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

Chapter 391: Aekeira's breath caught, and Emeriel tensed beside her, but neither spoke.

King Orestus's chest heaved. "But I cannot. You asked why I treat you as I do? Those letters are why. I may not care about many things these days, but I care about my son. Some might argue that I don't care about my people, but I do. And I know what will happen if I defy those letters."

He turned his full attention to Emeriel. "Anything else you wish to say, Princess Emeriel?"

Emeriel merely rose and walked away. GRAND LORD ZAIPER

"That will be all for today," Grand Lord Zaiper declared, rising from his throne.

The high lords scrambled to their feet, bowing deeply as he swept past. Razarr fell into step beside him. "Your Majesty seems to be in a great mood today."

"Oh, Razarr. Every new day comes with its own brand of happiness, is what it is."

As they walked through the corridors of Greyrock, slaves scurried out of his path, eyes cast down, avoiding even the air around him. They do not deserve to share the same space as him.

"Grand Lord Zaiper." A voice he knew all too well stopped him.

Turning with an exaggerated whirl of his robes, a full smile plastered on his face, he said, "If it isn't Lord Ottai. Tell me, how are you, my dear friend?" The fourth ruler's glare was coated with disgust.

"I know what this is about," Zaiper crossed his arms smugly. "Go on, ask me."

"I heard you ordered the execution of those men. Is that true?" Ottai asked, furious.

"Of course, it is. They stole grain. They deserved to die."

"We do not kill over the crime of stealing. What the hell is wrong with you?" Ottai hissed, stepping closer, his face inches from Zaiper's. "We have punishments, atonement. Death is not how we handle this!"

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"Perhaps, before," Zaiper conceded with a shrug. "But I'm thinking of changing things around here. It's come to my attention that we've been far too kind."

"You cannot execute four of our people because they were hungry enough to steal grain for their families!" Ottai's rage flared hotter. "One of them has a pregnant bondmate! She needed food!"

"All excuses, Ottai," Zaiper barely suppressed a yawn. "We must send a message that famine is no excuse for theft. Why face public humiliation in death when you could simply die from hunger?"

The fourth ruler gave him a look of pure hatred and revulsion. If they weren't in such a public space, Zaiper had no doubt that Ottai would have thrown a punch. All of this over four worthless nobodies?

Ottai is so boring.

"The grand king would never have allowed this!" He spat.

"The grand king hasn't been to court in over a year. The grand king can barely pull himself out of his own head long enough to recognize reality. He doesn't even know there's a critical famine in his kingdom." Zaiper hated referring to his kingdom as Daemonikai's, but he needed to make a point. "So do not stand there lecturing me on what 'the grand king' would or wouldn't allow. The male is half-dead. The living have to move on."

"You speak with such callousness, words unbefitting of a ruler. You have ruled beside Daemonikai for three thousand five hundred years. You should be better than this."

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