Page 51 of The Princess In A 'Prince' Disguise

"This would not have happened if you had not foolishly decided to spread fear among our people," Lord Vladya growled.

Lord Zaiper's eyes blazed with fury. "Foolishly? Are you calling me foolish!?"

"You heard me right, Grand Lord Zaiper. Or does your stupidity impair your hearing?"

Lord Zaiper got to his face. "You dare insult me? In the presence of these peasants?"

But Lord Vladya simply turned toward the door. "Do not keep the council waiting, Grand Lord Zaiper. If you aspire to be the grand king, at least show respect for the voice of the people. Do not just pretend. And ensure you are punctual for council meetings."

At the mention of ‘grand king,’ Lord Zaiper's anger died, and a gleam entered his eyes. "I do not pretend," he said indignantly, but Lord Vladya had already departed.

Lord Zaiper glared at the three witnesses in the bedchamber, who kept their heads low, carefully avoiding his gaze.

Addressing Aekeira, he said, "We will continue this later." Then looked at Emeriel. "You are quite a pretty boy. Make sure you heal well."

With his robe swirling, Lord Zaiper spun around and left the room.

By the end of the week, Emeriel's condition had significantly improved. For some reason, an order had been issued granting him a temporary release from his duties while he healed.

This meant no work, no responsibilities, so Amie diligently brought him books to keep himself busy between his meals.

When Emeriel inquired about the unexpected change, Madam Livia remained tight-lipped. "Do you not appreciate it? Would you prefer to work while you heal?"

Naturally, Emeriel was grateful for the reprieve and expressed his thanks to the elderly woman, but she waved it off dismissively.

The reason behind Madam Livia's continuous assistance remained a mystery to him, but Emeriel saw no reason to question her kindness.

Unfortunately, Emeriel did not get to see Aekeira as frequently as he would have liked.

She had been assigned to the well area for the week, tirelessly drawing water and filling countless basins and gallons throughout the fortress.

The silver lining was, the large wells were located far from the northern wings. There was little chance Aekeira would cross paths with Grand Lord Zaiper.

After the awful experience Emeriel would be glad if his sister never encountered him again. Forever.

Aekeira had informed him of Lord Vladya's summons. Emeriel had journeyed to Blackstone, only to discover that Grand Lord Vladya was away on a trip. Since then, there had been no sign or word from the Lord.

However, that was the least of his worries. The beast never left his mind.

Something within him had changed that night. He was not in heat, nor had he experienced it again, but an unfamiliar craving awoke within him.

The mere thought of that night or the beast, made him feel warm inside. Made him wet.

It seemed as though an inexplicable connection had been forged between them while the feral ruthlessly plundered his body, and Emeriel wanted formore.

The very notion was absurd. Horrifying. Utterly dreadful.

He hated being taken by the beast, the excruciating pain still fresh in his memory. The fear and panic of a repeat encounter sent him into cold sweats.

No, he had no desire for the beast's strange attention to be focused on him. No, he didnotwant to be mounted by the beast again.

And yet, his body craved more.

His nights were plagued by erotic dreams of the beast ravishing him repeatedly, causing Emeriel to wake up flushed, feverish, and teetering on the brink of climax.

Goodness, what was happening to me?

After two full days on the road, Grand Lord Vladya desired nothing more than to recline upon his comfortable bed and doze for the remainder of the day.

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