The Dead Sister [ELARA] "Please, don't eat that," I manage to choke out, my stomach turning in revolt as my gaze shifts from the plate to Alec's frail form. "I'm so sorry," I murmur, my remorse evident though none of this is my doing. A surge of anger courses through me, directed at Alina. Every fiber of my being despises her. I clench my teeth, restraining curses. She orchestrated this, fully aware of the consequences. If only Alec had still been in Mistral Hollow, none of this tragedy would unfold. But she manipulated Alpha Zander into assigning him as my personal guard. Not only am I being punished for never doing anything wrong, so is Alec. He still keeps his head bowed between folded knees. I cautiously approach, avoiding the cold touch of silver bars, and notice eerie black swirls on his bare back It's not something I've seen before on him and I've seen him more naked than this several times. "What is that?" I ask out loud without intending to do so. "Oh, here you are," a voice interrupts my thoughts. A very feminine one. "I've been looking everywhere for you, my Prince." I turn around to see a woman with lucious black hair leaning lazily against the stonewall of the prison. Her eyes are the strangest shade of red, almost as if she's not alive. But her facial features are sharp enough to intoxicate anyone. She's wearing a sleek emerald gown, one that hugs onto every curve of her body, enunciating them - and a neckline that you can't help but stare at, open and seductive. Magnus replies, his voice lazy and lacking any enthusiasm, "I don't think you need to look everywhere to find me, Morgana." She smiles, her eyes fluttering and then announces, "I have found something. I'm sure you'll be very interested in knowing it." Magnus nods slowly, a flash of curiosity crossing his eyes. "In my chamber," he tells her. Then he turns to me, and snaps, You've seen him now. That's enough." The sudden change in his tone unnerves me. I'm jolted out of my muddled brain back to this harsh reality. 11 Alec is rogue. He's imprisoned. And I'm married to the man that has locked him inside. I can get him out. But to what accord? He's lost forever. There's no cure for rogueness. But there's always a cause. Magnus is already on his way to the dilapidated staircase when I blurt out, "Wait, Magnus." My voice is only a whisper I realise, frail and pathetic. But my husband still hears me and he's facing me once again, his eyebrow raised in question. Uncertain steps carry me closer. Ignoring the scrutinizing gaze of the scarlet-eyed Morgana, I muster courage. "I need to know how this happened. How did he become a rogue?" Magnus hesitates, golden eyes conflicted. Finally, he glances briefly at Morgana before admitting, "Hydralith bite," and resumes his path. Morgana regards me cryptically before she follows him, whispering, "Welcome to Caelondor, darling." *** 'You're responsible for this. Alec lost his soul trying to protect you,' Lila's voice echoes in my mind, a haunting reminder that refuses to fade. I shake off the echoes, unsure if Lila is truly speaking or if it's a hallucination induced by guilt. She hasn't communicated with me in what feels like ages. If she were here, I'm sure she'd blame me for Alec's state, a consequence of my choices. 1/3 Barely registering the maid's words, I find myself lost in my thoughts. "Is this good enough, Your Highness?" Beatrice inquires, pouring hot water into the opal tub. She's sixteen and one of the maids assigned to look after me and tend to my needs. Her blonde hair is braided into a crown above her forehead and tiny grey droplets dangle from her earlobes. I lean against the edge of the opal tub carved into the floor, swirls of steam rising from it. When I put a hand inside, I find it hot enough to wipe any thoughts out of my mind. I nod absentmindedly, my mind drifting back briefly to Alec's imprisonment, the strange markings on his back, and the enigmatic Morgana. When Beatrice stares at me with confusion, I begin to strip, slipping off the robe that clung to my skin since my visit to the prison this morning. I spent my afternoon talking to my maids and getting to know things about Caelondor. One of the most unsurprisingly shocking things I found out was that the prison Alec is held in is Magnus' own. Which means that everyone there has wronged him one way or the other. Or is likely just there for his own satisfaction. Maybe he derives pleasure from seeing people suffer. Beatrice, by far, is the most indulging conversationist. She has told me things I never asked about, including how the queen did not attend Magnus and my wedding as she was mourning her dead cat, Furymin. 1 I laughed about it, and it felt good. But a moment later tears were falling from my eyes and I knew I wasn't heartless yet. I step into the bath, the touch of hot water sending a tingle through me. Beatrice begins adding things into the water from vials. The air begins to smell flowery and sweet. "Chamomile," she says, grabbing a bowl filled with a coarse substance and she starts rubbing it over my bare shoulders. I let her do what she wants and close my eyes. The image of Alec pouncing on me - fangs bared-flashes in my mind and I gasp, almost stumbling into the tub. I grab the edges to steady myself and realise that my fingers are trembling. "Are you alright, Your Highness?" Beatrice asks, her face laden with concern as she pauses her movements on my back. Her voice is soft and her doe eyes are staring at me with innocence. "I'm fine. Just thinking of home," I lie, and gather some of the scented water into my palms before splashing it over my body. The burn from silver earlier had healed, leaving my hands smoother than ever. "What was it like?" she questions, her gentle hands treading over my arms. "Back in your territory." Beatrice is an omega. They're shunned by society and can't hold any titles unless they're raised to the position of a gamma or beta. Here in the palace, they do the jobs no one wants to do clean, scrub, help royals with chores they're quite capable of doing on their own. - "It was calm. Life there, I mean. But our pack faced a lot of hardships. Rogue attacks and what not. I fought in a battle once." Only after I've revealed that fact about me do I question myself why I did that. Maybe because Beatrice is the first one to treat me nicely here. But she's only doing her job. "That sounds thrilling. I could never be in a battle," she says, lowering her head in disappointed. I'm unsure of what to say so I tell her, "Don't feel upset for missing out on that. Being in a battle isn't fun. Death is just around you, trailing closely." "We all fall back into the arms of the Goddess after we die, don't we? Like my sister Kayla probably did." A lump forms in my throat. "K-Kayla?" I struggle to speak her name. "She was your sister?" "Yeah," she mumbles, her voice low and her face covered with misery. "It's only been a day." 2/3 "I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could've done. How was the funeral?" I make myself ask, curling my hands into fists. Kayla's lifeless eyes re-enter my mind, the emerald gown still slowly soaking up her blood. I'm frustrated, angry and disgusted and hurt all at the same time. Beatrice smiles sadly, a lone tear falling down her cheeks. "There was no funeral. We never got to see her. The Prince... he said... he said they'll be taking care of it." "He can't do that!" I protest, rising from the tub and spraying drops of water everywhere around me. Beatrice shakes her head, her eyes travelling from my bare chest to my furious face. "He's the prince. Who can stop him?" "He has no right to rob you and your family of the final farewell to your sister. I'll talk to him," I assure her as she throws a piece of linen around me. "Before that I need something from you. But you can't tell anyone about it." Hope sparkles in her eyes as she nods, and I pray to the goddess after a very long time to not disappoint me. Just for the sake of Beatrice. And for Alec. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!