LOGINThe silence in the throne room was suffocating. Every eye was fixed on the maid who had dared to raise her hand.She stood near the middle of the line, trembling, her fingers still half-lifted as if she might take the confession back if given the chance but it was too late.Desmond’s gaze locked onto her instantly.The other servants shifted uneasily, some glancing at her with a mixture of pity and relief that it wasn’t them.Eugene stood still, his expression unreadable, but his eyes were watching her carefully.Max’s jaw tightened slightly. Jack remained silent, though his posture had subtly shifted, ready for whatever would follow.The maid swallowed hard as her voice shook.“I… I have something to confess, my lord.”Desmond tilted his head slightly, studying her.“Speak.”The maid flinched instantly, her gaze snapping back to him.“I—I saw them,” she said quickly.A ripple moved through the room and Desmond’s lips curved slightly.“Go on.”Her hands trembled at her sides.“Last ni
The scream had carried farther than it should have.It had echoed through the stone corridors of the estate, bouncing off the high walls and polished floors, threading its way into every corner like a warning that refused to be ignored.Becca froze mid-step, her breath caught sharply in her throat.“What was that?” she whispered.Mira, who had been walking just a step behind her, stiffened as well. Her expression darkened instantly, her instincts sharpening.“That came from the throne wing,” Mira said.Becca’s heart began to pound.“No…no, that’s not—”she murmured, already shaking her head. “It’s Desmond.” Mira cut in, her voice firm.Becca didn’t wait for another word.She gathered the hem of her dress slightly and started walking faster until her pace turned into something closer to a hurried run.Mira followed immediately.“Becca, wait. We don’t know exactly what’s happening yet” she called, catching up to her quickly. “I don’t need to. That sounded like someone in pain” Becca sh
The throne room felt heavier than usual.Desmobd sat on his throne, one leg crossed over the other as he leaned slightly against the armrest of his throne, his fingers tapping slowly, against the carved wood.Before him, a line of trembling maids snd servants stood, their heads bowed, fear radiating off them in waves so strong it was almost visible.To their sides stood armored guards, unmoving and silent, their presence a reminder that no one here was free to leave.Desmond was not in a forgiving mood.“This is… disappointing,” he said at last, his voice calm but laced with irritation.Desmond leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping across the line of servants like a blade.“I find it very hard to believe that three men could infiltrate my estate, walk through my halls and not a single one of you saw anything” he continued slowly.A maid near the end of the line began to shake visibly, her hands trembling as she tried to hold herself together.Desmond noticed.“Look at you, alread
The training ground echoed with the sound of impact.Dust rose from the ground in faint clouds, disturbed by the relentless movement of two figures locked in combat.Eugene moved first. His body twisted smoothly as he dodged Max’s incoming strike, pivoting on his heel before countering with a swift swing aimed at Max’s side.Max blocked it just in time, the impact sending a jolt up his arm.“Too slow,” Eugene said, his voice calm but edged with focus.Max grunted, pushing back and stepping away to regain his stance.“I blocked it,” Max shot back.Eugene raised a brow slightly.“Barely.”Max exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from his brow as he circled him again.The morning sun hung just above the horizon, casting long shadows across the training field. A few soldiers lingered at a distance, watching silently, but none dared to interrupt.Max lunged again, his movements sharper this time, more aggressive but Eugene met him head-on.Max pushed forward, trying to overpower him but Eugene he
The hallway outside Becca’s chamber felt colder than the room she had just left.Ariel stood there for a moment, unmoving. Her hand still lingered on the handle she had just released, her fingers trembling slightly as if they refused to let go of the door.Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she tried to steady her breathing.Desmond’s voice echoed in her mind again, sharp and unforgiving.“I can’t fail,” she whispered under her breath.Her hands clenched into fists.“I won’t let that happen,” she said quietly and with that she turned back.Ariel knocked again.Inside the room, Becca looked up, slightly surprised.“She’s back?” Mira muttered.Becca frowned slightly.“Come in,” she called.The door opened slowly.Ariel stepped in again, her posture more hesitant now, her eyes lowered in what looked like humility but beneath it, something else lingered.“I’m sorry to bother you again, Luna,” she said softly.Ariel took a step forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.“I… I wan
The garden was too beautiful for the thoughts running through Seraphina’s mind.The scent of roses lingered in the air, calm and serene, completely at odds with the storm raging inside her.She stood at the center of it all, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, nails digging into her skin as her jaw remained locked in silent fury.Two days was all that stood between her and everything being taken away.Her chest rose sharply as the thought settled again, heavier this time.She was at risk because of a duel and Eugene.“This is ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath.Her grip tightened further.“We’re not losing.”The words weren’t just a statement, they were a refusal, a rejection of the possibility itself.“I didn’t fight my way to the top just to lose everything now,” she said quietly, pacing slightly along the stone path.Desmond had to win. There was no other option.“He will win, he has to” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.Her thoughts shifted again to S
Dorian knew the exact second Eugene had stopped thinking and everything other than common sense entered his head.It was the moment his body lowered closer to the ground, not in a cautious or strategic way but it was predatory and reckless to say the least.He knew he needed to try his best, no mat
Mira had not slept. Her body had lain on the thin mattress in the servants’ quarters, her eyes closed, her breathing slow enough to fool anyone watching but her mind had stayed awake thinking about that scent that had seemed familiar.She could still feel it in her nose and no matter how hard she t
Seraphina had never been known for patience but today, the anger inside her was something else entirely.It coiled in her chest like a living thing, tightening with every step she took through the halls of Blackwood Mansion.The mansion felt different when she was angry.Maids pressed themselves ag
The echoes of boots faded down the hallway, leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than the clash that had just occurred. Torches along the walls flickered, their flames bending as though even fire hesitated to stand still after the commander’s fury.The army commander did not go far. He stoppe







