LOGINMaureen Laskovic:“Listen to me!” Cassian shouted, struggling against the guards’ hold. “All of you! Yes, I hate Vuk! I despise him! But rape? I would never lower myself to touch her! I do not even fancy her! Ask your next question!”The Hall fell into a tense silence.His words were loud.Desperate.Ugly.I did not flinch.“Guards,” I said evenly, without taking my eyes off him. “Take her away.”Celeste trembled as the guards gently guided her out of the Hall. She did not resist. She did not look at him.Cassian tried to follow her with his gaze, but the guards tightened their grip on his arms.Then I turned to him fully.“And lock him in the lower cells,” I added.His expression shifted then — not anger this time.Shock.“You cannot—”“I can,” I cut in coldly. “And I will.”He opened his mouth again, but the guards dragged him back before he could finish. His boots scraped loudly against the marble floor as he was pulled away.His punishment wou
Maureen Laskovic:The files were spread across the desk in front of me.Every page. Every name. Every plan.I stood there for a long moment, staring at the proof of betrayal written in Cassian’s own hand. Vuk was not in the Hall. And that meant this was mine to handle.Mine.I did not hesitate.“Summon him,” I ordered.The guards moved at once.When Cassian entered the Hall, he walked in like he always did — chin high, shoulders back, as if he still believed he had power here.I did not give him time to speak.“Kneel.”The word echoed.He stopped.His eyes narrowed at me, insult flashing across his face. For a moment, I thought he might refuse.Then he looked around.At the guards.At the council members watching.Slowly, stiffly, he dropped to his knees in the center of the Hall.“My lady…” he began carefully. “Have you summoned me to disgrace me?”I did not answer.The maid at my side stepped forward and placed a glove in my hand.I slid it on slowly.Deliberately.Then I descended
Celeste:The slap came fast and sharp.For a second, I tasted nothing but heat.My head snapped to the side, my cheek burning where his hand had struck me. The sting spread slowly, like fire crawling under my skin. I lifted my face, slow and steady, and looked at Cassian.He was relaxed on the couch like nothing had happened. One leg crossed over the other. Smoke curled from the cigarette between his fingers. He kept talking about his plans against Vuk, complaining about how nothing was working, how his advisors were useless.Every plan he made kept failing.And still, he blamed me.“One week,” he had said. “One week and you bring me nothing.”As if he could ever get close to Vuk the way I had. As if he could charm secrets out of anyone. He was angry because he was small. Because he was losing.And I was the easiest thing to hit.He flicked ash into a tray and looked at me like I was dirt.“Teach her what happens when she wastes my time.”His men moved before I could even blink.The f
Maureen Laskovic:The soft rustle of fabric was the only sound for a heartbeat after the dressing-room curtain parted.Nyxara stepped through.“Oh my goodness…” The words slipped out of me before I could catch them. “You look beautiful, Nyxara.”She really did.Her dark skin caught the warm, diffused light in a way that made it look polished, almost luminous—like midnight stone kissed by starlight. The long dress clung and flowed at the same time, every subtle shift of her body sending tiny ripples across the deep charcoal fabric. A thin silver thread had been woven through the neckline and along the sleeves; it caught the glow and shimmered faintly with each breath she took.Gods…She was breathtaking.Nyxara offered a small, shy smile—the kind that began in the crinkles at the corners of her eyes before slowly blooming across her lips. “Thank you, Maureen.”Her voice came quieter than usual, almost hushed, as though the moment itself demanded reverence.I blinked hard, fighting the
Maureen Laskovic[A Week Later — Royal Courtroom]“Your Majesty, please grant me this one wish. I beg you…”The woman’s desperate cry echoed across the courtroom as she hurried forward, clutching a file of medical reports. Her hands shook as she submitted them to me.“My husband cheated. He left me and our two children… and now he wants to take them from me. He calls me shameless. Says I carry diseases.” Her voice broke. “But look at my reports. They are clean.”Tears streamed down her face.I reached for the documents and carefully read through each page. Every test. Every result. Clean.The guards brought the husband forward. I listened to his side of the story as well. Accusations. Pride. Anger. No proof.When both had finished, I straightened in my seat.“My ruling is final,” I said firmly. “Until the investigation is completed, the children will remain at the Royal Children’s Care. They will be supervised and protected while this matter is settled.”The woman gasped softly, fear
Celeste:I was born into shadows.Not just shadows of the night, but shadows of people’s minds. My parents. My clan. The villagers. They saw me — me — as a stain. A curse. From the moment I drew my first breath, they whispered of misfortune, of ruin. They said a child like me would bring death. And in a way… they were right.At three, they took my eyes. Plucked them from my skull. Cold hands. Sharp instruments. And I… I felt nothing.Not sadness. Not fear. Not even pain.Just clarity.They told me it was to “save the world from me.” To prevent my greed, my dark heart, from spreading evil across the earth. A prophecy they murmured in frightened tones: She will devour what is good. She will bring fire where none should burn. She will curse the land itself.So they stole my eyes. And the prophecy whispered louder in the darkness.I hated them. I hated everyone. Everything. The world smelled wrong. It tasted of lies, of fear, of fragile life clinging desperately to meaningless morality.A
NyxaraThe kids were gone—safely bundled into blankets and stretchers, carried away by the Northern wolves toward the waiting choppers. Their small cries had faded into the wind, replaced by the low thump of rotors and the sharp commands of medics. The warehouse behind us was a silent graveyard of
– Vuk Kael LaskovićThe fortress gates closed behind us with a heavy thud that echoed through my bones like a war drum finally falling silent.We walked the corridors in charged quiet — no words, just the soft click of her heels and the low thunder of my pulse. Every guard we passed dropped to one
– Maureen Laurent“My glass,” he says, voice low and fierce. “And I will murder anyone who risks a single crack.”His arms are still around me, warm and iron-strong. The bond hums between us, bright and insistent, pulling me closer even as something inside me panics.I draw a careful breath.“Can I
– Vuk Kael LaskovićShe stood at the balcony doors, moonlight spilling over her like liquid silver, turning the bite on her shoulder into a living brand. My mark. My moon.I crossed the room in three strides, unable to stay away a second longer. My hands found her waist, careful—always so fucking c







