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Chapter 136 - Masquerade
The journey to Orttenburg was as uneventful as Theo wanted, but it was anything but peaceful. I spent most of my time in my room. Every now and then, I had to face Seth outside, and I could feel an intense longing for him. I knew it was because of the mate bond, and I needed to get used to it since this sense of lust would bombard me once we were in his kingdom.
The instant we arrived at Orttenburg, they sent us an invitation to a masquerade ball. So, after organizing our things—Inanna, Ninus, Gezer, Ruth, and I—start preparing for the ball.
During the night, we arrive at the grand ballroom. We are all wearing the finest garments, courtesy of Seth. I am dressed in a deep blue, floor-length gown embroidered with silver flowers. I am even given a delicate silver mask to wear for the ball.
Ninus, Gezer, Inanna, and Ruth are wearing masks like me. They are all beautiful in the vibrant colors of their gowns, all chosen by Seth.
Walking through the ballroom
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Seth and I stand together in a dimly lit cell, the only sound is the echoing of our breaths. A single lamp lights the room in a dreary glow. There are papers on the table on the right and vials of liquid on the left side. I massage my head as I watch Seth in the middle of the room. His fruity scent is assaulting my nose. I’ve become used to it by now. It’s been a few weeks of trying to thwart what the mate bond wants us to do every time we are alone. “Hmmm,” he mutters, his face bright with an eerie gleam of excitement. “Ain’t this the most interesting result we had ever since we started?” “You mean that this is the only result we had that can possibly justify what we are doing to these people?” Seth looks at me and smiles. “Even now, you are still hesitant.” I look away. I still can’t fully accept that we are using humans as experimental subjects to regain some of my memories, even if they are hardened criminals who’ve done unimaginable crimes. Seth sits beside me and holds my e
The Shrewd King Chapter 138 - Elementary
My fingers trace the words that the Orttenburg scribes have written down on paper. I flip through the pages and review to check if everything is correct. “How was it?” Seth asks as he hovers behind me, his fruity smell a constant torture. “All good?” “Yes, all seems to be the same as I recalled.” “So, our theory is correct then? The deeper you get into the people's minds, the more memories you recall?” he asks. I nod. We have been doing the same process for months. Studying the prisoners’ minds, raising our skills, and encountering that same black entity that feels like General Brandon—not as acute as his, though. “So, how far back are we in your memories?” I lift my eyes to him. He smiles, a look of delight on his face. He seems to enjoy it every time I lay my eyes on him, a result of the mate bond that I share with him. “Only a couple of centuries,” I say. “And you? How’s your control?” “I’ve become more efficient with it.” Seth and I have been skilled with controlling mind
The Shrewd King Chapter 139 - Worries
“What the hell is going on here?!” Theo booms, his eyes blazing with fury. I freeze as I see him, my heart pounding in my chest. “King Theo! I told you that this is King Seth’s private area! You are—“ “Your King has done the same thing in my land!” he growls at Darius, who is much taller and bigger than him. Seth stands up calmly and meets Theo’s gaze. “There’s nothing going on here, King Theo. We were just talking.” Theo steps closer and takes in my state, his eyes flickering between Seth and me. “Talking? With your hands all over her? I’m not stupid, Seth. I know that you wanted her even before you have the mate bond with her!” Seth’s jaw tightens as Theo approaches him. Standing tall and unflinching, he says. “I’m not trying to do anything, Theo. Kaiya and I were just having a moment.” “A moment? Is that what you call it?” Theo sneers, grabbing Seth by the collar of his clothes. I stand up, panic rising in my chest. “Theo, stop! We were just talking, I swear!” But Theo doe
The Shrewd King Chapter 140 - Together
“Come on, Theo.” I take his hand and we walk to my room. I open the door slowly, revealing my small but cozy room. Light from the moon spills through the window, bathing everything in a soft blue hue. “Welcome to my room,” I say warmly. He looks around carefully with curious eyes, and I can’t help but laugh at his reaction. “Do you like it?” He draws me close before answering. “It’s lovely.” His arms wrap around me tight and he nuzzles his head against mine before kissing me tenderly on the lips. “I really missed you.” I push back and grin at him. “Well, I missed you more.” I take a step back from him and remove my clothes. He watches me as I peel every piece of clothing in my body. He looks at me with such devotion that it makes me blush. “I think it’s about time you bare yourself to me too.” “Nope, I enjoy seeing you like this.” “Like what? Naked and embarrassed?” “No. Looking at me with desire in your eyes.” Theo takes a step closer and runs his hand down my naked back, se
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I watch as Theo’s ship slowly reaches the horizon. I can still feel the warmth of his embrace, and his words still echo in my heart. ‘No one can take your place, Kaiya.’ I let out a rush of air as I hold back my tears. He’s only been away for a while and I am missing him already. And so I watch as the ship eventually disappears from my sight. At the same time, Inanna reaches for my hand. “I heard that you will be doing a ritual today. Just inform me if you need help,” she says and leaves me and Seth alone on the balcony. I turn to the ocean and take a deep breath. Despite the distance, I can still feel him inside my heart. “Kaiya,” Seth calls from behind me. I turn to him and smile. “Are you ready for the ritual?” “Yes,” I nod. “Let’s start.” We both take out our supplies and prepare for the ritual. We walk to the King’s private garden—a quiet clearing where no one can disturb us. We start by setting up candles, incense, and some crystals that Inanna provided earlier. When all
The Shrewd King Chapter 142 - On the Horizon
Suddenly, I am whisked away from my own mind. I open my eyes to see both Inanna and Seth looking down at me. “Kaiya, what’s wrong? What did you see?” Seth asks. “I come here because I sensed some distortions in the air,” Inanna informs. “What happened?” I swallow hard, my head reeling from all the information. It is my fault in the first place! “There’s no dark entity inside me, but I’ve found out something else instead.” “What is it?” Seth asks. He is looking worried as seconds pass. I grin at him. “I am an apostle, rather than a Vessel—if it makes any sense.” Then, I glance at Inanna and ask, “Did you know?” “Just a hint,” she says. “The Blood God told me that you are technically different from us. Gezer, Ninus, and I are Vessels. You are a little bit different, though.” “Then why did you say that I am...” “Because I don’t know what to call you.” “How is an apostle different from vessels?” “I am guessing that it’s in the amount of blessing you received. Once, the Blood Go
The Shrewd King Chapter 143 - Brewing
After sighing, Seth says, “Fine! But only with Theo, at least him–I trust will not hurt you.” I frown. “If you know that then—” “He will not hurt you, but he might take you away!” “Oh,” I mutter because Theo might really do it. I take a deep breath and the room spins for a moment. Seth helps me back to the bed and sits with me while the room steadies. “You should rest more,” he says, but I shake my head. “I can’t waste any time,” I whisper, trying to suppress the tremble in my voice. “Invite Theo. I will meet him in one of the sitting rooms.” “There’s no need for you to move. I will lead him here.” As Seth leaves the room, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I analyze the current situation. Theo will always help me. The only problem is, I need him to understand the situation. All we need is to trap General Brandon, take out the Moon Goddess, purify her, and that’s it. I can talk with the Moon Goddess and plead with her about my case. All I need is to be strong enough to wr
The Shrewd King Chapter 144 - Scuffle
As we leave my chamber, I can hear the sounds of battle growing louder outside. I can sense humans against humans. But there are also vampires and werewolves fighting against humans. There is the sound of swords clashing against swords or armor. Worse, I see the destruction that the fighting is doing to Orttenburg. Even in the early moments of the war, there are already casualties that can be seen around. I clench my jaws. We must end this war soon. All I need is to get General Brandon and purify the Moon Goddess. After that, we can persuade these kingdoms that there’s no need for war. As we hurry through the chaos, I feel a pang of guilt. I can’t help but feel responsible for the destruction and loss of life in Orttenburg. It was my selfishness that led to this war. I have to make this right. Finally, we reach the hall where Inanna and Ruth are waiting for us. Inanna looks at us with a stern expression. “Good, you’re here. Time is of the essence.” I nod as Gezer puts me down. Ina
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