The Tyrant King

Chapter Two

I kept staring at my reflection, desperately hoping that I would wake up from whatever nightmare I was having.

But the woman in the mirror remained there, staring back at me with the same frightened expression.

I touched my cheeks, and she did the same.

"Oh, my God."

I stumbled away from the mirror and grabbed the edge of the table.

This couldn't be happening. I remember driving to work when a truck crashed into my car. I remembered the impact, the pain and the darkness that followed. So how did I end up in a strange room with a completely different body?

And why was everyone calling me Karen?

"Karen, hurry up! His Majesty will be having breakfast soon!"

The maid who had woken me snatched a folded dress from the chair and thrust it into my hands. Her eyes darted toward the door as though the king might appear at any moment.

"Get dressed. If we're late, the head maid will have our hides."

I looked down at the dress. It was plain, with a fitted waist and an apron that looked far too small for the body I now had.

Pulling it over my head was a struggle. The fabric tightened around my fuller stomach, and the sleeves clung to my thick arms. When I tried to tie the apron, its strings barely met behind my back.

The maid sighed impatiently and helped me knot them.

"Come on!" She called

I followed her through the corridor, trying to keep up while my sore body protested every step. Servants hurried past us, their heads lowered and their hands full. Nobody stopped to talk or laughed.

The moment we entered the royal dining hall, the head maid clapped her hands.

"Line up! His Majesty is coming!"

Every servant rushed into position. I barely made it to the end of the line before the doors opened.

"His Majesty!"

The words came from the head maid, but the fear in the room was louder than her voice.

King Talon NightBane walked in, the man I was snapping at before waking up in this body.

The servants bowed so deeply that their faces nearly touched the floor. I followed their movements, keeping my eyes lowered, but I could still see the polished black boots approaching.

And at this time the room had gone completely silent.

Talon took his seat at the head of the table. His dark presence radiating everywhere, and even the servants assigned to serve him moved as though one wrong step could cost them their lives.

A spoon clinked against a plate and the servant holding it froze.

The king slowly lifted his eyes.

And the girl went pale and she lowered her head. The spoon was quickly replaced, then the breakfast service continued without a word.

My fingers tightened around the edge of my apron.

This was exactly how the novel had described him. He didn't need to shout, or threaten anyone. One look from him was enough to make grown adults tremble.

Then his gaze moved toward the line of servants.

For a brief moment, it stopped on me, and I nearly peed on myself. Even though I wasn't the one who received the punishment yesterday, this damn body was betraying me.

The head maid stepped forward. "Your Majesty, the servant who interrupted you yesterday is present."

Talon's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hopefully, you have learnt your lesson." His voice was low, but the words carried through the entire hall.

"Yes, Your Majesty," I answered, keeping my head bowed.

The silence stretched for a moment before he turned away.

That was it.

No questions, no conversation. He simply returned to his breakfast, and the servants continued their duties.

I let out a breath I didn't realised I was holding.

The king was terrifying enough in the novel. And standing in the same room with him was something else entirely.

A small figure appeared at the entrance.

The little boy walked in beside a woman dressed in a neat servant's uniform. 

Adin.

My heart tightened. The six-year-old prince stopped beside his father's chair.

"Good morning, Father."

Talon did not answer. But Adin climbed onto his seat and folded his hands in his lap standing some feet away. I could see the tension in his eyes. A servant placed a plate before him, and he picked up his fork with careful fingers.

He glanced at his father once, then quickly lowered his eyes when Talon moved.

A few minutes passed before Adin's cup slipped from his hand.

It struck the table, spilling water across the cloth.

He froze, staring at his father or probably waiting for the next thing he would do.

The servant beside him hurried to clean the mess. Adin sat perfectly still, his small hands clenched beneath the table.

Talon's expression darkened, his hands tightened on the fork he was holding.

"Careless."

Adin's lips parted, but no words came out. He lowered his head and stared at his plate.

Something twisted painfully inside me.

He was just a child. A little boy who should have been allowed to spill water without looking as though he had committed a crime.

I wanted to say something, but the memory of what happened to this body stopped me.

Not now, Becky. You need to survive first.

Breakfast ended soon after. Talon rose, and every servant bowed as he left the hall. Adin remained seated until his father's footsteps disappeared down the corridor.

Only then did the little prince reach for his cup again.

The head maid turned toward us.

"Back to your duties. And you, Karen, come with me."

My heart sank. I had barely survived my first morning in this palace, and now I was being summoned again. With my sore arms and the lingering sting of yesterday's punishment, the last thing I wanted was another reason for the king to notice me.

We walked through a quiet corridor before stopping outside a smaller room. A woman in a pale blue dress stood beside the prince

"Lady Mira," the head maid greeted her. "This is Karen. She will be assisting you from today."

The lady turned, examining me with an expression that quickly changed to disapproval.

"Isn't she the servant who was punished yesterday?"

"Yes, but His Majesty has not dismissed her."

"I see." Her attention shifted to the little boy. "Your Highness, this is Karen. She will be assisting me with your personal needs from now on"

Adin raised his head, and the moment he noticed me, his face twisted into a frown.

"I don't want her."

The lady sighed. "Your Highness, please don't start."

"Send her away!" He snapped 

Standing awkwardly by the doorway, I wondered what I had done to offend him. We hadn't even exchanged a greeting, yet he was already demanding my removal.

"Maybe I should wait outside," I offered.

Adin immediately turned toward me. "No! Don't leave!"

His sudden change of heart caught me off guard. Before anyone could respond, his eyes darted toward the door, and his little fingers tightened around the edge of his desk.

"Don't let him come here," he whispered.

Lady Mira's expression changed. "Your Highness, what are you saying?"

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted her.

The head maid lowered her head, while Lady Mira hurriedly straightened her dress. Adin pushed his chair back, his little face losing its colour.

Then standing at the doorway was the almighty King, Talon

He entered  his cold gaze, briefly settling on his son before moving to the rest of us. The atmosphere grew so tense that even breath

ing seemed like an offence.

"Whats going on here?" He asked 

Common sense warned me to keep my mouth shut. Unfortunately, the answer escaped before I could stop it.

“Can't you see?”