Chapter 4 The Escape

It had been a week since her last encounter with the prince.

She hadn't seen him since.

Reina told herself she didn't care. That it was better this way. But deep down, she felt embarrassed. Sad. Even... heartbroken.

He doesn't want me, she thought bitterly. I'm nothing to him.

She knew she had to escape the palace soon. Before these feelings got any worse.

As she walked into the kitchen one morning, she noticed something.

The back door was open.

Cold air flowed in from the desert beyond, carrying with it the scent of sand and freedom.

It was enough.

Reina didn't think. She just ran-as fast as her feet could carry her-out the door and into the vast, desert-like valley that stretched endlessly before her.

"Your-Your Majesty, one of the slaves escaped! Through the kitchen door!"

The old woman was trembling so badly she could barely speak.

"I-I promise, Your Highness, it wasn't my fault-"

Daresh sat at the table, eating his lunch without looking up. He was about to pardon the old woman-she was clearly terrified enough-when a thought struck him.

Which maid would be brave enough to run away?

"What slave?" he asked, his voice cold.

"One of the humans. A girl. The one who serves Your Majesty tea."

Daresh's hand tightened around his fork, the metal bending slightly under the pressure.

Reina.

A strange, unfamiliar feeling gripped his chest. Fear. And worry.

"We have to find her," he said, standing abruptly.

Clifford, who'd been standing nearby, observed the prince carefully. This human slave seemed to arouse emotions in him that Clifford had never seen before.

"We can't go after her, Your Majesty," Clifford said cautiously. "She'll be dead by now. It would be a waste of time."

Daresh's blood boiled.

Without another word, he stormed out.

The demon realm was crawling with lower-class demons-monsters that ate humans, tortured them, did unspeakable things to them for sport.

The thought of what might happen to Reina made Daresh's heart ache in a way he didn't understand.

I have to find her.

Luckily, her footsteps were easy to trace in the sand.

Reina had been running for hours.

It was getting dark now, and the desert seemed to come alive with eerie noises-howls, screeches, things she couldn't identify.

She thought about turning back, but she'd gotten lost. She had no idea which direction the palace even was anymore.

Then, a figure emerged from the ground ahead of her.

At first, it looked almost human.

But as it got closer, she saw that it wasn't.

It was unnatural-a grotesque being with thick blue skin, its body covered in rusted chains. It had sharp teeth, long claws, bulging eyes, and a bald, misshapen head.

More of them began to rise from the sand, surrounding her.

Reina screamed.

"Well, well, well," the leader said, licking his black, ugly lips with a long, forked tongue. "What do we have here? A human."

One of them grabbed her, pinning her to the ground. She cried, kicked, begged-but they paid no heed.

They were determined to harm her.

The leader leaned forward, his breath hot and rancid-

And then he froze.

All of them did.

They dropped to their knees, heads bowed.

Reina felt it before she saw it-an overwhelming aura, powerful and commanding, pressing down on the air itself.

She pulled herself up and looked.

Daresh.

He stood there, silver hair gleaming in the fading light, blue eyes burning like twin flames. He looked beautiful. Deadly.

And every single monster bowed before him.

"Your Majesty," the leader stammered, his voice shaking. "Forgive us. We didn't know she was yours."

Daresh's expression didn't change. "Who said she was mine?" he said coldly. "She was trying to run away from me."

The demon looked up, confused. "Is... is she yours, Your Majesty?"

Daresh's eyes shifted to Reina.

There was something in his gaze-pity, maybe. Or something deeper.

"Only if she says she is," he said.

The silence stretched.

Reina's heart pounded. She understood what he was asking. What he was offering.

Her survival depended on her answer.

"I am his," she said, her voice trembling but clear.

I just gave a demon prince possession of myself.

Daresh smiled-wildly, almost ferally.

In a blink, his sword was drawn.

And in another blink, all the demons were dead.

They didn't even fight back. They just knelt there and let him kill them, one by one, their bodies turning to ash.

Before Reina could process what had just happened, Daresh scooped her up effortlessly and placed her on his horse.

They rode back to the palace in silence.

He took her straight to his room.

"Have a shower," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

UA maid appeared moments later with clean clothes-silk clothes, soft and luxurious. It was the first time Reina had worn anything like this since she'd been captured.

She washed her hair, letting it fall in waves behind her. She looked at herself in the mirror.

She looked like a princess again.

And for the first time in weeks, she felt like one too.

When Daresh walked in and saw her, he stopped.

He was spellbound.

"You'll stay here for now, Princess," he said softly.

The word hit her like a blow. Princess. He'd called her a princess-not because he knew she was one, but because he wanted her to be his princess.

"Why?" she asked.

His blue eyes locked onto hers.

"Because you said you were mine," he said simply. "So I'll treat you like mine."

He turned to leave, then paused at the door.

"Get some rest, Princess. I'll be back soon."

And then he was gone.

Daresh couldn't help but stare at the girl sleeping in his bed.

His bed.

She looked so peaceful lying there, her brown hair spread across the pillow like silk, her breathing slow and even. She was beautiful. More than that-she was his.

His mate.

He knew it. Had known it from the moment she'd looked him in the eyes in that courtyard. He was just too afraid to say it out loud.

He'd fought for this human girl. Killed for her. And he wasn't turning back now.

He could read her thoughts-heard them even now, soft and hazy in her sleep. She liked him. Maybe even more than she wanted to admit to herself.

But it didn't change the fact that this was wrong.

He still had to find a mate. A proper mate. And his mate certainly couldn't be human. It was against the law. Against the natural order of things.

Demons didn't mate with humans.

And yet...

He couldn't help himself.

He wanted to touch her. Hold her. Pull her into his arms and never let go.

But that might scare her.

So instead, he sat down in the chair beside the bed and just... watched her sleep.

His gaze was so intense that it must have disturbed her dreams.

She shifted in her sleep, her brow furrowing slightly. Her breathing quickened.

And then her eyes sprang open-suddenly, sharply, as if she'd been jolted awake by a nightmare.

The first thing she saw was him.

Those silver hair. Those burning blue eyes. Staring at her.

Reina's cheeks flushed a deep pink, embarrassment flooding her features. She turned slightly on the bed, pulling the blanket up higher.

"Good morning, Your Highness," she said, her voice still thick with sleep.

Daresh's jaw tightened. "I thought I told you to call me Daresh."

"Okay, Your Highness," she said with a small, defiant smirk.

He couldn't help the way his lips twitched.

She was stubborn. And she knew exactly how to annoy him.

He liked it far too much.

A knock came at the door.

Daresh stood and opened it. A maid stood there, her head bowed, holding a beautiful silk gown draped over her arms.

"For the girl, Your Majesty," the maid said quietly.

Daresh took the gown and closed the door. He turned to Reina.

"Get dressed," he said, handing her the gown. "We'll have breakfast together."

Before she could respond, he walked out of the room, giving her privacy.

Reina stood there for a moment, holding the gown. It was beautiful-deep emerald green silk that shimmered in the light, embroidered with gold thread. The kind of dress a princess would wear.

The kind of dress she used to wear.

She changed quickly, her fingers trembling slightly as she fastened the buttons. The fabric felt like water against her skin, soft and cool. She found a brush on the vanity and worked through her hair until it fell in smooth waves down her back.

There was perfume too-something floral and light. She applied a small amount.

When she looked in the mirror, she barely recognized herself.

She looked like a princess again.

Taking a deep breath, she walked out of the bedroom and into the main chamber.

The dining area was set up near the window-lavish didn't even begin to describe it. The table was carved from dark wood, set with gold plates and crystal glasses. It was bigger than the entire dining room in her father's palace. Three times the size, at least.

And sitting at the head of the table was Daresh.

He looked up as she entered.

And froze.

His blue eyes swept over her, from her face down to the emerald gown and back up again. His gaze was so intense it made her stop in her tracks.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"No," he said, his voice low and soft. "You just look..." He paused. "Beautiful."

Her cheeks flushed pink.

"Sit," he said, gesturing to the chair beside him. "Please."

She sat, trying to steady her racing heart.

The table was laden with food-more food than she'd seen in weeks. Fresh bread, roasted meats, fruits, cheeses. Delicacies she'd forgotten existed.

They began to eat in silence.

It had been so long since she'd tasted anything like this. In the servant quarters, they got scraps-stale bread, thin soup. This was a feast.

After a few minutes, Daresh spoke, his voice breaking through the quiet.

"Did you sleep well?"

She looked up, surprised by the question. "Yes. Thank you. For saving me."

He set down his fork, watching her carefully. "You keep running away from me."

There was no accusation in his tone. Just... curiosity. Maybe amusement.

"Why?" he asked, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.

Reina's eyebrows drew together, a flash of defiance in her eyes.

"Wouldn't you?" she shot back. "If you were captured and enslaved? Wouldn't you try to escape?"

For a moment, he said nothing. Then his expression softened.

"I would," he admitted quietly. "I did, once. When I was young."

She blinked, surprised. "You tried to escape?"

"Not escape," he corrected. "I just... tried to find somewhere I belonged."

The words hung in the air between them.

Reina didn't know what to say to that.

Daresh picked up his glass, taking a slow sip before speaking again.

"Your family," he said carefully. "In your kingdom. Were they kind to you?"

Reina's hand stilled on her fork. She hadn't expected such a personal question.

She looked down at her plate.

"No," she said finally, her voice flat.

Daresh waited, giving her space to continue if she wanted.

She took a breath.

"My father saw me as property," she said bitterly. "Something to trade. He didn't care about me. He just wanted to be richer, more powerful. So he decided to sell me off to an old man-some king who wanted a young wife."

Her jaw clenched at the memory.

"He didn't care that I hated the idea. Didn't care that I begged him not to. All he cared about was the alliance. The gold