Please DON’T READ this Chapter yet. I will update this 2nd 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 anti, 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 soday.
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(Part 21 - Continuation...)
The performances continued, and the king was delighted with everything. The beautiful girls of Próta perford a sword dance, also depicting the king’s victory. Then, the kind girls of Tétartos showcased their honed harmony and angelic voices in an acapella. Lastly was Pémptos who perford a very sexy and modern dance, wearing colorful clothes—sothing everyone noticed, even the king.
"Great job to all the House Leaders. All the performances were very entertaining," the king said rrily. The crowd smiled like him as they, too, were very much pleased.
But then, as if a bad wind blew by, the king’s face shifted from happy to dead angry in a blink of an eye. Because of this, the whole crowd was startled.
"Yes, it was all great but—Why are they missing one?"
His angered voice thundered. The crowd was so confused and started questioning each other. Most of them didn’t even notice that soone was missing.
"Malum," the king called him sternly. "Aside from your group not abiding by the rules and wearing Pandora’s dress, I see that you’ve neglected yet another rule."
Malum maintained a calm face but a trickle of sweat could be seen from his forehead.
Continuing, the king stressed every word he said.
"Everyone—every candidate should be performing for tonight. Yet where is that girl?"
The crowd murmured again. For who could this girl be that even the king would know of her? Was she soone special? But as far as they knew, there wasn’t anyone like that except Azalea. After all, the human maidens weren’t given other chances to et with the king yet prior to the banquet. Azalea also perford just a few monts ago. If not her, then... who was it?
"I recall one of your mbers wore a pitch-black dress," the king added. "A color so strange, the news reached ."
And with the final blow, he asked in the most terrifying tone that echoed through the whole banquet hall...
"WHERE IS SHE?"
The crowd gasped. So even trembled at their seats. The atmosphere turned heavy, and none could dare look at the king’s direction.
"A-A pitch-black dress?" one of them murmured. "Isn’t that a sign of treachery?"
"It is!" murmured the other. "It ans she bears ill intentions towards the king. She wants to kill him!"
"Then, shouldn’t she be executed right away? Why is the king letting her live?"
"Well, she’s still a human. What can a re human do to the king? She can be angry all she wants, but I doubt she’ll be able to kill the king, right?"
"SILENCE!" The king shut everyone up. Their murmurs started to irritate him.
Once the gossiping died down, Malum stepped forward to answer his king.
"Ah, alas, your highness asked," Malum answered in delight as if he was actually expecting Rania not to join the performance. "But do not be angered, your highness, for we simply reserved the best for last."
With that, he gestured his hands towards Rania, who sat quietly at the far end row of seats near the balcony window. Everyone followed where his hand pointed to.
"My Odile, co. The king looks forward to your performance."
And there it was—indeed, a young woman wearing a pitch-black Pandora’s dress! All the Magi were appalled. They started to murmur again.
Azalea, who had been looking for Rania the entire night, also looked at the direction Malum pointed to. Finally able to see her, she sighed in relief. But then again, what would she do? Her friend was in a pinch. Would Rania even perform for the king? She knew very well from the many tis she visited her how she hated the entire Magi race, especially the king and that green-haired Nefastus who killed her loved ones.
Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
Everyone’s heartbeat rose in anticipation. A woman wearing a pitch-black Pandora dress? What could she be plotting against the king?
Rania stared for a whole minute at Malum. Since she didn’t listen to the discussion yesterday, she didn’t know they had to perform for the king. She only heard there was a banquet from the girls.
So that’s why they were practicing a dance yesterday. Hmm... What should I do?
But then, her heart ached, realizing she needed to perform for the king she hated and the Magi race who cruelly slaughtered many of her kind. Trying to please him when she was still angry at him—she tried her best to let go of the anger ever since the night at the library, but it was still too hard for her.
"Rania, you can do it!" Lily cheered for her. "Don’t give up! You can defeat that hatred!"
Hearing her voice, Rania sighed. Trying to let go of the hatred in her heart, she smiled bitterly for the first ti in a long while.
Right. I’m trying to win over the darkness in my heart. I shouldn’t be clouded by hatred. But oh God, this is so hard. I’m not sure if I can do this. In that case, why don’t I just...
And so, Rania strengthened herself. She then looked around to see what she could use to perform. The piano from the musicians’ area caught her eyes. Finally, she stood up and headed towards the translucent piano.
Malum, who was a bit anxious a mont ago, cald down, and grew excited and curious of what Rania was going to do. The whole crowd waited in anticipation as well. For what kind of performance would be better than the rest? And a performance from soone who wanted to kill the king? What an irony indeed.
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