Belladonna's heart had thundered in fear as she felt herself slip down to the ground, her head feeling strangely too heavy for her to carry, as she wondered if the whole baby missing thing was all a set up to pull her away from Anok, by the people who were after her life.If this was just one of their missions. If they had used Aniya and her baby for that, or if Aniya was simply one of them too.Wondered if her parents had even left in the first place, or maybe they had not and this was one of their plans. If this was the people trying to kill her or her parents. But what difference would it make anyways.They were both after her life. Isa had made her intentions pretty clear. Belladonna had reached down for her heels, feeling the action taking a toll on her, as she observed the bare feet at her eye level, one that moved around frantically."I'm sorry---" she knew that shaky voice. That voice that always made her feel sick to her stomach. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I--- just want
He sat down on the bed, leaning towards her face, as his lips brushed lightly against hers and he grabbed her arms to further his assault.Disgust crawled underneath her skin and she clenched her fists, once again, an action she didn't make it all the way through. "I want to tell you something." She whispered and he frowned, pulling away to look back at her and make sure she wasn't hatching any crazy plans in her head. "I am doing this for us. You know that, right?" He asked, brushing his hand through his golden, curly hair. She nodded slowly, trying to fight the pain she could still feel from her throbbing head. Lytio's lips stretched into a small smile and he leaned down to hear what she had to say. "He will kill you." Her whisper was faint and his frown deepened, as he pulled away again. "I will do anything for us to be together. I don't care about the consequences."Her heart raced.He was obsessed and it didn't seem like she could stall him any longer, she had to attack him
Trigger warning: A little physical violence. Death too, maybe."I touched her! Did everything you would ever imagine and she loved it." He yelled, pulling against the chains that bounded him and making no progress. Someone had hit him from behind earlier and he had passed out. His head was aching and his whole body was in pain from how tightly the chains hugged his skin. He had woken up to see himself in a dungeon and soon afterward, he had been dragged here. Into this dark, empty, place. The only light was the torch in the King's hand that reflected on his golden mask. "She screamed my name. Told me she wished I was you and she didn't have to pretend to tolerate you just so you wouldn't kill her. You monster!" He struggled to stand up from the laying position they had pushed him into. It was uncanny to watch the King so still in front of him, his mask putting him at a great disadvantage in gauging his reaction to his words. Did he believe him?He couldn't figure it out. "Just
"She is my sister!" Someone's voice cut into the room. "Let me in!"There was a groan and the sound of someone stumbling in. Belladonna held her head, blinking as Aniya barged in, with Arlo placed against her chest, one hand on his back to hold him in place. "You are awake! You are fine." She heaved a sigh of relief and Belladonna frowned, standing up to her feet, fighting against the swaying floor to hold her ground. She could feel the headache banging in her head when she stood up and she pressed her hand against her forehead to find it wrapped in a bandage. What happened?The guard rushed in, apologizing to Belladonna, as they attempted to drag Aniya back outside but Belladonna stopped them."I told you I was her sister." She mumbled to the guards who were left with no choice but to leave the room. Then she walked closer to Belladonna who was standing by the side of the bed. "I was so scared when I found out what happened. I was--" she paused, sniffling. "Lytio deserves whateve
"It was a mistake. It happened once, then twice, and more times till it became a habit. It was a secret that would have cost him his position if people were to find out, especially his wife. It had to happen."Belladonna was not moved by her tears but she was shocked by the truth. Truly, such a secret would have cost the now-dead Village Head his position, since his wife's family had been the one with the royal blood to begin with, and he had simply married into it. But this still didn't make sense!"If you were already pregnant, why did you have to do all that?" She took a step forward but halted immediately when she felt like her head had swayed on her neck along with that step she had taken. You wouldn't have been qualified for the Choosing Ritual. You would be with child and a woman with child cannot take part in the ritual.""I had to save my reputation! If by keeping my mouth shut, I save the Village's Head's reputation what about mine? People will call me names if I can not pr
"You should start taking off your dress."Belladonna frowned, attempting to move away from him, but finding her feet refusing her command, her whole body was, in fact, refusing her command. Eli did not observe her nervousness and if he did, he didn't show it as he went into the room and placed his mask on the bed. He moved through the space like he owned it, it was a sight to behold. One Belladonna could not fully appreciate because of her racing heart. He looked back at her and arched her a questioning eyebrow."You should have undressed by now, Donna.""All of it?" She managed to ask and he frowned, looking at her with deep assessment."That gown especially. You have to change that, it is stained with dirt." He covered the distance between them in three large strides and held her wrist, leading to her wardrobe. "Did you fall on your way to the den?"Belladonna's brows knitted into a line as she tried to remember if that had happened. Had she?Oh, she had!She had fallen, but it a
"You are free to go." The words had come to him from the darkness and Lytio doubted his ears.They must be hearing things wrong, or were they?That voice was unmistakeably the King's and there was no one else in the whole of Ignas that wore the kind of mask he wore to cover the monster that he truly was.Something he had failed terribly to do. Some could still see him for what he was and Lytio was amongst those that refused to be fooled by whatever illusion he wanted to create with the ceremony and inviting all the village heads. Lytio was no fool. If he was such a saint, he wouldn't need to pick up a bride every year. Besides, where were the other brides, and if this was just a way to pick the future Queen, what had he done to the rest that failed his test? Fed them to his dragon or fed on them like the monster that he was. He was no idiot. His Bell wasn't safe with him. She wasn't safe here!Lytio had been awake for a while. When he had first woken up, the darkness, the putrid
There were so many strange things happening tonight.His freedom was the first. His actual freedom!It was the strangest. Lytio had expected to be struck down while he left the dungeon or lead to the Execution Ground afterwards, or pulled right back behind bars but none of that had happened. Instead, he had, indeed, been set free. The other strange thing was the presence of two Royal Physicians that were waiting for him, along with his family, to go to Inaymi.It was puzzling for many reasons.They had Physicians in Inaymi, why did the King have to send Physicians along with them?It wasn't like they had done something of great value that he had gifted them two of his best Royal Physicians as a show of gratitude. If nothing, their presence at his ceremony had brought him nothing but trouble.Before Lytio left though, he had asked if he could at least see Belladonna, but the guard that had taken him down to the carriage had not said a word to him despite his pleading and his attemp