The Princess In A ‘Prince’ Disguise (Beasts of Wrath and Madness #1)

26. AWAY FROM THE FORTRESS

Chapter twenty-six

AWAY FROM THE FORTRESS

Two days later, Emeriel followed the directions provided by the lord from the High Court. When he arrived at the gate, he introduced himself, and the gate opened for him.

The household worker who led him towards the front porch was surprisingly friendly and talkative.

By the time the human male left Emeriel at the door, Emeriel knew the name of the high lord who had summoned him—Lord Herod. The noble lord of agriculture was widowed and over two thousand years old.

Emeriel stood hesitantly against the door, his hand raised and suspended in the air. You can turn and head back to the fortress, Emeriel. Pretend you had not made this trip.

However, he could not ignore the summons forever. The Lord had only given him four days, and two of them had already passed. What would happen if those four days expired? Emeriel shuddered at the thought.

Before his wandering mind could dissuade him, Emeriel knocked.

A butler opened the door, and Emeriel explained his reason for being there before a maid emerged to lead him further into the house.

"The master will see you shortly," the maid said before leaving him in a waiting area with a wooden bench, directly across from a large oak door.

Emeriel grew increasingly restless as he waited. He felt anxious, almost hopeful in his thinking that Lord Herod had forgotten about him. But, the door opened, and Lord Herod stepped out.

"Come in," Lord Herod ordered, retreating back into the room. "Emeriel, is it?"

"Yes, my lord."

Lord Herod stopped in the center of the library, turned to Emeriel, and gave a small smile. "I have been expecting you."

"I apologize for answering your summons late, my lord." Why was he smiling when Emeriel was about to jump out of his skin with worry?

Lord Herod nodded. "Do not be so frightened, Emeriel. I did not summon you here today to harm or threaten you. If I wanted Urai to know about an incredibly beautiful girl disguised as a male in the Ravenshadow Citadel Fortress of Great Power, the grand lords would have already taken action against you. But that is not my intention."

"Oh... Thank you, my lord." Emeriel didn't feel relieved. What was the catch? What would this lord do to me?

The lord scrutinized him carefully with his eyes. His lips curled up again, and he spoke, "Come. I want to show you something."

Emeriel followed him out of the study, and together they walked down the hall. The house servants were nowhere to be seen, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet.

As they turned a corner, a large painting of a woman caught Emeriel's attention. When they reached it, Lord Herod stopped.

"This is Rivera, my bondmate. She passed away thirty years ago," he said, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Emeriel offered.

"We bonded four hundred years ago." Lord Herod’s eyes filled with memories. "I felt like the luckiest Urekai on earth when our bond was established after the seven days of bonding ritual. When our souls connected, I was so elated that I felt like I could move mountains."

Emeriel had no idea why Lord Herod was sharing this with him. But it was clear—

"She was human," he revealed.

—he loved his wife deeply. Wait, what?

"Huh?" Emeriel looked up at him, bewildered.

Another smile graced Lord Herod's handsome face, and he nodded. "Rivera was human. I attended the birth ceremony of Lord Festus's child, and there she was, serving drinks. She was severely malnourished but incredibly beautiful. I couldn't stop thinking about her for days. When I suggested to Festus that I wanted to purchase his slave, he agreed. So I bought her and brought her here. She worked in this household for years. Then, we fell in love. I loved her even before I discovered she was a syren."

Emeriel's head snapped up and her eyes widened. Did he know she was Syren?

However, the lord seemed lost in his memories, his gaze fixed on the painting.

"But when I discovered her secret, I knew it was fate. The centuries we spent together were the happiest of my long life. And when she passed away," he paused, his voice filled with sorrow, "she took all the light and joy with her."

"I offer my deepest condolences, my lord.”

Lord Herod seemed to return to the present. "I share all this with you in hopes that your fear would diminish, young one. I still mourn my bondmate deeply, even after all these years. I attended the banquet because I had already missed several festivals, and I would have faced consequences if I missed that one, too. I never expected to meet you there. You know, Vera was just like you. She lived with Lord Festus, disguised as a male."

Emeriel was taken aback. "Really?"

"Mmm. They were unaware of her true identity, but with just one glance, I knew it. When I discovered your secret, memories of Vera came rushing back."

Despite the lord's explanation, Emeriel remained confused. "I don't understand what you want from me, my lord."

Lord Herod's gaze bore into Emeriel's, his eyes filled with intensity. "I want you to feel safe. I want you to know that you can be yourself in my presence.”

A door opened, and a human maid—perhaps a slave—hurried forward. "Dinner is ready, master."

So, a slave then. Emeriel noticed that the slaves in the household appeared to be well-dressed and healthy, unlike every other slaves.

Lord Herod turned to Emeriel. "Are you hungry?"

Emeriel nodded quickly before he could talk himself out of it.

Lord Herod smiled. "Come, let's go eat."

During dinner, Emeriel began to relax. Could it be that this lord hadn't summoned him here for a sordid affair, where his body would be taken in exchange for keeping his secrets? It all seemed too good to be true.

"I can see your mind working," Lord Herod remarked.

Emeriel decided to be honest. "This is not what I expected."

"I get the idea of what you might have expected, but I want you to know that not all lords in Urai are heartless."

Emeriel tried to suppress the skepticism in his gaze, but Lord Herod noticed it nonetheless and nodded firmly. "I know it may appear that way, but not everyone is like that. The people are hurting, and they are projecting their pain onto others."

Emeriel paused, contemplating a question that had always troubled him. "Why should we be punished for the sins of our ancestors? Urekai treat every human as if we were the ones who invaded their land. We shouldn't be held accountable for the actions of others just because we belong to the same species."

Silence fell over the table and Emeriel lowered his head, focusing on his food. Well, now he would find out if Lord Herod was merely pretending to be kind. Knots formed in Emeriel's stomach.

"You're absolutely right," Lord Herod responded, and his head snapped up in astonishment.

The lord shrugged. "It's the truth. No one should have to pay for the sins of their forefathers. However, Urekai have long lifespans, and unfortunately, our people hold grudges for a long time. A human's life is short. Fleeting. And since we still suffer from the consequences of what humans did that night, forgiveness becomes incredibly difficult. We lost the most important person in every Urekai's life that night—Grand King Daemonikai. He had been our grand king for over four thousand years. Our people are lost without him.”

A shiver ran down Emeriel's spine at the mention of that name. He brushed it aside. "But what about the other grand lords? Surely, one of them could take his place. Delaying the decision only prolongs the people's pain."

"The struggle for power lies between Grand Lord Vladya and Grand Lord Zaiper,” Lord Herod explained. “The latter is truly cruel and would not be of any help to the people. Many wish for Lord Vladya to assume leadership, but according to what I've heard, he has no aspirations for the throne. Moreover, he is still wounded—he suffered great losses that night and is still grieving. He doesn't know how to recover from that pain. It has changed him."

After the events of the previous night, Emeriel couldn't discern much of a difference between Lord Zaiper and Lord Vladya, but he kept his opinion to himself. "And what about Lord Ottai?"

"Grand Lord Ottai is fairly good-hearted, but he lacks political acumen. Also, in Urekai society, only the strongest among us is deemed fit to be king, and while Lord Ottai possesses incredible strength, he is not the strongest. Furthermore, he has no ambitions for the grand throne."

Emeriel pondered for a moment before another question arose in his mind. "Forgive me for asking, but how did your late bondmate live for hundreds of years when she was human?"

A soft, nostalgic light entered Lord Herod's eyes. "When a Urekai forms a bond with a syren, their lifespans become intertwined. The remaining years the Urekai has left are shared with their bondmate. So, if I had three thousand years remaining, half of that would go to my non-Urekai mate."

"Wow," Emeriel exclaimed, amazed by the revelation. "Did you ever regret sharing your lifespan?"

"Never." Lord Herod shook his head firmly. "I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if it meant she would have survived her illness. Every Urekai wants the fulfillment that comes from being bonded to another and sharing our lifespan with them.”

Emeriel hesitated, his curiosity still lingering. "What happens when the bondmate passes away?"

"Some believe the remaining shared years return to the Urekai, but the truth is unknown," Lord Herod replied. "Since Urekai lifespans can vary greatly, with some living for only two thousand years while others for twelve thousand, there is no definitive answer. However, we Urekai are ageless. We do not age like humans."

Emeriel was fascinated. What would it feel like to live for hundreds of years? The concept was mind-boggling.

"My son, Dale, resides far away due to his deep love for nature and a passion for studying.” Lord Herod's expression softened. “After Vera's passing, loneliness settled within these walls. I have taken a liking to you, Emeriel, and I hope we can grow close to one another."

As Emeriel made his way back to the fortress, his mind filled with thoughts of his visit to Lord Herod.

For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of calm and tranquility. He had tried to read Lord Herod's eyes when he declared his likeness for him, and while his gaze was intense, it wasn't predatory.

The rest of the dinner had passed in comfortable silence, and then Emeriel had left. Lord Herod had given him permission to visit again, and Emeriel knew he would. If only for the good food.

Perhaps Lord Herod could be the answer to his and Aekeira's situation. He might be the only Urekai capable of providing the assistance they needed. Lord Herod stood out as the first genuinely kind-hearted Urekai Emeriel had encountered.

He had taken the time to engage in conversation with Emeriel, seeing him as a person rather than a mere object to be tossed around. Speaking with Lord Herod had proven surprisingly easy, far from the terrible encounters Emeriel had come to expect from Urekai.

Emeriel headed straight for Aekeira's bedchamber and noticed Madam Livia exiting the room. He greeted the head maid, before continuing on his way.

Inside the chambers, Aekeira lay on the bed, reading a book. She looked up and smiled at the sight of Emeriel. The swelling around her eyes had subsided, and she appeared much better than she had in the past couple of days.

"I saw Madam Livia," Emeriel said as he walked in, closing the door behind him.

"She gave me more herbs and informed me that I would be resuming my duties tomorrow. I have no idea how she managed to keep me away from work these past few days, but I am grateful to her. How did it go with that Lord?" Aekeira's eyes looked resigned. "How bad did he hurt you?"

Emeriel shook his head firmly and quickly narrated how it went with Lord Herod. "I packed food for you," he finished cheerfully.

Aekeira looked surprised as she took the bread and meat from Emeriel and began eating quickly.

Emeriel felt a prickling sensation on his skin, and scratched his arm to alleviate the itch. "What about you?" he hesitated. "Have you had any interaction with Lord Vladya since that night?"

"Fortunately, no. I have not seen him, and I will do everything in my power to avoid him. I hate him so much," Aekeira replied between bites. "Besides, now that he's hurt me the way he wanted, I'm sure he'll move on to the next human slave to torment."

After eating, Aekeira lay down, her eyes growing drowsy. Emeriel wasn't surprised—some of the herbs Madam Livia had given her induced sleep.

"Try to get some rest, Keira," Emeriel reassured her. "I'll be here with you, at least until you fall asleep."

"Are you alright?" Aekeira asked.

"Huh?"

"You have been scratching your arms non-stop for the last few minutes. I'm sure they've turned red from all that scratching." Aekeira observed, sleepily.

Emeriel's fingers froze, and slowly, his hands dropped. He hadn't even noticed. "I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about." He forced himself to believe it, suppressing his rising panic.

It had to be nothing to worry about, because the alternative was scary. There was no way he was about to go into heat again.

No.

Oh, Lights, just no.