VioletIt had been five minutes…Five minutes since I had almost died from holding my breath too long.Five minutes since Kylan told me he loved me.Which meant five minutes since I had last said a word. It was not that I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t. It was like someone had taken my tongue and pushed it to the back of my throat.My body stood still, but inside…everything was spinning.He loved me…Kylan loved me…Was he okay? Did he have such a terrible day that it made him suddenly realize that perhaps I was the best option to love? Did something finally crack inside him?We had been standing in front of the big door which led to the ballroom for a while now, waiting for our big entrance.I should’ve been worried about what was behind those doors. The people, the stares, the judgment…But I wasn’t.All I could do was look at him.Kylan stood beside me, staring ahead like he wasn’t nervous at all. A small, calm smile tugged at the corner of his lips. I looked down at our hands, sti
KylanViolet brightened instantly. “Do you really think I look perfect?”“Yes…but—”Her smile fell again.“I’m worried you might trip over yourself,” I added, my voice a little softer. “You could barely keep yourself standing.”“Huh?” Violet tilted her head, eyes narrowing a little.I rubbed my hand gently down her arm, like maybe that could soften the blow of what I had just told her. “I just want you to feel safe in what you’re wearing,” I said, trying to save face. “I don’t want you to feel pressured to look more Lyperian or—”“You already said I look perfect, so I like this dress,” she said suddenly, with a big, smug smile.“Okay.”Fuck…She thought it was just a dress. That it was about her feeling good. And it was. But it was also a problem. For me.It really looked like I was going to have to kill some people tonight.Before I could ask her to change again, her brows creased as she repeatedly hit my shoulder. “By the way, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do!” she snapped.I st
KylanI stood by the window, my arms crossed as I looked down at the guests making their way inside. Everyone was dressed to impress and had traveled from far away only to do one thing.To judge.That was the only thing these people were good at.But I didn’t care about any of it.All I cared for was her.My Puppy.My Violet.Yesterday turned into a late night, and today started way too early. The king was doing everything he could to keep me away from her, and it was working. For someone who despised her with every bone in his body, he was very generous to celebrate her arrival.He gave away land, made personal visits, even promised to deliver some of the feast invitations himself—and I had to be there for all of it. On top of that, I had to sit through every single court meeting, and there had never been so many before.I did manage to get a glimpse of Puppy, sleeping in my bed, all curled up, soft and warm. But having her in my bed wasn’t nearly enough. I needed more. I needed to h
VioletA crowd of people stood around me, pulling at a dress I hadn’t even seen yet. It wasn’t one of the dresses from the racks, but one Madam Renata had had made and pulled out at the last minute. They were still making adjustments, and no one had let me look at it. Everyone was talking at the same time, their voices mixing together until I couldn’t understand anyone.They weren’t just pulling the dress. They were pulling my hair, my arms, my back—every part of me.We had been doing this for hours. No food, no water, no rest. Just standing, turning, posing, again and again. My feet hurt, my back was sore, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.“I need some space,” I said, but no one seemed to hear me.“She needs some space!”It was Trinity who finally spoke up for me. “Let her breathe!”Madam Renata clapped her hands, sharp and loud. In just a second, everyone stepped back at the same time. As they moved away, I noticed the maids staring, their mouths open, eyes wide.I lo
VioletI was breathing so hard, I could see my own chest rising and falling. The corset on my waist suddenly felt way tighter than I remembered.My palms, which had just begun to settle again, had turned slick with sweat.He had seen…Kayden knew…And he was just sitting there in his chair, smiling at me like it was the most normal thing in the world. “Let me guess, Kylan knows?”This wasn’t supposed to happen…“I… I…” I stuttered, not even sure what words would leave my mouth. Was I supposed to deny it? Confirm it?He had called me a witch…I could barely think of what to say before a voice interrupted us. “Mom is looking for you, Kay!”I flinched, turning around. Moments later, a boy appeared from around the corner. He was undeniably one of the siblings. It was a new face, one I hadn’t seen before. He looked around sixteen, maybe even younger, and for now was one of the few siblings with shorter hair.The boy had a lazy look on his face as he held some kind of gaming device in his h
VioletI stood motionless.Kayden turned halfway in his chair, his eyes steady on mine. It was almost like looking at Kylan. They had the same eyes, the same jawline, the same dark hair that fell to their neck, half pulled up into a bun.One of the few differences was their gazes. Kylan usually wore a stone-cold expression, while Kayden had a slight look of mischief in his eyes. Also, he was bound to a wheelchair.His skin looked paler than Kylan’s, but now that I could see him clearly, he actually looked healthier than he did when I had seen him at Starlight.His eyes bore into mine, waiting for an answer. But his smile was weak and calm, like he already knew I didn’t have one.I suddenly felt like a little kid caught sneaking into a room she wasn’t allowed in. I had no idea I wasn’t, but his question made me believe I wasn’t too far off.“The East Wing?” I asked, trying to play dumb.He let out a low chuckle. “Yes. The first mistress’ wing. The East Wing.”A chill ran down my spine.