Queen Elizabeth Byron sat on her armchair, legs crossed with her finger playing with the ring on her left hand, eyes staring ahead.She was a strong woman. Powerful in many ways, but she had always had one weakness. Leonard.Just that morning, she had spoken to him, asked why he never came for breakfast anymore, and he had ignored her completely, saying he would see her later, when he was done with work.He never said it, but she knew that he was disappointed in her. Disappointed in the son she bore for him. All she had ever done, was please him. Tried to be good enough. If her son didn't see favour in his eyes...An angry look crossed her face now. It was that stupid commoner girl. A family that Elizabeth had spent all her life trying to fix together. To keep together, and she wanted to ruin that, with her stupid existence."My Queen?"The look quickly dissolved, leaving lingering annoyance as she tilted her head to answer the maid that had entered her lounge room. "What?""The Docto
For the next three days, Nine behaved right. She let the Queen berate her and allowed Vanessa torment her silently. She could tell that it confused them, her not breaking down as she always did, but she didn't care.She needed to get on their good sides for today."Vanessa?"The girl braiding her hair with her scowl still on answered, "Yes, my Lady?""When you're done with me," Nine said, voice soft. "I will like to go on a walk." She heard the witch snort, "Why are you telling me? You always do so, without my permission."I'm telling you because I know you will tell the Queen, Nine thought, Which means she wouldn't look for me because she might be too busy hoping I've run away. "I didn't want you worrying about me."She heard her snicker, but say nothing else.When she was done, Nine changed into a more comfortable dress and shoes, ignoring the look on Vanessa's face and walked out of her room, heading to the Pantry so she could get an apple before she heard the voices coming from i
The black stallion nuzzled her nose on Lior's face causing a small laugh to leave his lips as he brought out the apple hidden under his shirt. "Got me,"Kenji who stood in another shed, brushing a white horse snorted. "Achilles is something else. If someone had tried hiding her snack, she'd walk all over them."Lior still had the remnants of a smile on his face as she ate the apple in his hand, patting the place behind her neck as he said, "She has to trust you aren't punishing her first. That's all, really."Achilles had been Kenji's eighteenth birthday gift and she was named that way because when his Father had gotten him from a horse dealer that said she was a male, and they believed because she looked powerful, and was horribly violent.A week after they had brought her back, no one was able to get close to her without having her hooves in their face so Kenji had brought her to the Royal Veterinary to be checked on, left for a few minutes and returned to find her licking Lior's ha
"What do you mean she's missing?"That was Lucas, asking a guard while Lior stood, walking across her room. Her scent lingered everywhere, and yet, he could tell she hadn't been here in a while. Ora had said she went to check on her, since it was getting closer to dinner time and wanted to know if she was okay found it empty, and checked everywhere else but couldn't find her."Aren't the gates locked by six?" Lucas asked, obvious anger in his voice. "Weren't guards stationed at every corner?""We were. Someone must have—""Find this someone then!" Lucas snapped. "For the godess' sake, she's not in the right state to be alone!"Lior felt his heart pulse at those words. He had forgotten but she was pregnant. With his child. Goddess, how could he have forgotten that fact? "We'll find her—""No." It was the first time Lior was speaking as he turned around to face them. "I'll look for her."Lucas faced his brother, the angry look simmerig down. "I understand you're distressed—""She's my
Nine's eyes stayed on the vanity mirror in front of her. It had been a week, and yet she couldn't get the thought out of her head. The truth had been that she left the palace, only to take a walk, to relax for a while and be alone then heard the cat meowing loudly. That was it really, but Lior didn't ask.Instead, he carried her in his arms in the bridal style. She had squirmed and asked why but he ignored her. At first, she felt uncomfortable but she relaxed, only growing more embarrassed when they got to the palace and he refused to set her down till he returned her to her room and on her bed.He had stared at her, and Nine could have sworn her heart was ready to jump out her chest before he reached out for her head and gave a soft pat then walked out, leaving her completely confused.She had waited for him to talk to her again. Acknowledge her. But he didn't after that. In a way, it frustrated her. How he do things like that, and ignored her completely afterwards. It still felt lik
This was not how he thought his wedding would go. Him, dreading every second, scared about what would happen that day, and to a woman he felt no attraction towards.Lior's lips formed a thin line now, his hands behind his back. Kenji had stayed with him since he had woken up, but had to leave to watch over the entrance of guests and security with his Father, and though he appreciated his alone time, he didn't feel like being alone today.His eyes stayed on her window now. The curtains were closed. The very first time that was happening. Lior knew he had developed into a bad habit, always looking through it, but he had grown used to it. Nina was prone to sleeping with her lights on, not covering herself, windows open, and never locking her door after her night escapades.A small smile came on his face as he remembered how she looked the first time she had done it. In truth, he had followed her, just to know where she was going. He just hadn't expected her to be hungry, but that was nor
He smiled at her.Okay, perhaps only a side of his lips had quirked, but Nine was deciding to be positive, and his hand... It held hers, not tightly, like a slight breeze, as if any slight pressure would hurt her.After the maids had dressed her and done her makeup, she was sure she was going to cry again when she saw her reflection. The woman... Didn't look like her. She looked healthy, wealthy too, like she belonged there. It was too much for her to take in but when she had walked in, and Lior had stared at her, his eyes only on her, she had suddenly forgot about crying.The priest was talking, yet Nine couldn't hear what he was saying. She could feel so many eyes on her, like they expected her to make a mistake. Be clumsy, but she didn't want to. Not today. She didn't want to... embarass Lior.He turned to face her now and she did so as well, now freezing as she heard the Priest say, "Do you swear to take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife? To love and protect? As long as you
"It could have gone worse.""Who invited him?""Still, the whole wedding had carried this whole tension all through, Skye just let it skyrocket and explode."Though everyone was out and walking again, Nine could still hear the whispers of the people around her as Ora stood beside her now. "Just ignore Lior. He'd get over it,"Nine was staring at him now as he stood beside a redhead male that looked like he was trying to calm him down. She had never seen him react that way, not even when she had arrived to the palace. "They're not... Friends?"Ora took a saucer with a slice of cake on it from the buffet table as they walked, saying, "It's more of a rivalry thing, I suppose. They're like completely different people, as you can tell. Skye was born to a Father who no one still has any idea of though we all agree he must be drop dead gorgeous, because look at him, and a Mother that doesn't exactly care about him because she's too busy drinking. While Lior has a King as his Father, and an