Chapter 2 A SLAVE FOR THE KING

Ashen's point of view

There's a specific kind of silence that only exists in a throne room, thick, forced, and full of fear.

"My King, he slaughtered two of my goats and claimed they crossed into his land," one farmer spat, jabbing a finger toward the man across the marble floor. "The fence hasn't moved in five years!"

I rested my chin on my fist, staring down from the obsidian dais, feigning patience. The two men bickered like pups over scraps while my generals plotted wars outside these walls.

Behind me, Dominica leaned in, her lips barely brushing my ear. "He's lying," she said, her voice like smoke. "The fence moved. He's trying to gain sympathy. Look at the twitch in his left eye."

I didn't need her sight to sense the deception, but I let her have her moment. My Seer enjoyed her riddles.

"Both of you," I said, voice low but carrying through the chamber, "cease your bickering and return home. My men will inspect the boundary lines by dawn. If either of you is found dishonest, your tongues will decorate my gates. Understood?"

Silence. Then slow, nervous nods.

I waved a hand. "Next."

Before the next petitioner could step forward, the court doors creaked open. A blast of cold air swept in, and with it came the heavy scent of sweat, leather, and unwashed desperation.

The slave caravan had arrived.

My court shifted. Some turned to look. Others sneered or averted their eyes. Even in a kingdom of beasts, the sight of bound, trembling humans drew pity from the soft-hearted. I was not among them.

"Your Majesty," the caravan master bowed, his cloak soaked from the snow, "our offering from the southern provinces. Trained servants. All docile. All... obedient."

My gaze flicked down the line of kneeling forms, dirt-streaked faces, lowered heads. They all looked the same.

Until one looked up.

It was brief. A mistake.

But it was enough.

Those eyes,gray like winter storms,met mine.

And something shifted.

I straightened in my throne, leaning forward before I realized I'd moved.

Dominica noticed. Of course she did.

"That one," I said, pointing to the boy who'd dared meet my gaze. "Name?"

"His name is Nicholas, sire. Eighteen. He's quiet. Compliant. Good with his hands, trained in laundry, cleaning, and-"

"Bring him forward."

The boy hesitated as they yanked him to his feet. He was thin, lean beneath his too-big tunic. His head was bowed again now, posture rigid, hands trembling. But that scent-

There was something off about it.

Not fear.

Not sweat.

Not male.

I frowned.

Dominica shifted beside me, suddenly tense. "Ashen," she whispered. "Don't."

"Why?"

"I saw something," she muttered. "A shadow around him. Around you. Danger."

"Everything around me is dangerous," I muttered.

Still, I couldn't shake it. That scent. That pull in my gut. My wolf stirred, sniffing the air, growling low in the back of my mind. Interested.

Hungry.

"This one," I said, standing. "Assign him to my personal wing."

The murmurs started instantly. Even the guards looked at each other.

Dominica stepped down with me, her eyes flashing. "You can't just-"

"I can," I said simply. "And I have."

The boy was brought to my quarters by dusk.

I stood at the far end of the corridor as he was escorted in. He walked slowly, every step cautious, like the floor might collapse beneath him. The servants' robes fit awkwardly across his narrow frame. His hair was cut unevenly, as if by a dull blade.

"Nicholas," I said.

He dropped to one knee. "Yes, my King."

No tremor in his voice. No stutter. But his hands were clenched behind his back.

"I don't like liars," I said, circling him. "And I don't tolerate spies."

"I'm neither, Your Majesty."

"You looked at me in court."

"I was... curious, sire. Forgive me."

His voice. Soft. Strange. Something too controlled.

Too careful.

"Curious?" I echoed, stepping closer.

He tilted his head downward, hiding his face, but I saw the way his jaw tightened.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

I moved behind him, leaned down slightly. "Your scent. It's... wrong."

He flinched.

Just barely.

But I saw it.

"You're not from the Southern provinces."

"No, sire."

"And you're hiding something."

"...yes, sire."

I blinked. Honest. Unexpected.

I walked in front of him again. "Then speak."

He lifted his head slowly. His eyes, those cursed eyes, met mine again. "I came here to serve, Your Majesty. That is all."

Another lie.

But I didn't call it out.

Instead, I turned and nodded toward the attendant behind him. "Show him to the red quarters. He'll work in my wing under direct command. No one else is to speak to him unless I say so."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As they led him away, Dominica stepped from the shadows behind a column, her arms crossed.

"You're playing with fire."

"I like the heat."

She frowned. "I don't like what I see around him."

"And what do you see?"

"Darkness. Betrayal. And something that doesn't belong in our world."

I stared down the corridor where he had disappeared.

"Or perhaps," I said softly, "something that finally does."

The fire crackled in my private chambers long after midnight, but I couldn't sleep.

That scent still clung to my thoughts, something floral, almost sweet. Not male. Not servant.

Not safe.

I poured myself another drink and stepped onto the balcony, watching the snow fall over the Northern city like ash. Below, the palace buzzed with low light and late duties.

And movement.

I caught it in the corner of my eye, just a flash of white fabric, slipping through the east corridor where the servants' halls connected to the storage passageways.

I shouldn't have cared.

But something told me it was him.

I moved silently, barefoot, cloak dragging behind me as I slipped through the shadows like a ghost. The halls were dim, lit only by wall torches. The scent was there again, stronger now.

Lavender.

And something else.

I turned a corner and stopped.

There he was.

"What are you doing out here, alone?" I asked and he stood up, straightening himself before speaking.

"I love the stars, I was just watching them. Reminds me of my family."

"Dead?" I asked and he nodded.

"Good night my king."