CHAPTER SEVEN 

"Get the hell away from me!" Lianne screamed the entire way as the guard dragged her through the castle, "stop touching me!" She hissed and swatted at the brown-haired guard who despite his actions had a kind face.

"You think I want to?" He finally snapped as he roughly manhandled her up the stairs which led to her bedroom.

"Then let me go" Lianne spat which only earned her a sharp glare from the guard and then they were in front of the door of her room and Lianne braced herself against the door's frame as the guard tried to push her in. Lianne knew she'd be locked in, and she was done playing nice in this world.

The guard growled " Do not make me spill all that beautiful blood all over this hallway" he said maliciously and that's when Lianne turned her head and spat on his face.

The guard's entire body went rigged and his nostrils flared as he stared at which such hate Lianne immediately regretted spitting on him but she stood her ground.

"Fine, let's do it your way" he said coldly, and in the next instant Lianne's entire body was slammed into the door with such force her teeth rattled and the world blurred and continued to blur as the edges of Lianne vision began to darken. "Don't start a losing battle princess" the guard whispered before everything went dark.

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"Miss" Lianne felt a tug "miss" followed by another gentle tug on her shoulders and Lianne immediately went into overdrive as she shot up in bed and ignored the throbbing in her head as she backed up against the headboard till she body could back no further from the voice.

"I see you've met Titus then," the blonde-haired servant girl said blandly in response to Lianne's fearful retreat, Lianne immediately clenched her jaw as the memories of today flooded her suddenly.

"I'll rip his throat out" Lianne shocked herself as the words flew out on their own accord, and the venom the words held surprised her even more, not to mention the conviction.

The girl's eyes flashed briefly with something keen to hate before she abruptly turned around and headed to the wardrobe "Please refrain from killing Titus, he does not deserve the effort" she said nonchalantly and she began rummaging through the dresses for the second time today.

Lianne looked down at herself and found she still wore the red dress and then quickly looked out the window and with growing irritation discovered it was dark outside.

"What are you doing...uhh miss" Lianne asked awkwardly as she realized she didn't know the girl's name. "You can call me Ri, and I am selecting a dress for you to wear to the nightly court gathering" Ri said without looking at Lianne.

Was she really supposed to go to another event today? She knew better than to refuse though, Titus would probably come back and body slam her into oblivion again. Instead, Lianne scowled and wasn't the least bit surprised at her growing hatred for this world.

"Fine" Lianne ground out "at least choose one that represents my mood and utter loathing for this place, will you Ri?" 

Ri surprised Lianne by giving her a wicked grin " why, of course, I could do no less" 

And that's how Lianne found herself in a gown of a pure pitch black with lacy black elbow long gloves to hide the slash mark on her palm. Ri arranged Lianne's hair into a crown and did her makeup, at last, painting her lips with deep red lipstick and smokey black eye shadow till Lianne looked like she was attending the funeral of her greatest enemy.

The finishing result was stunning and dark, after all, Lianne did sport a fresh bruise on one of her bared shoulders where Titus had slammed her against the door.

"Tonight, the king introduces you to the court, so entering the throne room will be much different this time around" Ri explained and filled Lianne in while she led the way downstairs.

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This was it, Lianne thought as she waited outside of the ballroom waiting to be announced, this time around she waited outside closed doors waiting for the someone to call her name. Ri had explained that inside the ballroom was the king and his sons one their thrones with all of the nobles inside, laughing and dancing away. A few others were being announced as well, guests of the kingdom, or returning nobles but Ri had made it very clear all eyes were going to be on Lianne.

Lianne hated it, her entire body buzzed in anticipation till she thought she'd burst into flames for sure.

"Presenting the tyrant's king's own daughter, princess Lianne!" A man's voice boomed and reached Lianne from this side of the doors as they suddenly opened with a loud creak and Lianne let her body take over as she took one step in front of the other.

Holding her chin up she glided into the room and looked down the stairs which descended into the ballroom, Lianne looked past the sea of nobles and towards the end of the ballroom where the thrones rested and slowly took her first step down the staircase.

The minute her heels clicked onto the first step everyone fell silent but Lianne pretended she didn't notice, instead, she continued her descend, ignoring how the stares of everyone gathered made her skin prickle uncomfortably.

But Lianne refused to be made uncomfortable, this was not her world, why should she give a damn what they thought! Screw them! Lianne held every gaze who dared look at her and smirked with contempt when they would look away, Lianne quickly found herself on the ballroom floor where everyone parted for her as she made her way to the royal family of dirtbags.

Click
Click
Click

Her heels went as she marched her way forward while she clenched her fist and stared directly at the king, her gaze burning and heart pumping hard. Till finally, she stood before the king and his three sons, she didn't bother looking at them and ignored the curious stares, instead, she half-heartedly thumped her chest twice in what Ri had told her was a sign of respect.

Lianne did not respect the king, but she would be flogged if she refused. She instead she settled with looking him directly in the eyes as she did so as if to say "we both know I do not mean it" and she could tell by the way the king smiled without mirth he got the message.

"Everyone!" The king boomed as Lianne stood before him " Lianne of earth, finally returned to her true home!" His voice carrying throughout the entire ballroom and the nobles immediately erupted into chaos as they spoke with one other by the princess returning.

"Lianne, please have a seat" the King finally addressed her but Lianne's jaw practically dropped to the floor as she realized he wanted to have a seat at the feet of their thrones, where a plush cushion had been placed right on the feet of one of the sons.

Lianne didn't move an inch as her jaw worked in frustration, " It is a tradition for a princess to be watched over by the male heirs of the kingdom" he said blankly to Lianne " seeing as I have three, you still rotate between them" the king said like this was the reasons she was appalled.

"Tonight, I guard over you Princess" a rich voice spoke and grabbed Lianne's attention, the speaker was a devilishly handsome man with dark blonde hair and blue eyes which burned a hole into her as they raked down her body appreciatively.

Lianne bristled in response and a younger boy, who Lianne assumed was in his early teens laughed " I like her father" he said to the king.

Lianne could not believe she was to sit with these imbeciles.

"Sit down at Lucien's feet or I will have you flogged little princess" the king finally snapped at Lianne and although Lianne died a little, she finally sat on the cushion right at the blonde man's booted feet whom she assumed was Lucien.

Lianne fucking hated Roman for bringing her here, and apparently, now he disappeared before she could rip his throat out with her bare hands. Honestly she could not believe she'd felt attraction towards that bastard.

"What's got you so riled up little Lianne" Lucien purred and actually had the nerve to stroke her auburn hair with his hand, Lianne immediately jerked out of his touch and he smirked

"you" Lianne hissed and Lucien laughed and she clenched her fists tightly to keep herself from throttling him.

"Come on, I want to be your friend" he whispered by her neck, and Lianne shrieked when his lips brushed against her bruised shoulder but when she turned to glare at him, he was looking at her shoulder with cool anger. 

"Father, that is real" Lucien spoke quietly to the king who sat on the throne to his right. The king turned and looked at the shoulder Lucien was pointing and to Lianne's surprise he frowned. " so it seems" the king said thoughtfully.

And before anyone else could prob and inspect Lianne like a broodmare for sale the man at the top of the stairs boomed.

"Announcing the return of the beloved General of the king's army, the Elite Shifter of Aquiline and ruler of his kind: Roman Ashram of Azule" 

Lianne's blood ran cold at the mere mention of that menace and every hair stood on end as she clenched her jaw, and she nearly screamed at the underlying excitement she felt at seeing him, why did her body betray her so.

Suddenly the doors once again opened and the first thing Lianne saw was huge black wings spread to their full length clearing a large path, and suddenly his face came into view, and Roman smirked directly straight her Lianne.

What a jackass