A transformed beast on his hind legs and bared teeth crouched there, glaring at her with crazed eyes. Her breath came out in puffs. Her whole body trembled. Laylin breathed hard as the predator approached her slowly. “Help me.” A weak whisper left her parted lips. With no other resort, she resorted to the most foolish thing she could do. She ran. She gave chase and the beast on her tail leaped at her. She screamed like a banshee, hoping any savior would come but none actually did. Scrunching her eyes close, she summoned her aura and threw him back at the end of the hallway to buy enough time. The corridor was too long to cross, no matter how fast she was, so instead she banged and shouted at the King’s office backdoor. “Help! Please, there’s a beast!” She banged with all her might. As expected the backdoor was locked, only the King had the key to it. Her anxiety shot to the ceiling, when the beast snorted in a rage at being tossed away and ran to her. She shook the door harder a
“Huh.” She scoffed, slamming her head back on her pillow. The suite was too big for its own good. She felt suffocated. It had been almost a week now but he didn’t even bother checking up on her which wasn’t really surprising. He was probably comforting his bitchy mistress. She had horrifying nightmares, where she is trapped somewhere unknown and the 'Foretold' rings in her ears. She groaned, throwing the pillows at the front wall. Why did she even bother with that cold-hearted man?! To him, she wasn’t anything more than a skirt that was readily available to him! Clenching her fist, she let out her aura. The temperature in the room rose from dead-cold to scorching hot to the point where she ended up sweating in the middle of winter. It was a ritual, she did regularly. Whenever she was in a bath or if she was alone. She exerted every single speck of aura from her body so he couldn't feel it. He wasn’t coming. His carefree indifference should only hurt her pride, but why did it pric
Her eyes were stuck at the scenes, despite her eyes that stung and the tears that streamed down. Her heart beat loudly as she stared at the broken smile of her beloved nanny, Hessy. A woman who was akin to her mother. A woman who was her only pillar. The only one who killed, lied, and betrayed for her without blinking. The only woman who cared for her. She tightened her fist on the rail, her whispering prayer yearning for the impossible. Hessy was on her knees, with her hands tied cruelly behind her back. Her body trembled in the insufferable cold but even her rugged appearance couldn't hide the benevolence she exuded for Princess Scarlet. The dagger was placed on her neck, but the woman didn't even flinch. She mouthed the words 'Live Well.' The Princess's breath hitched and the executioner raised his sword in the air to strike her neck- A hand covering her eyes pulled her back. "No... No! No... Stop it!" She struggled and sobbed wildly but then a menacing slash in the wind, f
The next time her eyes opened she felt every muscle in her body ache. She groaned trying to turn her body but everything was stiff that she couldn’t even get up. Her eyes fell on the closed window with curtains drawn. She was sure the windows were all open when she passed out from overexertion. Frowning, she moaned in an effort to rise from her place when eyes fell on the dark figure in the dim light of the lamp. Was he sick of his other mistress and decided to visit her out of pity?! “Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.” Ambrose mumbled tearing a seal on a letter. Giving a glance at the miserable man, Laylin turned away from him. Right now even his shadow disgusted her. She had tried to persuade him several times before the incident but the man was unrelenting about the 'Witch Hunt'. He killed dozens just to state his pride... She blinked at the opposite wall when it registered in her head that she recognized the letter he was reading. Summoning every bit of her
She was outright dragged into the hall. As all the lowly peasants and slaves testified, it was a time for highborn women to take the burn. The men were already tested. In the end, the people who were discarded were either spies, suspicious, or just an eye sore to the King. She had heard that wretched woman Sayon's brother, was there at every point. Even now Sayon wasn't present, instead, her brother stood firm there sneering at every woman here. She wanted to shout and curse at the King for letting his bitch of a mistress slip through without testing. She realized then that maybe if she had been his 'ideal mistress' and lived as a corpse, she wouldn't need to be here like Sayon. It was disgusting, but Laylin was desperate to live. And when her temper subsided, she guessed as much. She was no better than a lowly slave, ready to bend her head as long as it saves it from being cut. Her eyes fell on Scarlet, who was glaring with puffy red-rimmed eyes at the floor in resentment. Beh
She was roughly thrown on her knees with several swords pointed at her at the King’s feet. The Beasts really didn’t need these sharp tools to sever her head, but they were probably trying to make it as neat as possible. “This bitch!” Sayo advanced toward her huffing and puffing, with his hand raised in the air to strike her. Numb with fear, she scrunched her eyes ready to be struck. 'SLAP!' “Sire!” Sayo agitated cry forced her to open her eyes. The King was holding his arm and bending it at an unnatural angle. With a jerk, he threw him to the opposite wall, creating fear in the heart of those present. Laylin's heart thumped down in shock and fear. “Stay your hand. I have no time to entertain your childish antics.” His voice was a low rumble of warning that froze every living being present. A natural tyrant. Ambrose raised a hand, shooing his guards away back to their posts. Lazily, his eyes fell on her. "You always manage to put up a spectacle for our audience. The attention
Seeing the situation take a drastic turn against her, Laylin's desperate eyes lowered to her husband who was looking at her with a turn of his lips, as if to say, ‘See?’ Her shivering body cowered down as tears welled up in her eyes. She decided to swallow her pride and spout something closer to the truth. Laying breaths came out in pants, her anxiety was getting to her head. The way she was persecuted, she felt convinced that there was no way out of it. She flailed about, feeling light-headed. “No. No, I didn’t and everyone already know that! Doing so, wouldn’t have ever played in my favor. If I had planned it, I would have known this much. It was instinctive with no killing intent. I was just scared of the witch hunt! I was afraid of the examination on my nanny and me! I freaked out and acted. I saw the executions yesterday and I…” She chewed her lips, staring at him with wet eyes, telling him to end this. The entire court waited for the King’s command while he assessed her with
“Die quietly. I will make it easy considering your pampered life.” A voice whispered in her ear from behind. Laylin winced quietly as the blade grazed her neck, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The woman scoffed as if she found it ridiculous to even consider her a threat, “You sound cool for someone sweating buckets." The woman scoffed out a laugh. "Humor me, and why is that?” “It’s late at night.” Laylin whispered slowly, “Your breath reeks of alcohol…” The woman furrowed her brows, feeling the handle of the dagger heat up. “…You are probably not in your right mind... Soon you will imagine things.” Laylin slowly murmured, hypnotizing the assassin. "Ah!" The woman shrieked as her dagger suddenly got this scorching hot that she had to throw it away. Laylin turned around to look at the woman wearing black clothes. Her face was covered with a veil. Familiar looking rich copper hair bunched up together on her head in a bun. Copper hair?! “Who sent you?” With her feeble fingers