Vows and Bullets
Chapter 155 - 1st week of September (Part 9)

Chapter 155: 1st week of September (Part 9)

Please DON’T READ this Chapter yet. I will update this first week of September!

Good news! My hands have healed now and I’m catching up on writing my missed Chapters. My apologies for all the delays. I will replace this Chapter with the real one soon, don’t worry, and upload a new one for the next day. I really apologize once again.

In the meantime, please enjoy the continuation of the story below titled "The King’s Beloved". This is the revised version I am planning to submit for paperback publication. Hopefully, I get a chance someday.

________________

(Part 18 - Continuation...)

That book... she knew very well what it was. Of the hundreds, or maybe thousands of books that she already read when she was still living her normal life with the people she loved, that book alone was the dearest to her heart. For it was the book written by her Father, her God. Large droplets of tears fell from her eyes one after another. A warm shiver crept through her skin, and the wind blew towards her, as if wanting to comfort her. Her frail body trembled, and her knees wobbled. Not long after, she fell down and knelt on the carpeted floor.

A big stirring shook her heart... like a wave washing over her entire being.

"LIVE!" it shouted back at her.

"Remember who you are."

"Be strong and take heart!"

"There is hope!"

As to what hope it was, she knew not. As to how to live again, she knew not as well. But to be strong and take heart, she decided to try again. Maybe... just maybe... there was a purpose to everything that was happening.

After that enlightening night, Rania set herself into discovering her long-lost self. Ever since the night of their capture when she lost everyone she loved, she also lost herself in vengeance, anger, and hatred. The girl who used to jump in the middle of the road wanting to save a person she didn’t know was gone, replaced with someone who wanted to kill instead. And so, she resolved herself into finding her back.

Rania took the golden book back to her room and read it day and night until she finished it. Every word resounded to her heart and little by little, renewed her mind. It helped her heal the bottomless hole left by her loss. It helped her understand the greater Will and trust in the divine once more. And for the first time in a long time, she felt that what she was doing was right. Along with that, she started hearing the voices again one morning when winter was about to end to welcome the beautiful spring.

"Rania, can you hear us?" it was the playful child Lily she first heard. "We miss you."

Then, it was followed by Rose’s sigh.

"I’m not sure she can hear us yet. There’s still a little darkness covering her, not wanting to let go. Hmm... what should we do?"

"Trust her," Iris answered. "She will defeat the darkness. She’s a strong and brave woman."

Hearing them talking like that, Rania was surprised. She wanted to join in the conversation since she missed them so much, but then the thing they said... she couldn’t help but cry—especially from what the wise Iris said. Because of that, she strengthened herself more and promised herself that she would come back. And she would come back strong!

***

Chapter 7 RANIA’S HEART

A few days passed by again until one day, news arrived in each of the palaces.

"Everyone, listen up," Malum, who led the group of evil women of Pémptos, started.

Malum had dark green hair, light brown eyes, and pale skin. His face looked like he was around mid-thirties in age, also good-looking—in a human’s perspective at least, since the Magi race would often describe such looks as an average-looking face. He had a forever listless expression so apparent on his face. Like a warlock of some sort, he wore a black uniform and pants with dark boots extending to his knees. From his shoulders, a large dark green cloak dropped all the way to his ankles neatly.

The girls who were just bickering and smirking at each other in the social room of Pémptos Palace gathered in front of Malum as soon as they heard him.

"Tomorrow night, a banquet will be held at the king’s palace—the Grand Palace," he said with his slow, snobbish tone. "This is your first time attending our banquet since you need to be trained prior to properly meeting and socializing with the king. I do certainly hope that all the things I taught you remained in that little brain of yours."

At this remark, some of the girls rolled their eyes while the others began to gossip. Not minding them, Malum continued his piece.

"I expect everyone to be ready to entertain the king, and of course, gain his favor if you don’t want to be given away to some old, stinking noble or experts. As I mentioned before, the king only needs at least 20 concubines or less and a puppet queen to serve him in bed. Since you humans are not that beautiful, it may as well be ten or less concubines and one queen instead. So be sure to do your best in seducing him."

Everyone murmured and started thinking, or rather, plotting.

"Oh, right. Before I forgot," he continued. "I prepared a little present for each of you. I placed it inside your rooms. Be sure to use it if you want to be ahead of the others. And please, do something about that cunning Aza-lea? Or whoever she is. She definitely used her wits to gain herself the favor of the king last time." After a pause, he continued, "Again, if they can’t be your pawn—"

"Get rid of them," they chorused.

"And if they block your paths—"

"Get rid of them."

"And if they—"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, old fart!" one of them interrupted.

It was none other than a long-legged, alluring girl around 18 years of age, with long and smooth lilac purple hair, paired with captivating eyes the same color as cherry blossoms. Her voice was soft yet commanding to the point that it was seductive even though it was just her normal tone.