Chapter 72 Chapter 71
Morticia.
A strange shudder went through me as I looked up at his face, his serpentine eyes regarding with a dark intrigue. What the hell is this man saying and more importantly, how does he know my full name?
"Wha-what do you mean?" I stuttered out, taking a step back, still highly confused.
"I don't like to repeat myself morticia but for the purpose of this meeting, I will." He said, an edge to his voice and I swallowed. "I asked if you would like to be Queen of Silver Crest Kingdom. I just may have the powers to make it possible." He murmured.
The forest spun around me and it felt like all the breath had been squeeze out from my lungs. He wants me make me Queen of the Silver Crest kingdom? It had always been my desire but having someone I didn't know from anywhere say it out loud made it sound strange.
"Why are you asking me this? Why do you want to know...?" I started to say but he cut me off.
"Like I said before, I have what it takes to make it possible, I just need you to work with me so it can happen a lot faster. I know you're really close to the Alpha King, after all you're his mistress." He revealed and I froze.
"How do you know all this information about me?"
"Not important. Will you form an alliance with me or not? Remember, your response will determine if you live this forest alive or not. So, choose wisely." He admonished gently.
I swallowed, weighing my options. I didn't want to die now but I also don't know if I wanted to agree to this either. Still the offer was too tempting to refuse.
"H-how do I know you have what it takes? After all, you just might be another puny little liar determined to make a fool out of me. This is the Alpha King we're talking about here."
"I'll tell you who I am when you give me a reply. For now, I need to know if you're agreeing to this or not." He stated.
I clenched my jaw together, thinking it through. I needed to survive this place and I also needed to know who this man was, why he had all this information about me and what he wanted to do exactly. Besides, if it was possible, I could use him as a bait to achieving my goal and discard him the second I get the chance.
I looked up at him, memories of the recent incidents that had just happened flooding into my mind and spurring me on. "I agree to the alliance, but on one condition." I stated calmly. Despite the shadows in which his face was hiding in, I could feel his lips stretch to a smile as he took a step towards me and my heart began to race in my chest.
"And what would that be?"
Evelyn.
Three long, agonizing days had passed in that wretched dungeon. The stench of dampness clung to my skin, my stomach was gnawing with hunger, and my body felt like a hollow shell of its former self. It was a relentless torment that pushed me to the brink of despair. Amaris had come to see me once, crying her heart out when she saw my state and unable to do anything about it. She told me she had tried to beg the Alpha King but he had cut off contact form everyone as well and no one knew why. I smiled cynically to myself when I heard that. Why would he do that? Shouldn't he be reveling in this? After all, this is want he wanted.
She stayed for such a long time, comforting me and telling me stories in hopes of getting my mind off my predicament. But then, she had to leave and I was all by myself again. That's when the horrors began.
Nightmares plagued me when I tried to sleep and I had grown so tired to crying, trying to understand what I did wrong. Eventually, the grating sound of heavy bolts being drawn back echoed through the darkness, and a ray of dim light pierced the dungeon's gloom as the heavy door swung open. Seating near the wall, I blinked against the sudden brightness, squinting at the silhouette of the huge guard that had come to extract me. His girm face struck a chord of fear in me but I kept my expression impassive as I regarded him.
"Stand up from there." He barked at me, his voice like gravel. "The Alpha King has ordered for you to come to his chambers. Do not keep him waiting." He announced and I felt a chill run down my spine.
I was emaciated, weak, and my spirit was broken, but I followed him without a word. He guided me through a labyrinth of corridors and chambers, leading me to a huge dressing room where I found a group of maids waiting for me, their materials ready and a huge bathub sitting at the center of the room. I felt their eyes on me, assessing my pitiful state and I bit my lips in anger and shame. The glances exchanged between them were filled with pity and disdain, as if they were mourning me before my end.
Stripping me of my very dirty clothes, they helped me to the steaming water. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt warmth against my skin and I shuddered at the feeling, tears stinging my eyes as past memories of my royal treatment flooded my mind, causing me to shudder. Despite the inscrutable masks on their faces, the maids gently bathed me, and with each scrub, I felt a flicker of life returning to my body.
The water was a sanctuary, offering solace and reprieve. But I couldn't linger there forever. They assisted me out of the bath, wrapped me in a warm, soft robe, and started brushing my tangled hair. The dark mane fell across my shoulders once they were done and pieces of the princess I used to be stared back at me. I watched them with a growing sense of unease, my questions bubbling up like a whirlwind.
"Why are you doing this?" I finally asked, unable to bear the silence any longer.