A couple of days past. Mal was still in the Darkling's prison, Sturmhond was no where to be seen. Riya became more distant and Genya continued to help me change and clean up.

But I couldn't eat. Whenever I looked at food, I could only ever think of Mal and if he was ever given food by the Darkling in prison. The Darkling kept more strict supervision on me-somebody would always be with me. The Darkling would make sure I would sleep. Genya and Riya took turns bathing and changing me. Riya would make sure my scars were covered, she would blend it temporarily into my skin. It would always appear at night and so it took longer for me to sleep. Genya didn't see the scars. All she saw was the Nichevo'ya claw marks, I never told her of the scars made by the torture in Fjerda. That secret was only between me and Riya. As she saw them when I first returned to the Little Palace.

I was given my food in the Darkling's chambers. But I always turned it away or threw it in the trash.

I just sat near the window seat. Looking down to the courtyard below the Darkling's window. It was a beautiful afternoon. If only I could go outside to bathe in the sun light. Sometimes my mind would wonder back to what the Darkling said I was,

'Queen of Shadows'

I'm the Sun Queen and the Queen of Shadows. Not to mention the fact I became a certain title in that month, apart from the Darkling. I felt my stomach rumble. It was hungry. I looked at the clock on the wall nearby. It was nearing to lunch time, I knew my lunch would be arriving soon but I would refuse to eat it. Sending it back would raise more suspicion to the Darkling.

He was always out of his Chambers. I would be asleep by the time he came back in his chambers and I would wake up late in the morning, where he would already be up at sunrise.

I'm glad his chambers were split in different sections, he would never have to see me and I would never have to suffer with him. Or so I thought.

He would watch me sleep. I sometimes caught him looking at me or when I would wake up from a nightmare, he was there. The nightmares got worse and so did my hunger. I felt dizzy. I knew that this time the negative amplifier was not causing me to feel this way. I had toe at but couldn't. I just hoped the Darkling wouldn't have anybody force feed me.

I never wore a Kefta. It was to warm to as well. My dresses always showed or more of my skin. Today Genya brought me a dark blue, elbow length sleeve, dress that tightened around my waist and was flowy to my ankles. It had holes in that showed of my arms. It was lined with specs of gold. A gown version of my blue Kefta.

I soon heard the chamber doors open, I thought it would be Genya or Riya but instead it was the Darkling. He held a tray of my food. It was rice pudding, the smell made me sick. All food did.

He slammed the tray down on the night stand making me jump a little. He looked straight at me, watching my every moment carefully. I didn't want to look at him. Every time I saw him, he reminded me of Mal's imprisonment, Sturmhond's departure, my friends pain and a reminder of my suffering. As much as I was given beautiful dresses, nice gardens and places to see in the Palace. He reminded me that it was all a deception. Just to play with me. To say this was just a preview of the life I could have been given by the Darkling, if I forgot my friends and previous life.

"Why haven't you been eating Alina?" The Darkling said snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked down at the courtyard, avoiding- meeting his eyes. I heard the Darkling's foot steps coming nearer to me at the seat. He grabbed my arm forcing me to look at him. "Alina, why haven't you been eating?" He questioned, slightly concerned. Another façade.

"Why do you care if I eat or not?" I questioned, trying to break through what's fake and what's genuine to the Darkling's behaviour. "I don't. But if you die from starvation then I do care. Now eat or ill make you!" He said, slightly threatening me.

I pushed his hand away and returned back to my window seat position. I didn't take him seriously. I heard him sigh heavily. His hand slipped to my waist and pulled me towards him. With me screaming in pain. He gripped harshly on my Nichevo'ya wound. He force fed me rice pudding with his other hand. The tray was at my feet as he sat next to it on the window seat with me. He eventually stopped force feeding me and fed me water.

"good girl." He put the tray back on the night stand and faced to me. "I told you I would feed you myself if you didn't eat. Next time I suggest you eat yourself. Then maybe you wouldn't be in pain." He said referring to my Nichevo'ya wound.

"Why don't you get your healers to heal the wound?"

"Nichevo'ya bites and given wounds don't heal. Ever."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. He pulled out two wrist bands from his pocket. "What are those?" I pointed to the bands. One was in black, embedded with gold jewels the other was in gold with black jewels.

Our colours.

"This one is for you!" He handed me the gold band with black jewels. I took it and looked closely at the gems infused, with the gold lining of the bracelet. Mine was more feminine. It had intricate swirling patterns that fit with the black onyx's perfectly. I traced out the design with my thumb.

"Why this trinket?"

I asked looking back up to the Darkling. "Can't I give you a small present?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You can, and It would mean nothing to me. I would return it back to you." I handed back the bracelet. He stopped it with the palm of his hand. "Keep it Alina. Consider it a token of my appreciation."

"For what?" I asked raising a brow.

"For not trying to kill me in the past two weeks." He said his mouth slightly tugged on smiling. I was confused. He should be trying to kill me. "I should be telling you that. I thought you would be trying to kill me because of what happened on the Fold."

"I thought you would kill Mal straight away as per a vendetta."

"A vendetta against who?" He asked smugly.

"Against me!"

***

Start-08:46am 5/12/21

Break- 09:31 am 5/12/21

Back-10:15am 5/12/21

Finished-11:30 am 5/12/21

Published-19:40pm 05/12/21