The royal city of Port Cressida has a new King.
Casper Ashe.
After spending years chained to the floor of a dungeon, haunted by visions of a beautiful woman, Casper is finally free. As Port Cressida's new King, he has two priorities: restore peace t...
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The Royal Hunting Lodge
Sophie Reese
A loud boom of thunder shook the foundations of the house. The air pressure was increasing and I could feel the building static in the air. An electrical storm in winter was unheard of, but I had this feeling that this was no freak weather incident. In fact, I think somehow Casper was influencing the weather in the same way that Luc had influenced the flowers to shrivel and die. Casper was radiating that same powerful aura that both awed and terrified me.
He stood over us, staring at Rudolph's hand on my neck. His face was an unreadable mask, he simply stared at the hand until Rudolph gingerly removed it from my neck.
Rudolph was petrified. The moment he registered Casper's presence, his hand had started to quiver on the back of my neck. He slowly moved away from me, his eyes cast low to the floor like a naughty puppy that had been caught peeing on the rug.
"Ah, Casper," he said in a soft submissive tone, "Sophie fell outside and I was just getting a speck of dirt out her eye."
Casper said nothing and then looked at me, his eyes suddenly filled with hurt and betrayal.
"Now wait a minute," I said seeing that look, "You can't think that I started this! He forced himself on me."
"I know," Casper replied flatly, "I asked you not to go near the edge of the estate."
The accusation in his voice washed over me like a bucket of ice-cold water. How could he have known about the forest? I wanted to ask why, however, Casper had other plans. He turned to Rudolph and said, "What you have done is unforgivable and your existence is now offensive to me. I cannot allow you to live."
Rudolph immediately planted his palm on the floor and lowered his head downwards into a grovelling bow.
"Please, cousin, forgive my lapse in judgement. I have never been good with beautiful women... I just see them and I have to have them."
Casper turned to his side and said, "Jacques, please take Sophie back to her room. There is no reason for her to see this ugliness."
I hadn't realised this, but Jacques and Nico were standing in the far corner of the room, lingering in the shadows. Jacques stepped forward and gestured for me to go to him. I thought about going and taking Blood with me, but Rudolph suddenly lunged at me, grabbing my hand.
"Please do not leave me, Sophie. He will kill if you go," he begged.
Another explosion of thunder shook the house and Casper yelled, "Stop touching her!"
Rudolph let go, his forehead once again pressed against the floor as he mumbled apology after apology.
To the side, Jacques continued to wave to me. "Sophie, come here, leave Blood where he is. Nico will attend to him."
