Chapter 31

My head throbbed as I woke up from the darkness that had just enveloped me. I tried to blink, but it felt as though my eyelids were so heavy. Little by little, my vision began to recover, and I realized that I was in a room that I didn’t recognize at all. A damp, musty odor filled the air, and the floor beneath me was cold. I knew instantly that this wasn’t a soldier’s tent.

“Oh my, where am I?” I muttered, trying to get up. My body still felt weak, probably a result of whatever Vincent had used to knock us out.

After managing to sit up, I scanned the surroundings. The dim light from the torch in the corner of the room showed that I was in a prison cell. The walls were made of thick stone, while sturdy iron bars confined me. There was no way out of this place. I was completely confined.

Slowly, my consciousness fully recovered, and I began to piece together pieces of information. I heard faint voices in the distance, and it was the voices of my soldiers. They were also locked up, but it seemed that we were separated in different cells. I could hear heavy steps and faint conversations from the other end of the corridor. At least I knew that they were still alive.

But, why were we in separate places? Did they deliberately lock us in different cells and keep me alone in this one?

I swallowed, feeling the annoyance start to build up inside my chest. As my mind cleared, I began to realize one very striking thing, Vincent and his comrades were not soldiers of Jordan. There was no way our loyal royal soldiers would betray in this way. Their loyalty to the royal family is very high, and what I saw in Vincent’s eyes before I fainted was nothing but betrayal.

“So they’re Fiodori,” I whispered to myself, trying to make sense of the situation. “Damn it, it turns out they really are traitors. I wouldn’t be wrong to call them traitors but rather they’re intruders disguised as people from the Kingdom of Bordan. They really are cunning.”

That was the only explanation that made sense. They must be people from the Fiodori Kingdom, disguised as Bordan soldiers to trap us. It’s a trap, and they’ve hit the jackpot they didn’t expect-I, Dean, the crown prince of the Bordan Kingdom. I growled, feeling myself feel resentment.

“Why wasn’t I sensitive from the start?” I clutched my head in my hands, regretting my reckless decision. All the signs of strangeness were there, but I was too focused on other things to notice. Now we were stuck here, in the place of enemies who clearly wanted to take advantage of my position as crown prince.

While muttering angrily, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of me. I looked up and saw Vincent standing in front of my cell, his face wearing a smile that made me even more disgusted. In his hand, he held a torch, and the light from the torch shone clearly on his face.

“What a beautiful face Your Majesty has,” Vincent said in a soft but annoying voice. “Rumors of your good looks and grace have spread everywhere. Many princes would like to have you, but King Domiano prefers to match you with creatures of even lesser kind.”

I gritted my teeth, holding back the emotions burning in my chest. I didn’t want to hear this nonsense. Before he could continue, Vincent suddenly bent his knees slightly, making a gesture like a salute that was clearly insincere. “Oh, before that, forgive me for forgetting to introduce myself. I am Vincent Meorland Fiodori, crown prince of the Fiodori Kingdom. As a fellow crown prince, it is a great pleasure for me to meet you.”

I clenched my fists and felt my lips curl in an angry expression. I didn’t like this joke game. Vincent knew very well that I wasn’t interested in his formal introduction. I had had enough of their deceit and lies.

Unable to contain myself any longer, I cut him off with a firm voice, “To hell with whatever it is, get us out of here! You and the Fiodori will pay the price for playing with the Bordan Kingdom’s anger!”

Vincent looked startled for a moment by my outburst, but then, instead of being frightened, he chuckled. The laughter echoed between the cold stone walls, making the atmosphere even more tense. “The anger of the Kingdom of Bordan?” he repeated in a mocking tone. “Even the hundreds of soldiers they sent were no longer left at that time. They’re all gone in our hands. What kind of fear will you give us, hm?”

His words made my blood run cold. So they slaughtered our troops? I looked at Vincent with hatred, but I knew that anger alone would not get me out of this situation. They had anticipated everything-they had probably set this trap long before we arrived.

But before I could respond, Vincent took a step forward. I backed away slightly, knowing that there was nowhere to run. He gave me a meaningful look, before slowly opening my cell door and stepping inside.

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to remain calm despite the strong urge to attack him immediately.

Vincent approached, and the distance between us narrowed. I could feel the tension in this moment and my heart was beating faster and faster. Vincent stood in front of me, so close that I could feel his breath on my face. Then, in a low, intent voice, he said, “Your Majesty, I would be generous to your safety and that of all your soldiers, if you would let me put the ‘Mark’ around your neck.”

I paused for a moment, processing his words. Mark? What kind of mark? Then suddenly, I realized what he meant.

“Yes,” Vincent continued, his tone triumphant. “We will be mates.”

I choked up. My body stiffened at those words. Mate? No way. That would never happen. I won’t let myself fall into a deeper trap.

“You’re crazy,” I said in a low, hateful voice. “I will never be your mate. I would never want to be the mate of someone as evil-hearted as you.”

Vincent just chuckled softly, as if he had guessed my answer. “That’s what you think now, but you will change your mind, Your Highness.” He raised his hand, touching a fingertip to my neck as if in warning. “This will all be over soon if you allow me to give you that mark.”

I backed away again, slapping his hand away. “To hell with your offer. Let us go now or you will pay a heavy price! I’m still kind enough to give you a chance to change your mind before you receive severe punishment for your actions.”

Vincent smiled slightly, then pulled away slightly. “We shall see, Your Majesty,” he said, before turning and leaving my cell, leaving me with anger and fear mixed together. “We will enjoy each other’s beauty after this, I will make sure you submit to me Your Majesty.”