LOGINAfter dancing with all the candidates, I headed back to the throne when I heard someone addressing me. Turning around, I saw Ogis standing at the foot of the throne, looking at me with firm determination. A little farther off, I noticed Vasmiya’s anxious gaze.Okaaay. This promised to be interesting…“Your Highness! Permission to speak!” the guard enunciated every word.“Go on,” I said, sitting down on the throne, watching how resolute he was.“I beg your mercy. Release Vasmiya from the role of candidate. I love her and am ready to do anything for her!” The girl immediately went pale, staring at the blond.I see. This was shaping up to be a scene not meant for public ears, and I stopped the moment for the merrymaking crowd.“What did you say?!” I looked at him sternly. I’d heard the fiery speech perfectly well, but I wanted to be certain of the young man’s intentions.“I said that I love Vasmiya and ask you to free her from the fate of being a candidate for your wife!” the guard repea
Preparation for the evening of introductions…The girls are getting ready in advance—dressing in luxurious evening gowns by Mirtel, doing their hair, and adding all sorts of frills to appear slimmer, prettier, gentler, and more alluring.And me?I look at my pimpled, festering mug and realize nothing will help here. May the ladies forgive me, but some fainting spells are unavoidable. Then again, I’m used to it…Besides the participants themselves, representatives of the nobility have been invited to the event. Overfed snobs—the kind you’d have to look hard to find more of. But I need a crowd; otherwise, there would be nothing but awkward silence between me and the girls, who, I’d wager, will be in a state of sheer terror.To keep the girls from getting too bored—and to avoid the unwanted attentions of certain nobles who wouldn’t pass up a single skirt—familiar guards will also be present at the evening.In fact, the men who travel with me to the settlements aren’t just ordinary soldie
“Kays, we are so grateful to you,” Camelia began through tears. “The gods themselves sent you into our lives! You are a very good man. You give us hope and a chance at a new life.”“Well, for now it’s all still just words,” I even felt a little embarrassed. I’m rarely thanked for anything—especially personally. “But I’m sure it will work out. And one more thing. For now, you’ll be staying here, in this guest house. The king has also allocated funds for your upkeep. So we’ll go to the market, and you’ll buy the essentials you need.”“But you already gave us money back then,” Halida said in surprise.“That’s for you and the children—for the future. You should have your own capital. Karadeylis would be offended if you didn’t make use of his gifts,” I decided to press the compassionate women just a little.As promised, we met with the architect, who listened carefully to all our wishes. But to see the full picture and draw up a more precise plan, we first needed to choose a suitable locat
Saying it is one thing—doing it is quite another.I missed the prepedollie’s sharp tongue and our skirmishes. And more than anything, I wanted to see that look again—the one full of desire and passion that I had seen once.Shame on me. But after waiting until the palace fell asleep, I sneaked into Iza’s bedroom.The king himself, skulking like a schoolboy and a petty thief, shamefully slipping into the room of the girl who had captured his interest.The prepedollie was lying on her bed, dressed and atop the covers, curled up comfortably in a little ball. How tender and fragile she looked right now. And in contrast—there was me, a sight you couldn’t look at without tears.I couldn’t resist and brushed my hand over the silky skin of her face, tucking away a lilac strand. But more than anything, I wanted my lips—not my hands—to touch her.I froze for a couple of seconds when it seemed to me that the interloper called out for Kays. Shaking off the delusion at once, I used magic to change
When she sees me, I catch a grimace of pain and… some kind of sorrow on her face. The girl closes her eyes, and I notice a tear roll down her cheek.For some reason, the sight tears at my soul, and touching her delicate face, I breathe out in relief. She’s here. She’s all right.“Everything will be fine, prepedollie,” I whisper to the girl.“You… you’re alive…” Iza sobs, not believing her eyes, reaching out to check if I’m real.“Of course I’m alive. I’m not that easy to kill. But those bastards will die today.”“You’re real,” she whispers and throws her arms around me.Unable to resist, I hug the girl tightly by her slender waist, breathing in the scent of her hair and feeling the warmth of her body. But it isn’t enough, and my hands explore her delicate skin—earning a sweet moan that instantly echoes in my groin.“Kays… I want you,” her lips whisper so enticingly, and the passion-clouded look makes my breath hitch. “I can’t take it anymore. It’s impossible to endure. Do something. H
And Halida told us everything.She told how she had fallen into the hands of that scum while still very young, not even having reached adulthood. How he visited her constantly, caring neither about the consequences for her health nor about contraception. In drunken stupors, he often lost control of his tongue, boasting—and a great deal of unnecessary information found its way into the girl’s ears. And now, thanks to that information, we had a clear idea of what to do next.So we set out immediately, determined to find our contenders as quickly as possible.Of course, first we stormed the local guard outpost—but Sakal wasn’t there. His overly cocky loyal bulls were, though. The key word is were.I was terrified we wouldn’t make it in time. Terrified that this piece of livestock would once again decide to keep one of the girls for his own use. I could see the same fear—and the same thoughts—in Ogis’s eyes as well, as he mercilessly vented his rage on our enemies.On the way to Helroy’s







