knows more than he’s saying.”I shook my head. “This can’t be real. I refuse to believe it.”My heart pounded in my chest. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The walls were closing in. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind, crashing into each other. I didn’t want to cry, but tears burned behind my eyes anyway.Anna stepped closer. “Please calm down. Landon’s looking for a witch. He believes there might b
RaeThe dim light crept into view, it was blurry and soft at first, like a distant memory trying to settle into focus. My head felt heavy, and my body… foreign. I blinked a few times, trying to ground myself in the space around me. Everything was unfamiliar. I was disoriented. My arms ached, and when I looked down, I noticed wires—tubes—stripped across my body. I couldn’t tell if they were for healing or restraint.Then suddenly I heard soft sobs which broke through my haze.I turned my head, and my eyes landed on Anna. She was hunched over in a chair across the room, her shoulders trembling. Her voice cracked as she muttered to herself, “I think I’ve made a mistake… I shouldn’t have let him go…”What was she talking about? And why was she crying?“Anna…” My voice came out hoarse, it was low and if she wasn’t sitting close by. I was sure she wouldn’t have heard it.Anna’s head jerked up after those words left my lips. Her eyes widened like she’d seen a ghost. “Rae?” she gasped. T
VonThe moment, I saw Landon move I halted my steps, trying to figure out where he was heading. He directed his horse towards the side of the river while he rested on one of the stones. He was facing me now, but because of the trees I was well hidden and I couldn’t be easily detected. I kept watching, waiting for the opportunity when he would finally turn his back. Eventually, he did, and just as I was about to launch myself at him, my horse let out a sharp, loud snort.Landon jerked his head up and during that moment his eyes found mine. I wondered if he had seen me, but the moment I saw him reach for his horse I got the answer to my question.Landon pulled his horse out of the river in one fast move, climbed onto the saddle, and kicked hard. The animal responded instantly, racing through the shallow water, splashing and tearing through the trees.“Landon!” I growled, then yanked my reins.I mounted quickly and dug my heels in. My horse moved forward, its hooves digging into the t
VonI stared at Anna with a coldness that could freeze fire. My eyes locked onto hers, searching for answers, for some kind of remorse, but all I saw was silence. Her lips stayed pressed together, and it was clear she wasn’t planning on explaining anything anytime soon.My anger ignited. It roared up from my chest like a beast unchained. I hit her against the cage once again.“You dare remain silent?” I growled through clenched teeth. “You set him free and you stand here with your mouth shut like it means nothing?”Her gaze flicked to mine, and finally, she spoke in a soft tone. “Even if I explain things to you… you’ll never understand.”I scoffed, tightening my grip. “Did he promise you something? Huh? Is that it? Did Landon feed you some sweet little story?”“No,” she snapped back. “He didn’t promise me anything.”I let out a humorless laugh. “Then why? What in the hell made you think this was a good idea?”She yanked her arm out of my grasp. “Because he said he wants to help this c
Von The night had arrived.I sat in my chambers, wide awake. My sword rested beside me on the table, a sharp glint catching the flicker of torchlight from the wall. I hadn't slept, not even for a second. My instincts told me tonight would be the night they'd try it—the traitors among my guards. Anna’s warning had been clear, and my men were ready. My loyal guards were stationed throughout the palace, hiding in shadows, crouched in corners, armed to the teeth.I paced slowly across the room, boots echoing faintly against the stone floor. Then—just as I paused—came the sound. A low grunt. Then another. It started outside my door. The fight had begun.I moved quickly into the shadows, pressing my back against the cold wall. I could hear the scuffle grow louder. Then came footsteps rushing toward my chamber. Someone was coming for me.I didn’t move.I waited.The door creaked open. I saw the silhouette step in, sword drawn. He didn’t see me. He thought I’d be asleep.He took three step