Leon's boot echoed across the dining hall as he stood up and walked toward Maya, who was still shaken on the ground, her hands clamped over her mouth in disbelief at Peter's fate.
She shook her head, struggling to accept the reality right before her. Her eyes, filled with confusion, betrayed the truth she was desperately trying to reject.
Leon's jaw tightened as he noticed her eyes misting over. She was on the verge of crying.
With a sharp glance at the guard, the message was clear. The guard approached the table and skillfully sliced a portion of the large meat onto a plate, setting a fork and knife neatly beside it before returning to his post.
Leon advanced until he stood directly in front of Maya, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze. Her brown eyes burned with fury, and as tears began to fall from her eyes, he stared at her without emotions.
Crouching down to her level, he delivered his words with an edge. "You promised to enjoy the meal. I'm here to ensure that happens," he taunted, the dangerous glint in his eyes revealing a wickedness she had never encountered before.
He stabbed the meat with his fork, his expression devoid of any emotion as he brought it to her lips. Maya's face twisted in disgust as she struggled to comprehend the reality of the situation—He was forcing her to eat a part of peter.
A wave of nausea washed over her, and she fought to keep from being sick. "I don't have all day," he continued, his tone unyielding.
Maya shook her head, dragging herself away from him. "You're sick," she muttered as she tried to stand, desperate to escape and throw up.
It was a small miracle she hadn't retched in his face—perhaps because there was nothing in her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to run away and lock herself somewhere to process the horror unfolding before her.
Leon frowned at her words, irritation flickering across his features, but he brushed it off. "You're the one who looks sick," he said flatly. "If you don't take a bite, I will do something you won't like."
Maya scoffed despite the bile threatening to rise in her throat. "What? Are you going to turn me into a pot of soup too?" she shot back, anger and disgust bubbling within her.
"I'll do even worse," he declared, and Maya clenched her teeth, incredulous at his sheer evilness. He was a monster, perhaps even worse than the devil himself. There was no trace of guilt in his eyes; he was reveling in her discomfort, drawing satisfaction from her suffering. The extent of his cruelty was chilling, and she didn't want to imagine what he was truly capable of.
She had reached her limit and wanted to leave, to escape him and this dreadful place. As she scrambled to her feet, Leon's jaw tightened, watching her with predatory interest.
He allowed her the illusion of escape, but as soon as she moved some few steps toward the door, he seized her hair from behind, yanking her back.
He whispered menacingly in her ear, "Where do you think you're going? I told you to eat!" He growled.
"Let go of me!" Maya screamed, struggling against his grip as he wrenched her hair painfully.
In that moment, she realized the extent of her predicament. She had heard the rumors, but when she had married him, she had believed her life would be better than being trapped under Eliana. She was wrong. This was far worse than anything she could have imagined—married to the very embodiment of evil.
Leon pulled her back to the table without compassion. "Please, just let me go," she begged, tears welling in her eyes as she raised her hands in a futile attempt to loosen his grip.
"Not until you eat what's on the table," he countered, unwavering. He loosened his hold on her hair but tilted her face closer to the meat, forcing her to confront the gruesome plate, a mix of soup and blood.
Maya's breath hitched as she stared at the grotesque sight, tears spilling onto the table.
"Please… just stop. I can't do this," she pleaded, desperation seeping into her voice.
Ignoring her pleas, he pressed her head down closer to the plate until her face was mere inches from the sickening food. Despite her continued begging, his mind was made up.
With ruthless efficiency, he removed the stick from the meat and rubbed her face into it, her hands pressing against the table for support. Again and again until...
Finally, he yanked her head back, and she gasped for air.
Her face was a mess, red and covered in blood and soup, tears streaming as the sting of pepper invaded her eyes and nose. "How hard was that?" he questioned, his tone a mix of mockery and satisfaction.
Maya silently cried, her gaze colliding with his stony expression as he released her head. "I'll never forgive you," she whispered.
"And I don't need your forgiveness," he shot back coldly, before he straightened up and turned away from her with an air of dismissal.
"Clean up the mess" He ordered the guards and then went completely out of sight.
Everything had now been cleared up, and Maya returned to her chamber. She buried her head in her knees, overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions. Tears streamed down her face, and her heart ached in a way that felt unbearable. In that moment, she considered ending it all. Alone and isolated, —she could no longer endure this existence.
Her thoughts flickered back to Peter, the one who had always been there for her. They had dreams together but it all went south. He was now gone. She remembered the horrifying moment when that evil man forced her head into the meat, and revulsion surged through her again. Almost instinctively, she bolted to the bowl and retched, the memory of Leon's cruelty suffocating her resolve.
The breakfast had felt off; she sensed trouble looming but could never have anticipated something that horrifying.
Maya collapsed to the ground, a wave of grief crashing over her as she gasped for answers. Why had her life spiraled into such chaos? She had done nothing to deserve this suffering.
All she had wanted was a simple life with someone she loved, and now that person was gone, leaving her trapped in a nightmare with a monster. The thought of remaining in this place felt worse than death itself.
She had no one to turn to, no one to comfort her, and that pain cut deep. Her mother had abandoned her long ago, and now Peter—who she believed would stand by her—had been taken from her by this tyrant.
Maya leaned against the bed frame, sitting on the cold floor. Her eyes were swollen from tears, yet there seemed to be nothing left to cry. Staring into the void, her mind went blank. She was exhausted, weary of the torment and the burden of thought.
After some time, Nadira entered the chamber with the other maids, the night having fallen around them. The sight of Maya—vulnerable and hunched on the floor—pierced Nadira's heart. Rumors had spread throughout the castle about what the king had done, detailing how he had forced Maya into that horrifying breakfast. Nadira knew well the king's malevolence, but she couldn't fathom this level of brutality. No one deserved to be treated like this—not Maya, not any woman.
"Your Majesty, would you like to eat something?" Nadira asked gently, kneeling beside Maya, who remained unresponsive, entirely withdrawn into herself.
Joan leaned in and whispered, "You can't mention food right now."
Nadira looked surprised. "Then what should we do?"
"Let's help her to bed," Joan suggested. After a brief glance at Maya, Nadira nodded at the other maids, and together they carried Maya to the bed, tucking her in with care.
"We'll leave now, Your Majesty. Please call us if you need anything," Nadira said, but Maya remained silent, her expression vacant as she continued to stare into space. The maids exchanged glances of concern before quietly retreating, the sound of the door clicking shut echoing in Maya's ears. Her face remained unchanged, devoid of life.
For the next two days, Maya uttered not a word. Her maids attempted to engage her in conversation, but she remained utterly silent, her eyes dull and distant. They bathed her and tried to rouse her spirit, but she offered no resistance, appearing as lifeless as a corpse. Not a crumb of food or a sip of water crossed her lips during those days.
On the third night, when her maids left her chamber once more, Maya finally found the strength to move. She stood up from the bed, momentarily dizzy, clutching her head to steady herself. Her stomach growled, flat and weak from three days of starvation, yet she willed herself towards the door, knowing that the castle would be quiet at this hour.
With the little strength she could muster, she opened the door and found Leon standing there. He was just coming back from wherever he went. Anger surged within her, fists clenching tightly. She chose not to engage him and turned away, dragging her feet past him.
He turned, his gaze following her as she descended the staircase, one careful step after another, steadying herself to avoid falling. He couldn't shake the question of where she was headed.
Maya had made up her mind to leave. She refused to remain in a place where she didn't belong, trapped with a monster like him. Gathering every ounce of strength, she approached the door. It didn't matter where she ended up; leaving this castle was her priority. Even if it meant risking her life, she was determined to escape. Her hands rested on the door that led to the outside world. Once she opened it, freedom would be hers.
Then she heard it: a sudden whoosh, and he materialized next to her. Her heart raced, caught off guard by his sudden presence. How had he moved so silently down the staircase? "Where do you think you're going? You're never leaving here, Maya" he stated with unwavering authority, as if it were an unbreakable decree.
"Why?" she demanded, her voice hoarse after three days of silence. "Why are you doing this to me? Just let me go!" She had reached her limit.
"I'm sorry for everything I've done—I can't keep living this way. I want to go back home!"
"You have no other home to return to, this is your home" He said, to her dismay.