Page 88 of The Princess and Her Grand King

Bringing one of the arrows to her nose, she sniffed. Poison.

Reacting quickly, she hurled the two captured arrows back towards her unseen attacker, hoping they found their mark, before turning and fleeing.

Her vision was already blurring.

Pain spread like wildfire, consuming her senses, but she fought to stay on her feet.

I can’t fall here.

This secluded garden would be her grave if she gave in. Her attacker would find her, helpless, and finish the job.

Must reach safety. Must… make… it… out…

But her body grew heavier.

Her limbs no longer felt like her own, unresponsive, her strength fading.

Is this the end?

If it was, Emeriel had one regret. Only one.

I should have stayed that night.

The memory of his touch burned in her mind, bittersweet and achingly vivid.I should have let myself feel his touch, just one last time.

Her strength gave out, and she fell to the ground, the world going black.

Chapter twenty

IMPENDING DOOM

“You’resayinghiswifewas found dead in the dungeon?” King Daemonikai’s lips pressed into a frown as he strode through the corridors, Ottai and Wegai trailing behind him.

“Yes, Your Grace,” Lord Ottai confirmed with a heavy sigh. “No obvious cause of death, either. They were slaves; it could easily be attributed to overexertion.”

“Overexertion didn’t kill her before her husband’s attempt on my life, only after. Hmm…” Daemonikai entered his private residence and shrugged off his outer robe, folding the heavy fabric on a table. “And what about the others?”

Ottai took the seat beside him. "Sadly, nothing concrete."

“Well, I’m recovered now.” Daemonikai settled into one of the high-back chairs in the living room. “If someone else is responsible, I hope they’re reckless enough to try again soon. This time, they will not be so lucky."

"It's time to put an end to the crimes happening here in Ravenshadow. In the past, no one would dare bring a crime close to this fortress."

"They know our defenses were weak. I was sick, Vladya was away, you were too busy taking care of me, and Zaiper was too busy being a tyrant." Daemonikai leaned back into his seat, his fingers tapping against the armrest. "Not anymore. Not a single crime will go uncaught… unpunished. I will make sure of that."

"How are those?" Ottai gestured across his exposed forearms, drawing Daemonikai’s attention to the trails of blackened blood. "I actually think they're healing." Ottai leaned closer to inspect them. "They're not as dark as they used to be."

"No, they're not," Daemonikai agreed. He truly was healing. "Who would have thought I could recover from this as well?"

“I never doubted it,” Ottai said, leaning back with a sigh of relief. “I told myself, if you could come through feral, you could beat the damned soul death.”

Daemonikai looked at him, eyes softening. “Thank you for everything you did for me, Ottai. I wouldn’t be here if it were not for you.”

“No need to thank me, Your Grace. I’m just… relieved to see you back.” Ottai’s voice wavered slightly. “You have no idea how worried I was…”

His voice broke, and he glanced away, clearing his throat. “I was terrified.”

Daemonikai recognized the telltale signs. “You are about to cry all over me, aren’t you?”

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