Friend

"She is not dead yet. I paid you for nothing" a man in a black cloak growled at another man. Both the men are wearing black cloaks, and are having a heated discussion under the blanket of darkness in a remote place. 

"She is not just anyone. She is the queen of the Raven clan. If the Raven prince gains a hint of our betrayal, he will kill us with his bare hands. Haste will only ruin our plan" the other one snapped right back, not caring that the man with whom he is speaking holds power in the royal court.

The first one is becoming restless.

"Fine, do whatever you want but kill her soon," he said impatiently.

"Alright, I will try to kill her soon" the second one promised.

On the other hand, in Windsor high, Valarie is taking books from her locker for her next class, when someone came and stood beside her. Her body became tense. 

"Hey" a soft masculine voice greeted her.

She relaxed and her heart skipped a beat. She recognizes his voice. He is the only person who is kind to her. 

"Hey" she greeted him back shyly. 

He is the prince of the Nester clan, Tyson Nester. He is handsome with his cute boyish looks. He is sweet and kind towards her. He makes it a point to greet her whenever he can, much to Tasha's displeasure.

Tyson leaned closer toward Valerie. He never got an opportunity to look at her completely, but the glimpses he saw is enough for him to conclude that she is a pretty girl. Too bad, she is stuck with the Ravens. 

"How is your day so far?" he whispered softly. 

Valarie meddled with the books she is holding.

"Just the usual," she told the truth.

They both know how everyone treats her. To every kid in school, she is just a slave of the Raven prince. That title is not enough to protect her from the wandering hands of some of the boys here, but they all know not to go too far. Because the Raven prince is known for his possessive nature. He will not share even his slave.

Tyson sighed deeply.

"Valerie, come with me. I will protect you from him. Just say yes. You can live a better life than this" he repeated his promise again. 

Valarie wanted to go with him badly. She is tired of living a life where she is treated as a commodity and a slave. But in a way she is responsible for whatever happened that night. If not for her, the queen would have been living a happy life now. Only two people know what exactly happened that night, and Valerie is one among them. The queen is suffering for her kindness.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I can't leave" she confessed truthfully.

Tyson is frustrated. 

"Why? Why can't you leave? You know I like you. If you come with me, then you can live a royal life. What is stopping you from leaving that forsaken place?" he asked her with frustration.

She remained silent, which made him slightly angry. He looked around the hall. He noticed that they are garnering unwanted attention from other kids. 

"Ok, wait for me after school," he said before leaving her reluctantly. He know other kids would bully her as soon as he leave. But he is helpless to do anything. Raphael Raven is 7 years their senior, he commands all four dragon clans with his word alone. He is dark, mysterious, and powerful.

After Tyson left her, Valerie became tensed. If Raphael finds out about this, he will not be pleased. There are so many eyes and ears that are spying on her, she is sure he already would have caught wind of this. She began to panic at how he would punish her. 

In the Raven palace, Raphael is sitting in his office and trying to search for the poison that might be used against his mother. The phone on his desk ran loudly, indicating an incoming call.

"Raven" he answered the call.

"Your highness, Nelson prince is planning to take her away with him" one of the employees from school whom he told to spy on Valerie revealed.

Raphael is quiet for a moment, thinking and calculating his move. It came to his notice that the Nelson prince has a crush on Valarie. Raphael has to give it to that kid, who likes her despite her not-so-appealing clothes and a face that she hides under her curls. But what surprised me, even more, is how she is resisting his invitation to run away with him. He will never let her escape, but she never tried either. That opal pendant will let him know where she is at all times. But she doesn't know that. No matter how much he tortures her, she is quietly taking it all.

He concluded that she wants to finish what she started. 

'Is she staying here to kill my mother? But why? It doesn't make any sense' he thought with frustration. With everything he is subjecting her to, she should have at least tried to run a dozen times now. But she didn't. She is not even trying to use Tyson's help. 

"Don't worry, she will not go with him" Raphael said offhandedly.

The other person hesitated a little.

"You are right your highness, she wouldn't go with him willingly. But Prince Tyson is so bewitched by her, that he is planning to take her away against her will. He is planning to kidnap her" he revealed.

Raphael frowned.

'Tyson is planning to kidnap her? Stupid kid ' he thought darkly.

The thought of her with any other man is making him feel uncomfortable. He shook his feelings off.

'She is just my slave, a girl who tried to kill my mother. I will not let him take her away. I need her to save my mother' he thought angrily.