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VALKIRA
I couldn't believe it. The man I healed in the woods... the one whose injuries I mistakenly tended to, was now sitting before me in a lavish room. A prince, no less. Prince Zeroth.
My heart raced, but I did my best to mask it, hoping he wouldn't recognize me. After all, I hadn't exactly been in a position to introduce myself that day.
"Valkira," I said, my voice trembling slightly, but I kept my head high. He stared at me for a long moment, his gaze unwavering like he was trying to place me.
Before he could speak, Darethor chimed in, "Prince Zeroth, she'll be a perfect replacement for..."
But Zeroth cut him off, his tone so cold. "Leave us."
Darethor bowed and hurried out, leaving just the two of us in the room. I could feel the tension in the air. His eyes never left me as he sat on the bed, his expression unreadable.
"Valkira..." He said my name slow and deliberate. "Why does your presence feel so familiar?"
A chill ran through me, but I shook my head quickly. "No, Your Highness," I replied, trying to hide the panic in my voice.
He nodded, as if convinced. "No problem. You'll be my personal maid from now on," he said, his tone low but firm. "I don't tolerate nonsense, Valkira. If you mess up, I'll punish you. I don't forgive."
I swallowed hard. My chest tightened, and I couldn't breathe. The weight of his words pressed on me, but I forced myself to nod, though my mind screamed in panic.
He went on, "You'll set my bath... morning, afternoon, and night. And make sure it's the right temperature. Not too hot, but never cold. I'm allergic to cold."
I nodded, my voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, Your Highness. Darethor told me your dos and don'ts."
But then his voice snapped again, hard and biting. "Why are you nodding your head like a lizard? Correct yourself."
I froze, my heart racing even faster. The way he said it made my skin crawl. I quickly caught myself, panicking. "Sorry! I meant to say... yes, Darethor told me."
His gaze narrowed, and for a moment, I feared I'd pushed him too far. But he just pointed toward a nail cutter sitting on the bedside table.
"Take that and cut my toenails," he commanded. "Now."
My hands were shaking as I reached for it, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I bent down carefully to cut his nails, but my hands trembled so much that I accidentally pricked him.
He winced, a sharp intake of breath escaping his lips. The sound made my stomach drop, and I immediately apologized, my face flushed with embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, Your Highness."
But there was no time for an apology to ease the tension. His hand shot out, gripping my neck with terrifying force. His fingers tightened around my throat, and I could feel the heat of his anger radiating off him.
His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something dangerous there.
"You do not make mistakes with me," he growled, his voice ice-cold, his grip unyielding.
ZEROTH
Looking into her eyes, I couldn't help but feel something strange stir within me. Our faces were so close, her breath almost mingling with mine, and for a moment, everything around us seemed to fade away.
My anger, which had been simmering just moments before, started to subside. The weight of her gaze... nervous and afraid, kept me rooted in place. Her lips were so close to mine, and I felt a jolt in my chest that made no sense at all.
Then, with effort, I pulled myself together and released her neck. As soon as I did, she lost her balance and fell backward, her butt hitting the cold tile with a loud thud.
I couldn't help but scoff at the sight. "Leave," I commanded, my voice rough, as if the anger still lingered in my throat.
"Sorry," she said, her voice shaky as she scrambled to her feet, her hands trembling as she tried to steady herself.
I couldn't stop myself from making a remark. "You're clumsy. You haven't been here for even ten minutes, and you've already managed to do the worst job possible."
Her eyes dropped to the floor, unable to meet mine. I hated how weak she looked, yet something about her struggle to hold herself together intrigued me.
She knelt before me, her voice breaking as she begged, "Please... don't sack me."
I almost laughed at her desperation. "You might lose your job for being this clumsy," I said, my tone biting. I couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at how much power I had over her.
Her plea made me hesitate... but only for a moment.
"I'll think about it," I said, though I had no intention of letting her off that easily. "But you should leave now."
She nodded, her face flushed, and quickly hurried out of the room.
As soon as she was gone, I stood up and grabbed my robe. My mind was elsewhere as I prepared to leave. The air felt heavy, like something I couldn't shake off.
Just as I was about to step out, Darethor entered. He immediately noticed how Valkira ran out of the room, her face pale. Before he could ask, I showed him my bloodstained toe.
He cleared his throat, clearly unsure how to respond. But I wasn't going to make it easy for him.
"I suppose you'll be speechless now," I said coldly. "This is your fault, Darethor. You gave me an incompetent maid."
Darethor blinked, then let out a soft apology. "I'm sure Valkira will warm up to you," he said, though I could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "She's just tense because, well... you're the Alpha Prince."
I didn't respond right away. My mind was elsewhere, focused on my next step. Darethor's gaze drifted to my robe as I pulled it on, his eyes narrowing.
"Where are you going?" he asked, almost cautiously.
I turned to face him, my expression hard. "I'm going back to the woods," I said. "Where I had the accident. Something doesn't add up."
As I headed out, deep down, I wanted to catch a glimpse of her. I wanted to remember her face- the one that had looked so unsure and desperate just moments before. There was something about Valkira that I couldn't shake. Something I needed to understand.
I rode with Darethor in the carriage, though he insisted on extra safety. He seemed more nervous than usual, glancing around constantly. As we neared the woods, I knew what I had to do.
"I'll go alone," I told him firmly.
Darethor whined, almost pleading. "If anything happens to you, Prince Zeroth, the Alpha King will kill me."
I gave him a cold look. "It's a command. Besides, you don't work for the king... you work for me. Unless you want to keep your job and obey me, you'll let me go."
He nodded quickly, too afraid to argue further. I stepped out of the carriage, leaving him behind, and walked deeper into the trees. The air felt different here... thicker, like the place held memories.
It didn't take long before I found the spot... the tree I had hit during the accident.
I squatted down, running my hand along its bark. The sensation was strange, like it wasn't the tree but something else... something soft brushing against my hair.
Then, I heard rustling behind me. My senses went on high alert, and I turned around.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw Valkira.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she apologized quickly.
But it wasn't just the maid standing there.
My eyes widened as the truth hit me all at once.
She is my mate.