ROYAL BLOOD

Decreash Imperial castle Lightning split the heavens, casting a fleeting glow across her face before the darkness swallowed it whole. Beyond the tall windows of the winding hallways, raindrops battered the tall windows, a relentless sound that rhymed with the sound of two feet pounding against the floor. Katie raced the hallway, gliding through the dark with the wild grace of something not wholly mortal. Her pale blue nightgown streamed behind her, and each flash of lightning unveiled her only in fragments, a glimmer of frightened eyes, the fleeting outline of a face too lovely to belong entirely to this world. Upon the stone wall her shadow raced beside her, thin and wavering, like a restless spirit struggling to keep pace with the body. Her face was etched with nothing but fear, the chain on her ankle jingled with every desperate step, her dark hair sweeping across her face in disarray. "Queen Katie, halt! In the name of the king of Decreash!" The guard's command rang throug

Canna Imperial Castle ********Present This was the third time Yumi was bringing her lean fingers to the perfectly structured necklace on her neck. It was a subtle reminder that she was exactly where she needed to be. But if she had a choice, she would have chosen otherwise. She was seated on one of the chairs at the head of the long table with the kind of composure that made the whole chamber bend around her. The council elders spoke in turns, their aged voices filling the hall in a tiresome stream of opinions. They wagged their tongues with the confidence of men who had mistaken years for wisdom. She was already getting a headache from their torturous voice, yet she allowed them to continue; there was discipline in her silence. One of the members made a comment that caught her attention, and the corner of her mouth tightened by the smallest degree. It was a subtle thing, almost easy to miss. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes flickering ahead to the empty chair across th

Someone yawned. Someone else cursed under their breath. A pot lid clattered, and that was the beginning of it. “Who moved the honey?” “I didn’t touch it. Check the lower shelf, no, the other lower…. " “That’s salt, you fool!” A maid hurried past with a bowl of eggs cradled against her chest. She paused only when another servant blocked her path, both of them shifting left, then right, then left again in a silent argument of movement. “Just go,” the other muttered. “I would if you would choose a side.” They slipped past each other at last. This was the daily bustle of the royal kitchen every blessed morning. Before dawn had fully broken, the servants were already up, trying within their reach to get breakfast ready in time. “Make way…make way!” The cry cut through the room as a line of maids hurried in, arms laden with platters of polished silver flashing in the firelight, heaped with buttered loaves, honey-glazed meats, and fruits. Their steps were quick and feasible, movin

The stench of alcohol reached Johanna before she even crossed the threshold. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. For a moment she considered turning back, but she dismissed the thought immediately. She had not come this far to retreat. With a sharp motion, she pushed the door open, holding a napkin over her nose as she stepped into William's chamber, her gaze sweeping the room like that of a hunting eagle. In one corner, two musicians played languid melodies, one plucking the strings of a harp and the other coaxing soft notes from a flute. Around the room, concubines swayed to the music, their bodies moving with practiced seduction. Their near-nudity made Johanna's eyes sore, though it was not a sight unfamiliar to her. William sat at the center of the spectacle, one concubine perched on his lap, his arm lazily draped around her waist as she peppered his face with kisses. The others circled him eagerly, each desperate to earn a glance of his attention. At last, he shoved the woman fro

Tamina lifted the silver cup filled with wine toward her lips but stopped midway. Amber’s words echoed in her mind, and for a moment she could only blink in stunned disbelief. Slowly, she lowered the cup back onto the table. “What?” she muttered, her brows knitting together as confusion distorted her otherwise beautiful face. “You heard me the first time,” Amber replied sharply, irritation flashing in her eyes. “I will not repeat myself.” She leaned slightly forward, lowering her voice. “Have you forgotten the plan, Tamina?” Tamina only stared at her, still trying to process what she had just heard. “Mother, you should not discuss such matters here,” she cautioned quietly, her gaze sweeping the room in careful vigilance. Fortunately, no maids or guards were present. Amber had earlier dismissed the attendants, knowing they would need privacy. “I am not foolish enough to discuss such things if others were present,” Amber replied coolly. “It seems you have begun to lose faith