Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 17

Thalia

The dying light of dusk cast long shadows across the stone corridors of Lycandor Keep as I hurried through the narrow servant passages, my heart heavy with worry for Adelaide. My body still ached from the injuries sustained at the ceremony, but physical pain paled in comparison to my concern for my dearest friend.

As I approached the final corridor leading to the slave quarters, a voice like silk wrapped around a blade stopped me cold.

"Human, halt."

I turned slowly, my blood chilling as I recognized the speaker. Liliana stood in the shadows, moonlight streaming through a high window to illuminate her silver gown and pale skin. Her blood-red lips curved in what might have been a smile on anyone else, but on her face it looked predatory.

"What do you want, Liliana?" I asked, keeping my voice steady despite the exhaustion that weighed on my limbs. Something about her presence here, so far from the Wolf King's chambers, set every instinct I possessed screaming warnings.

Her eyes flashed with something dark and dangerous. "You dare address me by name?" Her voice remained silky, but poison dripped from every syllable. "A lowly human slave, showing such disrespect to her betters?"

I felt my jaw clench. The arrogance of this creature, this blood thrall who thought herself above common decency simply because she served the beast king. My wounded pride warred with logic—I couldn't afford to make enemies here, not when Adelaide needed protection.

"Forgive my discourtesy, my lady," I said through gritted teeth, offering the barest inclination of my head. "If there's nothing else, I have duties to attend to."

"This is what you call courtesy?" Liliana's laugh was like breaking glass. Her fingers moved to the silver whip coiled at her waist with practiced ease. "It seems you require instruction in proper respect."

The whip sang through the air before I could react, aimed directly at my face. I threw myself sideways, feeling the leather kiss my hair as it passed. My heart hammered against my ribs as I stared at her in shock.

"What in the name of the goddess do you want?" I demanded, my voice rising despite my efforts to remain calm. "This is clearly unprovoked aggression!"

"Unprovoked?" Liliana's eyes glittered with malicious amusement as she expertly coiled the whip back into striking position. "A human slave questions my motivations? I am merely fulfilling my duty to educate insolent servants in proper submission."

She struck again, and this time I wasn't quick enough. The whip caught my shoulder with vicious precision, tearing through fabric and flesh alike. Fire exploded across my back as I stumbled, my previous injuries making me clumsy and slow.

"This is just the beginning of your education," Liliana purred, clearly savoring my pain. "We wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself further with such deplorable manners."

I pressed my hand to my bleeding shoulder, feeling warm blood seep between my fingers. The scent would attract every wolf in the vicinity—I had to end this quickly or face far worse than Liliana's petty sadism.

But as I opened my mouth to speak, to try reasoning with this mad creature, her whip cracked again. This time I felt it bite deep into my side, and I couldn't suppress the cry that tore from my throat.

"Much better," Liliana observed with satisfaction. "Now you begin to understand your place."

Through the haze of pain, I heard rapid footsteps echoing down the corridor. A young figure rounded the corner—Giselle, the maid assigned to Adelaide. Her eyes went wide with terror as she took in the scene: me bleeding and cornered, Liliana standing over me like some elegant predator.

For a heartbeat, Giselle hesitated. Then, to my amazement, she turned and fled back the way she had come, her feet flying over the stone with desperate urgency.

*Smart girl,* I thought grimly. *Find help, quickly.*

"How touching," Liliana drawled, apparently unbothered by the witness to her cruelty. "Even the slaves try to protect each other. But no one can save you from learning proper respect."

She raised the whip again, and I braced myself for another strike, my body trembling with exhaustion and blood loss. All I could do was pray that Giselle would find someone—anyone—willing to intervene before Liliana decided to escalate beyond mere punishment.

The whip descended, and I closed my eyes, feeling utterly helpless in the face of this senseless violence.

Draven

The documents spread across my desk blurred together as exhaustion pulled at my eyelids. Reports from the border patrols, supply requisitions, intelligence about human settlements—the endless administrative duties of commanding a legion in wartime never ceased.

The door to my study burst open without ceremony, and I looked up to see young Giselle stumbling into the room. Her face was flushed with exertion and pale with terror, tears streaming down her cheeks as she collapsed to her knees before my desk.

"Commander Draven!" she gasped, struggling to catch her breath. "Please, you must come quickly! It's Thalia—Lady Liliana is attacking her with a whip!"

The blood in my veins turned to ice. Without conscious thought, I was on my feet, my chair crashing backward as every muscle in my body tensed for action. "Where?" I demanded, my voice coming out as a barely controlled growl.

"The corridors near the slave quarters, my lord," Giselle sobbed. "She was going to visit Adelaide, and Liliana—she just started hitting her! There's blood, so much blood!"

I was already moving before she finished speaking, my long strides eating up the distance to the door. A red haze descended over my vision as fury unlike anything I had felt in decades consumed me. Liliana had overstepped—attacking Thalia was attacking someone under my protection, someone I had come to...

I cut off that line of thinking before it could fully form. What mattered now was reaching her before real damage was done.

"Guards!" I barked as I strode through the corridors, my voice echoing off the stone walls. "With me, now!"

The thought of Thalia hurt, bleeding, alone and defenseless against Liliana's cruelty, made my hands clench into fists. Whatever game was being played here, whoever had set this in motion, they would learn that some lines should never be crossed.

And harming Thalia was definitely one of them.