Chapter 2 Chapter 2: I mean no cupcake

~Raven's POV~

Morning mist clung to the trees as I stepped beyond the palace walls.

My satchel hung over my shoulder, filled with parchment, ink, and a few medical texts I had borrowed from the royal library.

I was preparing for the female official examination. It was my way out. The only way a servant could rise above their status.

If I passed, I would no longer be bound to the princess. I would be free, I would have a status. A wage. And the right to take my mother away from this place.

All I had to do was succeed. The thought gave me strength as I stepped into the forest, moving towards the hidden clearing where I always studied.

The forest was still. Only the gentle sound of the river and the distant chirping of birds filled the air.

My fingers grazed the hilt of the dagger strapped to my pants. It was a gift, or rather, a loan from one of the knights from the palace, and the only person who dared to call me a friend.

Suddenly, I felt a presence. I froze. Across the river stood a man.

He was draped in dark clothing that did little to hide the toned muscle underneath. And he was watching me!

I moved before I could think, my fingers curling around the hilt of the dagger as I rose to my feet, my blade pointed in his direction.

The stranger’s lips curved, and amusement flickered in his eyes as he smirked.

“Well,” he murmured, voice smooth as silk. “That’s no way to greet someone, little doe.”

I tightened my grip. “Who are you?” Instead of replying, he smirked.

The stranger’s smile deepened, amusement flickering in his dark eyes as if he found my fear entertaining.

“I mean no harm, cupcake,” His voice was smooth. “I was simply passing by.”

Cupcake? How dare he call me that!

I didn’t lower my dagger.

“Then keep passing,” I snapped.

His gaze flickered to the blade in my hand before returning to my face. Then, instead of advancing, he did something unexpected.

He raised his hands slightly, a universal sign of surrender.

“No need for that,” he murmured, his smirk softening into something almost… reassuring. “If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t stand here talking.”

That should have eased my nerves. It didn’t.

The way he said it, it didn’t sound like a threat, but like a simple, undeniable fact, and that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

This man was dangerous. I could feel it, but he was also attractive, despite the jagged scar that ran across his face. His eyes were a shade of stormy gray, flecked with subtle hints of silver and his full lips were the kind that seemed like they were meant to be kissed.

I began to back away, keeping my dagger raised as I moved towards the path leading back home. The damp earth squelched softly beneath my almost worn-out sandals, my breath steady despite my fears.

From the corner of my eye, I could see that he was still staring at me, making no move to follow me.

By the time I reached the packhouse, my hands had stopped trembling.

I slipped inside my room quietly, letting the door close behind me with a soft creak. The small cottage was dimly lit, the faint scent of dried lavender clinging to the air. My mother lay asleep, her breaths deep and even.

Good.

I didn’t want her to see me like this.

I exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to my chest.

I had made it back safely.

That was all that mattered, but I still couldn’t stop thinking about him. There was something about the way he had looked at me and his voice! I kept hearing his voice in my head.

‘I mean no harm, cupcake.’

I shook my head, pushing the memory away. I had no time for distractions. I had studying to do and since I couldn’t study the herbs out there, I’d just study the books I already had.

My gaze darted to the corner of my small room, where a few books and scrolls sat in a neat pile. The examination was soon. The only chance I had to escape this life, to build something better for myself and my mother.

If accepted at the city’s healing council, I would be a certified healer and might even be selected to work as a healer in the palace.

A tiny flicker of excitement stirred inside me. If I studied for another hour, maybe… A sudden knock at the door shattered the thought.

I turned sharply as a guard strode in. “You. The princess is calling for you.”

The flicker of excitement died instantly and Dread curled in my stomach. Not now. I wanted to protest, to say I needed time, but I knew better.

The second princess didn’t wait. I cast one last, longing glance at my study materials before I forced myself to move.

The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the room was the whispers. Servants whispered in corners, guards tightened their grips on their weapons, and glanced around with suspicion.

There was an unspoken fear in the air, which meant that something was wrong.

“Did you hear?” one maid murmured as I passed by and I slowed my steps. I wasn’t that close to the other maids to get information, this was my only way.

“The King of Grok has reached the border…”

"Shh! Don’t even say his name,” another maid whispers frighteningly. “They say he’s more beast than man. A monster,” she glanced around as though she feared that the person in question was watching.

“I wonder what he wants…”

“May the gods help us all!” The other one whispered, her voice shook with fear.

My hands tightened around the basket I carried, my heart slamming hard against my chest.

The king of Grok! The title alone sent shivers down my spine.

The rumors had been spreading widely, of a beast in the shape of a man, a monster that tore through packs without mercy.

They said his fangs were as sharp as a wolf's, that his fingers were like a wolf's claws, and that he could slice through any flesh without much effort. That he didn’t just kill his enemies, he removed them from existence.

The moment I stepped into the princess’s chambers, I knew something was wrong. The door had barely shut behind me when…