Hey my sweets!川o･-･)ﾉ

Sorry I didn't update, I have no excuse other than the fact that my laziness won over. ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º· I've been struggling with writers block, not with what to write but more of how to convey emotions and intent in the chapter.

I'll try and make it up~!ଘ(✿˵•́ ᴗ •̀˵)

I want to address something while I'm here... its about the original Alina's relationship with her family. I've seen a few readers get worked up over how nice the now Alina is to them and how nice they are to her. Although you all are figuring out the OG Alina's POV and seeing she was not a villainess but a victim, but you have to keep in mind about how nobody had known what she was going through and how she was manipulated. Her personality was prickly with bitterness and anger so she pushed everyone away especially her family. So, imagine having a sibling you don't know well and know they hate you, suddenly try and kill someone and is convicted by the law.

First, you don't know them well and have only seen their anger so you really aren't fully sure they aren't capable of it. Secondly, as a upholder of the law how can you go against it for one person you don't know well, and have no reason to suspect she didn't do it. Plus, they do not know of the darker corruption in the monarchy playing with them behind the scenes.

Although, I'm not saying they aren't at fault, but a relationship works both ways. How can you try to be close with a person who obviously hates you for a reason you don't know and pushes you away any time you try to get close. Even, though the relationship seems a bit hypocritical now, aren't all relationships that way. Relationship whether platonic or romantic hold some kind of hypocrisy, they aren't simple or clean cut.

I try and present that in my book, I don't like the whole idea everyone all suddenly loves a person(platonic or not), there has to be a process depending on the relationship I want to develop. Like Ethan and Seth only interacted with Alina and slowly grew fond of her because of their familial instincts/brotherly role that influence them, and her warm response, plus they felt as if they were no longer pushed away so they resolved their bitterness and grew their relationship with her.

Anyways, I don't want to bore you all so let's get on with the chapter!(〜^∇^)〜

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(Ethan's POV)

"Stop pretending to be asleep."

At my words Seth finally opened his eyes and sat up. His personality took a 180 degree after what happened to Alina, instead of his fierce wolf cub personality before, where he acted brave and tough and was embarrassed to show or receive affection, he now seemed like a fully grown beast ready to protect what was his.

His eyes no longer held their previous playfulness, even towards me his eyes stayed vigilant, as if everything could pose a threat. The only time his eyes softened was towards Alina, even then his eyes held other emotions.

They swirled with guilt and regret, drowned with emotions deeper than I could understand.

"Why do you look at her like that?" I didn't realize I had said anything until Seth looked at me.

"Like what?"

"Guilty..., regretful.... It's not like it's your fault for what happened to her." I said with slight hesitation.

"It's not that..., I should have tried harder to understand her before. Why she pushed us all away, why she hated us... why she was always so angry." The more he spoke, the angrier he would get. I could tell he was not only angry at himself but at me and father as well.

"She was only a little girl, who struggled to express her emotions. All these things she did were a call for help. To protect herself, and to hide her pain." He spat out bitterly before looking at me with red eyes full of anger.

Once I saw his eyes I realized he knew things, not just things but everything that happened and is happening to Alina.

"So, you know." I sighed while leaning my head against the lead board of the bed.

"How?" I asked, but I already knew how.

"I overheard you and father talking."

I nodded my head, before closing my eye to try and steady my mind.

"For her to act so calmly after almost being killed, think of what she went through as a child to have such a reaction." He said through gritted teeth.

I stiffened at his words, and thought back to her reaction. I thought she was pretending to be fine not to worry us, but now that I'm thinking about it her tranquility was not a pretense.

It was genuine.

I looked at Alina with a complicated expression for a while before turning to Seth with a firm expression.

"We'll Just have to make sure nothing happens to her again." Matching my firm expression, Seth nodded his head.

Never again.

***

Unknowingly, I had fallen asleep but once I had woken up I was laying alone in my bed. I sat up, and tested my body, after I realized my body was completely fine I stood up to look around my room.

My body felt light, and healthy. The only thing that was abnormal was the drowsiness that my body had not yet shaken off from waking up. I looked around and realized that the room I was in was not my own.

It didn't take a genius to know that my room was not in the best shape after what had occurred last night.

Looking around the room I had realized that they moved all of my things into this room and was arranged to look similar to my own room, but instead of a red and gold theme the room was mostly white with light accents of gold.

Seeing how they didn't replicate my room exactly they must want to avoid triggering a traumatic reaction, from being in a similar environment.

However, I'm long past that point.

I walked to the window in my room and looked out to get an idea of where the room I was in now was at, but when I opened the curtains I was faced with metal bars. Surprised, I hurriedly opened the window to get a closer look at the metal bars. The first thing I looked at was the lock on the metal bars, seeing this I was relived since this meant that they could be opened. As I looked closer I found that it couldn't be unlocked from the outside, only from within could someone unlock it.

I gently traced the keyhole while pondering whether I could pick the lock, with my past experience in my previous world. I wasn't fully sure if I could since I did not know if locks were made the same as on earth.

The little girl was now all alone, trembling while hugging her knees in a fetal position. The little girl struggled to muffle her terrified sobs, as she knew what was to come if she was to not accept this punishment quietly.

The little girl dared not to close her eyes in the dark, and small closet. Rather, she kept her eyes glued to the light shining from under the door, watching for shadows. At the slightest sound the little girl would flinch, but nothing more... not even a whimper escaped her lips. She knew the consequences were more than she could bear, if she were to make a sound. Regrettably, she had to learn the hard way before.

Once a few minutes passed, fortunately or unfortunately, the little girls fear receded but in turn the pain that was once overshadowed by fear now came up, rearing it ugly head. Silent tears escaped her eyes as her scalp throbbed from being fiercely pulled, and as her arm bled from freshly manicured nails digging into her skin without remorse. Those, however, were bearable compared to aching torso, where she was kicked until she threw up. It sadly did not stop there, once she puked she was kicked relentlessly for being a disgusting bug, it continued until she could only dry heave afterwards, nothing left to throw up.

The little girl was thankful that the caretaker was in a good mood today. She wouldn't be conscious if not for that. The little girl unconsciously shivered at the thought, before pushing it away.

The little girl continued to wait obediently for someone to let her out of the dark and damp closet she was locked in but even as hours passed no one came. Tired of waiting silently the little girl felt around in the closet for something to preoccupy her, until she was remembered.

The little girl paused at that thought, not even her mother remembered her. How would someone that hates her remember her disgusting existence. The only one she could truly depend on was herself, however even then she hoped there would one day be a helping hand extended for her to grab.

The girl began to tidy her appearance knowing if she was found as a mess she would only get words of ridicule in response. Once she got to her hair she smoothened it out while trying to get the knots out, however it was useless since the dried blood in her hair prevented her from fully detangling it.

The little girl pulled out the ribbon that was mostly out, barely hanging on to the end of her tousled hair. Rubbing the bump on her scalp to try and ease the throbbing pain, she felt something in her hair. She pulled it out, and found that it was a bobby pin she had put in her hair that morning.

The little girls eyes brightened in the dark space while looking at the bobby pin, and she slowly lifted her gaze to the door as her grip on the bobby pin tightened.

"Don't worry there is a key, no need for drastic measures." A deep voice said from behind while putting a hand on my shoulder. Suddenly being snapped from my thoughts, paired with not hearing them enter I flinched and turned around hurriedly.

What I saw once I turned around shocked me.