Page 35 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

He curled them into fists.

“Highness Zaiper, are you alright?”

Zaiper flinched at the sudden voice behind him.

Why not just mind your own business, Jakal?But he swallowed the retort, forcing a calm he did not feel. He gave a stiff nod to the ever-concerned Minister of Military Affairs.

The silent dismissal worked, and Jakal’s footsteps echoed as he departed.

Zaiper breathed out shakily.

“My lord.” Razarr came behind him. “The Grand King requests your assistance in calming the commotion.”

Zaiper waved a hand in dismissal. “Find someone else. I have no time for crowd control.”

Razarr did not move. “Are you worried about the Oracle?”

Zaiper’s teeth grinded audibly. “Why did she have to wakenow? She should have waited a few hundred years more, damn her!” His fist struck the wall, the impact reverberating up his arm, and he welcomed the pain.

“You have always known this day would come, my lord,” Razarr said, his tone even, calm. “She was bound to wake eventually."

Zaiper spun around. “Yes, but she was supposed to wakeafterI had achieved my goals. When Daemonikai was already dead, and I sat on the Grand Throne. By then, she would have been powerless to interfere. Now…” He clenched his fists again, shaking his head. “This timing could not be worse.”

Razarr moved closer, standing just beside him. "Even if she knows, my lord, she can do nothing. Her oath binds her. She cannot act against you."

Zaiper knew that. Of course, he did.

And yet, the bad feeling in his gut remained.

“The old woman doesn’tneedto interfere directly,” Zaiper hissed. “She can still speak in riddles, plant seeds of doubt, leave clues and hints. The world is far simpler when she sleeps.”

Razarr raised an eyebrow.

His calm at this point was almost infuriating to Zaiper.

“You worry too much, my lord," the male said. "The Oracle does not seeeverything, despite what the people believe. There is a chance she remains unaware of your... endeavors."

Zaiper straightened, rolling his neck to ease the tension. "You are right. Perhaps I am overthinking this."

His head soldier nodded.

Zaiper glanced around, taking in the nearly empty courtyards. The people had cleared quickly—some retreating to their homes, others simply moving to avoid being caught in the Oracle’s presence. He could understand their hesitation.

For all their reverence, the Oracle terrified them.

She was as close to the gods as anyone could come. A being who could look through people like glass, exposing their deepest, darkest secrets for all to see.

Who, in their right mind, would willingly stand in the presence of someone who could peel away every layer you had carefully built to hide your sins?

Zaiper would have been one of those people hightailing it out of her way, ensuring she never evenglimpsedhim. But the bane of being a Grand Ruler meant he had no choice. His presence was required to formally welcome the Old Lady.

As he turned to join the others, a faint relief settled in him. Razarr was correct.The Oracle can see, but she cannot act.

A small comfort, but one he clung to.

***

Grand King Daemonikai observed the Oracle carefully as she walked through the grand entrance of Ravenshadow Citadel.

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