ELVA’S POVEveryone gazed at me like something was missing from a part of my face.I stopped chewing the chunk of pork I had in my mouth.“What?!”Father took in a deep breath. “Do you mean to tell me that you don’t remember training today?” Father asked her.“Master Stewart hasn’t come yet,” I said.No sooner than I had said that, Mother walked into the dining table. She had been in her room all this while. I heard she was worried sick about me and had slept off while complaining that I needed to stop having harsh training sessions.Lu ran into the dining room right after Mum had come in.“Who’s up for some night race?” Lu asked.“When I’m done eating,” Selena said.“I’m up too,” Prince Darian said. “Me too,” I joined in.Once again, all eyes gazed at me like something was off with my face, or rather with my voice this time.“I’m sorry you can’t join them. The physician has to come and take a look at you tonight,” Dad said.“But he can come when I’m back from racing,” I insisted, “
ELVA’S POVPrince Darian and I held hands and he led the way. We strolled to the castle gate where the guards were. They were about ten guards and they looked like they all had been waiting for us to come.“Bring it,” Prince Darian said to the guards. Immediately, two of them turned around and hurried off to the guard house. I gazed at Darian with suspense, wondering if he had a surprise for me. I was curious about what he had told the guards to bring. But if it was a surprise, then I’d better not ruin it by asking what it was.Just then, the two guards who had hurriedly left to bring what Darian had ordered them to, returned pulling a cart with them. The cart had something on it. But whatever it was had been covered with a thick and long brown material.“Now, come over and see what I have for you,” Prince Darian said to me, pulling me gently by my hand.I tiptoed over to his side anxiously. What could it be? What could he want to show me?Immediately, Prince Darian pulled the thick b
ELVA’S POVDarian and I got back into the castle and it was time to say goodnight. It had gotten pretty late now, and for the best, I needed to sleep early so I could wake up in time for tomorrow’s training.Still holding hands, we took the stairs as our rooms were both upstairs. “Would you like to watch the shooting stars another time?” Darian suddenly asked me.“Most definitely,” I said, bubbling with excitement about the one I saw already, “they’re really beautiful to watch. If they’ll fly by tomorrow, I’ll watch again.”“Really?”“Of course,” I nodded.“You won’t be bothered coming out at night with me?” He asked me.“I won’t,” I told him, “I mean, that’s just what I did tonight.”“But this is like a first time for you,” he said to me.“I know. But there’s a first time to everything, right?” “Sure,” he nodded.We had gone midway up the stairs when Darian suddenly pulled me to a stop. I was in front of him, so my feet came to a halt a step higher than where he stood.“Darian,” I
ELVA’S POVKnock! Knock! Knock!I grumbled, “Who could it be this early morning.”Just then, I recalled that Prince Darian and I had been at the stairs last night kissing for four hours. We’d stop, say goodnight to each other, and when we had moved the slightest inch away from each other, one of us would pull the other back and we’d initiate another round of kissing.Due to that, I went to bed very late. And whenever I went to bed late, I always woke up late.“Shit!” I kicked off the pillow and I couldn’t tell how it had gone from being under my head to being under my feet.I stood up from the bed immediately and went to get the door. I pulled it open immediately and met a fierce-looking Selena before my eyes.“Hey, sis. Good morning,” I said to her. I was expecting a maid, not her.She didn’t respond. Instead, she glanced at me with curiosity, her eyes studying me from my head to the sole of my feet. Her eyes went back up to my nipples which I hadn’t noticed was perky.She sniffed at
ELVA’S POV“What were you two doing with Wolfsbane?” Mother asked Darian and me. I had just woken up from a nap which I couldn’t recall when I had kicked it off. “What’s wolfsbane?” I asked her.But Darian spoke up just then, “She came with it to my room, but the moment I tried to take it away from her, I started feeling dizzy before I finally slumbered off.”Mum was silent for some seconds after listening to Darian’s explanation, but I was yet to understand the whole situation.“Is it the flower I brought to you?” I turned to Darian.“Yeah,” he said to me, “that’s the flower we call wolfsbane. It has the ability to weaken we werewolves.”“Really?” I asked him.“Yes,” Mother interfered, “Why would you bring it to our visitor? What if it had killed him?”She was furious. She’d usually endure whatever foolish thing I did, but for some reason, she couldn’t just let this one slide.“Mum, I didn’t know it would do anything to him,” I said, “I didn’t even know what it was.”“And why did y
DARIAN’S POV“Are you serious about what the king said?” I asked Elva.“Yes,” She nodded with tearful eyes, “He said he can’t let you stay further, especially when your father isn’t even aware of your whereabouts.”“My father is not a problem,” I frowned, “I just wish they never had differences.”“So, what are you going to do now?” Elva asked me, fighting back tears that wanted to come out.“I’ll beg him to let me stay until your birthday. After then, I can go home and seek my father’s permission to come here again,” I told her, “our parents have some differences which they need to settle. Else, I don’t see myself coming here again. If my father found out that I’ve been here for days now, he’ll surely get mad at me.”“What happened between them?” She inquired.“It is something that I don’t even know the slightest detail about,” I said to her, “but I’m pretty sure that whatever it is can be resolved.”“I pray so,” she said.I was dressing up to go to a dance festival that was going on
DARIAN’S POVI raked all ten fingers through my head in confusion as I wondered what had even led me to start making out with Elva. Why hadn’t it crossed my mind that the king could possibly sense every corner of the castle and know what was going on?Elva had run out looking so frightened. Nevertheless, I knew what I’d be facing that evening, sooner or later.Evening came and I was just about getting out of my room. The queen liked everyone being punctual to the dining table and I didn’t want to break that rule. As I opened the door to leave the room, I met the king standing before my door.“Woah! Sir!” I gasped.“Tomorrow morning, you leave,” his voice came in cold, “Your father is unaware of your presence here. I can’t accommodate you any longer.”“With all due respect, sir, I’m aware of the difference between you and my father. But it doesn’t really matter,” I said to him, “I’m getting to like your kingdom and I hope you don’t mind that.”“No, show respect for your father before a
ELVA’S POVThere were only three feelings in me as I stood by the balcony waiting for Lu’s return. He had gone into town to buy some of the specially curated street meals which Father never allowed into the palace. But Lu had his way of sneaking it in, then we’d eat it at the roof of the castle.I tried hard to listen to the good voice in me as the three feelings currently swimming in my mind were all negative. Betrayal, hurt, rage. I needed somewhere to expend all that vex.How could Darian blindly overlook how far I had gone for him and smooch with Selena? I thought he said there was nothing between the two of them. Men could be such liars. Maybe he was furious just because he didn’t get what he wanted from me.He made me feel like he was a better person than Norlan. But now, here he was, cheating on me with someone I could call my sister.I could feel my chest knotting from my struggle to suppress the anger burning in me, the anger fueled by that feeling of betrayal.I knew what to