THE LYCAN PRINCE AND THE SLAVE

Chapter 3

Lizzy walked around the petite room, with a faint smile on her face. It was thrilling. Was it why it excited her? She wasn't scared of the Prince, she hated him..more than she would like to admit to herself or otherwise. When was the last time she even thought of her dearest uncle? Or the rest of the old women of their clan that successfully escaped? She sighed as she walked further inside, admiring the moderate bed in the middle of the room, close to the dresser. She bent low, feeling the silky sheets against her fingers before sighing in content.

She missed this...this luxury!

She turned and stared at her face in the blurry mirror. Green eyes stared right back at her. Her auburn hair illuminated her whole being. It contrasted against her toned skin. People always said she was beautiful, too many times more than she could count, so she just accepted it. There was difference in seeing the beauty in yourself and hearing compliments from others claiming your beauty.

There was a petite room, behind the large curtains, she was guessing was her wash room. Her body ached for a warm bath. She had gone without it for too long! Imagine her surprise when she saw a large bucket filled with warm water beside the tub. Lizzy wasted no time in pouring it inside the tub and undressing before slipping inside. Lizzy almost moaned her satisfaction out. You never really know what you have till you don't possess it anymore.

She lathered herself with the rose scented soap kept there before rinsing off. She wrapped herself with the towel seated on the stool beside the bath. She felt more like herself now. Clean.

Out of curiosity, she opened the drawers and to her amazement, they were filled with standard plain gowns, not luxurious enough like the ones she was used to, but plain and comfortable gowns, okay for a lady in her current status.These wasn't the ones she was used to back in her clan, but this was far better than the gown she removed from her skin minutes ago.

As she wore the gowns her mind wondered back to the Prince. Each time he crossed her mind, her heart slammed violently against her chest. What was in it for the Prince? Perhaps he enjoyed her cooking, he decided to lift her ranks? Lizzy scoffed. As if!

Her mind wondered back to how handsome he is, how the scar adorned his features. Oh how she would love to trace the scar with her fore finger...

Lizzy squeezed her eyes shut. What was happening? Why was she allowing the Prince's gesture to turn her heart soft? This was the man that snapped her uncle's neck because he had the power to. He attacked their kingdom and put an end to its life. Thinking about it, he should take the burden of taking care of them, seeing that he took away all the luxuries they had, the luxuries she had.

Lizzy sat down and began combing her hair dry. She wasn't used to doing all these by herself but now, she had to. Her mind wondered back to how she would take the Prince's life. She would surely just poison his meals, or rather, poison the whole royalty..if she could but she didn't have it in her to take away such lives, especially parents life. something she had been craving for, from time immemorial. other than that, the Queen is just too sweet for all these. And Lizzy? Well Lizzy couldn't hurt a fly, whether or not she wanted to admit it, that was the plain truth.

A knock sounded on the door before it opened, revealing a guard with a red band on his arm. That was enough for Lizzy to know that he was a crown's designated.

The guard had thick eyebrows, a wide nose and thin lips. He avoided eye contact with her, at all. His eyes were downcast as he delivered the message he had.

"Greetings. The Prince requests for your presence."

Silence followed. This was not what Lizzy expected. Why did he request for her presence? Her heart thundered violently in her chest, her palms warmed and her breathing accelerated. She didn't want to be in the Prince's presence but at thesame time, she craved to be in his presence. This wasn't something she understood. She, herself couldn't understand all these emotions flying haywire.

"When?"

How she managed to speak out, she knew not. All she knew was that her palms started sweating and her mind was everywhere, thinking of every possible scenario the would want to talk to her about.

"Now."

Lizzy wanted to object, but realised that she couldn't. This was the prince they were talking about. So, instead of challenging the order, she simply put down the comb and stood up, making her way towards the door. The guard still didn't spare her a glance, he simply walked ahead, expecting her to follow him. Lizzy kept wondering why he didn't spare her a glance. Don't the guards look at the servants?

They walked and walked, till Lizzy's feet ached. "Where are we going?" She asked the guard when it appeared that they were never going to arrive to their destination.

"We are almost there. "

The guard wasn't friendly, but he wasn't rude either. She realised he only spoke when he spoken to. A typical royal guard. They were in the main Palace now, a quarter she had never been to. Lizzy used the opportunity to admire the decorations and interiors. She was too engrossed in her admiration that she didn't realise they had arrived at grand Golden doors.

The guard stood aside after knocking on the doors twice. Lizzy felt her hands shaking, yet again. Nervousness and excitement laced her heart in an envelope as she waited.

"Come in."

Two words, almost burst her heart with love. His deep voice, so dark and beautiful. She could listen to it all day..and to think the Prince only spoke when he had to.

The guard opened the door before she stepped her foot inside. This time, no matter how her body itched to look at him, she didn't. She would restrain herself..for now.

She slowly dropped into an elegant curtsy and waited, for his command. But the command never came. From seconds to a minute. At this point, she thanked the heavens that at a tender age, she was taught to curtsy for long. Her head was still bowed but her partly dried hair cascaded down, covering her cheeks.

Lizzy heard the light screeching of a chair before footsteps approached her. She counted her breaths till the black leather shoes of the Prince came into view.

The Prince did what she never expected of him. He placed a finger under her chin, directing her gaze on his face. Ice blue eyes awaited her greens. His face was still thesame as she remembered, but each time, she was spell bounded by his handsome features. She watched the Prince's lips, curl up a bit, not too much for it to be noticeable but she couldn't miss it.

"Rise."

Immediately he gave the command, he turned his back on her and resumed his sitting position. Lizzy stood there, waiting for a statement from him. Perhaps he wanted a moist cake?

"You possess lycan blood."

Another statement.

Lizzy's heartbeat increased. She knew he would find out sooner than later, seeing as he couldn't read her thoughts.

"Yes, my lord."

Silence followed again.

"Are you mated?"

If Lizzy was scared before, then she didn't know what she was feeling right now. Was he her mate? Did he know? It couldn't be. She didn't feel any attachments towards him, she couldn't feel that magnetic pull towards him. Her lycan didn't know of his presence. What she felt was...she didn't even know!

Seconds passed without Lizzy knowing how to answer the question. She grew up with the notion that she didn't need any lycan male to complete her being, rather, she needed a mate, to enable them grow together for lycan possessed great powers and independence.

"I know nothing regarding that, my Prince."

"You don't possess a mate, currently?"

"No, my lord, I do not possess a mate, presently."

Silence followed again. At this point, Lizzy was tired. Her heart kept squeezing, as a result of being nervous. She wasn't sure what the Prince was thinking of but she knew it definitely wasn't good.

"Very well. "

Lizzy curtsied, assuming the Prince was done with his questions and it was time for her to leave but she was wrong.

"Henceforth, you shall share my bed, till you find your mate."

Lizzy chocked on her saliva. She gasped, trying to breathe while coughing at thesame time. What did the Prince just say? Or he was talking to another slave of his? Share his bed? An outrageous prosperity! Become disvirged by a lycan male when she was meant to be for another?

The Prince approached her with a glass of water, carefully placing it in her shaky hands, before urging her to drink out of it.

Lizzy couldn't drink the water. It wasn't water that she wanted. It was peace. She wanted to hear that the Prince surely mistook her for someone else or that he was referring to someone else entirely, not her.

But that didn't happen. To make matters worse, the prince guided her to a nearby chair by his table, before carefully helping her sit on it.

He was patient. He was going to wait for her coughs to calm down, no matter how long it was going to take, because he clearly found her irresistible. He was enchanted, by her beauty and elegance. Her hair captivated him, her body shape had him in spirals. He knew he wasn't mated to her, seeing as his mate kicked the bucket.

His body ached to take her to his cold bed, warm his sheets with her scent..her rose scent. But he wouldn't, not to her. To others, he would have taken them against their consent, to his satisfaction, but there was just something about this lady, that had him by the ropes, and the good part, she didn't even know it..yet.

Lizzy sipped the warm water before calming down. She couldn't believe the Prince just asked this of her. She was shy. She couldn't couldn't look up at him.

"Is your room to your liking, or you need a more comfortable one, closer to mine?"

Lizzy's eyes widened. She didn't know how to answer that question.

"Seeing as it's a bit far from mine..."

His voice dropped, as he made that statement. Lizzy felt goosebumps decorating her skin as she felt his voice, do wonders to her soul.

"No."

That was the only word that could come out of her lips. She was devasted. She didn't want to offend the ruthless Prince that for some reason, wasn't ruthless to her. All he has shown her is kindness and ..care?

Why did he care? The question lizzy asked herself earlier now provided an answer. Of course, he wanted her to share his bed!

Lizzy suddenly stood, as if a pin had pierced her soft buttocks. She gathered the courage and directed her gaze to the Prince. He was a lot closer than she had expected, but not too close. His eyes watched her like his life depended on it. Lizzy was quick to recover before speaking out her mind.

"With due respect, my Prince, I shall only bed my mate. And you're not him."

The Prince smiled, showing off his dimples. Lizzy almost swooned in adoration. Everyone knew that the Prince hardly ever smiles. But here he was, showing off his dimples at her.

"We shall see."

Lizzy was confused. Was that all he would say regarding the situation? This was certainly not insinuating that he had given up. Lizzy sighed. The Prince was exhausting all her emotions and it was tiring!

Lizzy turned and walked towards the door but before she could open the door, his voice stopped her.

"I shall expect you in my bed this night, Elizabeth. Make sure you're laying there, waiting for my touch, by the time I arrive."

Lizzy frowned. Was this Prince bipolar? Didn't he just understand what she just explained?

"But my Prince..."

"You've been discharged."

And just like that, he closed the conversation. He sat down on his chair and continued to go through the papers he was once going through, not giving her another glance.

This was something tempting. Who would'nt agree and bed the Prince to get favours? Only Lizzy could. This wasn't her. Her body was for her mate and mate alone. She wasn't going to give her body to anyone except her mate.

So, if the Prince was expecting something else, then he was in for a shock!