Aakifahlynn scoffed after a few seconds of no response from Demarion, and she did not take his silence lightly, "Come on... There is no way... so I would just sum it up as the Emperor is not ready to reveal his hand, and in that case, I would like to make some things clear and set some ground rules and get an agreement going." "I hate not knowing..." She said that last part more to herself, but Demarion heard her. Demarion hid his amused look. Oh, Aakifahlynn was so cute when she was so clueless. All she'd heard were rumors they had been spreading themselves, but he was not worried. One trip outdoors into his Gazini Empire, and she would see for herself how wrong her knowledge of them was. Emperor Demarion Dracul knew with Aakifahlynn. When it came to them, seeing is believing, even though he could admit that even after witnessing, she was still skeptical. Goddess, she always gave him a hard time letting those walls down. But he was a very patient man. Looking into her gorgeous,
The Elite Stygian Market was different from what Aakifahlynn expected. It was utterly dissimilar from the one back home, that's for sure. This one was not a dark and scary alley. Though the one back home was not entirely dark, only the further on you got, the creepier things were. But this market was totally different. It was high-class throughout, not just at the beginning, and the farther in, the creepier it got. No. This is top-class. It is clean and holds a mixture of scents that are not stiflingly horrid. There are no hints of the stench of sewer and sweat, but there are signs of scrumptious sweet cakes and expensive fabric. This entire market is pristine. Beautiful stalls, pleasant people, oh, how the people were delightful and welcoming to her. Someone considered an outsider, not only an outsider but an enemy. Aakifahlynn assumes that because they saw the Ayacqueans as enemies because of their defiance of the throne, they also considered her an enemy. But no, she was
Sighting a shade of blue that would make her gorgeous blue eyes pop, Aakifahlynn gestured for that one to be taken down.They all ooohhed and ahhhed in agreement.It was a beautiful blue floor-length dress with a high slit to the side, thin straps, a deep v-neck, and a strapless low-cut back. The material felt terrific on Aakifahlynn's skin.Simply beautiful, one maid cooed in awe, and Aakifahlynn could not wait to see herself in this gorgeous dress.However, as she got ready, her mind was anything but peaceful. Aakifahlynn even recalled that they knew how she preferred her juice.That orange and grapefruit juice mixed, just like she preferred it...She was gathering that they knew her to a T.Aakifahlynn observed that it was also her room color preference, but this one bugged her; this one was her imagined choice; her room color back in the Kingdom of Tamaan was cream, not purple. So, how could they possibly know this?These people who lived far away in the Gazini Empire could not ha
"Now, let's have our dinner served before it gets cold," Demarion advised, and the table nodded in agreement.The servers standing off to the side jumped into action, dishing out this savory, mouthwatering meal. The different aromas filled the air, and all the herbs and spices used to prepare the dishes, along with that smell of steak done to perfection, were simply splendorous.Aakifahlynn licked her lips in anticipation and ran the tip of her thumb along her other fingertips, her hand twitching with a desire to reach for something.Her tension is discernible. But she would be patient, though who was she kidding? She was hungry. Aakifahlynn battled with herself, trying to maintain her composure. She reminded herself that she had nothing to prove to these people. Why should she care?Grab that juicy steak you've been eyeing, she tried to convince herself, rather than waiting to be served. But in the end, she told herself she did not care what the Emperor, even Demarion, thought of
"So, sweetheart, what are you planning on doing?" Aakifahlynn's mother, Arwen, broke the awkward and nervous laughter between the three. As far as Aakifahlynn's parents were concerned, they were already living a retired life, their finances were pretty good, and they could support their daughter until she got on her feet again. Meanwhile, Demarion simply stared daggers at Aakifahlynn. He would provide for her; she would want for nothing, but how could he tell her that right now? He flipped his fork between his fingers a few times as he contemplated. He'd already decided to allow this. Besides, half the Stygian is hers.Every time this happens, it is a new idea because she always starts off with a plan that includes a means of survival.These stalls were always left in the care of large, generational families, who would survive the test of time, honoring the contract she would set with strict instructions to be passed down from generation to generation.And if offered up to be run b
While Aakifahlynn settled in comfortably, her mind trickled to Jairus, and she debated again: Why did this happen? Why did he treat her this badly when he was made to love her? What did she do that deserved this? How could someone be so cruel and evil? Wicked even.Aakifahlynn knew she was not perfect. She'd done things in the name of protecting her Kingdom, but what happened to her in her past timeline was unjust.Aakifahlynn remembered begging Jairus to let her leave as she was unfit and unworthy of leading; she could no longer be helpful in the way she wanted to be and would only bring him down with her."The people need a strong leader, my love," she had urged. "You can't afford to have them see you as the weak Alpha King." Aakifahlynn pleaded."My name is feared in all the lands." Jairus roared."No one would dare challenge me." he pointed at himself, pushing into his chest, his features a dangerous snare."And what I say goes, I make the laws, and this, Aakifahlynn, is not happe
Aakifahlynn took the time to go through her list and grab each item off of it. Soon, she handed the sweet old lady named Ann a few gold coins for her purchases and then left.And lovely Ann could not stop giving her thanks. Before returning, Aakifahlynn wanted to pop into the bakery for some sweet cakes.She enjoyed them to the moon and back.On entering, she saw the lovely young woman she had met the last time. However, she looked distressed and a bit gloomy."Good evening, Dear." Aakifahlynn greeted gently and quickly glanced around for the sweet, active, and friendly redhead little girl seen at the bakery. She had warmed Aakifahkynn's heart on her last visit, but when Aakifahkynn did not see the sweet girl, Aakifahlynn's chest tightened.Pauline answered, but her voice was hoarse, almost a whisper: "Good evening, Queen Luna…how may I assist you this afternoon?""Pauline, where is Paula?" Aakifahlynn's intuitions told her something was off about this woman today.She did not know
The Kingdom of Tamman 1805 Drawing nearer to the castle's stylish, expansive black iron gates, standing tall, strong, and domineering with intricate patterns. On the tall, sturdy post on either side stood a ferocious black wolf statue on its hind legs, snout pointing towards the sky. Queen Luna Aakifahlynn noticed a crowd outside the gates from the backseat of the silver royal limousine, the first of its kind. One thing about the Royals, they had the best and the latest of what this wretched world had to offer. Setting closer, she could see that the crowd out here filtered out from what was happening inside the gate. She could hear the muffled screaming and shouting but could not clearly decipher what they were saying. However, suddenly the place went silent as Queen Luna Aakifahlynn focused her hearing, tuning in. It was as if someone knew she was tuning in and gave the order for silence. The uproar stopped. However, the people continued shouting and fist pumping in the air, 'Y