Taryn's POV

Flashback

"For your first lesson, you'll be learning with one of my star pupils, Felisha," the mysterious woman introduced me to one of the older-looking girls in front of me. Both of them had auburn hair and they both looked wearily at me.

"Hi, I'm Taryn," I introduced myself.

One of them smiled and gave a little wave. "Hi, I'm Marisa and that's Felisha over there."

I felt a pang of disappointment that the one who was supposed to be tutoring me was the less nice one of the two. Felisha gave me a nod before gesturing for me to sit next to her.

I sat down feeling a bit apprehensive.

"I want to know what you can do," she started handing me a huge packet filled with odd-looking papers.

I just nodded and hesitantly taking the packet out of her hand.

Thirty minutes was all it took before I was distracted. The three of us sat together, sharing one table so it's pretty easy to tell who was shaking the table. I looked up from the packet in front of me to see Felisha poking a needle into a bundle of felt.

"What the hell are you doing?" Marisa asked before I could.

"Needle-felting," came her curt reply.

I gave a sigh of annoyance. "Could you please go do this somewhere else? This is really making it hard for me to concentrate."

The tension in the room that slowly grew was noticeable as I felt her stop doing what she was doing. Felisha turned to give me a hateful glare.

"It's bad enough that I have to tutor you instead of spending my free time doing something else but now this." She gave a scoff before returning to finish her activity.

"Annoying bitch," I muttered as she began to needle-felt once again, shaking the table once more.

Marisa gave me an alarmed look. Before I knew it, Felisha lunged for my neck and that's when all hell broke loose.

Present

Two guards flanked each of my sides as I walked to the throne room. I closed my eyes, trying to forget the memories started at this place.

A young girl around twelve-years-old.

A mysterious woman taking my arm, "I'll look after her."

A breathtaking woman sitting on the throne giving a nod.

I opened my eyes as soon as I heard the familiar sound of double-doors opening. I gave a low curtsy and bowed my head in respect as I faced the Kaldovian royal family.

Queen Amelia's face broke off into a huge grin as soon as she saw me. King Clarkson gave me a nod with a guarded expression on his face. The one person I dreaded seeing the most yet missed him the most, gave me a sad smile. I felt my heart stop beating as the crown prince - Nathaniel -walked over to me in huge, long steps and brought my hand up to his lips.

"I hope you had a good ride here, my lady," he spoke, his eyes not meeting mine. I gulped. Guess we'll have to talk sooner or later.

A loud clap of hands broke us up apart. "Well, well, if it isn't my dear soul-sister."

I cringed as I turned around to speak to the one person I hated the most in the world.

"Felisha," I greeted with my lips curling up into a disgusted smirk.

"I don't know why you even bothered coming back here. I could never possibly imagine the shame I would feel knowing I could have saved my guardian but didn't."

Nate reached out a hand to grip on my wrist as I started moving dangerously towards the person locked as my next target to eliminate.

"Now, now, Felissha, we don't want to disturb our guest, do we now," the king's booming voice echoed around the room as he stood up from his throne. His mouth curled up at the word "guest" which send chills down my spine, and not in a good way. I bit my lip from saying something that I will soon regret.

I felt Nate drag me out of the room, my arm bumping in Felissha's before I left.

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"If you pick her, I am going to kill you," I gritted out. Nate growled, the dominant side of him didn't like how I just talked to him.

I looked out of the window from his room as I leaned my forehead on it.

"She's part of your selection, isn't she," I said defeatedly.

I heard him cough slightly. "Yes, she is."

I squeezed my eyes shut.

"You could do so much better," I whispered.

"Better than you?" He replied. I turned to look at him.

"Definitely," I said with a small smile. He didn't return it. Instead, he took both of my hands in his and stared deep into my soul. As I looked into his eyes, I couldn't help thinking about the one person who was supposed to be doing this.

"Nate, no," I said firmly, taking my hands out of his.

"I could end the selection right now, Ryn, and--," I put a finger on his lips.

"I found my mate," I rushed.

The look in his eyes made me want to kneel on both knees and begged him until he forgave me.

"Oh," he let out shakily.

"I didn't tell him though," I said after a while. His head whipped towards mine.

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"He already has someone else," I returned my stare out of his window.

Warm arms wrapped around my waist.

"I really hope we can still be friends, Nate," I whispered.

He nodded. "Besides," I continued. "One of these girls could be your soulmate."

He scoffed. "Well if one of them was, she practically rejected me as the selection began nearly a month ago."

I gave a sympathetic look. "Don't blame her. She might have some personal issues. Plus, do you think she thinks you would even believe her? Since many girls are here to compete for the crown..." I trailed off.

"Girls are confusing," he murmured, taking his arms off me.

"Boys give up too fast," I retorted.

"Please don't pick Felissha," I pleaded.

He cocked his head. "I already have two girls in mind and she is most certainly not one of them."

He suddenly clapped his hands together in a strange matter. "We have important business to discuss, my bookworm friend."

As we both walked back to the throne room, I couldn't help but peek inside the palace's training grounds, seeing nearly 30 girls exercising. My eyes lingered on a particular brunette. She looked so familiar.

"That's Isabelle," Nate's voice echoed from behind me as I saw him stare at her with affection in his eyes. He turned to look at me.

"You might know her as Martha's daughter."

My eyes widened in surprise. The last time I heard from her was that she had opened up her own bakery shop just a road away from the palace. I remembered Shira helping her with financial issues and a whole lot of other things. Those two were close friends and I would never forget that.

I held in a grimace. Since her house was so close to mine, she was the first one to discover me at the scene of the crime.

I felt a hand squeeze mine. Nate gave me a reassuring look as he lead me back into the throne room, my thoughts still lingered on the night that changed my life forever.