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

Chapter 344: Absolutely filthy. But that was okay. Aekeira liked being filthy for him.

As she fell asleep, her love shone radiantly in her heart.

I love you, Lord Vladya.

*I might never be brave enough to say it aloud, but just as the ocean never dries up, what I feel for you will probably exist… forever. EMERIEL

Emeriel woke slowly, disoriented. Her head throbbed with a dull ache, and her mouth felt dry. The ache pulsed through her skull, and her tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of her parched mouth.

She groaned softly, only to flinch at the sharp discomfort that shot through her shoulders and back. Something rigid pressed against her spine- a pole. A hard pole, rough against her bare skin.

She was standing naked, her chest bindings gone, her wrists stretched above her head, the coarse bite of rope cutting into her flesh. As she shifted, her ankles screamed with a similar pain, bound tightly to keep her rooted in place- tethered in a way that left her in an awkward, painful stance.

Panic rose within her. Where am I? What's happening?

Her eyes darted around. A cave. It was dark. Only the faint glow of torches flickered shadows across the jagged walls, barely enough to see.

"Look who finally decided to join us," a voice sneered behind her.

She twisted her head toward the sound, but her neck protested. In the end, she gave up. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" she rasped, her voice hoarse.

A figure stepped in front of her, their face obscured by the hood of a cloak. The person held a flaming torch aloft. "She's awake!"

Emeriel struggled to quell the rising panic, but her body refused to obey. She fought against her bonds, the rough rope burning her skin. A brittle, crackling sound reached her ears, drawing her gaze downward.

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Firewood. Large bundles of it were heaped around her feet, encircling her legs like a prison.

The torches… they aren't for light. They're going to burn me alive.

Terror seized her. "Please, let me go!" she begged, her voice rising in pitch. "You have the wrong person. Let me go! I didn't do anything!"

"Oh, but I don't think we do." Another masked figure entered the cave, his voice colder than the first.

The scuff of boots against stone echoed as another figure stepped forward, followed by several more. Their bulky silhouettes and deep voices left no doubt- they were men. Urekai men. Five, so far.

"I swear, I've done nothing wrong!" Emeriel's mind raced. Who are they?

Could this be the work of Mistress Sinai? She had always threatened to kill Emeriel. Could she be behind this?

"Your existence alone is a problem," one man sneered. "A nuisance. Just the thought of you being our grand queen disgusts me. Your kind is a disease that should be eradicated. We don't need someone like you."

Emeriel's heart slammed against her ribs as his words sank in. They know.

They knew her secret.

They knew everything.

Her breath hitched, and panic clawed at her like a vise. She yanked at the ropes like a wild animal desperate to escape its cage, ignoring the searing pain as they bit deeper into her wrists.

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