Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 16

Garrick

The jeweled goblet felt heavy in my grip as I slouched against the obsidian throne of Nightfang Fortress, my free hand absently stroking the shoulder of the trembling servant girl kneeling beside me. Her fingers worked at my feet with mechanical precision, but I could smell her terror—sharp and acrid in the stifling air.

When the massive iron doors groaned open, the sound echoed like a death knell through the chamber. Three burly figures stumbled inside, their confident swagger from this morning replaced by the jerky movements of cornered prey. They collapsed to their knees in the center of the hall, and I felt a perverse satisfaction at their obvious terror.

The largest of them—a mountain of muscle who usually feared nothing—pressed his forehead against the cold stone. His voice, when it came, was barely above a whisper. "My lord, we have failed you. Commander Vespera arrived before we could secure the girl. Adelaide was taken from us."

The words hit me like physical blows. My vision tinted red at the edges as rage coursed through my veins like molten metal. Without conscious thought, I hurled the goblet with all my strength. It shattered against the kneeling man's shoulder, glass shards and crimson wine painting abstract patterns across their trembling forms.

"Worthless!" I roared, my voice reverberating off the vaulted ceiling. "Incompetent fools!" I rose from my throne like an avenging demon, pointing an accusatory finger at the cowering figures. "Guards! Drag these failures to the courtyard and separate their heads from their shoulders!"

The metallic scrape of drawn swords filled the air as my men stepped forward. But before they could reach the condemned trio, the largest man raised his head in desperation.

"Wait, my lord! Please!" His voice cracked with terror. "We discovered something—something vital! The girl, Adelaide—she's a Moon Bride! We witnessed her awakening with our own eyes. The heat radiating from her body, that intoxicating scent that calls to our very souls..."

The words stopped me cold. My rage evaporated like morning mist, replaced by something far more dangerous—calculated ambition. I descended the throne steps slowly, each footfall deliberate and measured. My fingers found my chin, stroking the scarred flesh as my mind raced through the implications.

"A Moon Bride," I murmured, the words tasting like victory on my tongue. "That explains everything... the Wolf King's protection, his sudden calm." A slow smile spread across my features as understanding dawned. "Thalia was nothing but misdirection. It's Adelaide who has tamed the beast."

The three men remained frozen, hardly daring to breathe as they watched my mood transform from murderous fury to predatory calculation. This changed everything—absolutely everything.

"Your incompetence is temporarily forgiven," I declared, waving dismissively at the guards. Their swords returned to their sheaths with disappointed sighs. "Now remove yourselves from my sight, but remain within the fortress. I may have need of you again soon."

They scrambled to their feet and retreated with the haste of pardoned criminals. As the doors closed behind them, I turned to my most trusted lieutenant—a scarred veteran whose loyalty had been purchased with blood and gold.

"Send word to Liliana immediately," I commanded, my voice now steady with purpose. "Tell her Adelaide's a Moon Bride. She'll understand the significance." My smile widened, revealing teeth like sharpened ivory. "A Moon Bride... this prize is far more valuable than I dared hope."

Liliana

The silk of my evening gown rustled as I paced before the marble fireplace in my private chambers, waiting for the messenger's report. When the young wolf finally arrived, I dismissed him with casual arrogance, expecting nothing more than routine intelligence about castle movements.

The parchment crackled between my fingers as I broke the wax seal. My eyes scanned the words once, twice, before their full meaning pierced my heart like poison needles. A moment of paralysis was followed by a wave of icy fury that swept through my entire being.

The message fluttered to the floor as my hand flew to the crystal perfume bottles adorning my vanity. With a violent sweep, I sent them cascading to the marble, their contents spreading in fragrant puddles that mixed with my rage.

"Moon Bride?" The words escaped my lips as a hiss, each syllable dripping with venom. "That wretched little human... no wonder he turned away from me."

For three centuries, I had been his only source of sustenance and pleasure. Three hundred years of perfect devotion, of offering my blood and body without hesitation. And now some common slave girl threatened to steal what was rightfully mine.

As twilight painted the sky in shades of purple and gold, I donned my silver traveling cloak and slipped from my chambers. The corridors of Lycandor Keep had become as familiar as my own heartbeat over the centuries, and I navigated them with the silent grace of a predator. My destination was clear—the slave quarters where this Adelaide creature skulked like a parasite.

My silk slippers whispered against the stone as I made my way through increasingly narrow passages. But as I approached the final corridor leading to the slaves' domain, I froze in the shadows. Four guards stood at attention before the entrance, their posture alert and professional. The green wolf badges on their leather armor identified them unmistakably as Vespera's men.

I pressed myself against the cold stone wall, my elegant features twisting into a mask of frustrated fury. "Vespera," I breathed, my voice barely audible. "Always the interfering fool, seeking to protect what doesn't deserve protection."

The guards' presence made direct approach impossible. Any attempt to reach Adelaide now would expose my involvement with Garrick, potentially unraveling carefully laid plans before they could bear fruit. I began to retreat, my mind already spinning alternatives, when movement at the far end of the corridor caught my attention.

A familiar figure hurried through the shadows—Thalia, the human girl who had so boldly defended Adelaide during the presentation ceremony. Even from this distance, I could see the determination in her stride, the protective urgency that marked her as someone deeply invested in Adelaide's welfare.

My lips curved in a smile that would have chilled fresh blood. Here was opportunity wrapped in the guise of meddlesome friendship. If I couldn't reach Adelaide directly, perhaps her devoted companion could serve an even better purpose.

Moving with predatory silence, I began to follow Thalia's path through the keep. My fingers unconsciously brushed against the whip at my waist—a weapon I had mastered over my long life.

Soon, this presumptuous little human would discover that standing between me and my desires carried a price far steeper than she could afford to pay.