Free Princess of the Damned by Dahlia Lu Page A

only a minor wound.”
    The woman let out a sob. “My heart aches to see you like this.”
    Nala observed the situation and when she got a hint, a little giggle came from her.
    “ What is so funny?” Sayan asked.
    The woman turned to face Nala. “You must be the new favorite the servants have been talking about. I-I am Nora.”
    “ New favorite?” Nala slightly raised her left brow. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Could you be referring to Sayan and me?”
    “ I-I have been very curious since I heard about you. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I know this place like the back of my hand.”
    “ Thank you, but I do not plan to stay here for long.”
    Sayan came to her side and pulled her up by the wrist. “Where do you intend to go? You will stay here indefinitely.”
    Nala made a ‘tsk’ sound with her tongue. “You’re going to open your wound again.”
    “ You try and run away again. If I catch you, and there is no doubt that I will, I won’t give you the freedom to walk around anymore. I’ll chain you to the bed if I have to.”
    “ When did I ever try to run away?” She pulled her wrist back. “I am not used to this new side of you.”
    “ Then you better get used to it. Like I said before, I will never be as gullible as I was before. I will never allow anyone to walk away from me, especially you. If I no longer want you around anymore, then I will end it by my own terms. Then, and only then can you be free of me.”
    “ How long have you known me? I have had many threats in my life, but I’ve never succumbed to even one. The more you challenge me, the more I want to leave. Get out of my way, I’m leaving right now!”
    He pulled her by the shoulder and shoved her onto the bed. “Are you too used to me doing everything your way? Let me tell you, Nala, I can be twice as stubborn as you.”
    “ Your highness! Your wound is bleeding again!” Nora screamed out.
    “ You know better than to threaten me,” she said in a much softer voice when she saw that he was in pain. She got off the bed and snatched a clean towel from the servant. “Sit down!” She gestured toward the bed.
    He had an unwilling expression on his face, but he did what he was asked. She dipped the clean towel into the warm water and cleansed the dripping blood. The physician was standing by her side with instruction on how to bandage it up.
     
    It was by complete coincidence that the royalties of the Western and Eastern Kingdom arrived on the same day. Sayan and his General waited to greet them at the palace’s entrance. Even though their countries were at war with one another at one point or another, protocol demanded that they treat each other civilly during visitation.
    The first group to arrive was the Prince and Princess of the Western Kingdom. Sayan greeted them as though it was their first meeting. He obviously noticed the Prince’s hostility toward him and no doubt he had come for his bride-to-be. His sister, the princess, could not hide the excitement of seeing him again. She wore a red velvet gown that dove low at her breasts and filled in the gap with a finely crafted ruby necklace.
    Second to arrive, very shortly after, was the Princess of the Eastern Kingdom. She arrived on a silver carriage embellished with precious stones. She wore a white silk gown, held together by a diamond encrusted belt below her full breasts. The cut of her gown showed glimpses of her diamond encrusted sandals. Even her hair was dusted with diamond specks to take advantage of daylight. They say that a woman’s clothes reflect her pride, and if this is indeed true, this woman was unmistakably a princess.
    “ Are you the new King?” The Eastern Princess asked.
    “ I am Sayan. Our king awaits his guests inside.”
    “ So you are the man who has been the talk of everyone in the recent years. Now that I’ve met you in person, you do not look as scary as I’ve previously thought.”
    “ Rumors