Palace Of Silvermere

ABEL EVERHART'S POV

The Princess takes hold of my chains again as she steps out of the carriage. I follow her out and towards the palace's front entrance. The gathered crowd whisper amongst themselves, but she strides forward as if oblivious of their presence.

Her guards escort us in, past the spacious drawing room and down a long hallway lined with intricately curved statues.

"Keep your slave eyes down," Princess Rowena commands.

I lower my gaze as she leads the way forward.

Two young servants wait ahead and bow their heads in front of the princess.

"Your highness, we are overjoyed by your return. Your father eagerly awaits your presence in the royal chamber," one informs.

"No feast has been prepared as we had not anticipated your early arrival. We shall prepare one with your father's orders," the other informs. 

The Princess nods and carries on pulling me towards the golden doors ahead. The two soldiers on guard quickly open the doors and stand aside as the princess strides in. I follow as she still holds my chains.

I allow myself to take a glance of King Reginald's throne room before lowering my gaze again. The floor is covered with plush carpets, the walls have gold and silver engravings and the aging alpha king sits on a majestic throne adorned with priceless pearls. 

Two young women in silk stands close to the throne. I am guessing they are Princess Rowena's infamous sisters. They are rumoured to be neither kind nor wise.

"Kneel," Princess Rowena orders and I fall to my knees. 

I had forgotten the conduct expected of a slave for a moment. I am surprised that the princess doesn't sound infuriated. 

"My dear," the alpha king speaks first, rising from his seat. "I sent you to accept the proposal of whichever of King Roderick's sons became the emperor. You would not be back so early if that happened," he adds in a curious tone.

"Good evening to you too, father," Princess Rowena responds with a frown.

"The crown of Elowen chose none of King Roderick's sons," she answers. 

Both her father and the sisters scoff in skepticism. 

"I told you, father. You should have arranged for me to marry the emperor instead," one of the sisters says.

I too think that Princess Rowena is fooling them. Why would the eye of Elowen's crown have awakened if there was no heir?

But the Princess's expression remains stoic and I realize that she may be telling the truth. 

"How is that possible?" King Reginald questions. "The crown cannot have rejected all it's possible heirs. You must be mistaken," he accuses. 

Princess Rowena calmly motions to one of her guards to step forward. The guard bows deeply before addressing the Alpha King.

"Your Majesty, I lay witness to Princess Rowena's claim. We watched the crown reject every one of King Roderick's sons," he affirms. 

Shock takes over the faces of King Reginald and his other daughters. Sounds like I would not have been executed after all. Unless the princes or their mothers wanted to unleash their anger on some human slaves. 

"That sounds fantastic. None of those pampered fools deserved the crown's powers or your hand in marriage," the alpha king says with a happy smile. 

Princess Rowena does respond as she turns to leave the room. She pulls on my chains, jerking me back up to my feet.

"Who's the slave?" her father suddenly inquires. 

"Just a thing I bought," Princess Rowena replies dismissively. 

"You bought a beautiful human slave from King Roderick's dungeons?" King Reginald questions. "You have disgraced your virtue, Rowena," he adds in vivid disappointment.

"My virtues are wisdom and bravery. And buying this particular slave took both of those," she states in a confident tone before pulling me out of the room.

Two young servants await the princess outside of the golden doors. "Your highness, we have a warm bath and fine wine prepared for you," they proudly inform. 

The Princess hands over the front end of my chains to one of her guards. "Make sure to clean and feed my slave. Also lock him up separate from the others," she orders before turning to walk away.

I am still curious why she bought me. Clearly I wasn't a gift for her father like she had claimed. She bought me after attending the grand ceremony where Elowen's crown rejected all of my father's favoured sons. 

"If I may ask, what was the purpose of buying me?" I boldly ask but immediately regret it as she turns with a vengeful glare. 

Her long fingers wrap around my neck and she starts to squeeze, cutting of my air. She got the extraordinary strength of a dozen men. No wonder she is a renowned warrior.

"I don't recall giving you the right to question me," she snarls. 

I try apologizing for the mistake but find it impossible to do without air. I am about to lose my consciousness when she finally lets go and I take the deepest breath.

"Take him away," she orders. 

* * * * * * 

PRINCESS ROWENA'S POV

At least he had the courage to ask why I bought him, most human slaves wouldn't dare. It gives me hope that there is more to him than just beauty and physical resilience.

I could not tell my father that the slave is the chosen emperor. Because nothing can confirm my assumptions, yet. But the only way I could be wrong is if King Roderick has yet another son, which I doubt is the case. 

My servants pour the strongest of our kingdom's wines into my golden chalice and bow in respect before existing my quarters. 

They have made the bed with pure golden coloured silk beddings just like I ordered. But forgot to take the dresses they made with lace out of my closet. 

I have barely taken a sip of the wine when one of my father's servants bursts into the room. 

"Your highness, King Roderick's messengers are here. Your father demands your presence," the servants reports in an anxious voice. 

Guess that's the confirmation I needed to be sure that Abel Everhart is the rightful heir to Elowen's crown. Why else would King Roderick's messengers be here so soon after I left his Kingdom?

The prideful king must have discovered his mistake a bit too late.

I leave the wine and make my way back to my father's throne room. King Roderick's beta and several other men stand in front of my father and his gathered council, desperately pleading that my newly bought slave be handed back to them.

"It was a huge mistake on my our slave keeper's part to sell the human slave. His majesty King Roderick requests his immediate return," the beta says in a confident tone. 

But his body visibly trembles upon noticing my presence. 

"Your highness, we have come with cordial intent," he bows his head in a fake show of humble respect. "We seek . . . to reclaim the human slave you brought here with you," he adds with shaky lips. 

"King Roderick sent you all the way here in the darkness of the night to recover an ordinary human slave?" my father questions.

The beta hesitates for a long moment.

But the man next to him falls to his knees and pleads.

"Your Majesty, the slave that Princess Rowena bought is King Roderick's human son. It was only after he was gone and Elowen's crown had rejected all our prestigious Princes that we discovered that Abel Everhart might be the crown's chosen heir," the man desperately reveals. 

"What?!" 

"That's . . . unbelievable!"

My father and his councilmen exclaim in astonishment. I smile because they have confirmed that I got the emperor, the key to the powers of Elowen's crown. I doubt even he would like to return to his father's kingdom where they torture slaves for entertainment. 

"I bought the slave with a thousand gold coins and got the key to his chains. He is my rightful property. I am not giving him back," I state. 

The beta and his men gape in shock. He too falls to his knees to plead. 

"His Majesty King Roderick offers to repay you ten times the amount you bought the slave if you sell him back to us," he informs. 

''I have no desire to sell my slave," I state. 

My father and his councilmen nod in agreement. Of course they realise the importance of having the heir of Elowen's crown as a favoured slave in our kingdom. 

"My daughter bought the slave lawfully. He is now her property, regardless of King Roderick's obvious regrets," my father proudly declares. "Please leave my palace," he orders. 

The beta and his men rise to their feet and grudgingly leave. 

"I was right to choose you as the heir to my throne. Your wisdom will undoubtedly strengthen this kingdom, Rowena," my father commends while his councilmen celebrates. 

He forgets that Abel Everhart is my slave, not his. 

"We shall have a feast to celebrate this great achievement!" he announces.