Chapter 17 Chapter 16
Evelyn.
The days leading up to the Alpha king's meeting had been a relentless descent into dread. Each morning brought with it a mounting sense of anxiety, a heavy weight that settled deep within my chest. It didn't help that Morticia, the Alpha king's mistress, took sick pleasure in tormenting me, reminding me of the humiliation that awaited. She resorted to childish methods, like putting herself in my way so I could stumble and fall of publicly shaming and pulling my hair, going out of her way to make my life miserable.
"Soon..." She growled into my ear once, her voice menacing. "You're going to go from a princess to a slave. I hope you're ready." She snickered, releasing me with a push. Sadly, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
But it was the nights that were the worst. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the world fell into darkness, I would lie awake, my mind haunted by the memories of my past. It was during those quiet hours, shrouded in darkness, that my nightmares would come to life, causing me to wake up trembling and afraid of the world. Amaris did her best to encourage me but her words could only go so far. It didn't change anything about the fate that was about to befall me.
On that particular night, the eve of the dreaded Alpha king's meeting, the nightmare was vivid, more haunting than ever before. I found myself transported back to that fateful day—the day my sister, Elizabeth, the Luna and Queen, met her tragic end. The memories played out before me like a movie, and I was powerless to look away.
She'd been standing at the edge of one of the palace forts that descended into the woods below, staring into nothingness as she muttered the same words over and over again, heavily pregnant. It was in the middle of the night and except for a halfmoon on the sky, nobody was present. I had screamed for her to get down, begging her no to do it.
Elizabeth turned to face me, a dazed look on her face, as if she'd been hypnotized, tears running down her cheeks as she repeated the same words again. "He wants me dead. Kieran wants me dead. The alpha king wants me dead. I'm better off dead."
Desperate, I tried to pull her away from the edge where she stood but her heaviness due to her pregnancy didn't let me succeed. She'd tilted, falling into her death, killing herself and her pup. I watched as the palace, once a bastion of strength and power, crumbled into chaos. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air, and the anguished cries of my sister echoed through the halls. She had been betrayed, her life extinguished by those she had trusted most.
As I relived the horror of that day, I felt the weight of guilt press down upon me. Guilt for not being able to save her, guilt for my own survival when she had perished, and guilt for the choices I had made since then. I could never forget the image of her lying skull-open on the ground, her blood soaking the earth underneath, my hands coated with the blood of my dead sister.
The nightmare reached its climax as I watched my sister's lifeless body, her once radiant eyes now vacant and cold. I tried to reach out to her, to offer peace in her final moments, but I was paralyzed, a only witness to her tragic death.
I woke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest, my body drenched in sweat. The room was shrouded in darkness, the only illumination coming from the soft glow of the moon outside the window. I clutched the sheets, my fingers trembling, as tears welled in my eyes.
Placing my face in my hands, I sobbed quietly, unable to help myself. The nightmare had been a cruel reminder of the past, a past I could never escape. It was a wound that festered, a scar that refused to heal.
When the morning light arrived, a group of maids came to my crib, extracting me from the tiny place and preparing me for the event. As the maids prepared me for the meeting, I couldn't help but feel a sense of detachment, treating everything as if it's as something I was watching and it wasn't happening or me. They styled my hair, painted my lips, and dressed me in beautiful but seductive gowns, as though I were a doll to be displayed. I was acutely aware of the role I was expected to play—the submissive slave who would cater to the desires of the Alpha kings.
When they were finished, I looked at myself in the mirror, and for a moment, I didn't recognize the reflection that stared back at me. The girl who had once been a princess, a sister, and a daughter had been transformed into a puppet, a symbol of submission and servitude. Tears sprung into my eyes but I blinked them back, taking in several shaky breaths.
"All done. The Alpha King has summoned you. Don't keep him waiting!" A maid announced, her voice stern. I nodded once, making my way to the Alpha king's chambers. Lustful gazes from the guards washed over me as they peered at me but I did my best to act unbothered about it. I met Amaris on the way and the latter's face was already wet with tears as she approached me. She recognized me as I walked towards her and her face crumpled further.
"Oh... gods!" She gasped as she stood in front of me. "He's really taking you. I wish I could stop this. I really do!"