CHAPTER 110: A PAIN OF ICE

Osha exhaled in ease. "That’s relieving to hear, Your Grace!"

She worried too much. But I smiled anyway.

"Done." She released my hair, and I admired her handiwork.

My hair was fuller and longer, the curls were mesmerizing, and the dark indigo had more coloring, the fading icy silver-blue at the tip, too. It was beautiful. I was awed that I could have such thoughts about my hair, given how much I hated it growing up.

"Time to try the new nightdresses!"

"Nightdresses?" I rise to find Osha going through some boxes.

"This came earlier today, don’t worry, it was brought by Ravyn, they are gifts from the monarch. Look!"

I gasped. "They’re stunning."

Osha squealed. "The monarch got many made for you!"

I blushed at her words. True, after Drevon tore the other to shreds, he did mention he’d get me a new one. But who’d have known he had intentions of giving me a whole full wardrobe of them?

These were different too, the satin material was rich, and they all had tiny straps for hands. That audacious beast...he recreated the same one I wore on our first night together.

I don’t think I can survive dinner with him. Relax, Eloise, this is not cheat day, nothing will happen unless I tell him otherwise.

I chose to wear the red one, and it complemented my porcelain skin. Red looks good on me.

Osha was grinning shamelessly as she helped me wear my robe.

"Wouldn’t it have been better if I had worn a gown instead?"

"The dining hall is just at the next turn, not too far."

True. I changed quarters after the disaster that happened to my former one.

"I feel like I am going to seduce him with this." I could already picture the look on Drevon’s face.

How much restraint can a beast have? I mean, he was an Alpha, but look at what happened to my quarters. What if he shifts when we—no, no, no! Again, Eloise, not cheat day!

"Oh my, why would you think that? This is just a romantic dinner."

I fixed her with a pointed stare. "Who are you and what have you done with my Osha?"

She giggled. "I’m just very happy, Your Grace. You and the monarch are working things out after the space."

"I don’t know about that," I murmured, looking to the side.

"Your encounter with Prince Damon?"

I nodded. "It’s just all so confusing, and I can’t explain it."

"Maybe you should tell the monarch. I know you don’t want to cause any more trouble for—"

"Tell him what? I can’t even remember what happened, but I’m certain Damon did something to me, maybe he used the Alpha command. I don’t know what his problem is, but I do know he’s getting bolder."

"What will you do now, Your Grace?"

I placed a hand beneath my chin. "My attempt to get under his skin and push him to the corner worked, but at the same time, I think I gave him more reason to come at me. Tsk! And here I thought I had only Sloane to deal with, it’s far better that the Prince was heavily on his secret plan, now I feel like I have purposely set a target on my back!"

I faced Osha. "Any whispers about Sloane?"

I had told Osha to listen to anything about her ever since the ball. It’s best to monitor your enemy than to be left in the dark. Besides, I haven’t gotten revenge for Talia yet.

"Nothing that involves her being in the castle, but she did attend the ball as you said. She must have been backed by the Dowager."

Of course, why didn’t I think of that? It’s safe to say that soon, Sloane will waltz her way back to the castle if she hasn’t already.

Given my last encounter with the Dowager, I think I had hit a corner. I made such a careless move, and now I’m stuck in a very difficult situation. My status as the princess won’t save me now.

I need an audience with the Royal Princess!

"Your Grace, we should get going now, we have taken too much time already."

"Right," I walked to the door, but before I could grab the doorknob, I lost balance and dropped to my knees.

"Your Grace!" Osha held me. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I..." I clenched my chest as a pain pierced me. I rasped, trying to stabilize my breathing, but I couldn’t.

Was I having a panic attack? Was—I cried out when it spiked to my throat, and I collapsed to the ground, wailing in pain.

Osha called to me, but the sound of her voice was muffled, coldness coiled inside me, wrenching like I was being frozen alive, but in a much painful way.

"Your Grace!"

I looked at Osha, my eyes connecting with her neck, especially the redness I could see running through her pulse, her scent filled my nose too, she smelled of flowers. I never knew flowers could smell mouthwatering. It made me wonder how it would taste.

I leaned close, but then my nose was disrupted as something else powerful came through, so strong it hit me, and my mind went numb.

I couldn’t describe the scent. I moved my eyes to the door, and it opened that instant, revealing Drevon.

His eyes were erratic until they landed on me.

"Leave now!" he ordered, and I heard Osha’s hurrying footsteps.

Drevon came to me in a heartbeat and crouched, he pulled me to his arms and picked me up like I weighed nothing.

He said something to me, but I couldn’t make out the words. My lips were close to his neck, and without hesitation, almost like it was something natural, I sank my teeth into his neck.

I moaned at the first taste of euphoria, my entire body set on fire, cancelling out the cold. It was almost as if all the coldness and pain were gone, and I could finally breathe again.

"Take as much as you want, little wife."

I threaded my hands into his hair and sank deeper, feeling something warm smearing my mouth and dribbling down my neck and chest.

What was it? I didn’t know, but whatever it was, I don’t want to lose the flavor. I was scared that if I did, I’d die from the dryness.