Captive of Time

Chapter 7: The Banquet

Beifeles awoke from a deep, restful sleep, having dreamed a vivid and strange dream in which a strong, handsome black snake compelled him to engage intimately. Despite his desperate resistance, he could only yield with a whimper, only for the snake to suddenly vanish from their intimacy.

What a peculiar dream.

As Beifeles murmured and opened his eyes, he noticed his dark elf companion peacefully sleeping beside him. The collar of his black shirt was slightly askew, and silver eyelashes cast a heavy shadow over his eyelids. His long, powerful hand still gripped Beifeles’s tightly, the contrast between his dark skin and Beifeles's glowing white complexion striking.

The prince initially wished to linger in this tender moment with his dark elf, but glancing at the wall clock made him abandon that thought—he had a lot of work to attend to.

After getting out of bed, he moved to his study, where Vanna sat beside him, peeling grapes to feed him.

Beifeles was intensely focused on his work. Occasionally, as he ate grapes, he would absentmindedly extend his tongue to taste the sweetness from Vanna's fingertips, sometimes even biting down inadvertently. Vanna’s dark eyes remained calm as he continued feeding his master.

At that moment, Beifeles glanced at a golden invitation and turned to Vanna. “Van, accompany me to a banquet this weekend.”

He paused before adding, “You haven’t been out in a long time, have you?”

Beifeles recalled the last time he had taken Vanna out in public was two years ago. As usual, there were always those who attempted to interfere with Vanna, an unfortunate inevitability. In society’s eyes, dark elves held the lowest status, often regarded as less than even household pets.

No light elf would respect a dark elf’s wishes, feeling entitled to act as they pleased with any dark elf. Even if they harmed another’s dark elf slave, as long as they offered compensation, the owner could rarely hold them accountable.

While ordinary people might hesitate due to the fear of disputes or compensation, the light elf nobility and officials had no such concerns.

Upon witnessing this, Beifeles had become furious, chastising the offender and publicly kissing Vanna in a show of ownership. Since then, rumors of his affection for a dark elf spread widely, making Beifeles even less inclined to take Vanna out.

While he could reprimand those audacious enough, he could not shield Vanna from all the prying eyes.

He detested those gazes with a deep-seated loathing.

Yet he yearned to take Vanna out for a change of scenery; as he had said, Vanna had not been outside in quite some time. He believed taking his dark elf out might bring him joy.

In human imagination and legend, light elves are often depicted as beautiful, pure, kind, loyal, and devoted. In ancient society, this was indeed the case. However, as society evolved and the concept of "class" emerged, their circumstances changed drastically.

They grew greedy, insatiable, craving more resources and higher status, leading to social stratification. Apart from their appearances, they became no different from humans.

Beifeles’s father is the current elven king. He is not the only offspring, as his mother passed away shortly after his birth. Among his many siblings, whether older or younger, he stands as the sole rightful heir to the elven throne. However, this could change if someone convinced the current king to remarry; the children of a new queen would rival Beifeles’s claim.

Nevertheless, Beifeles is indifferent to such matters; he holds no obsession over succeeding his father, nor does he care for power or status. He simply seeks enjoyment and wishes to preserve his comfortable lifestyle, continuing to fulfill the duties he is expected to do.

The palace belongs to the elven king, and after reaching adulthood, Beifeles moves out, residing on his own estate. Thus, apart from necessary or public occasions, he rarely sees his father. His grandfather, Achilles, occasionally summons him for admonitions.

Today’s banquet is hosted in the palace under the king’s name, making Beifeles’s attendance unavoidable. Yet everyone knows the true organizer and initiator is the king’s mistress, Lady Phelia. The elven race follows a monogamous structure, meaning all the king’s mistresses hold no official status; even his most favored, Lady Phelia, can only awkwardly be referred to as "madam."

While some light elves do bring their beloved dark elf slaves to such gatherings, they are few. They typically bring an additional male or female companion, as they view dark elves similarly to pets—taking them out merely to showcase affection or to flaunt them.

Beifeles, however, chose not to bring any other companions. He never brings male or female partners, not even when Vanna is absent.

Vanna donned a black, uniform-style dress selected by Beifeles himself, his silver hair neatly tied back, and his dark red eyes appeared cold yet noble, resembling the most precious blood-red gemstone. He exuded an air akin to the ruthless, powerful dark elf tyrants from the waning era of their rule.

In the historical records of the light elves, there was once an age known as the "Dark Epoch" nearly ten thousand years ago. During this time, dark elves dominated, exerting oppression over light elves with their formidable destructive and combat powers. The light elves, skilled at healing and defense, were no match for the dark elves and lived in misery.

Dark elf monarchs and nobles lived decadent lives, exploiting every ounce of value from the light elves.

Eventually, a hero in elven history received a divine revelation, discovering a way to strip the dark elves of their power, ultimately overthrowing their rule and establishing the reign of the light elves. Initially, the dark elves who advocated for equality and helped the light elves held higher social status and earned their respect. However, gradually, all dark elves were either driven to desolate, barren fringes or reduced to s*****y, subjugated by the light elves.

The situation remained unchanged, merely with the roles of the oppressed and oppressors reversed.

Beifeles looked at the dark elf before him, narrowing his eyes with satisfaction and smiling as his pale gold eyes regarded him, beckoning with a gesture.

Vanna’s throat moved. He understood light elves all too well, and naturally recognized the signal for affection.

Casting a glance at the brass clock standing nearby, he lowered his gaze, suppressing his emotions, and reminded Beifeles in a calm tone, “Your Highness, the banquet begins in two hours.”

“What does it matter?” Beifeles replied childishly, resting his head on the table and turning to look at him. “We might arrive a bit late.”

With a sigh, Vanna stepped over to lift the light elf, kissing the corner of his eye, fulfilling his role as a dutiful slave.

No one knew what secrets lay behind his dark red eyes.

...

Ultimately, Beifeles was two hours late.

It was unavoidable; Vanna had done his best to restrain himself, but the intricacy of Beifeles’s customary white attire took considerable time to perfect. Moreover, in the process of dressing, their moments of intimacy had stretched out the timeline.

As Beifeles descended from the carriage, a crowd quickly gathered, with someone remarking pointedly, “I thought His Highness wouldn’t grace us with his presence today.”

It was well known that Beifeles had a strained relationship with Lady Phelia; this was a tacit understanding between them.

Beifeles didn’t truly dislike his father’s mistress, feeling neither fondness nor aversion towards her, merely treating her as a stranger. However, he never bothered to clarify this, nor did he care to play the role of amiable with his father’s lover, allowing rumors to spread. After all, it seemed only natural for an heir to have a poor relationship with his father’s mistress; a good relationship would be considered unusual.

Thus, they assumed Beifeles’s tardiness was a deliberate slight on Lady Phelia.

Beifeles offered no explanation, simply nodding, “Some matters held me up.”

He hadn’t intended to be late, but admitting he had lost track of time due to intimate distractions with his dark elf felt all the more absurd, and he had no intention of disclosing such a truth.