Prince Stevenson Jr. stood frozen, clutching the cloth to his chest, as the Duke stormed into his room without knocking.
"Good evening, my Lord Ralston," Prince Stevenson said, gritting his teeth. "It's not polite to barge into a room like that."
The Duke scanned him from head to toe, his gaze lingering on Prince Stevenson's partially naked body. A mixture of disgust and fascination flickered across his face.
"I hear you're here to see my maid?" the Duke asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Prince Stevenson's anger flared. "Zilayefa is not a maid, she's a free maiden from Ama! She's only here to search for her mother. I don't know why you're holding her captive."
The Duke sneered. "That's what she told you, that I'm holding her against her will? Zilayefa is my maid, not my slave. She works for me, and I pay her. As for her mother, I'm looking into the matter."
With a swift motion, the Duke dragged the cloth away from Prince Stevenson's chest, leaving him exposed. The prince gasped, startled.
The Duke's eyes seemed to gleam with a sinister intent as he pushed Prince Stevenson onto the bed.
"I have certain... appetites," the Duke whispered, his voice low and menacing. "And I won't hesitate to use them on you. Leave my mansion, leave the capital, and don't ever come back. Zilayefa is mine, and if you try to see her or her brothers again, I'll make sure your family loses what little power they have. My knights will... take care of you."
Prince Stevenson's face paled as he realized the true extent of the Duke's depravity. He knew he had to leave, not just for his own safety but also to protect his family.
With a heavy heart, Prince Stevenson nodded, knowing he would have to abandon Zilayefa for now.
The Duke's parting words echoed in his mind: "Get dressed and leave my mansion this instant. A horse will be waiting for you at the stables. Take it and leave."
As the Duke exited the room, Prince Stevenson felt a crushing sense of defeat. He could only hope that Zilayefa would come looking for him, and that he would see her again someday.
Prince Stevenson Jr. had left the castle, promising Zilayefa's brothers that he would return for them. But for now, Zilayefa and her brothers were trapped, with no escape in sight.
Late that night, Duke Larry returned to his chambers, where he found Zilayefa holding a knife. She was crying, and the knife was pointed at her stomach.
"I'll kill myself if you do anything to Prince Stevenson," she wept. "He's innocent."
The Duke looked at her like she was insane. "So you want to kill yourself for a man who can't even defend himself?" he sneered. "I thought you had self-value. I'm very disappointed in you, Zilayefa."
He moved towards her slowly, his eyes fixed on the knife. "You are Cruel Larry,and you are a beast, a evil beast" she spat on the ground.
The Duke was taken aback. No one had called him by his name without his title since he was a boy. Only his parents had called him Larry, and his father had died a year ago.
Zilayefa amused him every day, but this was different. She had called him Larry because of Prince Stevenson, a man from a tiny village.
"What did you call me?" the Duke asked, his voice low and menacing.
Zilayefa didn't answer. Instead, she threatened to kill herself if he came any closer.
The Duke sneered. "Go on, kill yourself. When you die, I'll send your brothers to the mines to work. I'll make sure they never see your mother or leave the mines for the rest of their lives."
With a swift motion, the Duke took the knife from Zilayefa and threw it away. He grabbed her and threw her onto the bed, pinning her beneath him.
She screamed, struggling against him, but he was too strong. "Of course, I'm a beast," he said, his eyes gleaming with desire. "And this beast is going to devour you."
He started kissing her, and at first, Zilayefa was startled. But as the kiss deepened, she began to struggle again. She bit his lip, and blood came out.
The Duke let go of her lips, looking at her with amusement. "You're feisty. I love it."
As he was about to kiss her again, Zilayefa spat on his face. The Duke laughed, wiping away the saliva.
"Struggle with me, make a sound, and I'll ask my knight to shoot down your prince with an arrow in the valley," he threatened. "No one will see his body, because the wild animals will feast on him. Be a good girl if you want to save your tiny prince's life."
He took her lips again, ravishing them. Zilayefa's lips were soft and succulent, and the Duke wanted to devour her. The more he kissed her, the more he wanted her.
But after a while, he realized that Zilayefa wasn't struggling anymore. She lay like a cold, lifeless body on the bed.
The Duke was angered by her actions. Did she love Prince Stevenson so much? He had been nice to her, taking care of her when she was sick and making sure her brothers were well-fed and clothed in his mansion.
But she still had feelings for another man, a man who couldn't even fight for her.
The Duke let go of Zilayefa and walked away from the bed. He looked out the window, his mind racing with thoughts.
"No one dares to call me by my name, and you are the first to do this," he said, his voice cold and detached. "You will be my concubine from henceforth."
He walked out of his chambers, leaving Zilayefa alone and confused. What did the Duke mean by his words? Was he going to marry her, or was she just going to be his mistress?
Zilayefa knew one thing for sure: she would never marry the Duke. She loved Prince Stevenson Jr., and she had already made up her mind to marry him.
But why was the Duke making life so hard for her? It wasn't as if he loved her...
Zilayefa's emotions are in turmoil, and she's determined to resist the Duke's advances. The Duke, on the other hand, is consumed by his desire for Zilayefa and his own ego.
The Duke's words echoed in Zilayefa's mind: "You will be my concubine from henceforth." She didn't understand what he meant, but she knew she would never submit to him willingly.
As she lay on the bed, she felt a mix of emotions: fear, anger, and sadness. She thought about Prince Stevenson Jr. and wondered if she would ever see him again.
The Duke's behavior was unpredictable, and Zilayefa knew she had to be careful. She couldn't let her guard down, not even for a moment.
As she drifted off to sleep, she made a silent vow to herself: she would escape the Duke's clutches, no matter what it took.
The next morning, Zilayefa woke up to find a servant waiting for her with a tray of food. The servant, an older woman with a kind face, smiled at Zilayefa.
"Good morning, miss," the servant said. "The Duke has instructed me to take care of you. You're to stay in your room today and rest."
Zilayefa's eyes narrowed. What was the Duke planning?
"Thank you," Zilayefa said, trying to sound polite. "But I'd like to go for a walk in the gardens. I need some fresh air."
The servant hesitated, clearly unsure of what to do.
"I'll make sure to ask the Duke," the servant said finally. "But in the meantime, please eat something. You must be hungry."
Zilayefa nodded, taking the tray from the servant. As she ate, she thought about her next move.