From Slave To Queen (by Karyn Anderson) novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Michael’s voice snapped like a whip. “Athena, don’t be ungrateful,”

That ointment hadn’t come easy–he’d gone out of his way to get it. Sure, he’d given it to Willow, but hadn’t it ended up in Athena’s hands anyway?

He thought, Willow is thoughtful and well–mannered—why can’t Athena take a page from her book? What exactly is she being so difficult about?‘

“That was a gift from Lord Osborne to his fiancée,” Athena said, a cold smile playing at her lips. “Since it was meant for Willow, it would be beneath me–as her sister–to take what doesn’t belong to me.”

Her rejection was clean, sharp, and left no room for argument.

Michael’s face darkened. It felt as if she’d crushed both his pride and his sincerity underfoot.

Willow shot him a timid glance, then murmured softly, “But… it was a kind gesture from Michael. How could you treat it so lightly, Athena?”

“He’s your fiancé now, isn’t he?” Athena said with a quiet edge. “Wasn’t the engagement switch something you two arranged yourselves? So why are you playing the pitiful victim now? Who exactly are you performing for?”

Willow’s expression froze, her carefully maintained smile beginning to slip.

Michael instinctively turned to look at her.

الله الله الله اله

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Willow looked like she’d just been gravely wronged. She shook her head quickly, panic in her eyes. “No–Michael, that’s not true. I didn’t know anything about the engagement being changed.

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll go ask my parents to clarify everything right now. And if you still don’t trust me… I’ll leave the duke’s estate.”

Her frantic effort to prove her innocence struck Athena as laughable.

To Athena, the teary eyes, trembling voice, and self-sacrificing

were nothing but performance. She thought, ‘So familiar. So empty.

The scorn and cold indifference in her gaze made something twist in Mich

He thought, ‘Does she really hate me that much? Is she that desperate hesitation. Am I really that easy to discard?‘

chest.

to

cut ties

me? Even our engagement–she can throw it away without

www.engagement has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to

“This is your home,” he said to Willow, voice low. “There’s no need for you to leave. Th blame yourself.”

Willow’s heart leapt with quiet joy. She thought, ‘Is that… confirmation?‘

She glanced shyly at Michael, only to see his gaze still fixed on Athena, waiting for her reaction.

Athena felt it.

Three years ago, a look like that would’ve made her heart flutter. Now, it only made her sick.

“Lord Osborne,” she said, voice calm but cutting, “you’d best stop looking at me like that. Someone

Outside, thunder rolled, and the wind picked up.

ght get the wrong idea.”

Still, Michael didn’t move. Athena finally said, voice cool and measured, “It’s late. Don’t you think it’s inappropriate for Lord Osborne to linger here any longer?”

Willow looked anxiously out the window, “Athena, if Michael stays out in the rain like this, he’ll get sick. You should go talk to him.”

Though Willow felt a flicker of delight, her face remained sweet and demure. “Athena, are you blaming me? I didn’t come to take him away–1 only wanted to be part of what you two have:

“If you still care about the engagement,” she added gently, “I could ask Father and Mother to let us marry him together. But… two sisters sharing one husband–what would that do to both our families‘ reputations?”

steady streams.“I… Did I say something wrong?”

“Your engagement to Lord Osborne is already set. Nothing’s going to change that. But if you keep showing up just to make me sick, do you really want to see whether I’ll take it back by force?”

Willow’s eyes flew wide in shock. She hadn’t expected Athena to speak so harshly. She stood frozen, stunned into silence.

Aliza stepped forward and handed Willow an umbrella. Her expression was strained with awkwardness. Willow hesitated, then accepted it with tear- filled eyes.

With that, Aliza opened the umbrella and gently led her out to chase after Michael.

Siena glanced out the door, then turned and gave Athena a polite curtsey.

“I’ll

go fetch a cloak for the Lady Willow.”

She didn’t wait for a reply–she was already gone.

Athena looked around the suddenly empty room and couldn’t help letting whole household revolve around her?‘

a

dry laugh. She wondered, ‘What is it about Willow that makes the

That night, Athena fell into nightmares once again.

“just beg me, and I’ll give you a hot meal. No more beatings, no more hunger.”

“So what if you were once a noble lady? So what if the whole Pidence City knew your name? In here, we can do whatever we want with you.”

“You like begging so much? Then beg until we say stop.”

A strangled scream tore from her throat as she jolted awake.

She sat upright, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with fear. But as the familiar surroundings

She thought, ‘Just a dream. Just a dream! She wasn’t in the camp anymore.

into view, the panic slowly ebbed from her face.

Right then, Aliza’s frantic voice rang out from the hallway, “My lady–it’s bad, it’s really bad! Lady Willow is gone!”