And what better place to find safety and tranquility than a spot that both slaves and masters avoided like the plague?
Emeriel settled on the floor in front of the imposing metal gates, his legs folded under him, leaving some distance between himself and the gate.
“It’s not as if you would understand a word I say, right? Sometimes, it’s simply hard to believe you were once the great grand king,” he spoke aloud. “You probably have even more reason to hate humans than Grand Lord Vladya does.”
The feral creature lay down, its jaw resting on the floor, eyes still fixed on Emeriel.
“I bet you don’t even recall what you did to me. Why did you do it? Why me?” Emeriel shook his head. “I don’t understand. But what baffles me the most are the strange things that have begun to happen to me since that night. I do not like any of it, Grand King.”
Whispering those words made them all too real, causing goosebumps to break out on his arms. “Why does my body react to you? Why do I see you in my dreams? Why do I think about you all the time? Why does my body… why does my body crave more of you?” Emeriel’s attention shifted to the food nearby.
It was meat, but not as raw as the one next to it. Rising to his feet, he carefully took a plate from the tray. The aroma wafted up, tantalizing his senses.
“I could eat this, right?” he asked aloud, still eyeing the steak.
When he looked up, a gasp escaped him.
The beast stood close, having left its previous spot. It could easily reach out and grab Emeriel.
“I shouldn’t have come here. I should have listened to the soldier and left.” Fear rooted him in place; no longer was there a point to running. The creature could easily break free and catch him.
They locked eyes, a tense silence enveloping them. Then, unexpectedly, the beast crouched down on the floor, sitting. Waiting.
A wave of relief washed over Emeriel, but he still moved to leave.
A low rumble from the beast stopped him in his tracks. Helplessly, he remained where he stood, unsure of what to do.
In the end, he cautiously lowered himself back to the floor, watching for any reaction from the creature. To his relief, it did nothing.
That has to be a good sign, right?
“Look, I know I have angered you. I invaded your privacy, but…” Emeriel paused, realizing the beast was staring pointedly at the food in his hands.
Shit. Of course, I shouldn’t have picked up the plate.
Driven by some unknown force, Emeriel stood up, his legs moving on their own accord, carrying him closer to the beast. “Would you like to eat?” he offered, tossing the steak toward it.
The feral creature eyed the steak, then glanced at Emeriel before it lowered its head and took a bite. Surprised, Emeriel threw another piece of meat. And then another.
The beast devoured them all, and a surge of pleasure shot through Emeriel.
Before he knew it, he was feeding the beast.
GRAND LORD VLADYA
After the meeting, Grand Lord Vladya’s mood grew darker as he made his way to the forbidden chambers. Turning the corner into the corridor, his legs abruptly halted. Trays filled with empty plates lined the wall, meticulously arranged.
His brows furrowed as he cautiously approached. Daemonikai was crouched in his usual posture behind the barricade, but the beast was sound asleep-in a deep slumber that always followed a well-fed belly.
Someone had managed to get the beast to eat. And judging by the placement of the empty plates in the hallway instead of the room, this person had not only succeeded in feeding the beast but had also hand-fed it.
Grand Lord Vladya was too stunned to speak.
“Yaz,” he finally managed to utter when he found his voice.
His trusted soldier emerged from the corner. “Yes, Your Highness?”
“Did all the guards on duty leave when you gave the command for them to vacate the premises?”
“Yes, my lord. I was the last to leave.”
Vladya’s gaze wandered, taking in other details. The surroundings appeared cleaner. The paintings seemed freshly acquired. The walls gleamed as if they were new, and even the sculpted lion head sparkled. “They assigned a slave to work here.”
“Seems like it,” Yaz confirmed. “This place looks astonishing. Almost like the old days…” He trailed off abruptly, no doubt realizing the inadvisability of his words. No one with wisdom would dare speak of the old days, especially not to Grand Lord Vladya. “I beg your forgiveness for my wayward tongue, my lord.”
Lord Vladya waved him off, his mind preoccupied. He had personally dismissed all the slaves who used to tend to the Abyss land, not because he enjoyed the accumulation of dust, but because, for some inexplicable reason, Daemonikai’s beast would grow highly agitated in their presence. The feral creature had broken free on numerous occasions, tearing several slaves apart. Since then, he had decided it was best to cease any work in this area. Though it had been several years-three or four, he had lost track.
He was utterly baffled. Someone had labored here for hours, thoroughly cleaning, and had managed to avoid being torn apart by the beast. And the creature had accepted food from this person.
“I want to know the identity of the slave who worked here. Gather all the necessary information on this slave and bring it to me. I desire the details upon my return from the hunting trip.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
With a mix of astonishment and relief, Vladya departed, his mood somewhat improved.
EMERIEL
The night prior to the introduction, Emeriel, having finished his work in the minefield, waited in the shadows, concealed from sight in the woods. His back pressed against a tree as he cast his gaze upon the river. He longed to take a bath, but he needed everyone to depart first. Given that the fortress housed numerous slaves with only one river allocated for their ablutions, there was always a slave or two…
Emeriel waited in the shadows, concealed from sight in the woods, his back pressed against a tree as he cast his gaze upon the river. He longed to take a bath, but he needed everyone to leave first. Given that the fortress housed numerous slaves, with only one river allocated for their ablutions, there was always a slave or two present at any given time of the day. This led most slaves to pay little heed to privacy, joining others in the river, attending to their own needs. Usually, Emeriel waited until nighttime or even midnight to secure the river for himself. Yet tonight proved particularly challenging, for news of the impending introduction of slaves had reached everyone.
His heart skipped a beat at the reminder. Emeriel had yet to recover from hearing the announcement the day before. Observing the excited commotion of the bathing slaves, he found, unlike him, most seemed elated about the introduction.
Emeriel thought back on what Martha, one of the slaves he worked alongside in the minefield, had said earlier in the day as they worked.
“If you capture the attention of a lord, he may issue a decree to purchase you, do you not know? He could make you his personal slave. No more arduous labor, no more harsh beatings. You would be elegantly dressed like a mistress and solely serve a lord! Oh, how I yearn for a lord to choose me!”
Emeriel pondered the idea, his eyes fixed upon the night sky. The stars clustered above as the half-moon radiated its beauty. Would it truly be so terrible if a lord selected him?
He scoffed at the thought. If the lord happened to be interested in men-which Emeriel was not-he would be so disappointed afterward that he might order Emeriel’s execution, would he not?
Even assuming that did not transpire, Emeriel could not bear the notion of his life revolving around spreading his legs, being used for carnal pleasure by a random Urekai day after day. His entire existence would narrow to that. The mere thought of it sent shivers down his spine.
The rustle of leaves on the ground alerted him to someone’s presence nearby. Looking up, he relaxed upon seeing Aekeira walking towards him.
His sister offered a gentle smile, which he reciprocated, concealing his worries behind the smile so as not to burden Aekeira.
“The river is gradually emptying,” Aekeira remarked, closing the distance between them.
“What are you doing here?” Emeriel scanned their surroundings, momentarily apprehensive that a Urekai soldier might chance upon them and reprimand Aekeira for straying too far from the southern wing.
“Do not fret, Madam Livia granted me permission. I wish to bathe with you tonight.” Aekeira settled beside him. “You have a splendid bathing setup in your chambers.”
“Keira,” Emeriel sighed. “That room is the sole luxury afforded to you as the beast’s service slave, and you should revel in it to the fullest. You should not be here.”
“Oh, hush. I desire to bathe together, just like old times when we engaged in countless mischievous exploits.” Aekeira’s smile widened. “Do you recall when we used to go scavenger hunting in King Orestus’s garden?”
Unbidden, a smile spread across Emeriel’s face. How could he forget?
“He would grow so furious, his face turning red. It was always entertaining to witness his changing complexion.”
“Those were the good old days.”
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