Femme was discussing king Axel and his fiancee with her friends, but a heavy weight pressed into her chest, scratching and scraping her insides.
'How could he bring someone like her into the palace?'
Femme was fuming with icy rage. She wasn't curling her blonde, shiny locks on her dainty fingers anymore, nor was she enjoying higher-ups' companies. Femme's light pink dress complimented her milky thighs. They were exposed as the dress was cut in the front but poofy and dense in the back. All the men were ogling Femme's tempting figure.
Femme politely averted her gaze from the hungry looks of high lords. Dreaming of being shield by Axel again.
She remembered as her village was burning in flames. As a kid, she fell on her knees as if accepting her fate. But an unexpected case took place as the fire didn't devour her.
Femme remembered as the screams, crackling, and hissing of the fire subdued as if she was at the bottom of the ocean. Sounds became faint, and the unbearable, burning heat faded away as the darkness was palpable beyond Femme's eyelids.
She carefully fluttered her long eyelashes and slumped on her backside, heavily breathing. Every inhale of oxygen stung her nostrils.
Femme was caged by the pair of dark, pitch-black, scaled wings. That was the first time she had ever seen a dragon in her life, and never had she taken a glimpse of a more deadly and enormous dragon since then.
It was Axel who saved the princess Femme who was now serving him as a priestess.
"Femme? Femme!"
Someone jerked Femme as she glanced at the owner of the arm that pulled her out of her misery.
"Adriana?"
Another blonde had her eyebrows knotted together as her parted lips were quivering.
"Femme, are you okay? You look distant recently. Want me to order the maids to bring the doctor?"
Femme softly smiled at Adriana and shook her head. Femme missed Axel's care and strong arms enveloping her cold body. Cold from the ignorance, loneliness, and nightmares making their way to her frenzy mind. Every night she jolted up drenched in a cold sweat.
The high priestess, who lived as a princess long ago, was wrapped around the dragon king's finger. She was okay with that as long as she had some importance in his life.
"Femme! Come on! You look pale."
"I am pale, Adriana."
Femme took a sip of her drink to shut her tremoring lips.
"Is this about our new queen?"
And it was the last straw. Femme snapped her head towards Adriana as she started approaching her petrified form.
"She isn't our queen, and she never will! That poor excuse of a girl will never take place beside Axel!"
Everyone around them started murmuring and shooting Femme astound gazes as another step, and Adriana wobbled on her legs.
Femme's nostrils were flaring with exasperation as the sticky and gooey substance dripped down her fragile but veiny arm.
"Follow me, Adriana. We have to discuss something urgent."
Femme turned around and stepped on the shuttered glass as Adriana staggered on her jelly legs but submitted to her lady.
The priestess was determined she could find something against that shitty princess and had more than a bunch of people backing her up.
***
[Rebel]
The gigantic dragon's head slid in the opponent's direction and absorbed it. As the dragon chewed on the flesh, blood oozed beneath it.
Then the man from the shadow clan summoned the dragon's head back and into his soul. The warrior turned to us and bowed his head. The corpse of the sun clan's representative fell limp.
I faced Axel, who seemed unaffected as he raised his hand and signaled the end of the fight.
The audience burst into wild applause and happy exclaims. The hubbub vanquished any other noise as the man on the arena didn't dare to lift his head.
"Congratulations, princess." Danu praised as he bent his head in respect to me.
"Thanks, Danu. Can you get me something to drink?"
"Of course, my lady." Danu smiled at me before heading for the stairs.
"And we have our winner, the representative from the shadow clan!" Ash claimed, and even louder shouts followed his statement.
The crowd was going wild, and my face twisted in displeasure.
"It will end soon," Axel assured me from beside as he let his people enjoy triumph just a bit longer.
"Another," I mumbled, taking advantage of the clamor.
Then Axel erected his hand, and silence washed over the crowd like a tsunami.
Soon my clon was sitting on the throne while I teleported myself in the crowd, disguised as a plain lord. I couldn't believe I got the hang of the sacred technique of teleportation. I could barely teleport myself few feet away a week ago. I was so freaking dope!
As a young man, I had a small black ponytail and blue eyes. Did I copy Axel? Pft, what are you even talking about?
My spell would wear off soon, so I had to act fast.
"Penum," I called out for the high lord of the shadow clan, standing at the end of the crowd.
He turned and immediately deduced it was me. Penum had long brown hair with matching eyes and a solid built despite his old age; he would have been in his late fifties.
"My lady, you are here. Your turn will come soon."
I gave him a faint smile and a wary jerk of my head. My heart was drumming in my chest.
"Penum, don't worry. You and your clan are under my wing from now on."
I comforted my ally as he fell on his knees and bowed his head. Good thing we were in the outer row, and nobody had time for us.
"Stand up, Penum. We don't want someone suspecting something, do we?"
"Of course not, my lady."
He raised to his feet and placed his lips on my hand.
"Where is Lee? I want to congratulate him."
"Lee," Penum scanned surroundings before he fixed his gaze on someone. I followed his eyes which landed on young Lee, tying up his black hair in a ponytail.
"Father?" He sent a questioning look at his father's shaky form. "What's wrong?"
"Who is it?" That look he shot me sent shivers down my spine. Soon, Lee dropped his arms to his sides and approached me. Oh, that wasn't what I was aiming for. He was striding towards me like a lion.
"Freeze you, moron! It's our queen." Penum retorted at his son.
"Not yet," I corrected, but who would listen to me?
Lee's beautiful honey dripped eyes widened before he fell on his knees. Not again!
Stop doing that! But one good thing was that at least I was eye-level to them, or else my neck was sore. In this form, I was pretty tall, though.
"Excuse my unruly manners, my lady."
"You are excused, Lee." I placed my hand on his chin and made him look up at me. "Stand up."
He was cute and definitely older than me. At last, I was being addressed respectfully by someone older than me!
Wait, 'he was cute'? Bitch, I was a whore!
Suddenly, his eyes shot open. Don't tell me he read my mind, just don't! I mentally facepalmed myself. Damn you, silly girl! I had to learn to set up mental shields, as Axel warned me.
Then Lee threw his head back, laughing and overflowing his charisma.
Hahaha, when I laughed, the only thing overflowing from me was the cracked attempts of a laugh.
"Lee!" His father, Penum, scolded him but in vain.
"You're interesting, princess." Lee rumbled before kissing my hand.
"Lee! How dare y-"
I lifted my hand and silenced both of them.
"Let's get to the matter, shall we?" I announced.
"Of course, my lady."
Wait, who was Penum, or what was the deal between us? Well, my mother had some connections with him before this everything even started. Penum, the shadow clan lord, was now my ally and a faithful warrior who would assist me in my plan.
"About your mother, my lady."
Why did breathing become harder? Why was nothing entering my head? Every sound was hushed and sank in the back of my mind. A warm hand dared with wary to gently clutch mine. I supposed it belonged to Lee.
"We have a cue that… lady Eres is alive."