Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

>>> FATE.MAYBE? 

Inside the Grand Northern Hall, the atmosphere felt tense.

Prince Dominus, his sisters Cierra and Aurora, and their brother, Prince Brevin waited in silence for their father, King Kaelen, to join them for dinner.

Prince Brevin squirmed in his chair, his small stature making him feel even more out of place among his towering siblings. His narrowed eyes searched the ceiling for an escape route, desperate to evade the prying gazes of Cierra and Aurora. They hated him; he could feel it in their laughter and the way they exchanged glances when they thought he wasn’t looking.

With a frustrated groan, Brevin gripped the armrests tightly, pushing himself back against the chair. His feet barely grazed the ground, a constant reminder of his dwarfism. Just as he leaned back, his sisters burst into mocking laughter, their eyes darting to his chair. But Brevin ignored them, his focus fixed on the high vaulted ceiling. 

The next moment, Dominus glanced around when he noticed footsteps approaching. They thought it was their father but were disappointed to see maids walking in with drinks and food. The soft echo of footsteps filled the hall as the girls continued to make their way inside until Dominus locked eyes with Akira. Once their eyes met, he pushed his chair backward, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief, jolting everyone at the table.

Meanwhile, as soon as Akira saw him, she froze in place, unable to move. The tray of drinks in her hands wobbled to the side, and Akira's heart raced, her breath catching in her throat. It was Prince Dominus; her eyes weren't deceiving her. Memories of his torment flooded her mind immediately. Akira couldn't help it, her body trembled as she stood there, and the drinks fell from the tray, crashing directly to the floor and grabbing everyone's attention.

The moment the drinks crashed to the floor, a hush fell over the hall. The sounds echoed, reverberating off the stone walls. The other maids at the front froze instinctively; some gasped, and others covered their mouths in surprise to avoid making a sound. Each of them knew what it meant for a maid to make a scene in front of the royal family. Akira was doomed.

However, Madam Estelle's mouth was still agape, her eyes wide as she stared at Akira in disbelief. She understood the weight of such a blunder, especially in front of royalty. With a trembling gasp, Madam Estelle dropped to her knees. “My Lord, I’m so sorry,” she pleaded, bending over. “Please forgive me; it was an accident. She will be disciplined at once.”

The urgency and fear in her voice were palpable, making Akira slightly shocked but also confirming her doubts. It was Prince Dominus, and she was in the Northern Pack. The realization hit her like a lightning bolt. But all Akira could do was lower her head, her gaze falling to the floor as a thread of humiliation washed over her.

“I swear I am really sorry, my lord. I promise it won't happen again. She will be disciplined at once when we get inside. I will ask the guards to give her fifty lashes and make sure she doesn't serve any of you again,” she assured him, hands clasped together.

“No!” Prince Dominus's voice shocked Madam Estelle. “It's fine, let her continue to serve.” He announced, and Madam Estelle shifted uncomfortably, slowly raising her head to catch a glimpse of his features. She couldn't believe he just let it go like that; it was so unlike him.

Dominus stepped forward, standing in front of Akira, and her heart dropped to her stomach at once. 

Her mind pounded in her chest, and her wolf growled in both anger and pain. She was ready to tear out and fight; she couldn't think of allowing Akira to go back to Dominus.

Akira's fists clenched together as his shadow covered her; his huge figure towered over her. He stretched out his hand, grabbing her chin. Her heart stopped beating instantly as their eyes met again.

Madam Estelle, still on her knees, glanced up at Dominus, her voice trembling. “Please, my lord let me handle it ,I will make sure to punish her myself you don't need to bother on a thing like her” 

Akira's eyes stopped blinking, her heart no longer beating. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stay this way, but she was willing to do anything to ensure that Dominus didn't recognize her. Her appearance hadn't changed much, except for the fact that her hair was cut haphazardly, aimed at making her look ugly. But that didn’t work for Akira.

“What is her name?” Dominus's grip on her chin was firm as he asked.

Madam Estelle looked up, stammering. “Uh, um, my lord. Her name is Nia, my lord. She is just a slave.”

“From where?” Dominus asked. Akira finally blinked—one, two, three—but she was able to control herself so she didn’t show any signs that might make him suspect it was her. There wasn't much change in her physical features, but she believed that if she kept up the act, he wouldn't know.

Madam Estelle narrowed her gaze, slightly surprised that the prince was asking such vital information that she didn’t know. No one told her which pack they brought the slaves from when they handed them over to her. She swallowed hard, taking her time not to give a foolish reply.

“I don't know, my lord. She's just one of those bastard rogues who crossed into our territory to steal and then got caught,” she said teasingly, letting out a small laugh afterward, but Dominus didn’t buy it.

“When did she get caught trying to steal?” This time, he shifted his gaze from Akira to Madam Estelle, and the blood ran cold immediately.

"I'm sorry, my lord, but I think it was around three years ago when you were away," she lied through her teeth, trying to cover her own tracks. She knew that if she had said it was a week ago, she would be blamed for bringing an amateur to serve the Grand King's family, so she lied.

Akira controlled her reaction when she heard what the old lady said. She couldn't afford to show any signs of shock now that she was in front of him. Three years ago? Akira couldn’t believe she just lied to Dominus, and she wondered why she had to cover for her.

Dominus stared at Akira for a little longer, his grip on her chin loosening slightly, his face a picture of indecision. He wasn't sure if he should believe Madam Estelle or trust his own instincts that told him this was his lost Akira. But one thing was certain: he knew Madam Estelle wouldn’t dare lie to him, so he believed her. If she said the maid was brought in three years ago, then it couldn’t be his Akira; it had to be her doppelgänger.

With that, Prince Dominus let go of her chin, his mind still reeling with thoughts of how the maid resembled Akira so closely. Perhaps she had a twin sister elsewhere, he concluded, and made his way back to his seat, disappointed.

Once he turned away, Akira heaved a deep, silent sigh of relief. She felt a ghost of happiness twirling inside her head, glad that they had escaped. But for Akira, it was a short-lived victory. How much longer could she stay before he realized that Madam Estelle had lied about when she was brought in?