Angelica watched Lord Rayven through the window of her carriage. He rode his horse beside them and even though the sun was still up, she felt safer with him by their side. How ironic considering that he was the man people thought was the killer and the man close to the one her father thought was the killer. It was very confusing and Angelica didn't know who was real and who was hiding behind a mask."How was your training?" she asked her brother."Lord Rayven let me watch, mostly. He wanted me to observe how others fought before I could try.""How did you get the wound?""A boy hit me with his wooden sword. It's nothing serious. I missed blocking his attack."Today, she was surprised to hear that her brother wanted power to protect her. She didn't want to be a burden to him. She was supposed to protect him."It was your first time. I am sure you will get better," she encouraged him. "Just be careful."She worried that Lord Rayven would be too hard on him. "Was he kind to you?" she ask
The next day, Angelica sent her brother with Thomas to the castle for his lectures. She wanted to stay at home in case her father came home. She didn't want to miss the chance to talk to him this time.The whole day went by with her being anxious and unable to focus or think about anything other than her father. It was making her feel sick and she could barely eat."My Lady, you are not eating." Eva said, concerned."I am alright. Prepare some food for William. He must be home soon."When William came back from his training, she was shocked to find him covered in dirt and with bruised hands. He also had scratches on his knees. Angelica became furious to see him like that."What happened?" she asked.He shrugged. "Training.""Like this? Your hands are blue and your knees are bleeding."Her brother sighed. "Angelica, it is hard to train without getting hurt.""Not this hurt," she retorted.He was only ten. He wasn't even supposed to start his training yet and Lord Rayven knew that. How
Angel? Did he just call her Angel? 'Now tell me, Angel', she suddenly heard his voice inside her head. It seemed to be a memory, but only of his voice and nothing else. He had called her Angel before, but when? She met his gaze and, being this close to him also felt familiar, even though she could never recall being this close to his face. He released her hands and she took a step away from him, but not in fear. "You have bad manners, My Lord." She said, rubbing her wrists. "You might think that I can't do anything, but if you keep mistreating my brother because you enjoy it, then I'll stop sending him here if I have to. He looks up to you and if this is how you behave, then I don't want my brother to aspire to be someone like you."The smirk on his face disappeared, and his gaze hardened.Angelica looked him in the eyes as she curtsied. "Have a good evening, My Lord." Turning her back to him, she walked away. Rude and ill-mannered, she muttered to herself. He truly seemed to enj
Angelica woke up early in the morning and as she walked down the stairs, she heard her father's voice coming from the parlor. She was so relieved until she saw him with Sir Shaw. "Father, where have you been?" she asked, going to him. "I had a few things to take care of." He replied. Angelica looked at him with a frown. Just what exactly was he up to? "I was talking to Sir Shaw about your engagement. We will have the ceremony next week.""Father?" She looked at him, appalled. He just came back and already decided she would marry Sir Shaw. "It is my final decision." He said. Angelica stared at him for a long moment, but he ignored her and proceeded to talk to Sir Shaw. Sir Shaw had a slight smirk on his face, rejoicing over her father's decision. His joy would be short-lived because she would not marry him. She would find a way out. Ignoring her father's plans for the moment, she decided to talk about the important matters. "Lord Rayven was here looking for you." "I went by the
Angelica studied the silent exchange between the two men. They glared at each other and at last the King won the glaring contest. She could see him daring Lord Rayven and even though Lord Rayven was fearless, he wasn't reckless enough to defy the King.The King looked down at William. "Taking care of your body is equally important as training. Without good health and strength to carry on, you can't become the fierce fighter you want to become. Also, remember physical strength is only half the strength. Train your mind as well," he advised him. "I will, Your Majesty."The King squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. Lord Rayven gave William a nod to follow him and left without another glance at her or the King. "Would you like to eat some sweets?" The King asked, turning to her. "I would love to," Angelica smiled. The King watched her in silence as she sipped her coffee. His gaze was distracting her while she tried to think of what to say to him. Many thoughts were going through her
Angelica's chest felt heavy and breathing became difficult. She wasn't stupid. Lord Rayven knew about her father's plans, but he was using other words to warn her. Knowing something like that and not telling the King would otherwise be seen as betrayal. Why was he doing it then? Why was he warning her and not telling the King?She took a deep breath. "I will. Thank you," she said and tried to walk past him before she could see her reaction, but he blocked her way. His gaze hardened. "Lady Davis, you might charm the King but you won't fool me. I don't know why you have taken an interest in him, but I would be careful if I were you. Don't try anything stupid." What? Angelica became confused. Did he suspect her also? He went from helping her to protecting the King."I don't want any harm to come to His Majesty," she assured him. "I hope not." They looked at each other for a short moment before Angelica felt uncomfortable and pushed past him, rushing to find her brother. She didn't k
Eva combed Angelica's hair while she thought about her dream. A red-haired woman? Why? There weren't many people who had the same hair color as her. The woman also predicted that Skender would be King which made her think that this was something that had happened in the past. Something that was more than a dream. It felt like a memory as strange as that sounded.The way they were dressed was different from how people dressed today, which also indicated that this was in the past. Angelica shook her head, thinking of how crazy she was for actually believing that this could be a memory of the past. Skender would look different today if it was a memory and she would have been the woman, or at least someone she knew. But the woman was unfamiliar to her. Skender. He looked so beautiful in her dream with his clear blue eyes and vibrant smile. It was unlike the way he smiled today. In her dreams, he seemed genuinely happy until the woman rejected him. In reality, there was always a hint of
Angelica was surprised to find him in a bookstore. He stared at her hand on top of his and Angelica quickly removed her hand away. He picked up the book from the shelf before looking at her. "I'll take it," he said. Well, it is not like she could fight him to get it. She nodded. "Do you like reading?" Angelica smiled, realizing that he was being sarcastic. He always seemed annoyed. Eva watched them from a distance, looking worried. "Then maybe you can lend it to me. I'll read it fast and give it back to you so you can put it on your shelf." He narrowed his eyes. "Do you like to read about monsters?" She nodded, "Yes. It seems like we have the same taste." Angelica wondered why he picked this particular book. She could hear him say the title 'the monster is me' in his dark husky voice. She would have believed him had he said so. Lord Rayven ignored her and went to pay for the book. The seller's eyes widened and his hands trembled slightly as he received his money. A sigh lef