Chapter 4 Your Majesty!

• | • Penelope's POV
• I was scared.
• I know I chose this path, even walked into his luxurious car with him—one I didn't even know where it came from—but as we drove out of Ernaut's estate.
• One thing was clear.
• I had submitted my fate into the hands of my enemy.
• With none of my belongings.
• Something no one in all of Lycos, across the five regions, would dare to do.
• Much less to the king of Lycos. And it was that same revelation that caused my whole body to tremble as I sat before him in the cabin.
• A car was usually owned by nobles, while carriages and trolleys were meants for middle-class citizens and bottom-rung commoners who roam the street.
• The car the king used to return to his palace was something I would never, in all my life, imagine riding in—let alone sitting across from him, in chains.
• Despite that, I was uncomfortable.
• At least this king wasn’t outright ruthless to his citizens—despite building a social ladder too high enough for anyone else to climb.
• As he sat before me, I couldn't even meet his cold stare, fearing I would appear weak.
• Predators despise the smell of fragility on their prey.
• And since I had chosen this path, I had to hold onto it like the werewolf I was.
• The pain of the chains around my wrists made me groan softly now and then, but even that couldn't compete with the noise of my pounding heart.
• My palms were clammy. I sat as if on needles, racking my brain for a way to survive death.
• I had cheated fate once, but if I were to die on the very day I woke up...
• What would have been the point?
• I shook my head, softly biting down on my lower lip. I must survive—if it's the last thing I do.
• The ride was short, something a carriage could never achieve. Before I could fully breathe, an icy cold hand covered mine. I flinched instinctively...
• “You seem far too absent-minded to notice we have arrived.”
• I gasped in surprise as his voice drifted into my ear, much closer than I had expected.
• I pulled my hand away as quickly as I could, hissing from the sting the chains caused.
• They burned.
• “Sorry to have kept you waiting, Your Majesty,” I murmured, though bile rose in my throat just from addressing him.
• I hated him.
• “Mhm.”
• He replied simly, and because my head remained lowered, all I saw were his feet as he stepped out of the car—graceful, majestic, not a single misstep.
• Like he had been doing it all his life. Unlike me.
• I thought to follow and maybe sneak a peek at the exterior of the king’s castle, but as soon as I moved, two men roughly seized me. I wanted to scream but they gagged me before I could.
• My eyes widened in horror. My heart raced uncontrollably as I clenched my fist so tight my nails broke.
• They pulled me out of the car, not even caring that my ankle hit the car door.
• “Ugh..” I groaned in pain but they paid no heed to my predicament.
• What did I expect? I was a slave. This kind of treatment was neededto be expected.
• Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back. This much—I could endure.
• I didn't even have time to take in the beauty of his enormous castle.
• They dragged me behind him as the King walked toward his chambers. Servants bowed in respect to him, but when their eyes met mine, they were filled with disdain.
• I hated them too. The feeling was mutual. If I had any other route to choose, I would have taken it a thousand times over.
• Then we stopped.
• I lifted my head to see why—Molten gold eyes stared back at me with scrutiny and something more.
• When did he—?
• “Does it hurt?” He asked. I pressed my lips into a thight line.
• I gritted my teeth. I had to respond—he was the king. He wouldn’t repeat himself twice.
• And the way he was looking at me? Like he was measuring how many seconds it would take to carve me like a pig.
• So I squeaked, “No, Your Majesty.”
• His eyes hardened. He was angry—but for what reason I couldn't know.
• Then, to my shock, he dropped to his knees. Drawing a series of gasps from his men and the servants.
• Instinct made me stagger back, even though I was still held. But then—he grabbed my leg, halting me.
• He gave me that same defiant gaze.
• I groaned as pain shot through me—
• He was clutching my wound. Beads of sweat gathered on my forehead, my face drained of color. I thought he would keep pressing until I passed out.
• But instead, he released it.
• Then—softly, almost like a feather—he caressed the wound. It tickled, but I couldn't laugh. I just wanted his filthy hands off me.
• If it were anyone else, I would have kicked them. But this was the king. I thought he would leave after confirming I was injured.
• But then he suddenly did something that made my eyes fly open.
• “Your Majesty!” his Beta roared, his eyes blazing with disgust. As if his master was doing something revolting.
• Which he was. Because this man—this royalty—was licking my wound. I was frozen. Numb.
• I couldn’t move.
• Couldn’t speak and couldn’t believe it.
• He licked my wound. Like a wild wolf.
• “Gideon, you are too noisy.” He breathed as he stood, his voice like smoke.
• The room was pindrop silent—except for Gideon’s furious, ragged breathing.
• He glared at me, and I looked back at him still trying to make sense of what had happened.
• My foot slowlyreturned to the ground, and when I stood on it...there was no pain. I looked down and found the wound—gone. Completely healed.
• I was speechless.
• When I loooked up, the King was already walking away—
• As if he hadn’t just shaken my heart with one bizarre act, and didn’t even care.
• There was this strange feeling in my chest I couldn’t name—tight, hot, sickening. His men were slow to react, stunned like I was, but eventually they dragged me forward again.
• No one had ever done this to me before.
• We passed through the palace halls, but I couldn’t admire them. Eventually, we emerged into the open air again. The place smelled like black pepper and Vanilla—his scent.
• This was undoubtedly the King’s private quarters.
• Then he stopped at the door. He turned and looked at me and I blinked, confused.
• What now?
• His gaze dropped lower, and I instinctively followed it—only to draw my leg back. It wasn’t chained at least. And I didn’t want to be licked again.
• He laughed.
• A low, rolling sound that scraped against my spine and made my brain go quiet. And again—that feeling in my heart grew intense.
• And I hated it. I was repulsed by it.
• “Release the chain on her wrists.” He said it so casually, like it meant nothing. I raised an eyebrow.
• I expected his Beta to protest this time, but he simple signaled one of the guards.
• A wave of relief rolled through me as the chain dropped to the floor with a heavy clink. The king was still looking at me—lazy in posture, but the interest in his eyes...
• Whatever it meant, I didn’t like it.
• I wanted to ask questions, but every time I parted my lips, I closed it again.
• He crossed his arms.
• That's when I noticed he had changed—no longer in his battle attire. He now wore a white shirt and black pants, his foot tapping lightly as if in thougth. But his gaze never left me—and it made me shrink back.
• I was already prepared to say something to break the nerving silence when he suddenly spoke.
• “Take her to the east wing,” he pointed to a place beside his own chambers and I followed his gaze with furrowed brows, “Clean her up, dress her up and feed her well—for I will visit her tonight.”
• The command rolled off his tongue in a raspy tone that sent my heart into chaos. That sickening burn in my chest returned.
• I was confused. Why was I being assigned a wing—one so close to him?
• Shouldn't I be assigned hard labor? scrubbing floors until my fingers bled? Why was I being cleaned?
• Before I could make sense of it, a few maids rushed toward me and began dragging me along, the king didn’t need to speak anymore as he simply walked into his chambers while the maids dragged me along..
• “There seems to be a mistake, Your Majesty—” I called out to him while I struggled out of the strong women but to no avail, he didn’t even glance at me.
• They pulled me toward what would now be my new residence.
• I didn’t get a second to admire the place. They rushed me like they were preparing a dish for the king’s feast—And I was the meal.
• Fear still lingered deep in my belly, but I had to be ready. Ready to escape death in whatever form. Even though it comes crawling to me.
• I wouldn't submit to death, no matter what.
• That's what I said.
• But now, kneeling on the cold floor, wearing a nightdress, with pink lipstick stained on my lips, and facing the king—
• My mind went numb.
• “Greetings, Your Majesty.”