The Beta’s Regret

(Eden's Pov)

The moment Alice stepped out of the room, I let my guard down and relaxed.

I took a deep breath, and allowed the fury I felt to evaporate. I never intended to get so worked up, but Alice had a way of bringing out the worst in me, and I wasn't about to back down.

If my plan was to go accordingly, I couldn't allow anyone else to stand in my way. This wasn't only about what I wanted or about saving myself. This was about saving the people that trusted me to protect them, saving the people I failed.

I felt uneasy as my heart hung heavy in my chest. I had a fight ahead of me, one I wasn't sure I would come out of unscathed but one thing I was sure of, was that I wouldn't fail my people, not again.

A knock on the door caught my attention, and I turned to look at it in curiosity.

Was Alice back again?

I went to the door and pulled it open. My brows raised when I saw two maids one taller than the other stood behind it with fresh bath towels in their hands.

"My lady." They chorused.

"What do you want?" I asked.

One of the ladies, the taller one replied. "His highness asked us to get you ready for the night."

I looked back at the towels in their hands and I sighed. What I needed was time alone to myself, not to have people running around trying to please me.

However, I couldn't turn them away. I needed to act as if I wanted this much more than anything else. Pison has to think that I was just as vain as the other women trying to get the crown. If I turned them away, Pison might suspect I hadn't really changed. I pulled the door open wider.

"Come on in." I said softly.

The maids entered, heads bowed. They hurried towards the bathroom, and spent a few minutes adding various oils before they coming back to my side.

"The bath is ready." The tall one spoke again.

I shook my head in answer.

I was about to move when the maids got closer to me and reached for my clothes, attempting to take them off.

"No." I stopped them. "I will do it myself."

They exchanged a look and nodded before stepping back.

I felt a little conscious, taking off my clothes in front of total strangers, but I swallowed my discomfort. This was all a part of what I had to do. When I was done, I allowed the maids to lead me to the bath they had drawn, and slowly, I soaked myself in the warm comfort of the water.

For a second, I allowed it to work its magic on me, tightening every stiff muscle.

This was what I needed, but I would have preferred it in private.

I was suddenly yanked out of my comfort when I felt the maids hands on me, touching my skin as they washed my body.

After what felt like forever, I stepped out of the bath and the water dried off my skin with the towels they brought along, after which they helped me into an expensive robe.

When they were done, they bowed and scurried out of the room as if they were being chased.

I frowned. I noticed it was a thing in the palace, maids running around in fear. Was it all because they were scared of what Pison might do?

I gave up on that thought and laid on the bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. I was just about to drift into sleep when I heard a baby cry.

I sat up with a start.

That voice. Zion?

My eyes widened. Did my parents come along with my son? Or was Eros here?

Tiara didn't allow that thought fester for too long before she took over. I dashed for the opened room window and jumped out, shifting midair as I landed on all four on the ground.

Tiara stopped for a moment, head tilted to the side as she listened for the sound trying to detect where it was coming from.

When she was sure, she ran towards it. Thankfully, there was no one else in sight. It was past midnight and the maids had gone to bed. The

guards were probably about to net

change shifts. It would be over if Pison caught me, but I needed to know why my son was here.

The cry led us all through the side of the palace to the garden at the back of the palace.

Tiara stopped when she saw a small girl in white picking flowers. The girl turned, the light of the moon casting a glow on her face as she shone. Lamia?

I gasped. She was alive? But how? I assumed she was killed in the war but then...

This wasn't a safe place for her. Pison would kill her in an instant if he knew she was here.

Unable to stop myself, I shifted to human form and moved forward. With a frown, I looked around. There was no sign of my son or anyone else aside from her.

I began to get suspicious when Lamia smiled and covered her lips with her palm.

"Oops. Sorry, I had to make you come, and I knew you would if you heard the voice of your son" she said with a soft smile.

"Where is Zion?" I narrowed my gaze at her. "He's not here is he?"

Lamia shrugged. "No. I used magic."

I cocked my head to the side. Lamia was definitely a strange girl. Till now, I had no idea she was aware of her powers. Had she been playing with me all along? "No I haven't." Lamia suddenly answered.

My eyes widened. "You heard that?"

She nodded. "I can read your mind."

"How?" I asked. "What happened to you? You look... different"

She smiled "After the war, I had an encounter with the moon goddess myself, and ever since, it feels like am a different person. I know about the other life I have lived, the one you have met. You would

understand."

I nodded. Looking at Lamia, I knew she already knew things beyond her age. She probably got connected to the other part of her I met in the other realm.

I looked around desperately.

"You shouldn't be here. It's not safe." I said quickly.

Lamia nodded. "The moon goddess needed me to give you a message. She couldn't tell you in visions because Pison's powers have filled this place with a dreadful darkness."

That was true. I haven't been able to access the goddess in a while. It felt like she was distant from me. "What is it?" I asked.

"This is a dark path. The one you are

on. It can lead to your doom, but true love can save you. Love is the light that will prevail even in the darkestnoveldrama

place Lamia stopped and smiled. "Those were her exact words"

I was perplexed. Before I could ask a question, Lamia suddenly vanished into thin air leaving me in confusion.

I shivered, suddenly cold from the night air. I was gone for too long, I needed to go back to the room.

Without wasting a second, I hurried back to the room on bare feet.

The moment I stepped inside, a voice stopped me.

"Where have you been?" Pison barked