Adina stood there, confused at the king's reaction. Before she could even blink, a rough, calloused hand grabbed her. It was the woman who ordered them in.
Her face red with anger, "What have you done!" She snarled.
Adina's eyes widened, her lips trembling.
"Answer me, you mutt!" She growled.
"N-Nothing. I did nothing—" she doesn't get to finish her words as the woman raised her calloused, strong hands and slapped her.
Pain bloomed across Adina's face, white-hot and brutal. She didn't even hear the slap; she only felt the sting, the way her head snapped to the side, how her legs gave out under her. She fell to the ground, the world tilted, and she gave into the darkness.
She didn't know how long she was unconscious. But when her eyes fluttered open, the light above her was soft and white. The scent of herbs filled the air. It was bitter, earthy yet strange.
She was lying on a cot, covered in thin linen. Her wrists were no longer bound, nor were her feet chained.
"Easy now," a soft voice said. A woman leaned over her. A healer, judging by the robes and the faint scent of lavender clinging to her sleeves. "You fainted. You're safe now."
Adina blinked. Her throat felt like sand. "Where… am I?"
"You're in the Leech-house. You've been resting for a few hours. You were dehydrated, malnourished, and clearly exhausted."
Adina struggled to sit up, and the woman gently helped her. Her limbs were heavy, like her bones were stuffed in iron.
Then, a single, desperate thought broke through the fog in her mind.
Her pup.
Adina's eyes widened, her hands flew to her stomach. "My pup," she rasped. "Is the baby… is my baby okay?"
The healer paused.
That pause told her everything.
Her voice turned gentle, too gentle. "There's no child in your womb, dear."
Adina froze.
"What? No." she whispered. "No, that's not— I was— I'm pregnant. I was. I felt— I knew—"
"I checked twice," the healer said quietly. "You aren't carrying. I'm sorry."
Adina's breath hitched. She shook her head slowly. The woman was clearly wrong. She probably wasn't even qualified to be a healer. There was no pup? How? It was simply impossible. "You're wrong. You're wrong!" she cried. "I felt it—I talked to my pup. I held—" Her voice cracked. "Where is my baby?"
Her body trembled as she began to sob. Oh, this was a fate no one should have. Why? Why did this happen to her?
She couldn't remember. There was no blood. No pain. No moment where she knew she'd lost it. Just… emptiness.
Had Roman taken it? Had she lost it from stress? From hunger?
Her mind was an endless loop. Nothing seemed to make sense. How could her pup have disappeared? Did she hallucinate it? Was she running mad?
"I want my baby," she choked, curling forward, arms wrapped around her stomach like she could somehow protect what was no longer there.
The healer reached out, but Adina flinched away. "Bring my pup back." She whispered.
The woman hesitated, then stood slowly and stepped away.
Seconds later, the door creaked open again.
A new figure entered. A tall, stern-looking woman walked in. Her hair was pulled into a bun so tight it looked painful.
"The girl's awake?"
"She is," the healer murmured.
"Good. Time to earn your keep, slave." The woman turned to Adina. "Up. Now. You've had your rest."
Adina didn't move. Couldn't. She still hadn't processed the loss… hadn't understood how something she desperately wanted, prayed and slaved over could be gone… just like that.
The woman stepped closer, voice colder. "Did I stutter?"
"I—" Adina's voice was barely audible. "I just lost—"
"No one cares what you lost! A slave like you can't have anything anyway," the woman snapped. "You were brought here as part of the yearly offering. No one cares for your past, or your illusions. You will serve, or you will starve. Now get up."
The healer glanced at Adina sympathetically but said nothing.
With shaky legs, Adina forced herself to her feet. "I apologize." She murmured. This was her life now, and she better get used to it.
The woman nodded curtly. She began to lead her away as she spoke. "You'll start in the laundry halls. Report to the west wing…" she paused, glancing at her with disgust. "And bathe. You reek of rot."
"Yes, Madame."
The woman pushed a door opened, inside tenacity five girls. All slaves too. "This will be your room. Your timetable is plastered on your walls. Inspection is by 5 am every day. Lateness warrants whipping."
Adina didn't respond. She just nodded, clutching the clothes handed to her. The other girls in the room barely looked up as she walked in. All of them cowered in a corner or hunched there.
She made her way to an empty corner cot, dropping her bundle beside it. Every part of her body ached like she'd been dragged through train tracks.
She didn't know how long she sat there before the door creaked open again.
The air changed.
A man stepped in, tall and imposing. He wore the dark uniform of a high-ranking official, his silver insignia catching the light. He was the beta.
Adina's heart leaped into her mouth as she was sure of the others. All of them froze, seeing the beta in a slave room.
The woman who had put them in the room came running, panicked. "Beta Caelum. How may I help you? Do you need-"
The beta raised his hand, silencing her. His sharp gaze swept across the room. "Which one of you is Adina?" he asked, voice cutting through the quiet.
Adina's heart lurched. Her fingers tightened around the cloth in her lap. Slowly, she stood up.
"I'm Adina."
Caelum's eyes locked onto her. He looked her up and down, taking in the bruises, the matted hair. The rough and mosquito-lidded skin. The king was right. The gods did curse him.
"Come with me," he said. "His Majesty wants a word."
Adina's eyes widened; the room suddenly felt colder than it was. The memory of when she met the king suddenly flashed in her mind.
She hesitated only a second before nodding, stepping forward. The other girls watched her go, wide-eyed and silent, as though she were being led to execution.
And maybe… in a way, she was.