Having overcome the disturbing events triggered by the Regent and Kastor, Damen and Laurent are finally crowned in their realms.
But a new enemy seems to be stalking the two lovers. On Laurent's 22nd birthday, strange events occur.
Is the Regent rea...
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While they remained alone in the meeting room, Damen recounted to Laurent the details of the conversation he had earlier with the Emperor of Vask on the balcony of the Great Hall.
The Veretian maintained his scrutinizing gaze, occasionally raising an eyebrow or stroking his chin with a finger. At the end of the story, Laurent declared:
"So, is the leopard cub Afanas Sorem's assurance that Vishkar will not swing her sword against Vere?"
Damen, resting his interlocked fingers on the large wooden table in the room, replied:
"I think so. Otherwise, the Empress wouldn't be racking her brains right now to find a way to refuse what you asked her to do. She gave us Sorem of Ver-Tan as a gesture of retaliation against him. Perhaps she wanted to humiliate him in front of Vask..."
Laurent moved his blue-rimmed retinas and murmured thoughtfully:
"Did Vishkar grieve that her leopard was given to me, or that her plans were thwarted?"
A silence spread through the room, and after narrowing his eyes for a moment, Damen said:
"There's something else, Laurent. I don't mind that the Empress wants to plunge Akielos and Vere into war, but I don't want to harm Pari of Skarva. She was snatched from her clan, drugged and raped. I will not allow this woman to be humiliated among the people, even if she is an enemy..."
Laurent was silent, but the gears of his brain were working, noticeable only by a slightly more prominent vein on his forehead.
"This story doesn't make any sense..."
"Why not?" - Damen asked, a bit puzzled.
"The fourth spouse looks like the kind of person who would claw the eyes out of anyone who did this to her. She would go after one by one and take revenge on the men..."
"How do you know that?"
Damen's question sounded horrible to himself after he said it. Laurent just took a deep breath, but the Akielon said:
"...You don't know if she didn't punish those involved..."
Laurent lowered his gaze and said:
"No, I don't know. I just have a feeling that something is missing in this story. A feeling, I guess. Anyway, I plan to give her the choice..."
"The choice...? The choice of whether or not she wants to go to bed with us? Laurent, that's not going to happen..."
"No, listen, Damen! If all goes well, Vere and Akielos' relations with Vask won't be damaged... We won't have to sleep with her. After all, she doesn't want us..."
The Akielon's eyes moved curiously.
"What do you know? You mentioned that you also made discoveries at Torveld and Erasmus. I saw you talking to them both before dinner. Does that have anything to do with it?"
