Page 11 of The Princess In A 'Prince' Disguise

Lord Vladya did not bat an eyelash. "Good luck trying to run away from Ravenshadow. For every attempt, you will be met with fifty lashes of the whip." With that, he turned on his heel, striding away.

Anger surpassed terror, and Emeriel surged after him, but the Urekai soldiers blocked his path.

"Who do you think you are!?” Emeriel screamed. “Do you consider yourself so all-powerful that you can dictate the fate of living beings!? You are nothing more than beasts! You're a monster, Lord Vladya!"

Lord Vladya halted at the doorway, casting a glance over his shoulder. "That is a compliment, human prince. And to you, it is Grand Lord Vladya."

Emeriel froze.

Grand Lord?

As in, one of the four rulers of the Urekai, thatGRAND LORD!?

Holy Light-gods, we’re doomed.

The night descended upon them.

Aekeira's face turned pale upon hearing everything from Emeriel. She had not uttered a single word in hours. Instead, tears streamed down her face.

Emeriel could hardly recognize Aekeira after the "treatment" Livia had given her.

Aekeira was incredibly beautiful, well-groomed, and all dressed up in that scanty piece of nothing.

He despised the purpose behind her transformation and dreaded the impending arrival of the Urekai guards, who would soon take her away.

"Let us escape,” Emeriel suggested urgently. “This place is vast, and—"

Aekeira shook her head. "I cannot risk your life, Em. Grand Lord Vladya warned you about the severe consequences of attempting to escape. Moreover, if we’re caught, they will undoubtedly discover your secret when they strip you down to whip you. It is simply not an option."

Emeriel approached his sister and shook her firmly. "Pull yourself together, Aekeira! You will be forced to serve a UREKAI in its BEAST FORM! One that has lost its sanity and has remained feral for over five hundred years! You cannot subject yourself to such a fate! You will die if you do this!"

"We have no other choice!" Aekeira screamed right back. "I will not put you in danger, Emeriel. Can't you understand? Our parents risked everything to protect you, and I will do everything in my power to do the same. Not because you are a burden, but because I am your elder sister, and I love you dearly!"

Emeriel bit his lip, struggling to hold back tears. "And who will protect you, Aekeira? Who will ensure your safety?"

Aekeira's desperate arms grasped Emeriel as she gazed into his eyes. "They must never discover you are a girl, Emeriel. Never! Neither the humans nor the Urekai must find out."

The door swung open, announcing Livia's return, accompanied by the young girl, Amie, and another group of Urekai soldiers.

"It is time. Let us proceed," Livia declared as her eyes widened. "It is inadvisable for you to touch her now. You do not want to leave your scent on her. Release her immediately."

Emeriel quickly pulled away. "What do you mean? What will happen if I touch my sister?"

"The beast must not detect any other scent on her. If it catches a scent it dislikes, it may become even more brutal—perhaps even tear her apart.” Livia nodded for the men to escort Aekeira out of the room.

Emeriel followed.

The journey was long and silent, involving a lot of twists and turns.

They passed by human slaves and Urekai maids within the vast fortress, but as they approached their destination, the faces grew scarce, and the surroundings became eerily quiet.

Fear and goosebumps crept over Emeriel as they entered a haunting corridor.

A strange sensation fell over Emeriel, and the silence became almost deafening. It felt as though they were walking through a graveyard.

"This is as far as we go," Livia whispered at the entrance of the hallway. You can proceed from here, Aekeira."

Emeriel ignored the head maid's words about not touching his sister and gripped Aekeira's arm tightly.

---