Meral suddenly felt a hand yank her arm back, her head smacking against the wall. Pain shot through her skull as she felt Taya grab her hair. Meral retaliated, grabbing hold of Taya's hair and yanking hard. But Taya sliced through her own locks with a hidden dagger, freeing herself.
"Damn it, is she really trying to kill me? She's serious. Damn it, I won't die like this!"Meral thought, horrified at the madness gleaming in Taya's eyes. Would she go as far as cutting her own hair to escape?
"Orig!" Meral screamed as she ran down the corridors, her heart pounding wildly. The palace felt deserted, the lack of guards sending chills down her spine. She couldn't believe she might die this way.
"You cannot live if you're carrying Orig's child. You must die," Taya's voice echoed against the walls, haunting Meral with every step. She stumbled into a maid carrying a glass of water and gulped it down desperately, her body trembling.
