The rest of the day was extremely boring for Masha as she had nothing else to do. If it had been back at her father's court, she'd have been with Terra, taking a stroll or playing some games. Or, she'd have been with Amber , helping out in the kitchen. There was never a day she felt bored.  She had gotten tired of sleeping alone in the room and decided it'd be best if she read some books. Czar had not even stepped into the room the whole time which made her wonder if he was ignoring her on purpose, or just sincerely busy.  It was almost evening, and the weather was super cool. Her walk to the library was going to be a needed one.  However, while she headed out of the palace, Torak joined her.  "Hey", he beamed as he walked beside her.  Masha cringed for a mini-second. At least, he was clothed this time around and not naked like the first time they met.&nb

Masha drew a deep breath as she leaned back on her chair.  "If you truly do not want my kind here, maybe you should tell the Alpha King about it. Although, a lot of high people had tried talking him out of it, so i doubt he'd listen to someone lower. You know, I am his son's wife". The lady's eyes glinted, and whispers started going round in the room.  "She is the vampire that is married to the Alpha prince?" "No wonder she was with Arabella". "It's her..." The whispers kept going round, and in the end, every single person in the room was aware of the situation.  "Being married to the Alpha prince does not make you anyone. Last I heard, he was actually forced into marrying you", the lady bent over to Masha and said.  "And I believe that should make you jealous. I mean", Masha paused and scoffed. "I

Masha's tears did not stop as she ran out of the room, her hand still holding her cheek. She still could not believe the Alpha prince had slapped her; her so-called husband. How could he? All because she talked back at him?For a long time, she was frustrated and didn't know where to go. So, she stood at the balcony, still crying and hiding her face from the few servants that walked pass. After a while, she deemed it necessary to get a room to sleep. But there was no way she was going back there to Czar. And she couldn't go to the king either to request for a room. It was a difficult decision, but finally, she went for Arabella's room and was thankful when she opened up."Masha?" Arabella called with surprise as she held the door open. She was more fuddled when she noticed Masha in tears. "What in the name of Selene! Are you crying?"It triggered Masha's emotions and she bursted into more tears. Arabella was taken abacked. "Come on; come here", she cooed and pulled her into a hug.

Masha didn't want the dawn of the next day. As the next morning approached, she kept feeling so nervous about her journey with the Alpha prince, But unfortunately, it could not be avoided.  She fidgeted with her fingers as the servants took her bags away, to the hackney-coach which were already waiting outside. It hurt her that it was morning already and she needed to set out on her journey with the prince. Goodness, she was nervous. When the servants took the last of her bag, she took a deep breath as she gave herself one last stare at the wall mirror. Arabella had assisted in glamming her up. She made Masha wear a black chiton dress and brushed her moon shadow-black hair into a fine ponytail. Then, she wore some bracelets on her and added a little color to her cheeks.  Masha looked just like the Lady that she was - Lady Masha. Gathering up the courage she needed, she walked out of the roo

The sound of hooves echoed against the brick walls as the hackney-coach entered the large compound. The carriage swayed gently along with the rhythmical trots of the horse's hooves, creating a soothing melody that filled the air. Masha thrusted her head out the window to have a peek at the environment. Some stern faces of guards and sullen faces of maidens stared back at her as they walked about the yard. It was a relief to Masha that after two days, they finally arrived at Hagar's palace. She confirmed the strong relationship Czar had with the witches when it hadn't been difficult passing through the gates. Just one look at his face, the guards had granted them passage. The witch's palace was not so bad; It was a beautiful structure of stone and wood, with a peaked roof and towering turrets. Masha beamed a smile at it. Suddenly, a horse rode pass them, the hard sound of the hooves jerked Masha out of thoughts. She looked ahead to see the rider pulling the horse to a stop and clim