For tonights song we will have "Control" by Halsey
ENJOY
Lilith's POV
Every time I think there's no way this place can terrify me more, the universe slaps me across the face and says, "Bet."
The tea party ended not long ago. We left Raquelle in her haunted little library—not before she handed me a kingdom history book the size of a toddler. Seriously, that thing could kill a man.
Luckily, Obrovosky offered to carry it. He looked like he was cradling a medieval weapon of mass destruction.
We were wandering the castle—just talking. About life. Or whatever that means when you're stuck in a gothic mansion with a soldier and a flirty wizard.
"Puberty hit you hard," Obrovosky said to Louise, out of nowhere.
I choked on my laugh. I remember Louise at twelve—he looked like a curly-haired mouse in boots.
"Shut up," Louise snapped. "Just wait until we dig up your photos, big guy."
"Won't. They're all burned."
"We'll see about that."
I grinned. "Don't feel bad, Louise. My cousin Victor was my height until he hit eighteen."
"That small?" Obrovosky blinked.
I glared at both of them.
"You are one small petal," Louise teased.
"I'm not that small," I muttered, crossing my arms.
Big mistake. They both stepped in front of me.
"You come up to our shoulders, Princess," Obrovosky pointed out.
"Why won't you look up at us?" Louise added with a smug grin.
I refused to crane my neck. Not giving them the satisfaction.
Why is everyone in this cursed kingdom six-foot-something?
I feel like a freaking garden gnome next to these two.
"Go to hell," I said, pushing them aside and marching ahead.
"Hey, come on, petal, don't get mad—"
"F*ck off, dickhead."
Four steps later, they're beside me again. One of their strides equals three of mine. Life is unfair.
"So… how's life in the Celestial Kingdom?" Louise asked out of nowhere.
"Why the question?"
"Well, you won't talk about your feelings for Alex, so… kingdom it is."
I stared at him.
"What? It's true."
"Not to pry, but… is it?" Obrovosky added quietly.
No.
Yes.
"…No. Obviously not," I said, turning red as a cherry tomato.
"I'm trained to spot liars, Princess," Obrovosky warned gently.
"Still can't imagine him in that position," he added.
"That's because you're not supposed to, dumbass," Louise said.
"How does that make me the dumbass if you were the one who imagined it first?"
Louise stared at him. Obrovosky stayed quiet. Probably sulking.
"Her face says it all," Louise grinned.
"So?" Obrovosky raised an eyebrow.
"Did y'all fuck?" Louise blurted.
"That's disrespectful," Obrovosky scolded.
"Who cares? Look at her."
My cheeks were on fire.
"First of all—shut up, Louise. Second—no, we didn't."
"Then why do you react like that every time we mention him?"
"Because he's frustrating, okay?! Just thinking about him gives me a migraine."
Louise rolled his eyes, smirking. Obrovosky looked like he needed subtitles.
"First he's cold as hell, then suddenly sweet. Like—pick a lane! Good guy? Villain? Choose one. And don't get me started on the possessive, controlling, manipulative behavior—"
"True. He did leave you alone at the dance," Louise added.
"Exactly! And any time I find something remotely nice, he swoops in like a deranged hawk."
Silence. Then—
"I see," said Obrovosky.
"This stays between us, got it?"
"You have my word," said Obrovosky.
"So you do like him," he added.
"Shut up."
"That's a yes," Louise smirked.
"It's not! That would be wrong. He's my kidnapper."
"Well, when you say it like that…"
"It is like that!"
"He's not as bad as you think," Obrovosky said, ever the calm voice of reason.
I blinked at him like he'd just confessed to loving pineapple on pizza.
"Oh really?"
"Most prisoners don't get private rooms. Or roam the halls unchained. Or… survive the first week."
Oh. Charming.
We love a kingdom with a mild torture problem.
"My favorite's the sling-chi method, but the blood eagle is a classic—"
"OKAY!" I slapped my hands over my ears. "No medieval TED Talk today, thanks."
Louise, the coward, had already migrated behind me like I was a human shield.
"He just looks so normal from the outside," he mumbled.
"Chicken," I muttered back.
"But I didn't do anything," I continued, in full rant mode. "All I did was follow a map, get a little lost in a cursed forest—and boom! Kidnapped."
"Ahem. That must've been… unpleasant," Obrovosky offered politely, as if I'd just described a bad spa experience.
"Why were you in the woods anyway?"
"I was going to a party! El gave me a map!"
"A party"
"In the woods"
"Alone"
"At night?"
They said it at the same time, like a judgmental barbershop duo.
I sighed deeply, already regretting this conversation.
"Okay, yes, fine, I was dumb. But that doesn't give that asshole permission to scare me like that!"
They blinked.
Again.
The universal sign for she's spiraling.
"Do you know what I thought when I saw him?
"Princess" Obrovosky tried to cut in.
"hold on"
"I thought I was going to die. He chased me"
"Petal?"
"I said wait"
"He tackled me, knocked me out—and when I woke up, I was tied to a chair!"
"CAN YOU BELIVE IT the son of a bitch tied me to a chair"
"LILITH" they both yell
"What!?"
Silence.
And then… they both pointed behind me.
Oh no.
No no no no no.
I turned around slower than a horror movie victim.
There he was.
Alex.
Centimeters from my soul.
"You have to stop appearing behind me," I snapped, trying to hold on to a shred of dignity. "It's getting old."
He smirked like the devil in designer armor.
"I'll keep that in mind, Lilith."
And then, the cherry on top—
"Don't worry, sweetheart. The son of a bitch isn't here to take you. Not this time."
Wanted.
To.
Die.
He turned to Obrovosky like none of this happened.
"We need to talk. Five minutes."
"Yes, sir."
And just like that, he was gone. Leaving me and Louise alone with my public humiliation.
"Oh my God, petal," Louise wheezed, full drama mode activated. "Life really is a bitch with you."
"Shut up, that was the worst moment of my entire existence."
"Darling, I tried to warn you—your talkative ass wouldn't stop!"
"I'm going to jump out a tower. I swear."
"Did you see his face!? Pure artwork. I want to frame it and hang it above my bed."
"Why do I even exist?"
"To suffer. Obviously."
Alex's POV
A couple min before
Son of a bitch?Asshole?Chased her?
…I didn't chase her. She ran like a rabid squirrel. There's a difference.
I stood silently behind them longer than I should've, listening to the verbal massacre of my reputation.
Apparently, I'm the villain in Lilith's bedtime story.Great.
By the time she mentioned waking up tied to a chair, I was mentally pacing.Tied her up for interrogation, sure. But it's not like I waterboarded her with holy wine.
She turned and saw me.
"You have to stop appearing behind me," she snapped.
Note: She didn't say she was surprised anymore.Just tired. That's progress… I guess?
"I'll keep that in mind, Lilith."
Then I added, for good measure:
"Don't worry, sweetheart. The son of a bitch isn't here to take you. Not this time."
Yeah. I said it.
Her face turned colors even painters can't mix.
I turned to Obrovosky, completely unbothered.
"We need to talk. Five minutes."
He nodded like I hadn't just witnessed my ego being torn apart like a cheap curtain.
We regrouped in my office. Obrovosky stood at attention. I stared at the desk, trying very hard not to imagine Lilith tying a noose from pure embarrassment.
"Sir?" he asked gently."Is everything… alright with the prisoner?"
I didn't respond.
"Sir?""…Do you think I'm an asshole?"
Obrovosky blinked like I'd slapped him with a fish.
"Uh… no, sir. Not at all. Why would you—"
Liar.
"You may rest."
He relaxed slightly.
"May I speak freely?"
"Go ahead."
"This is about the Princess, isn't it?"
"Why would you think that?"Note: I sounded like a bad actor in a drama series.
"You only heard half the conversation, sir, but she's just… confused. Overwhelmed."
I stood, crossing the room, tension tight in my shoulders.
"She's difficult."
"She hasn't had it easy."
Why does everyone defend her like she's a baby deer and I'm the hunter with a shotgun?
"If I may, sir… perhaps you shouldn't be so hard on her."
"Define 'hard.'"
"Well, there are… rumors. Louise mentioned an encounter between you two."
And there it is.The part where my entire staff apparently moonlights as a gossip network.
"What about it?"
"Just… maybe don't act like a frostbitten gargoyle toward her if you care."
Before I could reply with a well-earned death glare, the door swung open.
Enter: Adele.In full dramatic flair, like a one-woman Shakespearean play.
"You shouldn't be a beast, you idiot," she said, waving a hand like she was hexing me."Be gentle, you boy. Take her out."
Obrovosky and I exchanged looks like Did she just barge into royal business?Yes. Yes, she did.
"There's a festival in town before the ceremony. Take her. Spend time. Bond."
"Bond?"
"Yes, you emotionally stunted warlord. Bond. Look at Louise—smiles, jokes, makes her laugh. Be more like him."
…I'd rather stab myself with a ceremonial sword.
"I'm not competing with that flamboyant mosquito."
"Oh please, he's more of a gentleman than you'll ever be," she scoffed.
"He's a noisy little gremlin."
"Exactly. And he's winning."
"If I may add," Obrovosky said calmly, "she likes flowers. And books. And animals. And although she pretends otherwise… she loves dresses."
How do they know this much?
"I doubt I'll have time. The ceremony prep is still—"
"Excuses," Adele snapped. "Obrovosky's your best man, no?"
"Indeed, but—"
"No buts. You say you want her—"
"I never said that."
"Well then."She gave me that look.
"If the ceremony is an issue, I can handle it," Obrovosky added like he wasn't trying to ruin my life.
"Perfect!" Adele clapped her hands. "It's settled."
"This won't work," I muttered.
"So negative," she said, rolling her eyes. "You just need to learn."
"Learn what?"
"How to treat a woman."
Silence. Cold. Humiliating silence.
"You've spent your life fighting men and killing enemies. Now it's time for your biggest battle yet…"
She leaned in like she was delivering a prophecy.
"Affection."
I'm going to die.This is worse than war.