The Beta’s Regret

(Eden's Pov)

The moment Alice stepped out of the room, I let my guard down and relaxed.

I took a deep breath, and allowed the fury I felt to evaporate. I never intended to get so worked up, but Alice had a way of bringing out the worst in me, and I wasn't about to back down.

If my plan was to go accordingly, I couldn't allow anyone else to stand in my way. This wasn't only about what I wanted or about saving myself. This was about saving the people that trusted me to protect them, saving the people I failed.

I felt uneasy as my heart hung heavy in my chest. I had a fight ahead of me, one I wasn't sure I would come out of unscathed but one thing I was sure of, was that I wouldn't fail my people, not again.

A knock on the door caught my attention, and I turned to look at it in curiosity.

Was Alice back again?

I went to the door and pulled it open. My brows raised when I saw two maids one taller than the other stood behind it with fresh bath towels in their hands.

"My lady." They chorused.

"What do you want?" I asked.

One of the ladies, the taller one replied. "His highness asked us to get you ready for the night."

I looked back at the towels in their hands and I sighed. What I needed was time alone to myself, not to have people running around trying to please me.

However, I couldn't turn them away. I needed to act as if I wanted this much more than anything else. Pison has to think that I was just as vain as the other women trying to get the crown. If I turned them away, Pison might suspect I hadn't really changed. I pulled the door open wider.

"Come on in." I said softly.

The maids entered, heads bowed. They hurried towards the bathroom, and spent a few minutes adding various oils before they coming back to my side.

"The bath is ready." The tall one spoke again.

I shook my head in answer.

when the maids got closer to

I stopped them. "I will do it

look and nodded before

of what I had to do. When I was done, I allowed the maids to lead me to the bath

a second, I allowed it to work its magic on me, tightening every

I would

was suddenly yanked out of my comfort when I felt the maids hands

water dried off my skin with the towels they brought along,

out of the

a thing in the palace, maids running around in fear. Was it all because they were scared of

on the bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. I was

up with a

That voice. Zion?

come along with my

for the opened room window and jumped

she listened for the sound trying

she was sure, she ran towards it. Thankfully, there was no one else in sight. It was past midnight and the maids had gone to bed.

probably about

over if Pison caught me, but I needed to know why my son was

led us all through the side of the palace to the garden at the back of the

girl turned, the light of the moon casting

gasped. She was alive? But how? I assumed she was killed in the

a safe place for her. Pison would kill her in an

frown, I looked around. There was no sign of my

suspicious when Lamia smiled and covered her

knew you would if you heard the voice of your son" she

is Zion?" I narrowed my gaze at her. "He's not

shrugged. "No. I used

I had no idea she was aware of

widened. "You