Chapter 8
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“Do you acknowledge your defeat?” he asked, pressing the blunt edge of his sword against her throat. Natalia shuddered. She knew she could never win in a fight against him; she would die, but at the same time, she had hoped to wound him at the very least, but all she had managed was to break off one of his horns.
A petty victory was all her life was worth, but a soldier doesn’t regret the life he has chosen to live in the face of death.
“I repeat, do you acknowledge your defeat, Princess?”
She bit her lip, hard enough to draw blood, her breath hitching when he abruptly lifted the sword and traced its cold tip across her mouth. A soft gasp escaped her.
His gaze darkened, his brows knitting as though in contemplation.
“Your lip is already torn,” he murmured, almost to himself. What is that supposed to mean? Natalia wondered to herself if he was mocking her. She wasn’t too sure, but if she were going to die anyway, she would like to die with her honor.
I, Princess Griselda Ayala of the Green Shade Tribe, yield,” she declared, her voice steady despite the trembling in her limbs. She met his gaze without flinching, defiant even in defeat. After a long, stretched silence between them, she slowly closed her eyes.
“I ask only that you preserve my honor; please kill me quickly.”
He studied her for more than a moment longer before he pulled his sword away from her. “Wouldn’t it be a waste to kill you so easily?” He muttered lazily as he strolled off. Natalia’s eyes fluttered open as she watched him.
What does this mean? He wasn’t going to kill her anymore? Just as she was thinking about the possible reasons for his hesitation, she heard muffled groans belonging to people. she turned in the direction of the sound, and her breath seized.
Her eyes widened, and she felt her heart stop in her chest.
No… Not them.
“The princess is quite strong and witty,” The emperor announced, there was a sharp glint in his eyes, one that wasn’t there during the battle. “But she can never outsmart, from the very start, I knew she was nothing but an impostor.”
“Griselda…” Natalia muttered softly as she watched her sister and Josiah, bound in heavy ropes, being dragged to the clearing by the emperor’s men. “No, this can’t be happening!”
“Natalia!” She yelled, fighting the hands of the men who held her captive. Natalia’s eyes flickered towards Josiah, who was injured, but as soon as their eyes met, he looked away, guilt clouded his eyes.
“Let go of me!” Griselda tried to shake the man off.
“Let go of her! Get your filthy hands off my sister!” Natalia yelled in a panicked voice, her eyes were almost
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Chapter S
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bulging out of their sockets, and it was as though all her efforts were in vain; she had agreed to stay back and even risk her life by challenging this formidable emperor to battle, all because she wanted her sister to be safe.
“Your majesty!” Izaiah yelled as he tried to reach forward, but he was still restricted by the emperor’s men. “Please have mercy, I will make sure to take any punishment you are giving.”
“Silence!” the emperor thundered, and the whole area remained still. “The entire village has made a fool out of me, trying to hide the real princess Griselda away from me by bringing out a decoy.”
“That was not my father’s intention! Everything was entirely my plan, and out of love for his daughter, my father was forced to keep the cover of his daughter.” Natalia found the courage to continue speaking,
She met the emperor’s gaze, fire burning in her eyes. “You claimed you knew of my deception from the beginning. And yet, you struck a pact with me. That, Your Majesty, is a bond sealed by your will.”
His upper lip curved into a small smirk.
“I accept whatever punishment you see fit,” Natalia continued, her chin lifted with defiance. “But I beg you, spare my family. Spare my people. This was the agreement we had bound on the duel.”
“Natalia, you are going to get all of us killed!” Izaiah snapped desperately. “Stay out of this, I will handle it.”
“In fact, it’s the complete opposite, father,” Natalia muttered with the same wild fire in her eyes, the one the emperor was fascinated by. An emperor like him places great value on his honor and his word. And if I must gamble our lives on anything, it will be that.”
Impressed by both her knowledge and confidence, Azmaveth let go of the sword in his hands, it slipped and fell with a dull thud.
“What is your name, girl?” He asked curiously.
“I am the second daughter of the Chief, and the second Prince of the Green Shade Tribe. I am Natalia Zaniyah Ayala.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Out of your malice for my elder sister, you have ruined my marriage ceremony, and destroyed the rites of today.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, and then, noticing she was indeed in marriage attire, even though it was now unrecognizable and smeared with blood, according to the news he heard, humans usually choose the blood red color for their wedding dress. So this was the reason for all that music when they first arrived here.
“I would like to consider this as even.” She continued. “Please show my sister mercy and punish me instead.”
“What is he going to do?” Draven muttered under his breath, eyes fixed on the emperor. “I’ve never seen him hesitate like this. Not once.”
“Nor have I,” Erevan replied, arms crossed tightly over his chest. “If he intended to kill her, she’d already be dead. But to think a man like him might show mercy?” He scoffed softly, shaking his head. “Almost laughable.”
The emperor stood still, almost as stone, as he had entered into a deep thought, placing a finger underneath his jaw.
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Chapter 8
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“As you have said, we fought under the agreement that, should I emerge victorious, you alone would bear the burden of my wrath.”
Natalia’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes fluttered shut. Here it comes, her sentence.
“I will spare the lives of the villagers,” he continued, his voice resolute. “The chief and the first princess included. None shall be executed.”
“In return,” he added almost immediately, “they will be taken to my empire… as slaves.”
Gasps rang out.
“And as for the second princess of the Green Shade Tribe…” His gaze locked with Natalia’s, cold and unreadable. “She shall be taken to the capital with me, as my prisoner.”
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Chapter 9
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Chapter 9
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
