Page 5 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

Worried for his old friend, and his woman.

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The court was somber. Filled with tension.

While Zaiper presided over the proceedings, Vladya sat stiffly, his thoughts drifting to Emeriel and Daemonikai again and again. He barely registered most of the session.

It was a pattern he’d fallen into over the past three days.

“I will be leading tomorrow’s rain ritual,” Zaiper announced to the court. “As you all know, the Grand King is… indisposed.”

Vladya forced himself to focus on the present.

“Speaking of the grand king, how is he doing?” Lord Gaff asked, his voice measured… probing.

Zaiper’s smirk was sharp. “Well, his mind is gone again—”

“We cannot say that for certain right now,” Ottai cut in, shooting Zaiper a glare out of the corner of his eye. “We will provide a clearer answer to that later.”

Daryl, the High Lord of Trade, cleared his throat uncomfortably. “There are… rumors flying around. Not just about his state of mind, but about… uhm, his woman. Or rather, what hedidto his woman. How true is this rumor?”

Lord Gaff leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. “Did the grand king really brutalize the human princess he claimed to cherish just a week ago in front of all of us?”

“What is so funny?” Ottai snapped at Zaiper.

Only then did Vladya notice the faint, smug smile on Zaiper’s lips.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Zaiper drawled, rising to his feet calmly. “The truth is, it’s time we stopped deceiving ourselves and face the fact that our Grand Ruler is no longer fit to sit on the Grand Throne.”

Hushed voices rippled across the court.

Zaiper raised a hand for silence.

“First, let’s not shy away from the obvious. Hismindis not well.” His voice rang louder, more authoritative. “Why would we continue entrusting the ultimate leadership of our kingdom to a male whose state of mind is clearly unstable? Everyone here knows it.”

The murmurs grew louder.

“And if his state of mind isn’t troubling enough, let’s examine his actions. Look at what he did to his ownSoulbond! The one person in the entire world he is fated to protect above all else." Zaiper shook his head, looking disgusted. "If he can harmher—the woman who is supposedlythe other half of his soul—whatchance dowehave? What chance doyouhave, any of you, against his declining mind?”

“Grand Lord Zaiper, mind your tongue!” Ottai growled.

Ottai, who was usually the level-headed one, had spent the past few days on edge. Losing his temper easily.

Today was no different.

Hevibratedwith anger.

Vladya too, was gripping his chair so tightly his claws extended, digging into the wood.

The effort it was taking him to restrain himself, to not leap across the room and punch Zaiper square in the face, was so great a stabbing headache split his skull.

“We cannot keep deceiving the people, Lord Ottai,” Zaiper turned briefly to address him before pivoting back to the court. “We have very strict laws in this kingdom to protect our bondmates—our women—from domestic abuse and violence. These laws have been upheld for centuries, without exception. The day we accepted the human princess as his woman, was the day she became one of us. And as one of us, she is entitled to our protection. We cannot turn a blind eye to this.”

Zaiper's words riled the court into a frenzy of murmurs and exchanged glances.

Vladya’s nails splintered the wood of his chair.

“That’s rich, coming fromyou, Zaiper!” Ottai shouted, rising so fast from his throne. “The grand lord whose name is whispered across the kingdom. And not forgoodreasons!”

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