KDBookOnline
Share Us
“Lord Atros,” said the king. “As promised, you may choose a human concubine to see to your needs. If you do not desire one from this collection, you may wait until next month.”
“Thank you, King Lysanthier. You are most generous,” said Lord Atros. His voice seemed familiar in a way, but I didn’t dare look up to see if I recognized his face. The Lord made his way over to us. I was farthest from him, hoping one of the others would catch his eye before he got to me. His footsteps were slow as he examined the lot of us. He stopped occasionally, circling one of the girls before moving on.
I kept my eyes down on the floor, not daring to look at him or the other girls. A pair of black leather boots came into focus as the lord’s footsteps stopped in front of me. I furrowed my brow, trying not to shake. He circled me, stopping in the back. I could feel his fingers twirl the tip of my hair at the base of my back. He made his way to my front and then stopped again. His cold hand gently lifted my chin up into the light. I pinched my eyes shut in fear, then slowly opened them to see two familiar yellow eyes looking back at me.
Lord Atros was the same male that led the group of alfar into town to collect us. My eyes widened as I looked at him in shock. His lips curled into a faint smile as if he was amused by my discomfort. I looked behind him to see the princess’s curious gaze tracking his every move.
Lord Atros moved his hand slowly from my chin down my neck, stopping at the neckline of my dress. My breathing deepened as I tried not to focus on the cold contact. He saw my discomfort and removed his hand cautiously, not taking his eyes off me.
He leaned forward, bringing his lips closer to my ear. I was on high alert; afraid my true identity would be discovered. I braced myself.
“You don’t really know how to cook, sew, or tend to the fields, do you?” he whispered against my hair.
I licked my lips before responding. “No, your grace,” I said softly.
He chuckled. “You’re a horrible liar. If you’re going to stay alive here, you’ll have to get better at it.”
“Yes, your grace,” I said, dropping my eyes back to the floor.
He backed away from me, still taking me in with his eyes.
“This one,” he said, turning away from me to face the royals. The other five girls exhaled in relief. I looked at them and then back to the royals. No, no, no, I can’t be his mistress. I have to stay out of sight. I have to escape to get to Lilian. This can’t be happening. My chest began to raise and lower quickly as I held back my tears of panic.
“Interesting choice. She is… unusual, yet striking in her own way,” said the king, in a monotone voice. “She is now yours. Take her away.” He waved his hand.
Two guards came up next to me and took me by the arm to escort me out of the throne room.
They led me down the hall before stopping at another set of double doors and pushing them open. I walked through the threshold into what I assumed to be Lord Atros’s bedchamber. The room had a large wooden bed, a sitting area with two chairs, and a couch. A wooden table sat off in the corner, a large armoire by the bathroom, and a balcony overlooked the kingdom.
The doors shut, leaving me alone in my new owner’s personal chamber. I bit my bottom lip, trying to figure a way out of this. My hands fidgeted in front of me as tears uncontrollably began to fall. I collapsed on the floor, holding my face as the emotions of the past twenty-four hours came rushing out of me.
“Oh, come now, my cousin isn’t that bad,” came a male voice from the balcony.
I sprang to my feet, wiping away the loose tears from my cheek. A young alfar stood in front of me. He was tall and lean with white hair neatly parted down the center. He wore blue leather pants and a crisp white shirt. He had soft yellow eyes with thin lips and a strong nose.
“I’m—I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone else was in here,” I said hesitantly. I kept my eyes on the floor, remembering how the old woman told me to act. The stranger came up directly in front of me and began to laugh.
“You can look at me, don’t worry,” he said, tauntingly.
I slowly raised my head to meet his eyes.
He was smiling as he bowed in front of me. “My name is Levos Atros. I am the cousin of Lord Gaelin Atros. I’ve been asked to help you find your way around here for the first couple of days.”
Unsure of how to respond, I stayed silent. I could feel his eyes assessing me. He clicked his tongue.
“Do you have a name, or should I just call you pet?”
Rage slowly began to replace the fear inside of me at the title pet. “Genevieve Autumn,” I said coldly. I was no one's pet.
“Genevieve? That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful human,” he said, circling me slowly. “Hmm, you’re a bit thin. I can see all your bones, Genevieve.”
“Starvation will do that to you,” I snapped back. I shut my mouth quickly, widening my eyes in shock at how rude the comment came out.
He stopped in front of me and smirked. “A human with an attitude. I can work with that.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you or speak out of turn.”
“Enough with the formality. You can speak freely around me, just don’t let the others know I told you that. As long as you make my cousin happy, you’ll have a good life here, Genevieve.”