Princess Sophia''s POV


    As I stood there, hands on my waist, and eyes on Alpha Bane and Aurora who held each other''s hands as they walked away, I was so full of rage.


    I couldn''t believe what just unfolded before my eyes. If I had known, I''d have avoided the stunt that I tried to pull off. It backfired mercilessly and I wished so badly that I could turn back the hands of time.


    How could I have ever believed that I''d be so humiliated? I couldn''t take my eyes off them as I knew that all the other eyes in the room were on me. I didn''t want to see how they looked nor strain my ears to hear all of their whispers. I almost wished that the ground would open up and I''ll just be swallowed up but I didn''t. I didn''t want to die. I just wanted the life I craved.


    I heaved and clenched my teeth as they almost got out of sight, not minding that people might have been observing all that I was doing. All that mattered to me was what I had to do to break that union.


    I heard something that sounded like my name but I didn''t pay attention. I was so deep in my thoughts and I wanted nothing to stop me. The task ahead of me required some focus.


    "Ah!" I gasped as I felt a pair of hands shake me, snapping me out of my reverie. Then I saw the same pair of hands being waved in front of me and I wondered who it was.


    It was my mother. She must have been calling or saying something to me and I didn''t hear her.


    "I''m sorry, mom," I apologised, bowing my head a bit to show how sorry I was. "What do I need to do?"


    "I need you to go to the servant:s quarters and make sure that everything is set for tomorrow''s festival. Since Princess Aurora is with Alpha Bane, you''ll have to handle a few responsibilities given to her."


    "Okay, mom." I bowed, before leaving the room to go inside the Castle.


    I wasn''t in the mood to give any instructions to anyone. I knew that my mother would get angry if she found out that I didn''t do as she asked, but I had to handle some pressing matters first. I only hoped that I''d be back in time to talk to the servants.


    I walked to the dungeon sneakily, looking to my left and right just to make sure that no one was looking. I couldn''t afford to be seen by anyone.


    As I got there, I walked into my true mother''s cell and saw her lying on the floor, worn out and tired as usual. "Have you thought about the discussion that we had thest time?" I asked her.


    She pulled herself up from the ground and sat up while I walked toward her until I was standing right in front of her.


    A lot depended on her answer. I nned to test the portion on her to know how effective it was first, before using it on Aurora, if I found it to be effective. It was my grand n to take her out and it just hinged on the decision that my mother was willing to take.


    "I can never do that, child!" She yelled at me, which seemed to get me very upset. "I can never kill myself. Not for you nor for anyone else. It''s insane you''re asking that of me."


    "You''re just a good-for-nothing human being, woman!" I yelled at her too in anger, failing to understand why she just wouldn''t do that for her child. "You have to do what I ask of you or I''ll make you pay for it!"


    "You can do what you want, kid! I don''t care at all. I mean, how could you even treat me this way?"


    I gestured to her to get her voice lower but she didn''t give heed to me. "Despite knowing all along that I''m your mother, you let me go through all this pain and misery. You know that all that I''d ever done, I did for you. I wanted you to have a better life. You''ve known this all these while I, yet, you made everyone think that you had no idea. You snake! I don''t want to expose you, child. You''re my child and I''ll always love you but you have shown me that love is not always reciprocated even between a mother and her child."


    "You should keep your mouth shut before anyone else can overhear you. I don''t want any of thating to haunt me now that I''m so close to getting what I want."


    "Aren''t you just so selfish? Here, you are, trying to get me to kill myself for a crime you''re perfectly aware of. If only they knew how fake your tears were on the day the truth was revealed. I will give it to you though. You''re a very good actor. You managed to fool them all, but you can''t fool yourself. I expected you to fight for me; to stand by me and seek to see me freed but you want me dead instead!"


    "Please, stop."


    "I won''t stop!" She screamed even louder. "You''re a very baddy and daughter. I almost regret having to call you my child. You''re evil!"


    Iughed hard at her, knowing that a snake always birthed something long. "I took all of my habits from you, didn''t I?" I asked. "It''s not my fault that I''m the way that I am. Indeed, it''s yours. I inherited all of these you''re seeing from the genes you gave to me. I had no part to y in this. You made me who I am, mom! That''s why we''re so simr, isn''t it?"


    "You''re nothing like me, Sophia. I''ll never get rid of myself," she said with tears in her eyes. She was hurt but I didn''t care. I was hurt too. She hurt me with her words and refusal to do what I asked. Yet, she too didn''t care. "I''d rather the Alpha King pronounced the verdict than let myself die by the hands of some child that I gave birth to myself. It''ll never happen."


    I huffed, full of anger. She even had the guts to call me by name. I had warned her to always add my title to my name. "Firstly, it''s Princess Sophia," I said to her, rolling my eyes. "Secondly, you''re going to regret what you''ve just done. I''m going to make sure that you''ll die a brutal death. This, I promise you, mum. "


    She said nothing else and I just turned around and walked away but not without throwing in a few words for good measure. "This is not the end, woman. I''ming for you. Never forget that. I''ming, mom, and I''ll have your head."


    I cursed her in my mind as I left the dungeon. I didn''t know what else I was supposed to do to break her resolve. Just as I lifted my head after walking out of the dungeon, I stumbled into Donald and froze.


    I didn''t know what to think. He probably heard all that we discussed. Perhaps, he didn''t. I couldn''t say. But I hoped he didn''t.


    "Hey, Princess. Greetings."


    "Hey, Donald. How are you?"


    "I''m alright, thank you. What about you?" He asked with a smile on his face.


    "I''m good too. Thanks."


    I waved and walked past him. I felt a tad relieved that he seemed so cool and


    rxed. He didn''t sound like he heard anything at all. Hopefully, he didn''t. I prayed


    in my heart to the goddess for that to be true. Not like I thought she ever did anything good for anyone but I had to try.


    "He was probably just walking about, nothing much," I thought to myself, trying to convince myself that it was just nothing.


    Then I paused and turned around to ask him about Alpha Bane. But I stopped myself at thest minute and instead, hurriedly walked to my room.