Chapter 10
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The scent of herbs and a certain yet strange fragrance wafted into Natalia’s nose, as she stirred slightly in her uncomfortable slumber. She could hear the small whispering of people in the room and small movements. She felt threatened immediately, but her body paid no heed to her command.
For some reason, she was unable to control her hands to move or even her legs to get up, and her eyes remained shut.
She remained in that still position even though she was awake, one of the reasons being she was tired and in pain, the other reason being she was trying her best to remember what had happened and why she was in this situation.
Yes… She remembered now.
Her small village was invaded by the war demon, the emperor of dragons, and she had dueled with the ogre of a man, and lost. Instead of killing her like they had agreed on, he decided to spare her and make her his prisoner.
It was very possible, she was now in his kingdom… But if that was the case, then what happened to her father…. Griselda! And the rest of her people? She remained motionless, as she didn’t know who was in the room with her, and the level of danger they posed.
“She is so small…” Someone whispered that voice, it resembled the voice of a woman. Natalia listened carefully, paying attention as that was the only thing she could do. Ignoring the excruciating pain racked through her body, the pain seemed to have awakened along with her consciousness.
“Yes, she is small. I heard humans are this small.” There was another voice, different from the first one, and then Natalia confirmed there were a total of two people in the room. They should be easy to take on in the case she was in danger. “Is this your first time seeing a human?”
“Yes, I am amazed,” The one speaking laughed shortly. “She is so small compared to the emperor as well.”
If she had gotten total control of her body by then.
“Do you think she would be the first toy of Emperor Azmaveth?” They muttered to themselves, and then she felt her heart stop in her chest.
“Be quiet!” A much sharper feminine voice snapped. “How dare you discuss the private matters of the emperor so casually? If he wants to keep her as a toy, then so be it. It is nothing lowly maids should be curious about.”
“Pardon us, ma’am.” They chorused. “We were just curious about the human.”
“His Majesty’s orders were to clean the girl up, and since you are done, you should be on your way now.” The sharper voice snapped again, and then she heard footsteps receding as people seemed to leave the room.
“Lady…” The other voice seemed to be talking to her, and Natalia squeezed her eyes even tighter. “I know you are awake, it’s time you stop pretending.”
Natalia felt her heart skip a beat as she wondered how the woman knew that she was awake. She stirred
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Chapter 10
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slightly and opened one of her eyes. Her vision was blurry at first, and then she blinked her sight to focus on the tall woman before her.
Natalia gasped loudly. The woman was about six feet tall, and she had broader shoulders and a menacing build.
Her red hair tousled carelessly along her shoulders, framing her squared face, and she had golden eyes like molten gold, which were narrowed in dissatisfaction. Just by looking at her, Natalia felt a chill crawl through her bones. She had never seen anything like her before.
She looked like a person from a fairytale; she was beautiful and different, but she also smelled like danger. Natalia’s eyes narrowed.
“I have a very good perception, lady.” She continued, her voice calm and sharp. “I could sense your consciousness from behind the door.” The woman said again.
“Who are you? And where am I?” Natalia asked curiously, as she glared at the strange woman in front of her.
The woman’s gaze softened just slightly. “You are in the Phoenix Nest of the Pyreborn Palace, the queen’s chambers.” She paused, studying Natalia closely. Natalia felt a small gasp escape her. If she was going to be his prisoner, why had he brought her into the chamber meant for the queen? “As for who I am, the people here know me as Kalida. I am the Lady of the Ember Court. I oversee the women of the court… and those within the emperor’s harem.”
“Emperor’s harem?” Natalia wondered in confusion.
“This is the first time the emperor is bringing a woman to the harem, but he is insisting she stays in the chambers of the queen.” Her expression suddenly darkened, she gritted her teeth like she was annoyed by the thought. “A mere lowly human such as yourself.”
“What is wrong with me?” Natalia asked, returning the same energy, “You act as if you are not human yourself.”
“Human?” Kalida scoffed, crossing her arms. “I would rather die than be anything as despicable as that.” Her golden eyes glinted with disdain as she looked down at Natalia. “I am a member of the Red Dragon Tribe. We may not be fully manifested dragons, but we are far superior to you. And that’s something you should respect.”
So, the dragons have different tribes as well, just like humans.
“In everything you have mentioned, you have failed to tell me what gives you the right to speak to me like this?” Natalia stirred without caution, and she saw the look in Lady Kalida falter slightly.
She was trying to test her waters, the dragon emperor despite calling her a prisoner, has refused to throw her into the dungeon, and instead kept her in the chambers meant for the queen of the empire.
“Does the emperor know about this?” she asked, voice smooth but probing. “Lady of the Ember Court, I am not some random woman. I am Natalia Ayala, a princess. You should be staring down at your feet when you address me.” Her tone turned colder. “Do you have so little respect for your emperor?”
Kalida’s expression tightened, her gaze cold and unyielding. “You don’t know the rules here. Once everything is set in place, I’ll make sure you understand your place.”
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Chapter 10
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She sneered again.
“And what exactly is my place?” Natalia pushed further. “I don’t wish to speak to you; tell the emperor I wish to see him.”
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Chapter 11
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.
