Sold To The Demon King

Episode:3

CHAPTER THREE

Aust's POV

“Five hundred million,” the calm, deep voice repeated. It sliced right through the heavy silence of the giant room.

The whole crowd went crazy before I could even understand what was happening. Whispers spread like wildfire. Chairs scraped loudly against the wooden floor. People stood on their toes, leaning over the balconies just to see the man who had just offered a whole kingdom's fortune.

“Did he just say five hundred million?” a rich woman gasped.

“Is that… Lord Davren?” a merchant whispered, shaking with fear. “Why is he here? He never buys prisoners.”

I knew who he was right away. I had never met him, but everyone knew his name. Valyr Davren stepped out from the back of the VIP balcony. He walked down the carpeted stairs looking totally relaxed. He was a legend among the rich, a man who never lost a game, and a man who had spies everywhere.

The auctioneer completely forgot how to speak. His mouth hung open, his wooden hammer frozen in the air. “L-Lord Davren… did I hear you right? Five hundred million gold coins?”

Valyr didn't even look at the stage. He didn't look at the auctioneer. He looked right at me. His face showed zero emotion. He looked like he had already won the prize before he even walked into the building. His sharp eyes locked onto mine through the crystal glass, trapping me without using a single chain.

Duke Harren slammed his silver cane against the floor. His face twisted with ugly anger. “Valyr! What is the meaning of this? You don't even collect prisoners!”

Valyr didn't look away from me. He didn't even glance at Duke Harren. “I do tonight,” he answered. His voice was smooth, and he didn't care at all that the Duke was mad.

“This is an insult!” Duke Harren yelled, turning to the stage. “Auctioneer! Keep the bidding going!”

The auctioneer wiped sweat from his bald head. His voice squeaked through his brass horn. “I… I cannot, Duke Harren. No one has enough gold to beat five hundred million. Going once… going twice…”

No one made a sound. The room was perfectly still.

*Bang!*

The hammer slammed against the wooden desk. The loud noise echoed in my chest like a judge locking me away forever. I wasn't going to Duke Harren’s scary dungeon, but a cold fear still filled my stomach. I was in much deeper trouble now. Why would a powerful man like Valyr Davren pay a mountain of gold for a nobody like me?

Within seconds, the crystal door of my cage was unlocked. Two guards grabbed my arms. They unhooked me from the floor but kept my hands chained tightly behind my back. They dragged me out of the box and pushed me onto the stage.

“He belongs to Lord Davren now,” the auctioneer announced, signing a fancy paper. “Bring the hot iron to mark him, and get the heavy collar.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. I got ready for the pain. I got ready to be treated like a pet in front of everyone so Valyr could show off his wealth. That was what these evil people always did.

But instead, Valyr stepped onto the stage. He gave a quiet order to his own guards. “Cover him. Untie his feet just enough so he can walk. We are leaving right now.”

“But, My Lord, the ownership party—” the auctioneer started to say.

“I said we are leaving,” Valyr interrupted. His voice dropped super low, sounding so dangerous that no one dared to argue.

A thick, soft blanket was thrown over my shoulders. It hid my bare chest and my silver chains from the staring crowd. One of Valyr's guards quickly unlocked the heavy iron rings on my legs, giving me just enough room to walk properly. They marched me down the back stairs of the stage, moving super fast and skipping all the fancy showing off.

As we hurried toward the side exit, I took one quick look back over my shoulder.

Duke Harren was standing by his fancy chair. He was gripping his cane so hard his knuckles were white. He glared at Valyr with pure, terrifying hatred, looking like he wanted to kill him. Valyr didn't notice, or maybe he just didn't care.

We pushed through the doors and out into the cold night air. A giant, armored black carriage was waiting for us in a dark alley. Four guards on horses surrounded it. They pushed me toward the heavy wooden door of the carriage.

“Get inside,” a guard muttered, shoving me into the dark cabin.

I stumbled onto the soft seat. The blanket slipped off my shoulders as I tried to balance without using my hands. The carriage was pitch black. It smelled like rich leather and expensive smoke.

Valyr stepped inside right after me. He closed the heavy door with a loud click, locking us away from the outside world. The carriage instantly jerked forward. The wheels rattled loudly on the stone street as we sped away from the auction.

I sat in the dark, my muscles tight. My heart pounded against my ribs like a trapped bird. I kept my mouth tightly shut. I waited for him to start asking questions. I waited for him to demand why a backup prisoner was worth so much gold.

Valyr sat right across from me. When we passed a streetlamp, the quick flash of light showed his face. He leaned back against the leather seats, looking at me with a terrifyingly calm stare.

“You can stop pretending to be a broken prisoner now,” Valyr said softly.

My breath caught in my throat. My jaw locked tight. I hadn't said a single word since I was captured. I hadn't told a soul my name.

Valyr leaned forward slowly. As the carriage drove out of the streetlights, the cabin fell into total, pitch-black darkness again, leaving only the sound of his smooth, deadly whisper in the tiny space.

“I know exactly who you are... Aust Du Leuncourt.”