Page 12 of The Slave in A Princess Disguise

"Your sister is exempt from punishment."

A wave of relief washed over Emeriel. "Thank you, Your Highness," she murmured, her voice thick with gratitude.

“Deception is not something I forgive.”

She knelt straighter, head bowed. “I accept whatever punishment you deem fit."

With a sigh that seemed to stir the heavy drapes of his study, Lord Vladya sank back into his plush armchair. "You did me a favor. Now, I will give your life back to you."

"Huh?" Emeriel's head shot up. Confusion clouded her features as she glanced at him. She couldn't comprehend his words.

"For all your deception, Daemonikai is here today because of you. You saved his life. I saw you both that day when you bloodfed him, and it got me thinking. It was either the constant mounting of you—his Soulbond, or the drinking of your blood. Or perhaps both. But I know you are a major factor in his awakening."

Lord Vladya turned to face her fully, his mask of inscrutability back in place. "You gave him back to me. And in return, I will not take your life for what you did."

Emeriel stared at him. Her jaw slack.

"I-I don't know what to say. Th-Thank you, Your Highness," she finally managed to stammer out.

"Do not thank me." He picked up a jeweled goblet from the desk, staring at it distractedly. "Let's be clear. This is a temporary reprieve. I will not intervene on your behalf, nor will I appeal to the court. I will only pretend tonight never happened. As long as the court, as long as no one else discovers your secret, I will turn a blind eye."

He dropped the goblet back with a clink, looking up at her. "But the moment your deception is revealed, all bets are off."

She lowered her eyes to the floor.

“As for you being Daemonikai’s Soulbond.” He tapped a silver letter opener rhythmically against the desk, his gaze on her. “My first thought is to move you to one of our territories in the mountainside. As far from Daemonikai as possible. He does not need this right now. He has lost his entire family—his bondmate and offsprings. After centuries of madness, he is forced to confront that loss. To trulyfeelit. He does NOT need this right now."

Emeriel swallowed the lump in her throat, refusing to let lord Vladya's words wound her.

She had never harbored any illusions of acceptance once the truth was out. But the mere thought of being so distant from Daemonikai sent a wave of nausea through her.

"But if I do that—keep you so far away from yourSoulbondafter your entire being has recognized him—your soul will begin to yearn and wither away. Eventually, when your soul cannot take it anymore, you will die. He does not know you yet, so he would be fine, but you? You will die."

Lord Vladya's brow furrowed, his head tilted in thought. "I might not have any love for your kind, but I will not do that to you. To Daemonikai. He may not be ready for this now, but that does not mean he will not be in the future."

"Once he has grieved, once he's had time to process and accept that tiny little detail that your people literally turned his entire world upside down, he might come around.” Lord Vladya's gaze bore into her. “Let’s say, in nine-hundred years. Maybe a hundred years sooner.”

Emeriel averted her eyes, the meaning he was implying crushing her.

He clicked his tongue. “Anyway, since I do not want your soul to wither away, you may remain here, close to him. But, as of today, I will put you on scent suppressors. Do you understand?"

Emeriel did not like the sound of that. At all.

Tears prickled the back of her eyes, but she blinked them away and gave a nod anyway. It wasn’t like she had any other choice.

"That is the only role I will play in this matter. I will not actively interfere to keep you two apart—no one meddles with that son-of-a-gun fate. I have no idea what game she is playing now, but I suppose we will all have to wait and see, will we not?”

Emeriel bit her lips not to say a word.

“Rise.”

Rising unsteadily, she hastily wiped away the tears that had escaped her eyes.

For a moment, Lord Vladya studied her intently. His stern features finally softened. "It may not seem like it, but I am also doing you a favor. Perhaps, if five hundred years ago hadn't happened, if your kind hadn't played a role in the death of his family and his descent into madness, this wouldn't be such a disaster waiting to unfold." He sighed.

"But you are human, and he is the Urekai's grand king. Our people will never accept this, acceptyou. And Daemonikai himself… You are too small for all that rage building inside him, Emeriel. He will crush you, before you get close enough to attempt replacing all he lost."

"I didn't wish for this," Emeriel whispered, staring at her trembling hands. Tears blurred her vision. "I didn't wish for any of this, Lord Vladya."

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