Chapter two

Raven’s Pov;

The stranger’s smile deepened, amusement flickering in his dark eyes as if he found my fear entertaining.

“I mean no harm, cupcake,” His voice was smooth. “I was simply passing by.”

Cupcake? How dare he call me that!

I didn’t lower my dagger.

“Then keep passing,” I snapped.

His gaze flickered to the blade in my hand before returning to my face. Then, instead of advancing, he did something unexpected.

He raised his hands slightly, a universal sign of surrender.

“No need for that,” he murmured, his smirk softening into something almost… reassuring. “If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t stand here talking.”

That should have eased my nerves. It didn’t.

The way he said it, it didn’t sound like a threat, but like a simple undeniable fact and that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

This man was dangerous. I could feel it, but he was also attractive, despite the jagged scar that ran across his face. His eyes were a shade of stormy gray, flecked with subtle hints of silver and his full lips were the kind that seemed like they were meant to be kissed.

I began to back away, keeping my dagger raised as I moved towards the path leading back home. The damp earth squelched softly beneath my almost worn out sandals, my breath steady despite my fears.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see that he was still staring at me, making no move to follow me.

****^

By the time I reached the packhouse, my hands had stopped trembling.

I slipped inside my room quietly, letting the door close behind me with a soft creak. The small cottage was dimly lit, the faint scent of dried lavender clinging to the air. My mother lay asleep, her breaths deep and even.

Good.

I didn’t want her to see me like this.

I exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to my chest.

I had made it back safely.

That was all that mattered, but I still couldn’t stop thinking about him. There was something about the way he had looked at me and his voice! I kept hearing his voice in my head.

‘I mean no harm, cupcake.’

I shook my head, pushing the memory away. I had no time for distractions.

I had studying to do and since I couldn’t study the herbs out there, I’d just study the books I already had.

My gaze darted to the corner of my small room, where a few books and scrolls sat in a neat pile. The examination was soon. The only chance I had to escape this life, to build something better for myself and my mother.

If accepted at the city’s healing council, I would be a certified healer and might even be selected to work as a healer in the palace.

A tiny flicker of excitement stirred inside me. If I studied for another hour, maybe…

A sudden knock at the door shattered the thought.

I turned sharply as a guard strode in. “You. The princess is calling for you.”

The flicker of excitement died instantly and Dread curled in my stomach.

Not now.

I wanted to protest, to say I needed time, but I knew better.

The second princess didn’t wait.

I cast one last, longing glance at my study materials before I forced myself to move.

The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the room was the whispers.

Servants whispered in corners, guards tightened their grips on their weapons and glanced around with suspicions.

There was an unspoken fear In the air which meant that something was wrong.

“Did you hear?” one maid murmured as I passed by and I slowed my steps. I wasn’t that close to the other maids to get information, this was my only way.

“The King of Grok  has reached the border…”

“Shh! Don’t even say his name,” another maid cut in. “They say he’s more beast than man. A monster,” she glanced around as though she feared that the person in question was watching.

“I wonder what he wants…”

“May the gods help us all!” The other one whispered, her voice shook with fear.

My hands tightened around the basket I carried, my heart slamming hard against my chest.

The king of Grok! The title alone sent shivers down my spine.

The rumors had been spreading like wildfire, of a beast in the shape of a man, a monster that tore through packs without mercy. They said his fangs were sharper than any wolf’s, that his claws could slice through flesh like paper. That he didn’t just kill his enemies, he annihilated them.

The moment I stepped into the princess’s chambers, I knew something was wrong.

The door had barely shut behind me when…

CRASH!

A perfume bottle shattered against the wall beside me, shards of glass spraying across the floor.

I flinched but didn’t move.

She stood in the middle of the room, her hands clenched, her emerald dress wrinkled as if she had been pacing around for hours. Her chest rose and fell with quick, angry breaths.

Then, her gaze snapped to me.

“You,” she spat. “What did you do?”

I stiffened. “Your Highness?”

She whirled towards me. “My father has summoned me,” she hissed. “Not Celeste. Me.”

I lowered my gaze, my mind racing.

“That is… unexpected,” I murmured cautiously.

Her bitter laugh rang through the chamber. “Unexpected? No. It’s humiliating.” She stalked toward her vanity, gripping the edge so tightly her knuckles turned white. “He’s ignored me my entire life. And now, with war at our doorstep, suddenly I’m useful?”

War!

Silence stretched between us. I wasn’t sure if she wanted an answer and honestly, I didn’t know what to say, but when I remained quiet, she turned on me.

“Do you know what they say about him?” she turned sharply.

I swallowed hard, finally realizing what she was talking about. The king of Grok! The news of him being at the border had gotten everyone on edge.

“They say he leaves nothing but blood in his wake,” she continued, her voice shaking. “That his enemies don’t just die, they disappear.” Her hands trembled before she clenched them into fists. “And now I’m supposed to face him?”

I hesitated. “Perhaps the king trusts you…”

The slap came before I could finish.

Pain exploded across my cheek. My head snapped to the side, the sting turning into a sharp ache.

I stayed still and Breathed evenly.

But my hands clenched into fists.I wanted to hit her back.

No! I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to grab the nearest object and hurl it at her, to watch her flinch like the coward she was.

Heat surged up my spine, my pulse roaring in my ears.

How many times had she done this? How many times had she treated me like dirt beneath her feet?

My mother’s face flashed in my mind. Her weak smile, her tired but loving eyes.

The way she cupped my face in her hands when I was a child and whispered, “You are better than them.”

A lump formed in my throat.

I exhaled, forcing my hands to relax.

She hadn’t noticed. She was still speaking, still spiraling in her rage, but I barely heard her.

“…Celeste is to be married,” she muttered bitterly. “My father won’t risk sending her. I am… expendable.”

The words hung heavy in the air.

I didn’t respond.

I couldn’t.

She exhaled sharply, then, as if something inside her shifted, a slow smirk curled her lips.

Her expression was different now, more calculated.

“If I am to meet a monster,” she murmured, turning towards her wardrobe, “then I will not go looking like a lamb.”

She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes gleaming with something dark and unreadable.

“Dress me in gold,” she commanded.

I hesitated. “Your Highness?”

She smiled.

“If I’m going down, it’s better I go down in style.”