Page 10 of The Slave in A Princess Disguise

"Your h-highness," Emeriel gulped, instinctively retreating as Lord Vladya closed the distance between them.

"Once you grasp the missing piece, everything else falls into place," Vladya added. "You always resisted being undressed. There was always a reason, an excuse. And your physicalappearance? Small and delicate, pale with flawless skin. Unnaturally pretty for a boy. I dismissed it as a trait of your royal lineage. But it was all there, wasn't it? Right under our noses, yet we remained blind. I never thought such a level of deception was possible. Not here, not within this fortress."

Emeriel gasped, her back hitting the wall, Lord Vladya's commanding form towering over her. The gray of his eyes vanished, replaced by the fierce, predatory yellow of his beast.

Not his beast,Emeriel thought in terror.Not his nearly feral, unpredictable beast.

Lord Vladya's hand shot out, claws extending with a menacing hiss, poised to strike. With a whimper, Emeriel squeezed her eyes shut awaiting the blow.

But she felt a sharp tug at her shoulder as a claw dug into her tunic, tearing through the fabric. The garment ripped open, hanging in tatters above her chest.

Lord Vladya gripped the remnants, ripping them away with a savage yank.

Emeriel's chest-binds lay blatantly exposed, a secret laid bare.

"Female," Lord Vladya growled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through Emeriel's bones.

Before Emeriel could react, the grand lord leaned in, his face inches from hers. He pressed his nose to the crook of Emeriel's neck, taking deep lungfuls of breath.

A guttural growl erupted from his chest, followed by a single word that sent a wave of terror through Emeriel's veins, surpassing the fear she already felt.

"Syren."

Chapter four

DISCOVERING DECEIT

Heknows.GrandLordVladya knows.

Emeriel's mind reeled, a dizzying sense of lightheadedness threatening to consume her.

In that moment, she welcomed the darkness that beckoned, yearning to be anywhere but here. If fainting was the only escape from this reality, she would gladly embrace it.

"Don't you dare."

The sharp command, delivered in a growl, shattered her hope of unconsciousness. Emeriel's eyes locked with Lord Vladya's in a silent plea for mercy.

The grand lord took a few steps back, granting her reprieve. Some of the yellow in his eyes receded.

"You know," he began, "to actually detect anything from your scent, one must allow their beastreallyclose to surface and channel its senses with a specific intent. I suppose that is how you managed to evade discovery for so long. None of us truly suspected, none of us channeled with that intention in mind."

Emeriel felt like a trapped animal. Her heart was pounding.

Lord Vladya pinned her with his hawk-like eyes. "So you are female, Emeriel?" he asked, his voice devoid of any warmth.

"Y-yes, your highness," Emeriel confessed.

"You have been deceiving us all this while. Making fools of us."

Emeriel's legs gave way, and she sank to the floor, covering her chest. "It was never my intention, Your Majesty, I swear it!"

"You understand the consequences for a slave harboring secrets, don't you?" Vladya asked, his voice measured. "Zaiper would have reminded you at every turn, I'm sure. Do you know the punishment for deception, Emeriel?"

A tear escaped Emeriel's eye. "Yes, Your Highness."

"And yet, you did it anyway. You knew the penalty for those who lie to us, human or Urekai alike, yet you dared to deceive."

"I know, but it was not a deliberate deception.” Emeriel's shoulders slumped, defeated. “I... I was raised this way. My parents hid my gender to protect me the moment I was born. I have lived this lie for so long that it feels more like a part of me than a secret."

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