Chapter 288
The murmurs grew louder. “And if his state of mind isn’t troubling enough,” Zaiper began, shaking his head in disgust, “let’s examine his actions. Look at what he did to his own Soulbond! The one person in the entire world he is fated to protect above all else. If he can harm her—the woman who is supposedly the other half of his soul—what chance do we have? What chance do any of you have against his declining mind?”
“Grand Lord Zaiper, mind your tongue!” Ottai growled. Usually level-headed, Ottai had been on edge for days, losing his temper easily. Today was no different; he vibrated with anger. Vladya, too, gripped his chair so tightly his claws extended, digging into the wood. The effort to restrain himself—to not leap across the room and punch Zaiper—caused a stabbing headache to split his skull.
“We cannot keep deceiving the people, Lord Ottai,” Zaiper said, turning briefly to address him before pivoting back to the court. “We have very strict laws in this kingdom to protect our bondmates—our women—from domestic abuse and violence. These laws have been upheld for centuries, without exception. The day we accepted the human princess as his woman was the day she became one of us. And as one of us, she is entitled to our protection. We cannot turn a blind eye to this.”
Zaiper’s words riled the court into a frenzy of murmurs and exchanged glances. Vladya’s nails splintered the wood of his chair. “That’s rich, coming from you, Zaiper!” Ottai shouted, rising swiftly from his throne. “The grand lord whose name is whispered across the kingdom—and not for good reasons!”
Zaiper stiffened, glaring at Ottai. “I may mess around with slaves because I don’t see humans as living beings, but I do not hurt our females. I do not mount them without their consent, and I certainly do not continue when it’s obvious they are in pain, begging me to stop!”
“Lies! Lies from the pits of hell!” Ottai was upon Zaiper instantly, furious. “Everyone in this fortress knows you are the worst of the worst. The king of depravity, the very embodiment of evil when it comes to hurting women and younglings! You should be the last person to stand here and talk about morality!”
“How dare you, Grand Lord Ottai!” Zaiper’s voice dripped with outrage. “How dare you accuse me of such baseless filth without concrete evidence!?”
“And how dare you stand here and slander Daemonikai?!” Ottai roared, undeterred. “Knowing fully well that he could never, ever intentionally hurt Emeriel?!”
“He hides behind righteousness,” Zaiper snarled, his bestial nature evident as his pupils narrowed to yellow slits, “but in truth, he is nothing more than a sick, twisted, insane male! If there were an institution for the mad, he would be locked away!”
Vladya saw red. Leaping to his feet, his fist flew before he even realized it. The punch landed squarely on Zaiper’s face, a loud crunch echoing as bone met bone. Simultaneously, Ottai shoved Zaiper hard, sending the grand lord stumbling backward.
The court erupted in uproar. High Lords dove from their seats, scrambling toward the podium to break up the fight. Servants rushed to the scene with alarming speed. Zaiper roared and shifted, bones cracking and elongating as his body transformed into his beast form. Vladya didn’t hesitate, letting his own beast take over.
They clashed in a blur of claws, fists, and snarls. The fight was bloody and brutal, blood spraying across the floor. Knowing he only had seconds before the High Lords intervened, Vladya aimed strategically for vital points. His claws raked across Zaiper’s shoulder, tearing into muscle; flesh split, and blood gushed. He drove his knee into Zaiper’s ribs—not aiming to kill, but to inflict serious pain.
Zaiper fought back fiercely, clawing Vladya’s arm and tearing through flesh. His fangs came dangerously close to Vladya’s shoulder before Vladya shoved him off with a bone-jarring strike to his ribs. The fight was vicious but short-lived. As always in the court, a group of beasts intervened quickly, overwhelming them both.
Several High Lords in beast form swarmed the podium, their massive claws gripping Vladya and Zaiper, pulling them apart. Vladya struggled momentarily, his beast roaring in defiance, but the sheer number of those holding him down forced him to revert to his male form. Panting heavily, Vladya spat out blood. His lip throbbed, and he already felt a bruise forming on his jaw.
Fighting in court was no minor offense, and he hadn’t fought Zaiper like this in ages. Back then, Daemonikai had always intervened, separating them and barking orders until they calmed down. But not today.
Vladya’s gaze shifted to Zaiper, also back in his male form, still being held down, snarling and snapping like a feral beast. The sight brought satisfaction to Vladya’s bruised face; Zaiper looked far worse. Both his eyes were swelling rapidly, the skin already darkening into bruises—more than before. Zaiper’s lip was split and bleeding, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe through the pain.
Cracking his jaw, the Second Ruler’s face crumpled in rage as he registered the extent of his injuries. His yellow eyes flashed, and his roar shook the court.
“How dare you, Vladya! How dare you!” Zaiper bellowed, struggling against the High Lords pinning him down. “How dare you attack me this way!”
Vladya flashed him a bloody grin, lifted a hand, and gave him the middle finger.