a's

, basking in the spotlight of

t w

Just one glance at her, and my en

o

could she possibly have sur

help her. It was a desert

broken dam. From every part of her body. There was no way

my sides, and I was

I didn't just want her gon

nd I forced the fury from my face, smoo

't see me

urred, pressing a

His eyes were searchi

his voice laced with something I

e crashed through me, Wh

obses

linked innocently. "I. . .I

"But... today's our coronation, Jack

d," he muttered, his tone col

ed the moment

s what it

crawl. It sealed what I already knew, I needed to fi

nd my mind racing. What could I do? Ho

e idea s

rf

a twisted smile c

ike a parasite. And it was time sh

and no escape from my wrath.. She

e out before the end came. I would watch as her hope faded fro

ered, and her carcass picked apart by birds

arply. My handmaid app

eyes widened slightly, but she nodded withou

, off to set ever

nd myself, a wicked ca

I whispered, my wo

ut couldn't laugh here. There are too many eyes, and

a don

e, the b

e's

en. He was th

rity. It clung to him like a second skin. But despite his status, despite the icy

aved

dn't have to

none of them truly held it. Several women draped themselves in front of him like of

of it made m

looking at

turned to see Natasha, one of the palace serv

brushing my palms down my

e kitchen, the air felt

t, peering around, but

e pantry, st

sil

n,

barely had time to gasp. I tried to scream, but before I could even draw breath,

t's a han

ned and my t

so overwhelming, it made

hands of the person holding me. But they were too strong. Thick fingers d

No

t breathe, I was choking, gagging, vision was swimming in black

ipping, my limbs

.. da

, choking on a

ed. My head throbbed, and my muscles felt like they had been through a

.. Whe

the room spun around me

ere dry a

fyingly wrong had happened to me, m

fab

as I yanked the bedcover aside, o

omplete

, and I began to sob uncontrollably. My chest ached wit

I brou

f twisted g

art of some cr

of everything, kept playing in my mind like a nightmare in a

y

the one fate de

, fear twisting in my gut as I examined my body for signs o

happened was enough to paralyze m

clothes, for anything that could give me

ced my legs to move, trembling as I made my way to th

oor would

e again and again,

was c

ng onto it with a strangled sob. I buried my face

ootsteps appro

caught in

Not

seized my who

hard it felt like it might break through my ribs. I cu

k... The d

fingers twisting in the fabric of the bedcover, tear

ered the room, an

d against my face, w

ul, sent a strange jolt th

your e

th hitched and slow

n, The Ly

able but cold, like a sto

I didn't mean to. .

asked, his voice low and ha

he kitchen." My voice cracked as I spoke, barely a whisper. "I went... but no on

ise again. I couldn't look him in the eye. My fing

to cause troubl

he reached beside him, handing m

d with the fabric, but I managed to slip into the dr

ling on my bottom lip. My voic

thing. He just re

om

alked out of the room. His face gave nothing away,

ow where we

w what would

that, for now..