Kazia As we stepped into Iris's room, a wave of exhaustion and frustration washed over me. I could still feel the heat of Portia's slap on my cheek, a constant reminder of the crazy ordeal that had just transpired a few minutes ago for no good reason. As we settled down and took our seats, the weight of the recent altercation with Portia still hung heavily on my mind, causing me to feel all sorts of different emotions. Iris, as soon as she sat, wasted no time before addressing the situation, with concern evident in her voice. "Kazia, are you okay?" Iris asked, her eyes searching mine for any signs of distress. I forced a smile, masking the seething anger that burned within me. "I'm fine," I replied, though the bitterness lingered in my words. The truth was, I was far from fine. The fact that Portia had slapped me without reason was an insult that cut deep, and the fact that I didn't get a chance to defend myself only added salt to the wound. As I vented my frustration to I

Kazia I watched as Greg, the kitchen staff, delivered the letter into my trembling hands. Gratefulness welled up inside me, and I excused him from the room, thanking him profusely. "Greg, I sincerely thank you for delivering this successfully. I'll make sure to call for you when next I need your assistance," I said softly, my voice betraying my nervousness. Without saying anything else, Greg bowed respectfully before leaving, and as the door closed behind him, I was left alone with my thoughts. For a while, I stood still, my gaze stuck on the thin sheet gripped in my hands. My heart pounded in my chest like a wild beast wanting to escape, and I felt all sorts of emotions clouding my mind simultaneously. I could still clearly recall what had transpired during our brief contact, Kavan and me. It happened on the day of the moon feast, and while it was just a short moment, it left a lasting impression on me. In these last few days, I had eagerly tried to get rid of any memor

Kazia As I climbed into the carriage, I could feel the tension between me and Murad. He had been silent since we had left my bedroom, and I didn't feel like saying anything to appease his mood. I knew the reason behind his anger was because I didn't treat him how he had expected me to, and he just hated the fact that I was being indifferent to him, despite how hard he was trying to be pleasant towards me, just so I can fall for his nice guy act. I didn't warm up to Murad as some of the other pets did because, as far as I was concerned, it made no sense to warm up to your captor. I've never tried to gain his favor because I didn't want to give him any more excuses to order me around or try to get closer to me. I already hated that I couldn't get far away from him, so it made no sense that I'd try to get him to treat me especially when it would only give him more leverage over me. As we made our way down the road, I tried to push my discomfort aside and focus on the outside wo

Third Person Pov Agrippina continued to pace back and forth in her room, her frustration and anger palpable. She had gone to visit Murad in his quarters earlier, only to be told that he had left the palace with one of his pets. The fact that Murad had not deemed her worthy enough to inform her first that he was leaving the palace left a bad taste in her mouth, and simply saying she was furious would be an understatement. Feeling uneasy, she had sent her personal maid, Nancy, to find out which pet Murad had taken out on a stroll to town, and was now waiting for her return. She was mentally hoping with all her might that it wouldn't be who she thought it was because hearing that name would only ruin her mood and make her all the more bitter. After a few minutes of waiting that felt like forever, Nancy entered the room, and almost immediately she walked in, she could sense her mistress's frustration. "Milady, I bring back news. I have asked around the pets and found that King

Third Person Pov Kazia could feel Murad's gaze on her back as they walked towards the palace, his footsteps quickening in an attempt to catch up to her. But Kazia had other ideas. She did not want to be alone with him, not even after his behavior toward her during their time in town. He had been extra kind to her, taking her to whatever stalls she wanted to see, allowing her to buy and eat whatever she liked, and ignoring every rude word that came out of her mouth like it didn't matter to him. She couldn't allow herself to be deceived by his supposed kindness because she knew that he had an ulterior motive, and if the motive didn't involve bedding her tonight, it was probably just another way for him to try to get her to succumb to him in the near future. She couldn't understand the reason behind his determination to fool her into believing that he was a kind person, but whatever the reason may be, she was determined not to fall for it. As they reached inside the palace, t