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

33. SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Chapter thirty-three

SO MANY QUESTIONS...

Silence enveloped the room. The people were too stunned to find their voices, their mouths agape in disbelief. Even the grand lords wore expressions of utter shock.

Then, chaos erupted in every corner. The air was filled with a cacophony of voices, asking questions that no one had answers to.

"What just happened!?"

"Is that truly the king's beast!?"

"How could this be!?"

Though their words differed, the underlying question was the same. Had their feral grand king truly broken free from its confinement, entered a room full of prey, and casually picked up a human boy before leaving?

Amidst the murmurs, people began fleeing the court, eager to escape in case the beast returned. The fortress descended into commotion, with screams and frantic footsteps echoing through the halls.

"I need to ensure the safe evacuation of everyone," Lord Ottai declared. Turning to Vladya, he added, "Could you check which way the beast went? Is it heading towards the arena or the wings? We must be certain."

"Of course," Lord Vladya responded, taking a step forward to leave.

”Daemonikai's feral beast is a menace, that much I can tell you." Lord Zaiper stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the grand entrance.

"Why? Because you thought it would be amusing to provoke it, only to end up being lifted off your feet?" Ottai quipped, with barely concealed amusement.

Zaiper muttered a curse under his breath.

“How’s the arm?” Vladya stared at the spot where the Daemonikai had dug into Zaiper. “That wound looks deep.”

“It’s nothing. I didn’t even notice it,” Zaiper stated.

Vladya cocked his head to the side. “That’s not how I remember it. I’ll have you know the smell of your fear is not enticing at all. It smelled like ash.”

Zaiper reddened and advanced a step. “You asshole.”

“You two, not now.” Ottai stepped between them. “We need to get our people to safety, remember?”

Vladya clicked his tongue and merely stepped away.

Zaiper glared at Vladya for a full minute, before he forced his focus elsewhere. Somewhere much more important.

Zaiper's brows furrowed. "Why that boy? How does a feral beast enter a crowd, spare lives, and depart with a boy cradled protectively in its arms?"

"I have no answers, Zaiper. We are all as bewildered as you are," Lord Ottai replied, running his hand through his perfectly slicked-back black hair.

Ottai turned to VLadya. “Do you think it intends to take the boy to a quiet place and kill him, or something? The last time he sought him out, it was driven by sexual hunger. What could be the motive this time?"

Vladya’s thoughts seemed scattered, going everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He simply shook his head, just as confused as the rest of them.

“Maybe it has developed a taste for his blood, or something,” Vladya muttered, still trying to wrap his head around what just happened.

"But now is not the time for speculation,” Ottai said. “We must ensure the beast hasn't gone to the arena and evacuate the people."

With that, they scattered to guide their people to safety.

As the court emptied, Mistress Sinai remained seated, rigid and motionless. Her expression one of pure fury. What had just happened? How could this have happened?

One of the ladies approached her, wide-eyed. "Who is that boy, Sinai? Being his bloodhost, surely you have some information."

Sinai glared at her, spun around, and stormed out of the court before she succumbed to the urge to do something very unladylike. Like scream at the top of her lungs or throw things.

Hours later, after checking out the arenas and the wings, clearing the banquet hall and surrounding areas, Grand Lord Vladya made his way to the forbidden chambers. He had a hunch the beast returned to its confinement, but he needed to confirm it. And there was the matter of the boy—he was curious about the boy's fate.

As he reached the fourth wing, he heard feminine cries growing louder. Turning the corner, he found Aekeira seated on the floor, sobbing inconsolably.

The girl rose upon seeing him and hurried toward him.

She dropped to her knees, "They won't let me get close. The soldiers are bl-blocking my path. I can't see my b-brother, please help me."

Vladya had purposefully ignored the girl all day as a means of self-preservation. But as he glanced at her now, that part of him that felt strangely drawn to her began to surface.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he met her with an indifferent gaze. "Return to your chambers, Aekeira. You should not be here."

"No, no, no," she shook her head vigorously, her eyes red and swollen. "Em has been missing for hours! I need to know if he is safe. I need to ensure that beast has not d-devoured my brother. Please, help me." Desperate hands clung to his garment. "I would do anything."

He didn't need to hear this now. "Aekeira—"

"Anything!" the girl persisted stubbornly, her eyes blazing with determination. The princess within her shone through her unyielding will. "I give you my body. Isn't that what you desire? You can have it. I'll spread my legs for you, and even present—"

"Don't you dare," Vladya snapped, anger flaring within him. Alongside that was a surge of arousal, pulsating through him. His manhood hardened, hungry, and demanding. "How dare you attempt to barter your filthy body with me?"

He took a menacing step forward, causing the girl to shrink back in fear. Drawing closer, he bent down and gripped her delicate neck with his fingers.

"You are my slave, Aekeira. I have ownership over this body," he said in a low voice, his gaze wandering down her figure. "I will take it whenever and however I please. If I choose not to, it is because I have no desire for it. You are in no position to negotiate with me."

The girl tightly shut her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I-I just... Please, I'm desperate. I need to know if my brother is safe."

"And you believe barging into the forbidden chambers and provoking the beast was the right course of action? Putting yourself and your brother's life at risk, as well as endangering the lives of my people?" he continued in a deceptively calm tone. "You fool. I should have you whipped."

Releasing her neck, he stepped back, "Get out of here, Aekeira. Return to your room. That is an order."

A cry of despair escaped her throat as she looked at him helplessly, before she rose and obeyed his command. Vladya watched her depart.

Her bravery...

A female who had been terrified of him, yet never hesitated to confront him for the sake of her brother. She even attempted to bargain with him, fully aware he would not be gentle with her body.

Such fierce loyalty. Such love that gave her courage.

He admired and despised it. Vladya didn't want to see those qualities—or any qualities at all—in her or any human, for that matter. Was that too much to ask?

Continuing on his way to the Abyss land, he dismissed the soldiers he encountered. And was not surprised to find no soldiers guarding the chambers up close.

With the beast having escaped tonight and the locks not yet replaced, everyone knew better than to approach that chamber.

The metal gate locks lay in shambles on the floor, and the oak door was broken. Inside, the beast lay behind its barricade, its yellow eyes glaring at the entrance. At the intruder.

And then, there was the boy.

Curled up on the floor, his hair freed from its bindings, spilled around him. Fully clothed.

His breathing was steady, a rhythmic pattern, fast asleep. And a few feet away, the beast sat, watching over him protectively. Possessively.

And to think the boy felt so safe he fell into slumber.

"What is it about him, Daemon?" Vladya whispered, observing them. "Is it his blood? Or is he simply your new fascination? Is he a new plaything?"

The beast didn't answer, nor did Vladya expect him to.

"Could this boy have the power to bring you back from insanity? Is that even possible?" But he was watching an impossibility happening before him, right now.

He was missing something here. Something important. But what could it be?

On his way back, his mind was preoccupied. But as he passed through the second floor of the southern wings, he heard Aekeira’s soft cries in her chamber, far away.

By the sound of it, she must be lying on her bed, muffling her sobs with her pillow. Yet he was so attuned to her that his hearing picked up on it.

Don't you dare, Vladya. Don't you dare.

He glared at the pathway that led to her chamber. He cared not about the girl's state of mind, and he certainly did not care if she wept and tormented herself throughout the night.

So why were his legs taking him toward her?

Because your body craves that girl. You can’t get enough of her.

By Ukrae, he needed to put a stop to this. This was not him. He did not force himself on slaves or take unwilling servants to his bed.

He did not fixate on humans—or any beings, for that matter. He was stronger than that. So why was he walking toward the girl's door right now?

And worse, despite all his internal pep talks, why could he not stop himself?

Grand Lord Zaiper stood beside the narrow, arched window in the vast underground of his domain, peering out into the shadowy expanse of the courtyard.

The trees lining the edge of the courtyard swayed gently in the night breeze, casting dancing shadows on the ground. The occasional hoot of an owl or the distant bark of a hound filled the air.

A few feet away, Madah, one of his finest slavemasters, lashed a slave with a searing whip. The agonizing screams of the slave were a beautiful melody to Zaiper's ears. A little bit of comfort for his troubled heart tonight.

Humans are the scum of the earth, and Zaiper would be happy if none of them remained. They were unworthy of sharing the same air the Urekai breathed.

This was one of those nights Zaiper would love to let his beast run free. To simply shift into his beast form and go hunting in the woods.

Hours had passed since the incident in court and the news had spread throughout the land. Zaiper was angry for so many reasons.

Why now? Why tonight?

He had delivered his speech with great skill. Had convinced so many people—Zaiper was sure. The expressions on their faces revealed their agreement. If there had been another court meeting to discuss the dismissal and elimination of Daemonikai's beast, he would have had a multitude of supporters.

But then…

Emeriel. That damned human prince.

What was that boy's deal?

If Zaiper wasn't vastly knowledgeable of the species around them, he would believe the boy to be a wizard, capable of weaving spells. For there was simply no other explanation that could justify what had happened earlier.

"Please, my lord. I beg of you!" the male slave screamed as another lash struck his back. The sound of skin tearing was a soothing balm to Zapier’s soul.

For a moment there, when Daemonikai's paw had gripped his throat, and his yellow eyes locked onto Zaiper, he could have sworn he witnessed a glimmer of something within those eyes.

Not just the vacant gaze of a feral. But a glimmer of...awareness?

What in the depths of hell was going on?

Was it the scent of the boy's blood? But Zaiper had gotten close to that boy, and while he did smell enticing, it was no different from the scent of all the other humans he found attractive over the years.

So what was so special that a feral would take an interest?

Zaiper raised his hand. Madah, whose whip was poised high in the air, paused.

With a downward motion of his hand, Zaiper signaled Madah to step back. Moving away from the window, Zapier approached the man.

The slave was battered and bloodied. Tears and sweat streamed down his face, and his attractive biceps quivered from agony. Oh, the beauty of a well-whipped body.

"You know, if he were a girl, I would have believed her to be his Soulbond. " Zapier circled the slave. "That would be a plausible explanation that comes close to explaining why a feral would fixate on anyone. Or does he see the boy as his new plaything? We do know how to personalize what we consider ours." He stopped before the slave. "What are your thoughts?"

"I-I don't understand, my lord," the male cried, bewildered and in pain.

Grand Lord Zaiper sighed and shook his head. "That is why you humans are dumb. So why would Daemonikai want a dumb human?"

A thought crossed his mind. One that made him stop dead in his tracks.

What if Daemonikai actually regains his sanity again? What if, through some inexplicable miracle, the grand king is able to shift back into his human form, with his mind intact?

Fear prickled down Zaiper's spine. If that were to happen, everything he had worked tirelessly for would come crumbling down.

He was finally making progress in swaying people to his cause. Garnering supporters who stood behind him. He could actually ascend to the grand throne if he exerted more effort.

But if Daemonikai returned, all his endeavors would be in vain. Daemonikai was far too strong. Far too powerful.

Zaiper stared at his wounded arm, where the beast had dug into his skin. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was deep. Daemonikai had humiliated him in court today.

But today would be nothing compared to the humiliation and pain he would have to endure if Daemonikai regained his sanity. He would reign for thousands of more years while Zaiper remained on the sidelines. Looked down upon. Seen as weak. He deserved the grand throne.

"Finish up here, Madah. Thirty more lashes," Zaiper ordered before he turned and departed. The slave wept, pleaded, and screamed.

Zaiper strode towards his chambers, his anger morphing into seething rage.

This was his one true opportunity to become the grand king, and he would be damned before he allowed it to slip away. He would destroy everything that got in his way, if he had to.

And he would begin with Emeriel.

He had no idea what that boy was, but Zaiper did not care to know. He needed to kill the boy before the boy did any more harm.

Now, he simply needed a plan on how to get the boy right where Zaiper wanted him. Here, in his domain.

.