Contract With The Alpha King

"Your Highness..." Elise quickly lowered her gaze and took a step back.

"You want to tell me what, Lady Elise?" Elijah stood next to Fiona. "I" Elise frowned, hesitating. "I-”

"She wanted to say that I faked the poison to gain sympathy..." Fiona said. Almost immediately, Elise lifted her gaze. Fiona was smiling, not at her but toward the Prince. "Do you believe her?" Fiona asked before she batted her eyelid like a fucking dog! Almost immediately, Elise wanted to explode.

Patience, she thought as she looked at the Prince. "Your Highness... I believe Fiona faked being poisoned. I—"

"Do you believe her?" Fiona interrupted Elise. She tilted her head, the smile on her face never wavered. Seeing how calm Fiona was, Elise frowned. Was Fiona just confident that the Prince would never believe her?

"Who would do something so vile to themselves?" Elijah's face turned ugly. He held Fiona's waist and pulled her closer, as if trying to protect her from Elise. "Only you, Lady Elise, would have all the time in the world to be this creative and make stories in your head. Basides, even the palace healers, checked Fiona's condition and was able to prove that she was indeed poisoned."

"-" Elise's face reddened. What was the Prince implying? Was this the reason Fiona was so confident? Because she knew the Prince would always defend her? "But, Your Highness-"

"Lady Elise..." Elijah said, smiling. "Since you have so much time to think about things like this, why not think about... the envoys instead? Wouldn't it be good to establish some sort of connection with them? After all, the five great families were called great for a reason."

Elise's finger trembled as she pointed at Fiona. "Your Highness," she said, turning her gaze to Elijah. "Our bodies are designed to resist and heal from any poison. This is the blessing of the goddess. Fiona didn't need Father's help to heal herself. She could have done it on her own. She was lying. She faked everything from the start! She must be working with the rogues!"

Fiona snorted, crossing her arms as she leaned slightly against Elijah. "Elise," Fiona said, "how long have you been studying your ability? Humor me."

Elise hesitated, thrown off by the sudden question. She frowned as she thought about it. "More than five years," she said firmly. "Since the day I awakened my ability."

"More than five years," Fiona repeated. "Five years of practice and study. And me? What is it, six months? Maybe less since I awakened my ability?" Fiona tilted her head, smiling faintly. "And yet, here we are, having this conversation."

Elise's fists tightened at her sides. "That doesn't matter. If I can heal any poison, so can you. That's how our blessing works."

"Can you really heal all poison?" Fiona asked, her expression calm but her gaze piercing. "Are you certain?"

Elise's chin lifted, her confidence unwavering. "Yes. I can heal any poison. And that means you should be able to as well."

Fiona smirked. "You're so naive," she said. "So sheltered. You truly think that all poisons are the same, that because you've healed a handful of them, you've mastered them all?"

Elise bristled at the remark. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying," Fiona said, taking a step

closer to her sister. "That your arrogance blinds you. You've spent five years studying in a controlled environment, under Father's guidance. You've been shielded from the realities of the world, from the poisons that exist outside the safety of our clan." Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

Elise's face flushed with anger. "And you think you know more than me? You've barely awakened your ability. What could you possibly understand that I don't?" Fiona smiled and slowly approached Elise. Surprisingly, Elise didn't take a single step back. "You're right," Fiona said. "I wouldn't know anything that you don't."

Fiona stopped just a step away from Elise, her smile still in place. "If that's the case, Elise," she said calmly. "Then why do you think they wanted to see me instead of you? After all, you've spent years mastering your ability. By your own account, you're the perfect healer. So why me?"

Elise's lips thinned, but she said nothing, her chest rising and falling as she stared at Fiona.

Fiona's eyes widened slightly, a playful gleam in them. "Oh," she said, tilting her head. "Do you think it's because I'm prettier? Or better?" She raised her eyebrows, feigning an innocent expression. Elise snorted but didn't respond, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

Fiona's smile grew sharper. "Or perhaps," she continued her tone light but her words pointed. "It's because I'm more powerful. Because I'm better suited to be the next clan head. What do you think, Elise?" Elise's eyes widened, her anger bubbling to the surface. Without thinking, she raised her hand, intending to slap Fiona. The motion was quick, but Fiona was quicker. She caught Elise's wrist mid-swing, her grip firm. "You think I'd let you touch me again, just like you did in the past?" Fiona asked, her eyes locking onto Elise's. "You're wrong."

Elise gasped, her breath catching as a black, branch-like pattern began to spread from where Fiona's hand touched her wrist. The dark lines crept up her arm, stark against her pale skin. Elise grunted in pain but clenched her jaw, refusing to give Fiona the satisfaction of seeing her falter.

After a moment, Elise's lips curled into a small, defiant smile. "Do you think this is going to hurt me, Fiona?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with challenge. "How naive!"

Fiona didn't respond, her grip steady. But slowly, the black branches began to fade, retreating back into her hand until Elise's arm was clear once more.

However, just as Elise was about to say another mocking word, the dark lines appeared once again. This time, they were darker and larger.

Elise smirked, locking eyes with Fiona as if challenging her. "It seems that you are even more stupid than I originally thought. You think this will scare me?" she asked, her voice steady. But as the black lines on her arm grew darker and began to spread further, her smirk faltered.

Her gaze flicked down to her arm, her confidence wavering. The branching lines crawled up toward her elbow, their inky presence stark against her skin. She took a shaky step back, her other hand reaching out to touch the spreading pattern as if trying to confirm it was real. "Fiona," Elise said, her voice laced with unease. "What... what the hell is this?"

Fiona tilted her head slightly, her expression calm as she released Elise's wrist. "You tell me," she said. "Aren't you the expert? The one who can heal anything?"

Elise's breath quickened as she stared at the dark veins. Her fingers ran along the lines, but they didn't fade like before. Instead, they seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive.