LOGINSilence.Complete silence.Santos lay on the floor, dazed.Even the women at the doorway had stopped moving.Aramisius stood over his brother, chest rising once.Then twice.His fists remained clenched.Then he turned.And looked directly at Aeryl."Leave."The word cracked through the room.Aeryl flinched."No."His eyes narrowed."I said leave.""No!"The answer escaped before she could stop it.Several maids hurried toward the sisters immediately."My ladies—"Lilah didn't argue this time. She looked frightened enough to move.But Aeryl stepped around them.She looked at Santos.Then at Aramisius.Then back again."No."The room seemed to still.Aramisius stared at her.She stared back.One of the maids gently touched her arm."My lady, please…"Aeryl shook her off."No! You're angry and not listening!"She moved forward.The maids gasped.Lilah looked horrified."Aeryl!"She reached him.Actually reached him.She grabbed his arm."Listen to me first."He looked down at her hand.T
Both sisters stared through the narrow opening.Aeryl looked completely stunned and Lilah looked equally horrified."Oh...." Aeryl, muttered. A long silence ensued except for the wild smack of bodies and orgasmic bliss coming from within the room that was sheerly made of forbidden ecstasy."Oh," Lilah repeated. Aeryl slowly covered her mouth.Inside the room, Santos was speaking softly to the woman and torturously slamming his palm hard against her pinkened, stinging buttocks.Neither sister could hear the words anymore. Lilah suddenly grabbed Aeryl's hand."We should go back."Aeryl blinked."What?""We should leave.""But....""Now."Aeryl looked through the opening again."But he saw me earlier.""Exactly!"Aeryl frowned."Then perhaps we should let him know that I saw him too. Maybe knock?."Lilah looked at her in disbelief."Why would you do that?""So he doesn't think I'm hiding and he'd know I caught him twice and he'd know I know him now."Lilah looked even more horrified."No
Meanwhile, Aramisius was losing patience. His chambers had grown completely silent and the fire had burned lower.The stack of letters beside him had not moved for several minutes. Because he had read the same line three times.His eyes slowly lifted toward the clock.5:27.Silence remained. But his expression darkened.She was late. Very late.He leaned back slightly in his chair and wondered. Where could she possibly be?She did not know the castle well enough to wander alone. She feared half the corridors. And despite everything, she usually obeyed instructions eventually....Eventually.His fingers tapped once against the arm of his chair. Then again. And again. Still, there was silence. He looked toward the doors. Nothing.His jaw tightened with anger boiling from his blood.Another minute passed. Then suddenly...."Velveta."The word cracked through the room. No answer. His expression hardened."Velveta."Still nothing. The fire popped softly. That was enough for him to know th
The messenger was still waiting patiently outside Lilah's chambers. Aeryl paused and looked at her nervously.She then shut the door back quietly. "I really do need to meet Aramisius soon, I realize.""You do." Lilah agreed.Aeryl blinked."But first…" Lilah said, lowering her voice, "we must investigate fast. Remember you'll be leaving soon."Before Aeryl could protest, Princess Lilah opened the door again and spoke to the messenger."We'll be back shortly."And just like that, the messenger curtsied."Of course, my lady."And that was all. No questions. No objections. The woman simply resumed waiting.Aeryl stared in surprise. That was it?Lilah took her hand and started walking. Aeryl hurried after her."What?" Lilah whispered when Aeryl wouldn't look away from her."She just.… let us go.""Yes.""Just like that?""Yes."Aeryl looked over her shoulder. The messenger was still there, waiting. Not following. Not stopping or looking at them."This is strange."Lilah smiled."It gets
Even after all these years, saying it aloud remained unsettling. Santos finally asked.“What did he say?”Aramisius' expression did not change.“The same thing.”Silence. Then, he resumed. “He said.…”A slight tightening crossed his jaw.“….that I forget too quick.”The fire popped softly. Santos looked away. Because he knew exactly who "he" was.Another long silence followed. Then Aramisius spoke again.“Before I killed the dog.…”He looked directly into the flames.“He said something else.”Santos slowly raised his eyes. Aramisius' voice became lower, almost distant.“But he wants me to drink from the dogs and live. That's if I lose the hybrid Princess Aeryl.”Nothing moved. The room itself seemed to still. Santos' face lost color.No matter how many years passed.... those words never became easier to hear. Finally he whispered.“My lord.…”Aramisius continued staring at the fire.“He always says it eventually.”Silence.... Then Santos continued:“He'd say DRINK.”Another pause.“L
“Where else would she meet me?”The servant swallowed hard and bowed low.“Of course, my lord.”Aramisius continued walking without another word. And somewhere deep inside the palace, Aeryl still had no idea that in a few moments, her journey toward Elyria would truly begin.********The chamber felt quieter than usual but it was not peaceful. Iwas just heavy with the knowledge that everyone would soon separate for a serious course.Candles burned softly against the walls while travel maps and folded letters rested across the table nearby.Seth stood near the center of the room fastening the dark gloves around his hands as Ariana watched him silently.Lilah sat beside her mother, unusually quiet than usual.And Aeryl? Aeryl stood closest to her father, trying very hard not to feel like the world kept moving faster than she could keep up with.Seth finally looked toward them fully and exhaled.“Well,” he said gently, “I suppose this is the part where everyone pretends not to worry.”
Chatters filled the grounds. ********But not all kingdoms opposed the union.In eastern mountain territories, several rulers remained cautious instead. One king spoke during a private gathering:“If the matebond is real, separating them may become catastrophic.”“And if prophecy awakens?”The ro
“It’s better to stay in the cage. Not everyone gets the chance to fly out and live.”Aeryl stilled.For the first time since she met him, he sounded tired in the middle of words that were absolute threats.The silence between them stretched quietly after his words. The fire crackled softly.Outside
Night settled heavily over the chamber and the fire crackled softly near the far wall, throwing flickering gold across the dark stone room. Aeryl lay quietly near the edge of the bed while Aramisius stared out the windows, one hand resting behind his back. The silence between them had become stran
For one brief moment, the corner of his mouth almost moved again.Almost.Then he walked past her toward the chamber doors.“The messenger waits.”Aeryl spun toward him immediately.“You cannot just leave after saying THAT. Tell me what's going on between the both of us.”“I have no words for now.”







