"No!"Elizabeth was the first to react. Her face was twisted into complete scorn and rage as she yelled, "My son would never do such a thing! He can't— He's not the—"Then she turned to Leonard, her voice breaking. "Tell her she lies. Tell her,"It broke Lior hearing her. She sounded so desperate to hear her son uninvolved from this sin, but that was impossible. The girl was not lying."Madame Dalia," Leonard sounded angry, but his voice still carried sanity in it as he spoke each words as carefully as he could, "I need you to be sure, of your words. I will not hesitate to mete out the appropriate punishments if this is a lie.""I'm a Mother as well, your Majesty," Dalia's voice sounded hoarse now. And hurt. "I would never put such a traumatic experience on my daughter and foil her dignity for no just reasons."Leonard's jaw clenched as he stared at the woman. Though he wasn't looking at him, Lior could feel the disappointment flowing in waves out of his body and all around the room,

Lior stared outside the window of his room, to hers. He had no idea if Leonard had made her directly adjacent to his so he would be punished by looking through it every day but he ignored the thought.He watched as she touched everything. Felt everything. Like it was still all new to her, and he could also feel her awe. It was probably the bond telling him how she was feeling now and he resented it.Why did this have to happen? Why did she have to come back here? Why did he... Why did he have to feel what she felt? Of course, they had been times he had felt something odd, but since she had been so far away, he brushed it out as his Wolf instincts showing up.Still, he couldn't hate her. It had all been his fault. He was the one who hurt her. Who force himself on her. If he had just stayed away, if he had begged Sophie..."Lior?"He didn't turn to look as his brother walked in, shutting the door slowly. "Mother is resting now, so you don't have to worry."He said nothing."I spoke to

Nine stared outside the dark window of the car she was in, her body rested on the door. Elizabeth Byron sat on the same seat, thought she was also at the farthest end, her eyes scrolling through the tablet in her hand.The air in the car was cold, but not as cold as Nine was feeling. Before they got into it, the Queen had pulled her to a corner and said with a snarl, "I saw what you did on the table, and you must think that you're smart, acting all shy and naive, but I will not fall for your trap. If you know what's good for you, and the thing growing inside you, you will stay away from both of my sons, or else,"Of course, she had not completed the threat but Nine had understood. It wasn't like she had expected anyone to accept her with open arms, but the hostility wasn't expected either. Was this how she was going to have to keep living?Worried about her self forever?The Queen's head suddenly snapped up from the tablet as she looked through the windshield. "What are they doing the

Nine couldn't do it.It wasn't like she didn't try, she did. Doctor Cairn had handed over her schedule to the maids and they saw to it that she was fed exactly as stated, but she couldn't stand it.The food made her nauseous. Every single time. Smelling it made her stomach retch, and her head dizzy, but because she spent breakfast with the family in the dining room, she managed to withhold it.But as soon as she was done, she excused herself, hurried to her room, not caring if anyone would tell her off for running through the stairs, got into the bathroom, and let out everything she had in her belly, not excluding the chicken she had managed to steal again.The only thing she had no problem with, were fruits, and chicken soup, but in the schedule, it was listed as only thrice a week, and the maids didn't want to disobey the Doctor either.Nine knew if she was a little bit more forceful, they wouldn't say no to her, but she knew she wasn't the type. It was the baby making her that way.

For the next three days, Nine behaved right. She let the Queen berate her and allowed Vanessa torment her silently. She could tell that it confused them, her not breaking down as she always did, but she didn't care.She needed to get on their good sides for today."Vanessa?"The girl braiding her hair with her scowl still on answered, "Yes, my Lady?""When you're done with me," Nine said, voice soft. "I will like to go on a walk." She heard the witch snort, "Why are you telling me? You always do so, without my permission."I'm telling you because I know you will tell the Queen, Nine thought, Which means she wouldn't look for me because she might be too busy hoping I've run away. "I didn't want you worrying about me."She heard her snicker, but say nothing else.When she was done, Nine changed into a more comfortable dress and shoes, ignoring the look on Vanessa's face and walked out of her room, heading to the Pantry so she could get an apple before she heard the voices coming from i