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

29. THE WEIGHT OF LOSS AND GRIEF

Chapter twenty-nine

THE WEIGHT OF LOSS AND GRIEF

Grand Lord Vladya strode toward the gardens of Blackstone accompanied by Yaz, who provided a detailed account of the farming conditions in Brookwood—a sizable village in Urai renowned for its fertile lands.

Despite the efforts of their best farmers, this season's crop production was significantly lower than the previous one.

As they walked, Vladya observed the toiling slaves and the soldiers training on the opposite side of the field.

"My dear lord, Vladya?" a familiar voice called out.

Vladya turned to see Mistress Sinai approaching. He took her outstretched hand and placed a respectful kiss upon it. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?"

"I apologize for interrupting you, but there are matters I wish to discuss," she said.

Vladya exchanged a meaningful look with Yaz, signaling for the head soldier to depart. Left alone with Sinai, he turned his attention to her. "What seems to be the matter?"

"I wish to punish one of your slaves severely. I thought it appropriate to inform you, considering he was specially acquired. After all, you undertook the journey yourself to buy him."

Vladya furrowed his brow. "Whom exactly are we referring to?"

"The young prince."

Grand Lord Vladya tilted his head in thought. "What has he done?"

"I simply do not like him. He grates on my nerves."

"I don't recall you spending much time with the boy for him to have such an effect on you. Or am I mistaken?" Lord Vladya questioned.

"You are correct." Her eyes darkened with anger. "However, he is a slave—a human slave. I don't need a reason to hate him enough to want to kill him."

"True. But, as you mentioned, they are specially acquired slaves—the prince and the princess. You would need a more substantial justification when it comes to killing them. Grand Lord Ottai and I did not forsake our duties in Urai and journey to the human world for four days, only for them to die without cause."

Sinai fell into a silence, breathing heavily. Her eyes narrowed, nose flaring in anger.

Grand Lord Vladya scrutinized her closely. "What is this truly about? I find it difficult to believe that you simply woke up this morning with an unprovoked desire to kill a slave."

"I heard he has been feeding Daemon," she finally spoke.

When Vladya did not react to the news, her eyes snapped up to meet his. "You were aware?"

"I am."

"And you do not see anything wrong with that? He is a slave! He has no right to approach the grand king!"

"I believe you are overreacting, Sinai. The boy merely fed the beast; he did nothing wrong. Besides, Daemonikai doesn't need you to fight his battles. If he detested the boy, he would no longer be alive."

Sinai took a step back, looking betrayed. "How could you say that? Daemon cannot make that decision in his current state of mind. And the boy is human! He has no right whatsoever! How dare he!"

"Calm yourself, Sinai. I fail to understand your anger. Yes, the boy is human, and yes, he is a slave. However, you, of all people, should be pleased that something like this happened. For some reason, the boy managed to make the feral eat."

"What if he bewitched the beast? Enchanted him in some way."

Vladya rolled his eyes. "The boy is human, not a witch. Woefully devoid of such powers or magic." He knew he sounded hypocritical, considering he had accused the princess of the same thing just three nights ago. But he refused to dwell on that.

Sinai averted her eyes. "I want Daemonikai to feed; you know that. I simply dislike that a human slave believed it was acceptable to approach him. They do not deserve to walk the same ground as the grand king, feral or not."

Lord Vladya remained silent.

"I shall attend the Harvest Ceremony tomorrow night. I wish to witness his introduction as a slave," she declared, her eyes narrowing to slits. "After the lords have their fun with him, I will personally punish him."

Yeah, Vladya nearly forgot about the upcoming ceremony. The rest of the slaves would be introduced.

"What about you, Lord Vladya? Will you be mounting the little prince at the ceremony?" Excitement crossed her pretty face. "I would love that."

"Unfortunately, I have no interest in such matters. I will only attend the Harvest Ceremony. The introduction of slaves holds no appeal for me."

"That's a pity. Though I could persuade Lord Zaiper to have a piece of the boy. He enjoys inflicting pain." With that, she turned to leave but paused. "What about that land?"

Vladya shook his head. "We have discussed this several times."

She gave him pleading eyes. "I truly desire that land. Can you not simply grant it to me?"

Out of all the unused lands possessed by Daemonikai, Crystal Waters had the finest soil, abundant waterways for trade, majestic mountains, rivers, miners, and timber.

Daemonikai highly valued those lands, and Vladya had no intention of giving them to Sinai. Or share any of Daemonikai's possessions while his beast was still alive, for that matter.

"I am his bloodhost. I believe he would want me to possess at least one piece of that land," Sinai persisted.

"One step at a time, Sinai. The time for such decisions has not yet arrived."

"Fine.” She sulked. “But we will revisit this discussion later. I must go now. I need to bloodfeed my master."

Vladya halted. "His last feeding can still sustain him. It is not yet time for another."

"Must I wait for the appointed time?” Sinai shrugged. “I want to feed him now."

Vladya watched her depart.

He wondered if this sudden need to bloodfeed Daemonikai was due to the human prince.

By evening, Grand Lord Vladya exited the court, followed by his army of soldiers.

Zaiper intended to announce his plan to eliminate Daemonikai's beast at the Harvest Ceremony, claiming that the people were suffering without a grand king.

Even Ottai appeared resigned. They had evaded the issue for centuries, but now they both knew Zaiper might succeed.

He could persuade the court to make an active effort to slay the feral, rather than waiting for the night of the eclipse moon. And once the people rallied behind it, the grand lords’s hands would be forced.

Moreover, once the public was in support, the Elders would undoubtedly agree to the decision—even pressure the rulers if they continued to delay.

Vladya's mind was in turmoil. The truth was, there was no rational reason not to proceed with killing Daemonikai's beast. He just simply wasn't ready.

That beast was all that remained of his crumbling sanity. The tether that assured him he hadn't lost everything that fateful night. As long as Daemonikai lived, Vladya found it easier to resist the losing battle that was his sanity.

Daemonikai, the strongest male he knew, had succumbed to madness to escape the horrors they had faced. And Vladya was barely holding on by a thread.

And as long as that beast lived, that thread held tight. No matter how thin it had become, it held tight.

And, when he finally lost his oldest friend, his companion whom he should have mourned with, Vladya feared his last semblance of sanity would go alongside the beast.

Perhaps Zaiper knew that too. Maybe, that was one of the reasons he was so eager to eliminate the feral.

The sound of laughter drew Vladya's attention back to the present.

He stared ahead to discover its source. The slave princess sat by a well, watching her brother draw water.

She laughed at the displeased expression on his face as he worked.

The little prince certainly possessed strength. The boy effortlessly drew water, pouring it into a larger bucket and sending the smaller one back down.

Aekeira reached up to remove the strand of hair that obscured the prince's eyes. With a gentle push, she joined it with the rest, her eyes filled with happiness and laughter.

The sight stirred memories within him. Reminded him of Daemonikai and their early days of friendship. A sharp pang of pain gripped Vladya's heart.

He halted and observed the siblings. Daemonikai was a thousand years older than him and already a king when they first met.

Vladya, on the other hand, was a stubborn, mouthy, and bothersome prince back then. He had never wanted to become a grand lord, but his father had insisted.

And, after his father passed, he had no choice but to assume the mantle at barely three hundred years old.

Their bloodline was pure, their strength extraordinary, even at their young age. Vladya had expected Daemonikai to be harsh with him during those times when he deliberately provoked and undermined others.

But not Daemonikai. He had been different.

Their friendship had blossomed and endured for over three thousand years. And now, suddenly, there was no Daemonikai. Only his beast.

Only his beast which Vladya would soon be forced to kill.

The girl's gaze wandered, and she caught him staring.

She paled. Her smile vanished, replaced by fear.

Vladya disliked being caught off guard, but he refused to behave childishly about it. He maintained his gaze, and she quickly averted her eyes, nudging her brother, who also looked up and spotted Vladya.

The boy appeared more angry than scared, but he dutifully lowered his eyes. They both bowed.

"Return to your tasks," he said to them.

They obeyed. Their actions now carry tension, devoid of their previous ease.

Both stood out among humans not only for the regal air that always surrounded them, but also because of their exceptional beauty.

The boy possessed an unusual level of beauty that no boy should rightfully possess, and his long, jet-black hair only added to it.

An attractiveness that was uncommon. Almost ethereal.

Yet, it was the girl who consistently captured Vladya's attention. Even now, his gaze remained fixed on her.

It was simply unfair for a human female to be so breathtakingly beautiful.

"My lord?" Yaz's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What is it, Yaz?"

"You were growling," Yaz pointed out.

Was he? Vladya noticed the rumbling in his throat and promptly ceased.

Curse the gods, the girl had the uncanny ability to get under his skin like no other human ever had. The desire to mount her surged within him once more.

The thoughts he entertained regarding the young princess were… disturbing.

He wanted to put his hands on her. To make it hurt. To make her scream . To consume her.

He wanted to unleash on her and watch how she would handle him in his most animalistic state. Above all, her blood called out to him.

He craved to sink his fangs into her pale neck and drink from her until she was writhing in his arms.

"My lord?" Yaz's voice broke through his thoughts again.

"What is it now, Yaz?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"Your fangs, my lord. They are out."

Blast it all! Vladya retracted them, spun around, and began walking away. That damned human.

"Summon Lady Merilyn. Instruct her to meet me in my chambers," Vladya commanded as he strode off.

For some reason, that girl awakened his dark side. A reason among many why he despised her. He would be damned before he succumbed to his desires for her again.

He would not.

He would NOT!