THE KING'S SLAVE BRIDE

HIS PROPERTY

NA'IMAH

‘Whatever happens tonight, let it happen. It is for your own good and the good of the people you care about.’

I couldn’t get the queen's words out of my head. What did she mean by that statement? The servants said I was meant to dine with the king. The queen herself said she wanted to get to know me yet; she also said to let tonight happen.

My head swam with possibilities of what her words could mean as I stood in the massive space that happened to be the king’s bedroom or sleeping chamber, as the servants we led me here called it.

I spun in place as I took in what could only be described as an insane show of wealth and power. The meeting room where I met the queen earlier had nothing on, the sight before me. I remember feeling like I was being enveloped in a world of grandeur and opulence when I first stepped foot through the door.

And now, standing here alone to take it all in was insane. The first thing that caught my attention as I raised my head to look up was the ceiling adorned with intricate gold patterns that shimmered with the light. A large crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, the light adding to the shimmer of the gold-patterned design of the ceiling. I spun around to look at the walls, painted a deep brown color. Moving closer, I ran my fingers along the walls and the elaborate yet intricate tapestries attached to the wall that depicted the battles and conquests of Lycans over the centuries.

He filled his room with tapestries like they were trophies. Does he not know the anguish he and his people have caused the majority since they decided my kind was a lesser being to them? Pushing away from the wall with a sigh, I moved around the room, my feet barely making any sound on the polished dark marble floor that felt too smooth and cool beneath my feet.

Every nook and cranny of his chamber was evidence of the wealth Lycans had amassed over the years, mostly by stealing from others. The exquisite furnishings, the chairs and sofas, upholstered in the finest silks and velvet, were all adorned with rich gold and silver thread. The tables are obviously made from some rich wood and the inlay of rare stones.

It felt intimidating standing in the presence of Kaedyr’s wealth, as opposed to the way my people have lived for centuries and to the way I lived. I was a hybrid princess, yet I would never dream of such riches, not when we had to move from one end of the forest to the other just to escape being hunted down by Lycans.

Even his bed looked too majestic for anyone to lie on. The room was too big for one person, no matter their status. The artifacts and treasures placed in specific corners of the room as a testament to his power and status were all unnecessary. Those items would sell for millions of gold and could feed an entire kingdom, yet he has them all stored away in his chambers while my people starved.

“WHO LET YOU IN HERE?”

I spun around, heart in my throat, as the gravel-like voice I already associated with the King bounced off the walls of his chamber. Lost in the unnecessary display of his room, I had missed the sound of the door opening or the sound of his footsteps.

“I asked you a question,” he grunted.

My eyes traveled down his body, then back to his face. The upper part of his body was exposed, except for the black cloak, adorned with intricate gold embroidery, flowing majestically behind him; he had nothing underneath that. His deeply tanned chest was on full display with several tattoos—tattoos that I had once seen up close.

I swallowed around the lump in my throat as I looked away from his chest, chasing off the memories that were threatening to compound my thoughts.

“The queen said you wanted to see me,” I replied, without a hint of any emotion in my voice. The last thing I needed to show him was how much his presence affected me and how much hold he still had on me after what he did…

“And your manners? Did your parents not teach you the proper way to address royalty? You seem to lack a lot of royal etiquette for a princess.”

“They taught me manners, but I know better than to accord respect to people who don’t deserve it,” I said through clenched teeth before I could stop myself.

“Hmm, I heard your camp is running low on medicine supply. Maybe I should look into that,” he said in a dismissive voice, humming as he trudged further into the room and began taking off his boots.

My body vibrated with anger and my teeth creaked as I clenched too hard. He knew what he was saying, knowing how much it would affect me.

“I apologize for the disrespect, Your Majesty,” I forced out, bowing slightly. This is his world now; he has me cornered in every way and I need to keep remembering that. I need to put my personal hatred of him aside and remember that a few thousand people rely on me to survive now.

He doesn’t acknowledge my apology nor does he regard my presence any further. My eyes tracked all of his movements and I couldn’t help but wonder what his intentions for calling me over were. If we were to dine, was it in his chamber or the royal dining hall? A few more minutes passed, and I turned away as he took off his robe.

“Strip,” his disgruntled words seemed far off. I turned to face him, only to find his hands on the waistband of his breeches. I looked away with haste. “Take off your dress.” The command was clear this time and my heartbeat screeched to a sudden halt for a second.

“What?” I glanced back at him, befuddled by the command. “The queen said you wanted to dine and get to know me better.”

He scoffed, undoing the buttons on his breeches. “I never requested for your audience, and I already know everything I need to know about you. What’s more to know, or is there something more interesting about you that I don’t know yet?”

I snarled, unable to bite back my irritation. “You’re a fvcking bastard who...” I stopped talking, clamping my lips shut as he craned his neck to the side, his bottomless eyes boring into me, daring me to finish my sentence.

Closing my eyes, I sighed as I tried to calm down. “I’ll take my leave then if your majesty doesn’t require my presence,” I bowed curtly, ready to take my leave. I was willing to take my chances and walk out of here.

“I don’t remember permitting you to leave,” he said as I moved past him and my feet came to a skidding halt. “I remember giving you an order though, didn’t I?”

“You can’t be serious,” I hissed out.

“If the queen sent you here, there’s only one reason. I know what she’s up to, and I am not participating in her little games. However…” His lips coiled up in a manic smile as he moved, breaching the space between us. “My bed is empty, and my sack is full. So, since you’re here, you might as well make yourself useful.”

I slapped his hand away from my face as he attempted to caress my cheek. “I am not one of the whxres you bed,” I snarled, hating the restraint of the collar around my neck.

“No, you are not. You are my slave. My property and that means your body belongs to me. I can do whatever I wish with you, with your body and right now my cxck is hard and aching, and I need to empty my balls. So, why don't you be a good little slave, and take off that dress, bend over the sofa and spread your fvcking legs Imah,” he dragged out the endearment he once used for me with a growl that had my skin crawling and bile rushing up my throat.

“Do not fvcking call me that. You lost that right,” my voice trembled as I hissed, and my skin crawled with disgust.

“I don’t care. Spread your legs and show me your cvnt, slave princess.”