Jasmine Ivory looked really stressed out, and I was worried. She had only been around for two days, and Rukky had managed to stress her this much. I didn't know how important the training was, but I believed Rukky should lay off a bit. After dinner, Aeron decided to catch up with his Grandfather while I decided to catch up with Ivory and Grandma. We went to the parlour immediately while Aeron went to the study with Gaddafi. I didn't know where Rukky went, but she wasn't my favourite person right now, seeing how she had managed to stress my sister out. "How's your trip over here, dear?" Grandma Isabelle said, serving me a glass of wine and handing a bottle of juice to Ivory, who opted for water instead. There was a look in Grandma's eyes that stated she had figured something out but was waiting for me to talk to her about it. I took a sip of the wine, feeling the warmth spread through me as I gathered my thoughts. "It's been good, Grandma. The journey was tiring, but we made it here

Mathias I decided I would question Monsoor first. Julia and Leonard were with me. It was not like I needed their presence, but I appreciated the help. The news of the Pictorians that were found in Graceland still spooked me, and for the love of me, I hoped Laila and Monsoor were not involved in some shit. "Is everything ready?" I asked Leonard, and he nodded. "Both siblings have been dosed with wolfsbane. The only issue is we put them in the same room," he said, and I frowned at him. "One will motivate the other to speak should they prove to be difficult," he added, and I understood what he meant by it. Would I be able to torture Laila? I doubted it, but it was something I might have to do for the sake and safety of my people. Blade will hate me for it. The thought of it alone made my stomach churn. As we approached the room where Monsoor and Laila were being held, a heavy sense of responsibility weighed on my shoulders. The air in the corridor seemed charged with tension as if t

Jasmine I am at sea again and staring at the burning town. I try to see if I can tell exactly where this is when I see it. It is Hill Village. The tiny heaps of sand that make the landscape hilly are visible, and I also know that the place isn't landlocked. There are phantom ships at the shore; I can see through them. That is why I can access the burning land. I look at the phantom vessels again, and suddenly, they are visible and opaque, obscuring the view of the burning land. There are hundreds of them, and troops are leaving them to get on the land. Then I hear the cries and pleas of the people. I am transported from the speculative view at sea to the midst of the chaos. People are running helter-skelter, searching for refuge, but there isn't any. "Why didn't we build bunkers? We should have a place to run and hide underground. We need to head to Forest," I heard some people say. A man and his family are on their knees. Huge men that reminded me of Khalid and Yusuf partially s

Nikolas Living at the edge of the seat and yet pretending everything is fine has been challenging. Aliana and I, aware of the dangers ahead, have chosen to live in the moment. Years had passed, and our fears of the mad king should fade, but they lingered. The arrival of the siblings has renewed the fear, and somehow, it is stronger now than it was when Gaddafi arrived. I had reached out to Piotr and Miles about Monsoor and Laila's arrival. Miles usually was apprehensive, while Piotr was passive, but not anymore. The incident on Graceland has made Piotr equally apprehensive. What were the odds that people from Pictoria secretly lived on our land amid our people? One certain thing was that they were definitely Jutros because that would be the only way they could have overcome the language barrier. Nonetheless, it was an issue. Aliana stirred in bed, and when she reached out for me and did not feel me, she woke up. I was sitting on the couch in the room in my robe, staring at he

Nikolas "So what do you want me to do since you believe everything I have said to be the wrong move?" I asked. "Based on Jasmine's account, Aquillonia needs to prepare for an invasion. It is no longer a Forest, Snow, or Hill thing. When the mad king comes, he is coming for everyone. The three kings and the council need to meet and begin preparing. She also said something about the underground. I think we need to build bunkers and escape routes. The truth is if those things are going to attack us, we won't stand a chance fighting them one-on-one; we will need a place to retreat to," She said, and I understood her angle. Indeed, a meeting was imperative. "Okay, Aliana and I will be on our way to Snow. I will call Piotr to meet us there urgently. Tell Aeron to take Jasmine, Rukky and Ivory to Mile's palace. We will join them there." I said. "Gaddafi and I will be there too—honestly, Niko. What I saw spooked the hell out of me. I don't want to be away from help right now. "And lest I