Athena comes with Nari to prepare me since it would be my first time meeting another royalty from another kingdom. Also, from now on, I have the title of Concubine. So I would need to look the part.

Nari looks at me disgustingly when she sees the state I am in. "Whore," she hisses to my ear when Athena is talking to Lyall at the other end of the room. "I thought you were gaining weight, but actually, you've been whoring your way to the throne–"

I grab her chin roughly. My claws are out, digging into Nari's skin slightly. If I didn't hold back, I would have already torn her jaw. Sasha really wants to kill her and the bloodlust is drowning me.

The sudden movement makes Nari take a sharp breath. From her shocked eyes, I can see my own reflection. My eyes are sharper, more vivid, and have more depths to them.

There's something different about me, and obviously, Nari has just realized this. Something stronger, something more defined. It's hard to put my mind to what has changed within me. I just feel like I am a new person yet at the same time, I am still the same me.

Perhaps the right word is that I feel like I am the elevated version of myself.

I feel powerful. I feel in control. I feel fearless.

Maybe it's being bonded with a lycan king that makes me exude this much confidence and strength. Or maybe it has always been inside me all along and now that I am fed up with Nari's bullshits, it shines through right now. Or maybe it's because of both.

"How dare you call the royal concubine a 'whore.' I used to think you were smart. But clearly, I was wrong. Because if you are, you wouldn't want to test the only person who has the king's attention." My voice is small but lethal.

Nari made the effort to pull me to the corner of the room, isolating me from the others who are still discussing how they are going to converse with the faes and the rogues. She thinks she can intimidate me when I don't have Lyall's influence. She couldn't be more wrong. Nari pulling me aside, far from everyone, is an advantage to me. I can do whatever to her and no one would be able to know. It will be her words against my words, the concubine's words.

I can see that Nari's eyes are starting to shake. She realizes her mistakes now. Her lips twitch and she grits her teeth. "The king's heart belongs to Adina," she whispers with an intense stare. Yet her voice trembles.

My grip on her tightens, making her whimper a little. After giving her a small smile, I let go of her chin. There is a thin pink line, which grows redder by the second. No blood comes out, but it's obvious that it's a scar.

I look back to catch Lyall's gaze. The king sees what I have done to the royal seamstress. And then he turns his head to look at Athena. His actions speak out loud about his stand on the matter. He doesn't care about what I would do to Nari. I am his Little Muse and Nari is no one to him.

As soon as the full realization hits Nari, her entire body becomes stiff. Her hands start to tremble and she quickly looks down at the floor.

"Are you sure about that?" I challenge Nari, "Because it looks like he is head over heels with me." My voice sounds silky and full of confidence. I never sounded like this before.

"F–f–forgive me..." Nari's head lowers. She stays quiet after that, while deftly picking up a set of clothes for me. I personally make sure that the outfit I am wearing is formal, classy, and elegant. I let Nari's genies put makeup on my face again, but this time, I know it is the right thing to do.

"You'll see that you're no match for her. She is the rightful queen," Nari whispers daringly just before she sets out of the room. The seamstress walks so fast as if she has seen a ghost.

Her words play out repeatedly in my head, but I choose to put the questions arising at the back of my mind. I think I am being a little paranoid because I just thought of the possibility of Adina being freed and planning something.

I look at my own reflection in the mirror. I am wearing an elegant, off-shoulder black dress with silver rhinestones sprinkled on the skirt. The dress looks like a painting of a starry night sky and it makes my baby bump look good too. On my neck, there is a pearl necklace. My hair is let loose naturally. It's a simple yet sophisticated look.

I love the way I look.

"You look beautiful." Lyall draws in his breath as he approaches me. His eyes are glued to my reflection. His presence makes me relax instantly, and before I realize it, I am already blushing like a teenager.

Lyall extends his hand to me. "Shall we?" I take his hand with a smile. A part of me feels excited to do this with Lyall.

Athena and Lyall keep on whispering things I can and cannot say in my ears as we walk together to the assembly hall. We have made King Argamon wait for five hours, which is really rude. Lyall told me it's a trick to make the fae king and the rogues retire to the guest rooms earlier so we can just meet them when we are ready. But it seems like the faes, or perhaps the rogues, can see through Lyall's childish plan and so they wait.

Five whole hours.

Until we have no more reason to delay meeting them.

"King Argamon hates hates hates lies," Athena says with emphasis. "He can smell your lies. So do not ever lie to him, just give him white lies."

"Don't lie blatantly that Lyall impregnated you," she continues, "Just say something like, 'the child belongs to Lyall,' because technically it's true now."

"Now, if you see a fae whose half-face is painted with tattoos, that's Helios. He is the bastard son of Argamon and he tests everyone's patience. He is a douchebag, so don't let his words get under your skin."

Lyall puts my hand on his elbow. A few warriors have caught up with us and they escort us to the assembly hall.

"Are you advising Mars or advising yourself, dear Sister?" Lyall asks, "You're the one who keeps letting Helios under your skin." His tone is light, with a hint of a smirk on his lips. It's a casual tease. Well, it's supposed to be.

Yet those few words make Athena and the warriors stop in their tracks. Each of them looks at Lyall with shock on their face. "Did you just... tease my romantic interest?" I understand that they have been used to the emotionless Lyall, the king who is cold and stone-like. Yet now he is grinning and taking light jabs at his sister as if he is just an ordinary boy.

"Oh. So you admit that he is your romantic interest now," Lyall's smirk bigger. He knows why everyone is staring at him, but he doesn't address it. Instead, he fixes my hand on his arm and guides me to walk the rest of the hall. Athena and the warriors follow suit after a few short seconds with smiles on their faces.

Just before the door to the assembly hall is opened, Athena whispers in my ear, "Thank you for bringing my brother back."

I don't have the chance to return her words because as soon as the door is opened, my eyes catch a pair of familiar eyes in the middle of the room. I freeze on the spot, forgetting to breathe for a while.

"The Lycan King," the fae with a crown made of white tusk says in a regal voice, "finally." A smile is painted on his face, but it is obvious he is at the edge of his patience. Without anyone telling me, I already know that's King Argamon. On his left stands the man with tattoos covering half of his face; Helios. Helios' gaze immediately goes to Athena. There is definitely tension in the air as soon as those two look at each other.

Behind them are a dozen people with pointy ears, the faes, and a few with normal ears that look alert, the rogues.

On Argamon's right side, stands a woman with red, long hair, dressed in a plain grey dress. She looks middle-aged, yet at the same time, she gives a strong sense of self that makes everyone look at her. My nose sniffs the air automatically.

The faes smell foreign to me. They smell like wildflowers mixed with a herb-like scent that I can't really pin out. But amongst those foreign scents, I notice a familiar scent. There's no way I can get the smell wrong.

Lyall notices the slight change in my breathing. He asks if I am okay through our bond. But my mind is already occupied with trying to find reasons why my senior healer is standing next to a fae king.

"Jen?" My mouth blurts out before I can stop myself. Instantly, I have forgotten all the things Athena and Lyall told me I can and cannot say to Argamon. "Is that you?"

The red-haired lady smiled sweetly at me. Oh, how I miss her! Sasha howls in joy at seeing the closest mother figure we have in our lives. "Hello, Mars," she greets me. As soon as I hear her voice, I know for certain that it is truly Jen.

Before I can stop myself again, I let go of Lyall's arm and walk to the woman who had taught me everything I knew about being a healer. I extend my arms, which Jen takes with a huge smile. Her warmth on my skin creates an image of cherry blossom petals being carried by the spring air. It's a lovely feeling to be reunited with someone I care about.

Gasps suddenly erupt in the entire room. Jen's eyes travel all over the room. And before I can ask, I see the pink petals floating in the room. My eyes look up to see the most amazing thing.

Cherry blossoms just appear in the room. They dance in the air, just like in my vision.

What is happening?

"It looks like you've gotten more powerful," Jen says calmly while others, including me, are still confused.

"You knew?" My eyebrows cinch together. "You knew about my power?"

"Yes," Jen answers, "And it seems like after you mate with a powerful lycan, your magic grows exponentially."

I shake my head a little. "B– but... you told me that it was just my female insti–"

"Female instinct, yes." She finishes my sentence. "I had to make you believe that you had no power to protect you. Our old pack would not do you good if they knew how unique your magic is."

"I don't understand..." I let go of her hands, trying to make sense of what she just told me.

"Mars," her face twists with conflicting emotions, "I've come to save you."

"Fr–from what?"

"From him." Jen turns her gaze to Lyall. At the same time, the rogues bare their fangs to Lyall. In return, the warriors and Athena show their fangs and draw out their claws, too.

In a panic, I extend my arms, positioning myself between Jen and Lyall. "Whoah, wait..."

"He just wants you for your power, Mars," Jen continues to say, "Whatever cage or spell he has put on you, we will save you."

***

–the boy–

How many days has it been? I have lost track of time and space. It feels like I have been lying on the floor, on top of my own puddle of blood forever. My vision comes and goes as they please. My head spins like a hurricane. It hurts so much.

One of the moments I can remember between my blackouts is Albus running hastily to Adina. "My Liege," the old man says with a bow, "King Argamon and the rogues have arrived as you predicted."

Predicted?

The woman I once called Mother smirks eerily while sitting on a large armchair. "Good," she says in a honeyed tone. "What about the rogues on our side?"

"They are near," Albus answers. "They await your instruction outside of the walls."

Adina's smirk grows wider. A chill runs through my spine. "Wonderful," she says. Her laughter echoes throughout the entire room, making my already numb skin crawl. My shadows have retreated entirely in fear. "Wonderful."

Then darkness pulls me into its cocoon again.

–to be continued–