He was said to be powerful, the most powerful of them all. A king of kings- a dark king. Complete control. He needed it-thrived on it. He was power, he was dark, and he was beautiful. They say he was a descendant of the first wolves- of shape-shifters so fierce they could kill with barely a glance. He was respected, and revered. Feared. The King of the North. And we were the idiots sneaking into his territory.
"We shouldn't be here." Mae groaned as we crouched lower under the bush just outside the soldier's eyesight.
"Shush." I hissed under my breath and shot her a glare before turning my gaze back on the small squadron jogging pass. They were the border patrol, and with how heightened and trained their sense were- I was surprised they hadn't caught us.
"Do you want to see him or not?" I grumbled when the patrol was far enough out of hearing range.
"Yes, but not at this risk-!"
"This is the only way, Mae. It's not like he's going to pay a peaceful visit to the village anytime soon."
I could feel her nervous, crouched figure
shuffling behind me, but I tried not to take my attention too far away from our situation. I could lie to her all I wanted, but there was no hiding the truth from myself. This was a bad idea. And we were too far into his territory to turn and make a run for it now.
It was almost mid-day, and we would have to wait at least six more hours until nightfall. That was the only chance we had at making it back down the mountain without getting caught.
"We shouldn't have done this." She groaned as I slowly rose from my crouched position behind the leafy bush, the heavy skirts of my dress catching on the sharp twigs. Perhaps I should have stolen some of Leikos's pants for this little adventure.
I glanced carefully over the leafy bush that had provided our much-needed hiding spot, and could just barely make out the tops of his castle over the tree tops.
"Maybe we should just head back, Emrie." The grip Mae had on my sleeve tightened, by I ignored the frightened and stressed tone in her voice. She was right, but that didn't mean I wanted to leave.
"We are so close. I can see his castle." I whispered in something close to awe as I double checked the tiny dirt path before crawling out from under the bush- Mae reluctantly followed behind me.
"We'll head back as soon as the sun sets. I promise." I gave her a small smile that she tried to return, but I could see the fear and worry in her eyes.
"He'll eat the raw flesh from our bones Em!" Mae's tone trembled as she voiced the very thing I was thinking- but hearing it out loud just made me laugh. Out in the air, that idea sounded ridiculous. Not even wolf-bornes could do that, right?
"Yes, and he will also make soup with our blood and liver." I snickered at the horrified look that crossed her face and shook my head. She was too easy sometimes. "Relax Mae, those are just stories. I highly doubt that they're true."
She didn't look convinced, and if anything- she only seemed to be turning greener by the minute. I rolled my eyes and turned back towards the path. She was such a worry wart sometimes.
And yet, even I was beyond nervous.
The King of the North.
That's what they called him. No one knew his true name, but his title alone was enough to make most shiver. Even me, though I tried to hide that fact from the trembling girl a few feet behind me.
I had no doubt that the rumors circling around the King of the North were true, and none of them were pleasant. I honestly didn't know what drove me to suggest our little adventure up the mountain and into his territory- I really didn't. The stories of what he did to simple travelers that stumbled across his land were horrifying enough. I didn't want to think about what he would do to us.
The King and a few of his soldiers had visited the Lower Kingdom a few months ago, and word of his awe-inspiring beauty had reached even the darkest corners of the far North that made up our home. This little trip wasn't an attempt to meet him, or even fawn over him like many of the southern women were said to have done.
We just wanted a glimpse of him. One teeny, tiny, little glimpse of that other-worldly beauty the villagers and townspeople seemed consumed by.
But no one was ever dumb enough to venture into his castle- much less his territory- to find out. Except, you know, for me. And I dragged poor, dear, sweet Mae along with me. I wouldn't let her fool me though- I knew she wanted to see him too. I just could not get that rambling nagging out of my head.
One look. Just one look.
It repeated over and over again in my mind like a dark mantra until it was the only thought taking over my subconscious. I needed to see him, even if it was only one quick glimpse. That should have been enough to satisfy the persistent voice pounding away in my skull.
Mae's death grip held onto the long lapel of my rather thin cloak as her frightened hazel eyes glanced frantically around the forest. I tried to shake off that same fear coursing through her gaze as it crept slowly into my chest.
Just one look, just one.
The small squad of soldiers were nowhere in sight, and I let the soft sounds of the forest slowly calm my racing nerves. I was never one to do something so- so dangerous. Usually Mae and I were in the same boat when it came to keeping our noses out of trouble, but I could not stop this desire inside of me. That inner abyss that made me yearn, tremble, and disregard everything to come here.
One look, just one.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
After five years of marriage, my husband is always absent on my birthday. No gifts, no blessings. He said, "I've given you the money, buy whatever you want." But he started preparing for Fiona's birthday half a month in advance. He said, "She's different, she only has me." As the sole survivor of a unexpected fire, he has been heartbroken for over a decade. Watching Fiona in Moments holding a cake and kissing his face. I slowly commented. 【Just this useless person, I'm giving him to you.】
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer, and the sole successor to an international jade sculpting master… The more that was revealed about her, the less Anthony could rest easy. A famous singer, an award-winning actor, an heir of a rich family—so many excellent men were chasing after his fiancee, Maria. What should Anthony do?