Mute

Aria’s POV

The pool incident left me more rattled than I cared to admit. Caspian’s touch still lingered on my skin, a phantom sensation I couldn’t shake off. I was drying my hair, trying to distract myself, when a knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

A maid stood there, looking slightly nervous. “Miss Aria, Lady Ellen has requested your presence. She said a new wardrobe has arrived for the Chosen Luna and she needs your assistance in trying them on.”

I stared at her, incredulous. ‘She wants me to help her with her new clothes?’

“Yes, Aria,” the maid replied, bowing her head slightly. “She insisted.”

The maid left, and I stood there, processing the absurdity of the situation. Ellen, who despised me with every fiber of her being, wanted me to play dress-up with her?

“You’re not seriously considering this, are you?” Lena’s voice broke into my thoughts. She had been lounging in my room, delaying her return to the resort.

‘What choice do I have?’ I sighed. ‘If I refuse, she’ll just find another way to torment me?

Lena shook her head vehemently. “Aria, it’s a trap. Ellen despises you. She’s looking for any excuse to humiliate you. Don’t give her the satisfaction.”

I turned to face her, determination hardening my features. I’m not afraid of her, Lena. If she thinks she can intimidate me, she’s wrong. I’m going.

Lena looked exasperated. “Why do you always have to be so stubborn? This isn’t about fear; it’s about being smart, Walking into Ellen’s lair willingly is foolish.”

I appreciated Lena’s concern, but I couldn’t back down. Not now. ‘I need to show her that she can’t break me, that I’m not afraid to face her?

Lena sighed deeply, her eyes filled with worry. “Just… be careful, okay? Don’t let her get under your skin.” ‘I’ll be fine, I assured her, though a part of me was uncertain. ‘I can handle whatever she throws at me.

With that, I squared my shoulders and left the room, leaving Lena behind. The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly as I walked towards Ellen’s chambers, each step echoing with the weight of my decision. The castle’s thick walls felt like they were closing in, but I pushed the feeling aside. I wasn’t going to let Ellen or anyone else see me falter.

I took a deep breath as I made my way to Ellen’s room. Every step felt heavy, laden with the dread of the encounter ahead. The hallways seemed darker, the air thicker. I could feel the tension in my muscles, ready for the confrontation. But I wasn’t going to back down. I couldn’t afford to.

–Just as I neared Ellen’s door, something slippery on the floor caught my foot, and before I knew it, I was on the ground, a sharp pain shooting through my knee. I looked down and saw a puddle of some slick substance. Someone had deliberately poured something to make me fall.

I clenched my jaw and got up, ignoring the pain. I wasn’t going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me defeated. I knew Ellen was behind this. As I straightened myself, the door swung open, revealing her with a smug expression.

15:30 Fri, Aug 16 R.

“Not only mute but also clumsy,” Ellen sneered. “What a perfect little maid.”

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I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Instead, I signed to her, keeping my face impassive. ‘You need my assistance in trying your new clothes on?’

She stared at me, her eyes filled with all the hate in the world. “Yes, I do.”

I saw it then, the broken woman behind her hateful gaze. Caspian’s rejection had shattered her, and she was taking it out on me. But I refused to be her victim.

We moved into her room, which was filled with racks of exquisite dresses. The colors were vibrant, the fabrics luxurious. Each gown seemed to shimmer under the chandelier’s light, an opposite to the dark atmosphere Ellen created.

Ellen directed me with sharp commands, her tone biting. “Be careful with the zipper. These are things you’ll never wear because of your poor status.”

I bit back my anger and focused on the task. The dresses were undeniably beautiful. One was a ‘deep sapphire blue, with intricate beading that caught the light. Another was a rich emerald green, flowing like liquid silk. Ellen admired herself in the mirror, exuding boldness and elegance, but her words cut deep.

As I carefully zipped up another gown, Ellen continued her tirade. “You’re cursed, you know that? Your parents are dead, you’re an orphan, and you can’t even speak. What a pathetic existence.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Memories I tried to bury surfaced, and tears filled my eyes. But I refused to let them fall. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. I kept my head down and continued with the dresses, my hands shaking slightly.

Ellen noticed, of course. She always did. “Oh, did I touch a nerve? Poor little Aria, all alone in the world.”

I clenched my fists, taking deep breaths to calm myself. I couldn’t let her get to me. This would be over soon. Once I left the castle, I wouldn’t have to serve her or anyone else who hated me.

Ellen’s scornful laughter echoed in the room as she moved to another dress. “You think you’re so strong, but you’re not. You’re just a weak, mute orphan.”

I finished helping her into the final gown, a stunning ruby red that contrasted sharply with her cruel demeanor. She admired herself in the mirror again, her smile cold and triumphant. I stepped back, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out.

Ellen turned to me, her eyes burning with resentment. “I don’t know what Caspian sees in you,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “He ruined our wedding because of you. You’re nothing. He rejected you before, and you manipulated him into pitying you, to the extent of ruining everything.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I signed back, my hands trembling. ‘I did nothing. Mind your words, Ellen.’

But Ellen wasn’t done. She grabbed my hands, her claws digging into my skin, causing sharp pain. “It’s all your fault,” she yelled, her face twisted with fury.

I pulled away, my heart pounding in my chest. ‘I’ve had enough,’ I signed, turning to leave. But Ellen moved swiftly, blocking my path.

With a swift motion, she slapped me hard across the cheek. The impact left me stunned, my vision blurring for a moment. My wolf growled inside me, furious and ready to retaliate. I didn’t hold back. I returned the favor, hitting Ellen so hard that she stumbled and fell to the floor.

You think you can just hurt me and get away with it?’ I signed, my emotions boiling over. I’ve had enough of your cruelty.

Ellen looked up at me, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You won’t have Caspian. Over my dead body. I won’t let you win.”

She got up, her face contorted with rage, and began smashing wine bottles against the wall. Glass shards flew everywhere as she screamed, her voice echoing through the room.

I stepped back, confused and frightened. ‘What are you doing?’ I signed, my heart racing.

Ellen smirked devilishly. “You’ll see,” she said, picking up the last bottle of wine and smashing it against her own head.

I watched in horror as blood began to pour from the wound. She tore her clothes and screamed for help, her voice filled with a desperate edge. The scene was chaotic, surreal. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

‘Ellen, stop!’ I signed frantically, but she was beyond reason.

Her scream was piercing as she continued to thrash around, blood staining her dress. The door burst open, and the guards rushed in, their faces a mix of confusion and alarm.

“Help! She attacked me!” Ellen screamed, pointing at me with shaking hands.

The guards looked at me, their eyes filled with suspicion. My mind raced, trying to process what had just happened. This was a trap, a twisted ploy to frame me.

Ellen, this is insane,’ I signed, my hands trembling. ‘You did this to yourself.

But Ellen’s performance was convincing. Her tears, her wounds, the disarray of the room-everything pointed to me as the aggressor. I felt a sinking dread in the pit of my stomach as the guards approached me.

‘Please, believe me,’ I signed desperately, but their faces remained stern.

Ellen’s devilish smirk reappeared as she was carried dut, leaving me to face the fallout of her madness. My heart pounded with fear and anger.

The guards advanced on me, their expressions grim and unyielding. One of them, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward. “You’ve hurt the Alpha’s chosen Luna,” he said, his voice cold and authoritative. “The punishment for such an offense is severe.”

My heart sank as I realized the weight of the situation. Ellen’s performance had been flawless, and I had no way to defend myself against her accusations. The weight of my regret was almost unbearable. If only I had listened to Lena earlier on.

‘Please, you have to understand,’ I signed desperately, but my pleas weren’t understood.

The scar-faced guard shook his head. “Save your breath,” he said harshly. “You’ll face the consequences of your actions.”

Two guards grabbed me roughly by the arms, dragging me out of Ellen’s room. My mind raced, searching for a way out, but there was none. The castle’s corridors seemed longer and darker than ever as we made our way to the dungeon.

I was thrown into a small, cold cell, the heavy door clanging shut behind me. The reality of my situation hit me

like a punch to the gut. I was alone, framed, and about to face a punishment I didn’t deserve.

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“Prepare her for the whipping post,” the scar-faced guard ordered. The others moved swiftly, chaining my wrists to the iron rings embedded in the stone walls.

The cold metal bit into my skin as they tightened the chains, securing me in place. My heart pounded in my chest, fear coursing through my veins. The door opened again, and another guard entered, carrying a whip. Its leather coils looked deadly, promising pain and suffering.

“This is what happens to those who harm the Luna,” the guard with the whip said, his voice devoid of emotion. He raised the whip, and I clenched my jaw, bracing myself for the first strike.

The whip cracked through the air, and a searing pain exploded across my back. I bit my lip, refusing to cry out, but the pain was unbearable. The guard continued, each strike more excruciating than the last. My skin burned, and I could feel the blood trickling down my back.

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to stay conscious. I regretted not heeding Lena’s warning, wishing more than anything that I had stayed away from Ellen. The injustice of it all was overwhelming, but there was nothing I could do. I was powerless, trapped in a nightmare of Ellen’s

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