Page 96 of The Princess In A 'Prince' Disguise

Vladya watched her depart.

He wondered if this sudden need to bloodfeed Daemonikai was due to the human prince.

By evening, Grand Lord Vladya exited the court, followed by his army of soldiers.

Zaiper intended to announce his plan to eliminate Daemonikai's beast at the Harvest Ceremony, claiming that the people were suffering without a grand king.

Even Ottai appeared resigned. They had evaded the issue for centuries, but now they both knew Zaiper might succeed.

He could persuade the court to make an active effort to slay the feral, rather than waiting for the night of the eclipse moon. And once the people rallied behind it, the grand lords’s hands would be forced.

Moreover, once the public was in support, the Elders would undoubtedly agree to the decision—even pressure the rulers if they continued to delay.

Vladya's mind was in turmoil. The truth was, there was no rational reason not to proceed with killing Daemonikai's beast. He just simply wasn't ready.

That beast was all that remained of his crumbling sanity. The tether that assured him he hadn't lost everything that fateful night. As long as Daemonikai lived, Vladya found it easier to resist the losing battle that was his sanity.

Daemonikai, the strongest male he knew, had succumbed to madness to escape the horrors they had faced. And Vladya was barely holding on by a thread.

And as long as that beast lived, that thread held tight. No matter how thin it had become, it held tight.

And, when he finally lost his oldest friend, his companion whom he should have mourned with, Vladya feared his last semblance of sanity would go alongside the beast.

Perhaps Zaiper knew that too. Maybe, that was one of the reasons he was so eager to eliminate the feral.

The sound of laughter drew Vladya's attention back to the present.

He stared ahead to discover its source. The slave princess sat by a well, watching her brother draw water.

She laughed at the displeased expression on his face as he worked.

The little prince certainly possessed strength. The boy effortlessly drew water, pouring it into a larger bucket and sending the smaller one back down.

Aekeira reached up to remove the strand of hair that obscured the prince's eyes. With a gentle push, she joined it with the rest, her eyes filled with happiness and laughter.

The sight stirred memories within him. Reminded him of Daemonikai and their early days of friendship. A sharp pang of pain gripped Vladya's heart.

He halted and observed the siblings. Daemonikai was a thousand years older than him and already a king when they first met.

Vladya, on the other hand, was a stubborn, mouthy, and bothersome prince back then. He had never wanted to become a grand lord, but his father had insisted.

And, after his father passed, he had no choice but to assume the mantle at barely three hundred years old.

Their bloodline was pure, their strength extraordinary, even at their young age. Vladya had expected Daemonikai to be harsh with him during those times when he deliberately provoked and undermined others.

But not Daemonikai. He had been different.

Their friendship had blossomed and endured for over three thousand years. And now, suddenly, there was no Daemonikai. Only his beast.

Only his beast which Vladya would soon be forced to kill.

The girl's gaze wandered, and she caught him staring.

She paled. Her smile vanished, replaced by fear.

Vladya disliked being caught off guard, but he refused to behave childishly about it. He maintained his gaze, and shequickly averted her eyes, nudging her brother, who also looked up and spotted Vladya.

The boy appeared more angry than scared, but he dutifully lowered his eyes. They both bowed.

---