"Do you know anything about him?" Raphael inquired Valerie.She shook her head gently."He always used to hide in the shadows. He made me call him as 'Master '. For as long as I can remember, he is the only person I have spoken with. I heard a few voices but never saw anyone. I am sorry" she whispered softly feeling sad that she couldn't help him.Raphael closed his eyes tightly. The small glimpse of the life she has been living until she escaped is making him angry. He wanted to catch whoever this man is and kill him for trying to kill his mother and kidnapping Valerie."Is Valerie your real name?" he asked her softly.She never thought about that."I don't know. He always called me as Valerie" she confessed.Raphael is feeling like an asshole. He let his anger rule his actions. He wanted to punish her for hurting the only person he loves. "Come and sleep now," he told her offhandedly. So many things are running through his mind, and he is feeling restless. He is snapped out of his

That evening, no one came to pick up Valerie after school as Raphael said. She waited for an hour before walking back to the palace on foot. The palace guards gave her a once-over when she was passing by the gates. "I would love to tap that ass" they joked among themselves and began to laugh. Their crude remarks made her feel jittery and unsafe. She never thought a change of dressing would make her feel so scared and unsafe. She kept her head down and swiftly walked towards the room given to her that morning. Once she locked herself in the safety of the room she took a deep breath. On the other hand, Cadmus is angry. "Your highness king Raven, it looks like that slave girl has cast some spell over our prince. I heard that he commanded everyone to treat her nicely and cater to her needs this morning. If this goes on like this, then we might lose our Queen for good" a healer shared with Cadmus. He is the same healer whom Raphael called to treat Valerie the previous night. Cadmus

Valerie gasped with shock when she realized what happened. No one said a word. The two guards who came to whip her are now standing there in fear. "Prince Raven" Valerie whispered. Raphael is standing in front of her, with his front facing her. The blows which were meant to land on her body and tear her skin and make her bleed landed on him. But unlike her, he healed immediately, as if nothing has happened. Valerie is in shock. She couldn't believe her eyes. He is the same man who tormented her and treated her like a slave for one year. And now he is the same man who is protecting her from the wrath of so many people. In the short life she lived, all she faced is suffering. She didn't realize that she is looking into his eyes with her own filled with tears. "Are you alright?" he asked softly. She gave him a jerky nod. Her clothes are torn and she is bleeding and bruised. Raphael is fuming with anger when he saw how they all hurt Valerie. She suffered enough and he refused t

In the Raven Palace, Valerie is looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Even though Raphael told her to stay in his room, she went to her new room, which is beside his. The guards and the maids whom she came across in the corridor are giving her death glares. Even though none of them dared to say anything, it is clear that they don't like her. As quickly as she could, she slipped inside her room and locked the door after. After what happened to her just now, she is not feeling safe in the palace. When the Raven prince used to treat her as his slave, everyone used to ignore her at best. But now, the man who vowed to torment her is shielding her from everyone.Her clothes are torn and bloody. Her body is bruised everywhere, and it is becoming hard to ignore the pain anymore. When she used to be with him, she used to slip into her mind until she is forced to come back. The thought of never coming back was so tempting, but she wanted to know who she is and where she came from.

"I want to leave" Valerie waited for him to respond to her words. But all she received is silence from his end. She frowned before lifting her gaze from his bare feet to his face. She quickly averted her eyes when she realized that he is looking at her. "Please, I don't want to become a reason behind the disagreements between your royal highness and his highness" she elaborated further.Even though she knows that everyone in the palace hates her, she realized that this is going to cause tension between the king and the prince, which she doesn't want to happen.Raphael snorted sarcastically."The entire Raven clan knows that I hate Cadmus. Your presence will not make it any worse. If you are only worried about that, then you can relax. If something else is bothering you, then feel free to share" he offered.Valerie is flexing her fingers nervously. She never spoke more than a sentence in his presence. Their relationship is strange. She used to be afraid of him when he made her his sl