History Repeats Itself

—Twenty-One Years Earlier—

Sarai stood outside on the balcony of her bedchamber, sipping her third glass of wine. But even the wine couldn't calm her unsettled mind.

"You put Visenya to bed early tonight, and you barely touched your dinner," Ezra remarked, joining her on the balcony.

"Do you blame me?" Sarai retorted. "I couldn't bear to witness how Emperor Caden treats that woman."

"Yes, their customs are quite different," Ezra acknowledged.

"Different?!" Sarai exclaimed. "He has her collared like some kind of pet! She's forced to kneel at his feet and eat the scraps he throws her!"

"Will you please keep your voice down?" Ezra warned, his tone laced with caution.

Sarai huffed, dismissively waving him off. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's fast asleep in his luxuriously comfortable bed, while his heavily pregnant mate struggles to find rest on the hard, cold floor."

"Shhhhh..." Ezra pleaded, his voice barely audible, his eyes darting anxiously around the balcony.

"And don't even get me started on that boy of his," Sarai continued her rant, her frustration building. " 'Slave, fetch my outside wear... slave, get me some water... slave, cut my meat.' Can you believe he speaks to his own mother that way? And to make matters worse, he pushed poor Visenya into the mud earlier today, All because she touched him... because she fucking touched him, Ezra!"

"Okay... okay! I agree that their ways are rather unsettling," Ezra conceded, attempting to soothe her growing agitation.

"No, Ezra... they are downright disgusting, and I don't want our daughter witnessing any of it," Sarai exclaimed, her voice filled with concern. "I'm taking her to stay among the townspeople until the Dragons leave."

Ezra's brows furrowed as he listened to Sarai's plea. "Oh, come on, Sarai. I understand your worries, but we can't shelter her from the real world forever," he reasoned. "She will be the Lycan Queen one day, and soon she is going to have to start learning the ways of the dragons and vampires."

Sarai let out a heavy sigh, her eyes filled with sadness. "And it will break her heart," she expressed, her voice laced with despair. "Our daughter is such a gentle soul, Ezra... she won't understand the mistreatment of humans in these other kingdoms."

Feeling a pang of empathy, Ezra gently took Sarai into his arms, holding her tightly. "I don't think any of us will ever fully understand it, my love," he murmured, guiding her head to rest on his chest. "But I promise you, Visenya will grow up to be the same kind-hearted soul that she is now, and I will never allow anyone to ever break her beautiful spirit... I would rather die than let that happen."
———

—Present Day—

Visenya savored the gentle autumn breeze as she collected the freshly laundered sheets and linen from the clothesline. She was relieved not to run into Lucian again before he left, and, as always, she cherished every second of his absence. However, her thoughts soon turned to Marienne's unsettling advice, causing her to question the woman's sanity. How could Marienne suggest that Visenya stoop so low as to use her own body to manipulate Lucian? The very thought assaulted her sense of self-respect, which she was already fiercely fighting to uphold.

Determined to maintain her dignity, Visenya focused on her task, diligently ignoring the prying gazes of the other slaves. Most notably, Grace, a woman who had been infatuated with Lucian since her arrival. Grace whispered furtively with the other women, believing herself to be discreet, but Visenya caught every word.

Grace's misguided assumptions painted a distorted image of Visenya, falsely implying that she had been attempting to seduce Lucian from the beginning. They laughed and mocked her, belittling Visenya for her apparent inability to handle the Dragon's “stamina”. But it didn't matter to Visenya; they could believe whatever they wanted about her. Their opinions wouldn't change anything about her current circumstances, so it held very little weight in her mind.

"I think you should confront that tramp and put her in her place," Marienne suggested, startling Visenya with her sudden appearance.

"Where have you been? I thought you were supposed to be helping me," Visenya exclaimed, her frustration evident in her tone.

"I had my own matters to attend to. Don't expect me to be trailing your every move," Marienne retorted.

“And what things did you have to tend to?” Visenya inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity. “I haven’t seen you since you left my room this morning,” she speculated.

“Don’t worry about me and what I’m doing,” Marienne deflected. “Worry about that little bitch over there who thinks it’s okay to spread gossip about you.”

Visenya simply shrugged her shoulders, a nonchalant expression on her face. “I don’t care about her.”

“You should. She wants your mate... she’s going to try and take him from you,” Marienne warned.

Visenya let out a huff and rolled her eyes in defiance. “I wish she would.”

“I don’t think you really mean that... deep down,” Marienne observed.

“Then you don’t know anything about me and should probably stop assuming that you do,” Visenya snapped back.

Marienne chuckled, a hint of amusement in her voice. "You know, I actually know more than you think, and I must admit that I pity you."

Visenya's response was quick and sharp. "I don't need your pity."

Marienne's tone turned slightly mocking. "Well, it seems like you get a lot of pity around here... It's rather sad to witness such a highly regarded Queen transform into a pathetic shell of her former self."

Visenya's frustration grew evident. "You know what? You are incredibly rude and condescending, and I no longer want you to speak to me."

"No, I'm honest, and you know it. Eventually, you'll come around and realize that I'm your only true friend around here," Marienne said confidently, shooting Visenya a wink before walking away, unbothered.

Visenya glanced back at Grace and her posse, who were staring and laughing at her. Determined to brush off their jeering, she swiftly grabbed the last sheet from the line and retreated into the castle. Although, she hesitated to re-enter Lucian's bedchamber, she knew she had to tidy up.

As she stepped inside, her eyes immediately fell upon her torn clothing strewn on the floor. Gathering them in her hands to discard them, she noticed something peculiar - her underwear was nowhere to be found. She didn't dwell on it for long, deciding to let the mystery go unresolved.

When Lucian returned, he was unusually quiet, appearing more exhausted than usual. He didn't even glance at Visenya once, quickly shedding his soiled clothes and stepping into the shower.

Visenya carefully laid out his clean clothing on the bed and positioned herself by the lavatory door, clutching his towel. Anxious anticipation raced through her, wondering if he would once again take her body roughly.

"I'll have my lunch in my bedchamber today," he informed her, snatching the towel from her hand.

"Yes, master," she replied obediently.

Finally, Lucian's gaze fell upon her, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. The dress she wore awakened memories of her youthful days, evoking a sense of nostalgia within him. She stood against the wall, eyes cast downward, embodying the essence of a submissive slave.

"Go," he waved her off, and she hastily fled the room, as swift as a breeze entering through an open window.

He settled into his chair, trying to appear unaffected by her hurried departure, but deep down, it gnawed at him. He made a firm decision to exercise better self-control, vowing that he would not allow himself to get carried away again. He knew it wouldn't be easy because his body practically screamed for her, and now that he had a taste, he craved her even more.

Just the mere thought of being sheathed in her velvety warmth, and the lingering taste of her skin on his tongue sent him spiraling into madness. He retrieved the pair of underwear he had kept hidden in the nightstand and pressed the delicate fabric against his face, inhaling the intoxicating scent that was uniquely hers.

The sweet, exotic aroma ignited a fire within him, causing him to ache with longing. Giving in to his fantasies, he indulged in self-pleasure, imagining all the ways he had possessed her. Though it paled in comparison to the real thing, it would have to suffice for now.