Seraphina's POV "Pull tighter." Octavia's voice cut through the silence. "The fabric is slipping."I adjusted my grip and pulled until my arms shook, stretching the burned skin across my shoulders until I felt more blisters pop beneath my dress. She watched me struggle with that satisfied little smile, waiting for me to cry out or beg for mercy, but I kept my face blank and gave her nothing.The fitting dragged on for another hour, Octavia finding excuse after excuse to make me hold difficult positions while my back screamed and bled. By the time the Luna finally dismissed me, my arms were trembling so badly I could barely open the door, and I made it all the way to my tiny bedroom in the servants' wing before my legs gave out.I lay there on my thin mattress with my ruined back pressed against the rough sheets, letting myself feel how much I hated them. My mother, who treated me like dirt. My sister, who smiled while I suffered. My father, who looked through me like I wasn't even th
Last Updated : 2026-01-26 Read more