Anna is apprehensive of the smiling knight. Damien seems to have read her hesitation because he says, “I see that you are scared of me.”“I am not scared but rather suspicious,” Anna says out loud. “After all, the Crown Prince and I almost died under your supervision.”“That was done by the rogues and I am apologetic for the incident,” Damien states. “I am truly sorry for the incident and no one is as regretful as I, Lady Vanya.”Anna frowns. “Can I escort you back to the palace?” Damien asks. “I…I actually had some business here,” she says. “I will return to the castle later.”

The steam is soothing Anna’s mind and she leans against the tub. She submerges into the hot water and reemerges from it, letting the soreness in her muscles go away. Lavi’s strong scent is present even in the bathroom. She does not want to admit it but the musky fresh mint scent is calming her nerves.Her mind drifts off to their tryst earlier in the morning. She can still feel his lips on her clit and how his fingers touched her in intimate ways. Thinking of that moment makes her blush hard and she tries to forget about it in vain. “Are you starting to like him?” Thena asks her.“I do not know…”Anna really has no answer to that question. At one moment, she wants to kill him and in the next, she wants to kiss him. Her min

“What?” Anna exclaims. “She ran away?”“Yes,” Guinevere nods. “The palace maids talk about it till this day. I only heard a few snippets so I can only tell you what I know. There might be things which are missing…”“Thirty years ago, on the night Lavi was born, Maryan had entered the bedchamber of the former Empress. Even though she had just given birth, she was able to gather the strength and move. She must have been really desperate. Anyways, she snuck into the chamber and a few moments later, people heard the former Empress’ screams. When soldiers barged into the room, they found the Empress dead and Maryan gone. The only thing that led people to believe that it was Maryan who killed the Empress, was a thin gold chain which Maryan used to wear.”

A grand chandelier is hung in the middle of the ceiling, shimmering with a thousand tiny golden lights which are illuminating the room of the vast estate. Red and orange tapestry made of fur are stuck on the walls in diagonale patterns while the floors are scrubbed squeaky clean. There is a hint of jasmine and lilies in the air while a fire is lit in the fireplace.A thin man in his seventies is standing in front of a bookshelf, looking for a book until he finally finds it. His beady red eyes scan the content and he sits on a couch to quietly read it. His balding hairline is visible under the light and his lips become thinner as he keeps on reading the book.“The laws of Ezealyra are changing for the betterment of their people,” he mutters. “If this keeps up then the Faikans will also demand for the same laws.”

His grip loosens on her neck and he slowly lets her go. Anna shifts in her seat while Lavi sits next to her. He is staring at her, wondering why she is telling him this.“I saw my family die in front of me,” she reveals. “They were...they were killed by people they had once trusted. They assaulted my sister too. I can still hear her screams and see her suffering as the men who were supposed to protect her, completely tore her apart until she died. They would have done the same to me as well.”Lavi’s fingers clench into a fist as he hears her tale. Something about her tale is tormenting him as he imagines the torture this girl had gone through. Suddenly, he wants to find those men and rip them apart with his bare hands!“I escaped,” she reveals. “After they blinded me,