That Prince Is A Girl: The Vicious King’s Slave Mate Novel

Chapter 148: Her cheeks burned, but the truth was unavoidable. She nodded, a single, jerky movement.

"And how was it?" the mistress pressed, her eyes glinting with an unreadable curiosity.

"Painful. He is not… gentle." Understatement of the century. The fact that Lord Vladya hadn't killed her yet was honestly surprising. "He despises me."

"I know he does. Vlad has his reasons for harboring a deep-seated hatred of humankind. That's why I find his desire for you… intriguing. You see, although Vlad may detest humans, he generally refrains from sexually engaging with them. Despite having countless human slaves over the centuries, he has never taken any of them to his bed." Lady Merilyn tilted her head, studying Aekeira like a specimen. That revelation was unexpected. Confusing. At least now Aekeira understood why Vladya had accused her of witchcraft.

"So, you can understand my fascination," Merilyn's words hovered in the air like smoke. "How does a small human female like you manage to elicit such a loss of control in the mighty Vladya? If you were a syren, I would assume you were his Soulbond." She stepped closer, her presence stifling. Her nostrils flared as she bent towards Aekeira's neck, a predator scenting its prey. "Not a syren, just a human. So what exactly is happening here?"

"I honestly have no idea, Mistress," Aekeira replied sincerely.

Silence stretched between them, the river's murmur suddenly too loud.

"Do you know why he hates your kind so ardently?" Lady Merilyn's question was softer, almost hesitant.

That was an easy one to answer. "It is because of the tragic fate that befell the grand king and his family. And his own people."

"Oh, if only it were that simple." A sigh escaped the mistress, and for a moment, the weight of power seemed to slip from her shoulders. "You see, Vlad has always had bad luck when it comes to forming bonds. Among all the rulers, he desired a family the most. He desperately longed for a bondmate. And out of all of them, fate was most unkind to him." She sighed.

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"First, he searched for his Soulbond. Even when everyone laughed at him and dismissed it as a pipedream, as Soulbonds were rare or even extinct, he didn't give up. Vlad traveled through kingdoms, crossed lands and oceans, searching for her. From the Urekai land to other species across the world." A faint smile graced Merilyn's face. "He used to be quite the hopeless romantic, always spinning tales of love."

Aekeira would bet gold coins that her mouth hung open. Dumbfounded.

The image of Lord Vladya painted by Merilyn seemed entirely incongruous. She simply couldn't envision Lord Vladya in that light.

"Unbelievable, I know. But true." Merilyn's eyes glittered with an unnerving intensity. "However, when he eventually gave up on his quest, admitting defeat, he mourned a Soulbond he never had. Centuries later, he experienced his first love. He was deeply in love with her, but after undergoing the bonding ritual, the bond failed to form within the customary seven days. Do you understand what it means for an Urekai bonding ritual to fail?"

Aekeira got the idea but shook her head nonetheless.

"Very cruel. It is nature's, the moon's, Ukrae's, and fate's way of declaring, 'Your souls do not align, and thus, you two cannot be together.'" Merilyn had a sorrowful expression on her face. "It is an exceedingly cruel fate. We are not granted our Soulbond, yet we cannot be with the ones we love because our souls do not connect. And once a bonding ritual fails, it is impossible to become bondmates. Consequently, one must let go of the person they love."

"Truly heartbreaking," Aekeira murmured, the words barely a whisper.

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