Standing in front of her bed, Prince Corean looked at her with a mocking grin on his face. Gone was the passionate look he had earlier and was replaced by a sinister cold one that Tori grew to loathe in a few seconds. "In the end, you are only a woman playing politics."Tori steeled herself as she gracefully sat on her bed, she gave him a sly smile before she flipped her hair and touched her swollen lips. "Is that so? Then why are you acting like a virgin noble lady? I should be the one doing that. Besides, you are my fiancé. You own my body, your highness."You will not break me. No one can. Not even you, my only chosen king.Prince Corean kneeled on the bed and grabbed her shoulders with a smirking face. His face was a few inches above her so she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. "Keep believing in that, my sweet fiancé. But will find Tessa only then, will I consider my betrothal to you."Prince Corean leaned to kiss the corner of her lips before he walked away towards the bal
"Rise. You ladies can now leave us. I will need to talk to my sons. I will summon you again a week from now," said His Majesty."Yes, Your Majesty."As Tori spun, her gaze met Prince Lauren's heated stare as if he was burning holes in her. She politely bowed her head before she continued walking away from the king's sight. But before she could truly leave, her eyes met those golden ones who were throwing daggers at her through his eyes.And he said I'm a woman when he was acting like a bitch in heat.Tori also bowed to the second prince right after she gave him a discreet wink.The moment the huge double doors of the throne room closed, Tori gracefully spun in the direction of the northern castle where she would be waiting for Prince Corean. But after taking a few steps, she was stopped by the banshee-like voice of her half-sister. "You are a greedy little bitch, sister." Sabina walked towards her so Tori waited for her before she continued walking.The graceful steps of the two ladie
"YOU WANT everything, you said. You want the throne. Tell me, should I look after my back once you obtain the throne?"Tori walked closer to the second prince. When Prince Corean saw that she did not have any intention to stop charging, he started to walk backward until he was stopped and trapped by the wall. Tori bit back her grin upon seeing Prince Corean's scared expression. His forehead glistened with sweat as he leaned back his body away from her which was very futile.Cornering the flushed second prince to the wall with her both hands and her right knee in between his knees, Tori pinned her body to his as she traced his neck down to his chest using her right hand's nails. They were in a compromising position but no one dared to interrupt them even the lurking royal knights around them. Tori's breath tickled his neck which earned her a shiver from him. "Yes, I want all. But the throne is not everything, your highness."His looming golden eyes looked down at her as his uneven brea
CROWN PRINCE Allistair's eerie cerulean eyes crashed into the glistening red eyes of Tori right after she turned to the corner of the King's palace, where her feet led her. Tori's falling body was immediately grasped by the crown prince. "Lady Tori? What are you doing here? I thought you are with that arrogant prince?""Hey, what's wrong? Damn! Did that bastard do something?"His firm hands cupped her cheeks. Prince Allistair's cool eyes like the calm sea darkened when he saw her tear-stricken eyes. "How dare he!" He tried to leave her for a goddess –knows-where, maybe to commit treason against a fellow royal, but Tori immediately stopped his arm before he could leave her."Don't. I need to talk with Yei Lin. Take me to him, Alice." Tori disregarded all etiquettes since the man before her did not give a two-fucks about it after seeing her state. But her state was the last thing for Tori. She wanted to confirm something. Her desperate plea shook the proud crown prince of the Kingdom o
THE ODYSEUS ship sailed the moment she stepped foot into the enormous merchant ship. Unlike any other merchant shape that she had seen in the capital's docks, this ship was built with fine details, made to withstand the strongest of storms. Its pillars were sturdy as they support the main frame of the ship. The sails were hoisted to ride along the swift northern wind, speeding up the travel time. And the myriad of workers, all sporting their lively and well-trained countenance as they moved according to their task, were all imposing. One could mistake them as warriors with the way the spec of their muscles flexed from their work. It was safe to say that this was no ordinary merchant ship - not at all.A guide led Tori to a cozy-sized cabin with only a study table, a small bed, and a hammock inside. The lamp hanging on the wall gave a warm light to the place she was staying. After setting aside her luggage, Tori took time to breathe as she reevaluated her plans with a solemn expression
CHIEF KEIRAN Arin was sitting comfortably on a couch inside a luxurious cabin beside a similar-looking petite woman. The girl, who was around her age smiled at Tori the moment she stepped foot in the room. The chief looked behind her, and when he saw that the second prince was not with her he visibly let out a breath of relief.The royals and the northern tribes have a strained relationship, huh?Tori curtsied in front of the two who were relatives. "Blessings to the northern tribe, Chieftain Keiran Arin, and his companion.""Please take a seat, lady of the empire. You must have heard how savage the northern tribe folks are."Sitting gracefully before them, Tori took notice of the lack of tea at the center table. She missed Lily's concoction."Nonsense, Your Grace. If we're talking about nasty rumors, then I am a contender myself."The girl perked up from Tori's answer which made the chief flinch as if he knew it would happen. "My brother is such a paranoid, yeah? My name is Akasha Ar
"YOU CAME prepared, yeah?" Akasha nudged her which startled Tori. What Akasha meant was Tori's outdoor dress and winter coat paired with winter gloves, a thick scarf, winter boots, and a very thick winter hat that covered her ears. Even a bullet can't pierce me right now with how thick I'm covered."My handmaiden strategically prepared this one. I just hoped that this would not be a bother in the journey." Judging from the lack of carriage around the quiet port, Tori could guess that they would be riding a horse individually. And the way how she was dressed, could impose quite trouble for Tori.Akasha seems to notice her momentary rigid reflex followed by her worried scanning of the area for carriages. "Carriages can't enter the Arin Tribe territory with the state of our land and climate. The steep mountains will endanger us if we ride the carriages. You do know how to ride a horse, no?"Tori smiled and nodded as an answer. Even from her get-up, she could still feel the chilly breeze
CLUTCHING HER furred scarf around her body, Tori opened the small window of the cottage she was staying inside the Arin Tribe's territory. The moment she opened her window, the raven immediately flew inside her room. Around its neck was a message holder.Only the Information Guild uses this type of communication. Mostly, nobles use owls to convey long-distance messages. What could it be? Tori pondered.The raven tilted its head as it seemingly looked at her which was weird enough for Tori, who was not yet used to this type of message. In her past life, she was used to the internet. And as Victoria Rozenreff at the capital, she was used to Lily or Rowan conveying her messages even the secret ones. For Tori, it felt so… so primitive.Tori opened the message holder and saw a small rolled-up parchment. Upon reading it, she realized that it was indeed from Lady M who informed her that the king delayed the Vesta challenge just like Tori intended. In exchange, she only had one week to unify