Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Queen is Man: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 5

"Get your hands off the silk, I can do it myself!"Noah yanked the heavy, gold-threaded fabric away from the maid’s reach. His voice hit a pitch that made his throat ache, a strained, melodic reediness that felt like a tightrope walk. The girl recoiled, eyes wide, her hands hovering in the air like startled birds."But, my Lady Abigail," she stammered, "the King’s orders were absolute. We are to prepare you for the welcome feast. The layers—""I know how to dress myself," Noah snapped. He gripped the edge of the privacy screen until his knuckles turned a ghostly white. "Out. All of you. Now."The maids scurried, their soft slippers whispering against the marble floor before the heavy oak doors clicked shut. Noah slumped against the wall, the air leaving his lungs in a jagged rush. His chest felt like it was being crushed. The linen bindings beneath the corset were too tight, digging into his ribs with every breath, but they were the only thing keeping him from a hangman’s noose.He lo

"You look like you're heading to your own funeral, Lady Abigail."Hannah Brooks didn't look up from the lace. She yanked the corset string. Hard. Noah’s breath left him in a sharp, pained hiss. His ribs, already screaming from the beating Lucas’s dogs had given him in the dark, felt like they were grinding together."Just nervous, Hannah. It’s a big day." Noah’s voice was a thin wire. He kept his eyes on the mirror, watching the seamstress apply another layer of heavy, pale lead-white to his jaw. It covered the yellowing bruise. It buried the boy."Nervous is one thing. Looking like a corpse is another." Hannah stepped back, her eyes narrowing at the way the silk sat on his shoulders. "The King wants a bride, not a ghost. Stand up straight."Noah forced his spine to lock. Every movement was a gamble. The heavy embroidery of the gown weighed ten pounds, dragging at his bruised skin. Outside, the cathedral bells began to toll. Clang. Clang. Clang. Each strike felt like a hammer hitting