Page 7 of The Princess and Her Grand King

Except your son. There are fates far more agonizing than death, King Orestus.

I am not merciful. I do not forgive.

By the hand of Vladya Theriozydovkar Skyvakto, the third ruler of Urai.

King Orestus lowered the scroll, his face pale. He reached for the second one, unrolling it with care.

From the Grand Ruler of Urai, great sovereign of the Urekai, sole monarch of the Southern Clans, protector of the Boundless Woodlands and the Celestial Mountains, to King Orestus, tyrant king of the human realm.

Let this be read under the gaze of the seven gods, the light of the moon, and Ukrae.

You will shelter and protect the two females whom we return to you on the morrow, with everything you hold dear.

Since I awoke from five hundred years of madness, one brought on by your people, I have had one thought and one thought alone. To descend upon the human lands like a storm of ruin.

I still consider it, to be quite honest. But do not give me another reason to believe it is a good idea, for let me tell you, King Orestus, I am running out of excuses not to declare war on the humans.

Protect the princesses, for they are the treasures of Urai. If so much as a drop of their blood is spilled, your forests will rise against you. Your mountains will crumble under our number. Your rivers will run dry beneath the stomps of our boots. Your cities will burn. Your fields will wither under fire and ash.

The screams of your people will be the chorus that heralds your kingdom’s fall. Not a single stone of your citadel will remain unscorched.

This is your one and only warning.

I am not merciful, and I do not forgive.

By the hand of Daemonikai Vipertheriov Naelzharoth, Grand King of Urai.

King Orestus lowered the scroll, his face drained of color.

Aekeira had sunk into one of the empty chairs during the reading, her shaky legs unable to hold her any longer. Emeriel sat beside her, just as still.

"It has been two years since I received this," King Orestus said in a strained voice as he carefully placed the letters back on the shelf. "Not once have I had a good night’s sleep since then."

Turning toward them, his gaze was sharp, searching. "I have asked myself over and over. How on earth did these females, sold as slaves, garner the favor of the two most powerful Urekai that ever existed? How did they become 'treasures of Urai' to the extent that I received personal letters from their rulers?"

Aekeira glanced at Emeriel. Her sister’s face was ashen, paler even than King Orestus's, staring ahead, into nothingness. She didn’t blink. She didn’t move.

"They signed theirfullnames," King Orestus added. "Do you understand what that means? As a young lad, my father told me, that in Urekai history, their full names are considered sacred. They are not spoken aloud unless under the gravest of circumstances or to convey a serious message. And here—" he gestured toward the shelf "—they not only sentseparateletters, they signed them with theirfullnames."

They sent letters for us. Sent thembeforeour return. Why hadn't Aekeira thought of it before?

Of all the reasons she imagined for King Orestus's change, this had never crossed her mind.

"Iwantto send you both to the breeding houses." His voice hardened as he turned to Emeriel. "But there is nothing I want more than to punish you for your web of deceit in this kingdom.

"Living disguised as a boy when you are, in fact, a girl?" he spat, voice rising, making Aekeira flinch. "I wish I could nail you to the cross outside!"

Aekeira’s breath caught, and Emeriel tensed beside her, but neither spoke.

"But I cannot." King Orestus’s chest heaved. "You asked why I treat you as I do?Those lettersare why. I may not care about many things these days, but I care about my son. Some might argue that I don’t care about my people, but I do. And I know what will happen if I defy those letters."

He turned his full attention to Emeriel. "Anything else you wish to say,PrincessEmeriel?"

Emeriel rose and stormed out.

***

"That will be all for today," Grand Lord Zaiper declared, rising from his throne.

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