“Well, when you put it like that, you might have a point,” Aekeira admitted reluctantly.
“How are you feeling, Emeriel?” Madam Livia asked. “I did not attend court, but I heard what happened. Everyone did.”
“Is it bad?” Aekeira asked.
“It’s been the talk of every gathering and the subject of countless discussions. People can’t help but speculate and develop their own theories about what had happened.” Madam Livia sighed. “Some are worried because it means the beast can escape its golden cage at any moment, and go on a rampage, wreaking havoc on the kingdom. On the other hand, there are those who, despite their fear, find a glimmer of hope. That behavior was not the action of a feral beast. Perhaps it means their king can be healed.”
Emeriel shook his head. “What if she is what brings the beast back? What would that mean?”
“I’m fine, Madam Livia,” Emeriel answered. “King Daemonikai didn’t hurt me.” If anything, he protected her. But he kept that part to himself.
The beast did protect him. Emeriel would no longer deceive himself when all the signs were in front of him. He had a connection with Grand King Daemonikai. A special connection-one strong enough to make a mindless beast take such an interest in him.
One that made Emeriel think about the beast all the time. Dream about him. Get wet for him. One that made him feel all kinds of strange urges and say all kinds of weird things.
Like what he had said in court, right before the beast broke free.
The beast had come to court to rescue him. There was no denying it now. He was indeed the beast’s Soulbond.
Admitting it to himself for the first time felt like a heavy burden lifted from his shoulders, but at the same time, a knot formed in his stomach. What did all this mean for him?
Fate is such a cruel thing. Matching him with a species that harbored an intense hatred for his own kind. With a male who lost his wife and two sons at the hands of Emeriel’s people, and as if that wasn’t enough, he lost his sanity and remained in his beast form for five hundred years.
It felt like a sick joke played by the heavens.
Emeriel had always sensed the gods were not on his side, given the hardships he and Aekeira had endured growing up and being sold into this place. But to subject him to this kind of cruelty was unimaginable.
And to his dismay, he was beginning to… care for the beast.
“Hear what I said?” Madam Livia’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“I said we’re done here, and you’re ready to meet with the third ruler. What were you thinking about?” Madam Livia pressed.
“Nothing,” he answered, but when they gazed at him skeptically, he added, “Just how good it feels to be back. After being, you know… in the dark for days.”
Madam Livia and Amie nodded in understanding before walking away to pack up the bathing equipment. Aekeira moved closer, her gaze more scrutinizing.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
Emeriel wanted nothing more than to confide in his sister, but he knew it would only distress her. Aekeira was too fearful of that possibility, and truth be told, so was he.
He gave her a soft smile. “I’m fine.”
“You look beautiful, Em. Even in male attire,” Aekeira returned his smile.
“I’m just so glad that evil mistress didn’t succeed with her wicked plans. Although I never want to be in her position, I loved the punishment Grand Lord Vladya gave her. I feel guilty about loving it,” Emeriel added sheepishly.
“I do too. But she deserved it,” Aekeira giggled. “Grand Lord Vladya can be so cruel. Remember the look on her face?”
Emeriel chuckled. “She looked like a dragon ready to breathe fire.”
“An ugly dragon, for that matter,” Aekeira added.
They burst out laughing.
“Just like children, you two.” Madam Livia shook her head. “Alright, Emeriel, come on, let us go. You do not want to keep the grand lord waiting. Aekeira, go back to your duties before your slave master notices your absence and punishes you.”
Aekeira nodded as Madam Livia led Emeriel away.
Although he had assured Aekeira not to worry, all his courage and optimism evaporated as he entered the western wing. Livia bid him farewell, taking Amie with her, leaving him to continue on his own.
One of the guards at the intersection had directed him away from the side door he was planning to enter, leading him toward the grand entrance of Lord Vladya’s abode.
By the time Emeriel stood on the stoop, his heart was pounding in his chest. He knocked once and raised his voice. “Your Highness, it is I, Emeriel.”
A Urekai maid came out and escorted him inside. Emeriel followed without question.
His eyes were immediately drawn to the soaring ceiling, supported by ornate stone columns, giving the space an airy yet imposing ambiance. The floor was a seamless expanse of polished marble, veined with gold. In the center, a large Persian rug in rich colors caught his attention.
An enormous fireplace dominated one wall, its mantel carved from a single block of marble, with a fire crackling within. Nearby, floor-to-ceiling windows draped in heavy brocade curtains offered a view of the royal gardens. It was the grandest and most magnificent living room Emeriel had ever seen in a royal residence.
“Come.” The maid led him through twists and turns of passageways until they stopped at a closed door. “Go inside. He is expecting you.”
After the maid left, Emeriel swallowed tightly, then opened the door, entering the grand study. Behind the large wooden desk, Grand Lord Vladya sat, engrossed in writing on his scroll.
Lord Vladya paused, glancing up at him.
Emeriel bowed. “My Lord.”
Lord Vladya abandoned his scroll, the chair drawing back with a distinct sound as he rose. With steady and regal movements, the grand lord closed the distance between them.
Emeriel resisted the urge to step back, instead keeping his head lowered. Standing before him, Grand Lord Vladya scrutinized him with a watchful gaze, as if he could see straight through Emeriel.
To make matters worse, Lord Vladya bent at the waist, bringing his face close to Emeriel’s, making eye contact.
Emeriel’s head jerked back, his eyes widening as he swallowed tightly.
“How can someone so small do something so big?” Lord Vladya muttered to himself.
Emeriel, deducing that the grand lord was talking to himself, remained silent.
“What did you do to make Daemonikai like that, Emeriel?” Lord Vladya’s voice was sharp. “What could you have possibly done to a male-beast like Daemonikai?”
Emeriel’s stomach lurched at the accusations. In this kingdom, this was how it usually began-ending with the accused’s head hanging on a spike. “I did nothing, I swear it!” he answered quickly. “I’ve never done anything.”
“You did something,” Lord Vladya countered.
“No, I-“
“The beast let you feed him. Burst out of the cage at one point just to mount you. And a few days ago, it broke free to take you away from court and keep you to himself. Why?” Lord Vladya pulled away slightly. “I have asked myself that countless times now. I’ve even had sleepless nights. But you know what, Emeriel?”
“Wh-what?” Emeriel was hyperventilating now. The room spun, tilting. Where is this going?
“I do not care how you do it. I do not care what you are doing at all. I simply want you to keep doing it,” Lord Vladya stated, looking up at him.
Wait, what? The room snapped back into focus. That certainly wasn’t what he expected to hear. “What?”
Grand Lord Vladya looked away. “I will have you know, it is highly improbable for a Urekai to come back from mindlessness. Such a thing has never occurred before. But Daemonikai is also displaying actions that should not be seen in a feral either, and it all began with you. It all seems to be connected to you. I feel foolish even entertaining the thought, but…”
His eyes locked onto Emeriel’s, revealing a raw pain in them. “If there is even a chance, no matter how slim, that he could regain his sanity, I would move mountains to make it possible.”
Emeriel watched him, stunned.
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