His Majesties Pleasure

Leyala's Pov Thwack "Next!" the masked executioner shouted holding the still bloodied ax as the guards dragged the decapitated body away it's blood staining the stone floors The air was thick with the stench of blood sweat and despair as Leyala shuffled forward, her wrists raw from the iron cuffs.The torches cast eerie shadows on the stone walls, making the dungeon seem like a living, breathing monster. The prisoners, a mix of men and women from all walks of life across the vast Lutheran empire and it's many overseas colonies, hobbled in tattered brown clothing, their eyes sunken and defeated. Some clawed at the chains binding their hands and feet, their gaunt faces twisted in desperation, while others stared blankly ahead, resigned to their fate. A desperate man round in the face and stomach earned a a backhand from one of the guards as he argued that he was a well known and respected merchant to the Lutheran empire.Or the Empire of the dragon your status and wealth don't matter all that matters are the laws of house Lutheran and the current Emperor Luther the IIII of his name and the man that owns every man,woman and child that calls the vast empire home In the Empire of the Dragon, the law did not care whether a man wore silk or rags. Beneath House Lutheran’s rule,all necks bent the same beneath an axe The palace guards, clad in black leather armour emblazoned with the empire's crest – a snarling golden dragon rampart – stood tall, their faces stern and unyielding.They gripped their swords, ready to strike down anyone who dared to rebel. The clink of chains and muffled sobs filled the silence, punctuated by the guards' rough shoves and snarls and insults. Leyala kept her blue eyes down, her mind replaying the plan she'd sworn to herself would work two weeks ago before everything went to s**t. It was supposed to be a clean heist – her and six other desperate thiefs would slip into the palace, sneak into Princess Aleyna's room, grab the jewels, and split them six ways and then sell them on the black market.They'd be set for life, no more scrambling for scraps.But someone had talked, and now she was slowly shuffling towards her death that was slowly creeping forward as more and more heads and bodies where added to the growing pile. As she slowly got closer and closer she cursed internally and stared up at the ceiling Why did Jax have to get greedy? Why did he have to get us caught?_.Soon a guard shuffled up beside her. " You know prayers won't save you theif although" he allows his eyes to trail down her body He stared at her even though she was a peasant and wasn't the most well feed he had seen and was currently forced to wear prisoner garments her curvy figure was evident especially her tiny waist and broad hips,Her hair a thick luscious golden almost silver blond although covered by dirt and grim was still eye catching and it framed her beautiful face perfectly with long lashes and beautiful light blue eyes with plump pink lips and a heart shaped face. Her skin although marred by grime was still a beautiful and smooth,if she had been from a different walk of life she would have no doubt been one of the most renowned beauties in the empire. And he obviously thinks so as well because as he continues to stare lustfully at her the guard licked his lips appreciativly and soon a leecherous grin spreads across his face. "You know a pretty little thing like you is to beautiful and with a body like that it would be a shame to see it added to that pile I can help you to get away but your gonna have to pay me back with some mouth service if you know what I mean" he said staring at her plump lips as his hand traced her cheek gently. Leyala pulled away sharply from his touch repulsed by his touch she felt as if she wanted to crawl out her skin because he had touched her, but what truly made her wanted to gag was the thought of this perverted pig using her like some common w***e that worked in the poorer districts of the glittering capital of the empire. "Get away from me and No thank you if I'm going to choke on anything I'd rather it be the executioners axe" she said.The man's face twisted in anger as he pulled back with a snarl. " You ungrateful b***h Im giving you a chance and your playing hard to get i should teach you some manners you ungrateful w***e!" he said pulling his armoured fist back to strike her, Leyala closed her eyes bracing for the impact and sound of an guanleted hand making contact with her face but before the blow could land. Suddenly, a deep voice echoed through the dungeon, "Halt in the name of his Majesty!." The guards froze, their faces paling. The prisoners, sensing a reprieve, looked up, hope flickering in their eyes. Leyala's heart skipped a beat as a nervous guard immediately opened the door towards the dungeon and soon the man that stepped through made the temperature in the dungeon drop. He was the most beautiful man Leyala had ever seen and somehow that only made him more frightening. And based on the reactions of the other prisoners who immediately cowered before him and the once arrogant and cruel guards who immediately stood up straight and disciplined he could have only been one person. The most feared and powerful man in the empire,Even more so than the emperor himself that commanded the full might of the Lutheran Empire with it's hundreds of thousands of men,His families Dragons and the lives of millions in his palm.They're was one man everyone feared more. A prince turned General now a war hero with 60,000 men under his command and who's dragon,A beast said to be so powerful and massive that it's been called a demon by the empires enemies and a god by it's citizens. The man that even a peasant like her has heated stories about his brutal and ruthless campaigns in the east the stuff of nightmares meant to scare children. This was Prince Keiran Reign,The Black Dragon Prince he was looking directly at her.