Page 118 of The Princess In A 'Prince' Disguise

"Without cause? You struck me." Mistress Sinai invaded his personal space. "How dare you, a human, strike ME!? As the bloodhost to the king, I hold a great deal of power in this kingdom. You have meddled with the wrong person."

"I did not meddle with you. You struck me twice, I merely returned the favor."

"I will not kill you," she seethed. "But by the time I am through with you, you will beg for death." She called out, "Soldiers!"

Two Urekai soldiers quickly appeared, seemingly having abandoned their posts. "Yes, mistress?"

"Take him and follow me." She marched away.

The soldiers seized Emeriel by the arms and obediently trailed behind the mistress.

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Chapter thirty-six

PUNISHING EMERIEL

Aekeira arrived at the fourth wing, slightly out of breath. She cautiously looked around, ensuring no soldiers were in sight. Sneaking a book out of the library had taken longer than expected. As she turned a corner, her feet abruptly halted.

Two soldiers held Em, leading him away under the guidance of a mysterious mistress. Who was this woman? What did she want with her sister?

Aekeira's instinct compelled her to move forward, but she forced herself to stop. How could she help Em? What if her interference only caused more trouble? She was a slave, and the woman was a mistress. There was no way for her to save her sister.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked forcefully to keep them at bay. She needed to think. To come up with a plan. Dammit, she needed to save her sister.

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

Aekeira broke into a run, making her way to Blackstone. At first, it was easy, none of the soldiers stopped her. They must have thought she was one of the workers.

However, when she reached the main area of Blackstone, where Grand Lord Vladya resided, the soldiers blocked her path.

"Please, I must go in. I need to see Lord Vladya," Aekeira pleaded, panting and out of breath.

"You are not permitted in this area, Slave," one of the soldiers sneered. "Leave immediately."

"No, you don't understand. I need to see Lord Vladya. He... umm," she thought quickly, "He is expecting me."

The soldiers gave her a disgusted look. One of them advanced towards her, getting in her face. "How dare you lie to us? Leave before I teach you a lesson," he threatened, shoving her forcefully.

His strength was immense, and Aekeira was thrown backward, crashing onto the floor with a cry of pain. Her buttocks stung from the impact.

Gingerly, she forced herself to her feet and tried again, "No, you don't understand..."

The soldier drew his sword. "If you dare come here again, I swear I will—"

"What is the meaning of this?"

A familiar, deep voice resonated from behind Aekeira. She spun around, a sob of relief escaping her as she laid eyes on Grand Lord Vladya.

"Secure the bindings," Mistress Sinai commanded one of her soldiers.

Emeriel was suspended, his arms spread wide and tightly bound. The ropes dug into his skin as the soldiers ensured they were secure.

His gaze shifted to a large basin of boiling water in the corner of the small underground basement. Steam rose aggressively from it, showing its scorching temperature.

Whips made of cowhide and leather, as well as spiked ones, were scattered about. There was a crown filled with thorns, a branding iron, and many other tools Emeriel had never seen before.

Emeriel swallowed nervously. Fear of the impending pain settled deep in his gut, though he refused to show it. A branding iron?

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