The Truth Beneath The Silk

Sage’s POV

A Soft knock was placed on the door. 

“Ma’am,” a maid said from behind the door. “Your breakfast.”

I opened my eyes, realising that it was morning already. 

“Arghhh!” I groaned into my pillow, not ready to stand up yet. 

I sat up slowly, still trying to get used to waking up in this comfy room. 

I barely even slept last night, not after King Dominic casually kissed me on the lips. I could still feel the burning sensation on my lips like it had just happened moments ago. 

I bit my lips gently as I remembered that moment. 

“My lady!” The voice of the maid sounded in my head again.

I set my leg down from the bed quickly, shaking my head like it could shake away that moment. 

I was already heading towards the washroom to get prepared for breakfast.

“I’ll be down in a bit.” I replied. 

“No ma’am, I have your breakfast here with me.

 I frowned. I totally didn’t expect that. I went ahead to open the door, though still confused. 

They wheeled in a table. Not a tray. A whole table with Silver lids. 

As much as I preferred solitude, I couldn’t help but ask myself. Why wasn’t I eating at the dining room today? 

Could it be that he was really embarrassed last night and decided to lock me up finally. I didn’t have any other logical answer for that. 

I gently opened the lids, steam curling into the air. Bread, fruits, soup, eggs, things I didn’t even remember to name. 

It looked beautiful, but the smell… Everything smelled strange and somewhat awful. 

I gagged, turning away as fast as my hand flew to my mouth.

I rushed to the washroom, barely making it though. 

Leaning over the toilet top, I threw up. The funny part was that it wasn’t a whole meal or at least a good amount of it that could really be classified as vomit. It was just that same greenish-yellowish stuff like the last time. 

My stomach cramped. I couldn’t even explain how bad it felt. 

When I was done, I stayed there for a little longer. 

This wasn’t normal.

The maid hovered by the door when I came out, worry written all over her face.

“Ma’am… Is everything alright?”

I nodded. “I just, I don’t know what’s going on with me. And it’s not the first time either.” 

“Seems to me like you’re carrying a child.” 

“A child?” I shook my head nervously. “It can’t be.”

She hesitated, then lowered her voice. “We could… run a pregnancy test. Just to be sure.”

My hands shook. 

Could it be that I was carrying Cyrus’ child? 

“Can you help me with that?” I whispered.

She nodded and was about to leave when I called her back. 

“Please don’t let him find out.”  

She bowed. “As you wish, my lady.”

I locked myself in the washroom till she returned.

My heart wouldn’t stop beating fast as I took the tube with shaky hands. 

I did the needful and waited for it to read. 

It seemed like time stretched too long.

The result finally came.

Two lines.

My vision blurred.

“No,” I whispered. “No, no…”

I slid down the wall and hugged my knees. My mind went back to the moments in Shadow Pack, that night when Cyrus had lost control. 

I didn’t know how long I sat there before the maid knocked again.

I refused to open the door. “It’s negative.” I lied. “I’m probably just suffering a mild sickness.”

“So sorry about that ma’am. Let me know if there’s any way I can help you?” 

I shook my head even if she couldn’t see me. 

“I’m fine!” 

I spent the rest of the day numb.

I couldn’t eat or even think. Both Breakfast and Lunch, I skipped them. I wasn’t new to running on an empty stomach, so I handled it just fine. 

“Please don’t let him find out that I didn’t eat.” 

By evening, another knock came. “The King requests your presence in his office.”

The news left me disoriented for a couple of seconds.

I quickly wore something presentable. I’ve been in my nightwear since. 

My legs felt weak as I walked there with the maid leading me. 

They felt even weaker when we got to his door. The maid knocked. 

“Your majesty, she’s here.” The maid announced. 

His office was darker than the rest of the palace. His aura was extremely heavy there. The smell of papers and coffee also filled in the room.

My eyes scanned the top of his desk before they got to him, seated behind the desk.

“Did you eat?” he asked, his voice calm. 

I swallowed, trying to let the word form. “Yes.”

The lie tasted sour.

He studied me for a moment, but he didn’t say anything. 

Instead, he turned his tablet toward me. The screen lit up.

My room.

My breath left me. “You have cameras in my room?” I screamed.

He looked up at me with that ‘and so?’ expression. 

“That… that’s an invasin of privacy!”

“Is it?” he asked quietly. “You are my mate. In my kingdom. Under my protection.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to watch me! I’m not a prisoner.”

He leaned over the desk. “I have every right to make sure my mate isn’t planning to escape.”

I let out a pained laughter. “Escape? With guards everywhere? Cameras everywhere? You think I would even make it through?” 

I stepped back. “You think you’re protecting me, but you’re not. You’re keeping me hostage, and that makes you no different from Cyrus.”

Those words hung between us. For the first time, I watched his perfect mask fade, overpowered by a pained expression that suddenly made me feel guilty. 

It flickered across his eyes before he masked it.

The room went quiet.

“You want me to let you go?” he asked calmly.

My heart slammed.

This was it.

The moment I’d dreamed of. Freedom. Having my life all to myself and in my control. 

But when I opened my mouth, nothing came out.