9

Excellent.

"As most of you know, I was recently wed to the beauty at my side." Necros glanced down at the blushing female, his lips tilted in a sinister grin. "Olga, Queen of Winsorer. Isn't she gorgeous?" Her cheeks reddened even more as she lowered her gaze demurely. An odd reaction for someone who supposedly contained unworldly power.

What if Lux had it wrong?

The prophecy of Olga's life energy was just that—a myth. Not many knew of it. But it all stemmed from the same legend that had cost my parents their lives. Necros believed the Shadow Kingdom would overrun his kingdom of the dead, and took everyone out.

Everyone except me.

Because my mother had overheard the prophecy from the heavens, whether by fate or divine intervention, I didn't know. However, she'd used the information to hide me away in Vera just before the attack. And part of that story foretold of a great power in Morima, one that would rule them all.

I wondered how many others in this room knew of the tales, but most of the males were merely observing Olga with open lust, not calculation.

"Unfortunately, I have a problem," Necros continued on a dramatic sigh. "You see, while gorgeous, she's quite unskilled. Something I take full responsibility for since I kept her chaste for our wedding. But over the last six months, she's not really taken to my methods or shown any signs of improvement. So I've called you all here to help me train my wife in matters of the bedroom."

The queen's shoulders went rigid, her lips parting at the degrading speech. But her husband wasn't done.

"I mean, six months and she's still not with child. So either she's barren or something nefarious is at play. Regardless, if she can't provide me with an heir, then I'll use her for something else. Which is why I've called you all here tonight to participate in the competition at hand.

There are seven nights of the week, and I only require one, which gives six of you an opportunity to claim one of her other evenings. For compensation, of course, and I will only permit the strongest among you the chance to fuck my wife."

Olga had gone white now, her body appearing even frailer among the masses. Some part of me had hoped to see a fight, or perhaps even a glimpse of her power surface, yet she remained infuriatingly subservient at the king's side, as if her stiletto-clad feet were glued to the ground.

"One more item before we begin—a consolation prize of sorts." Necros glanced over his broad shoulder toward the top of the stairs. "Maximus?"

A giant of a man appeared in a suit similar to my own, a small trembling girl at his side, with soft brown curls and round eyes filled with horror.

The queen grabbed her husband's arm, causing him to turn toward her with a warning glance. She said something too softly for me to catch, her imploring gaze making the king's mouth to flatten.

"Even now, my wife forgets her place," Necros boasted, his tone filled with disdain. "Which is why I offer her lady's maid for entertainment tonight, to those who prefer a quick fuck over the fight for a taste of royalty."

I set my glass down, the power play souring my stomach. This was all a ruse, a way to weed out the weakest among the herd before we even began. And already several were taking the bait.

Such a sad group indeed.

To think, Grigory had worried about me.

Tears blossomed in the queen's eyes, her mouth moving almost silently to plead for the female she clearly cared about above. The king ignored her, signaling for Maximus to bring the shaking girl down to his level. She appeared so young, maybe twenty at most. Her fearful gaze sought out the queen, a look of misery passing between them, much to the amusement in the room.

Jeers began, salacious commentary littering the air, leaving only a few of us silent in our preparation for the true prize.

A prize that was visibly breaking only twenty feet away.

The little bird's wings were clearly clipped before she'd ever learned to fly. She attempted to move forward, as if to shield her lady's maid, but the king held her back with a hand on her shoulder and some stern words whispered into her ear.

Whatever he said had her posture falling into perfect submission, her beautiful face angling toward the ground.

There was nothing she could do.

Nowhere to run.

And yet, a slight clench in her jaw indicated her opinion. Hmm, was that the fighter inside teasing her way to the surface? Or a way to keep herself from sobbing before the room of hungry males?

The lady's maid screamed as her clothes were ripped away, the men already on her for their bout of enjoyment.

Necros observed the debasing act with a serene gleam, revealing the king's perverse side. He enjoyed harming those beneath him, mostly as a way of remaining in power.

But what he adored more was to take out potential contenders. Hence, tonight's little game.

I slowly removed my suit jacket, folding it over a nearby chair, and began rolling the sleeves of my dress shirt while I waited.

By my count, there were fifteen of us who could potentially compete. None of them posed a threat to my ability and status. But there were a few I wouldn't mind removing from the equation, mostly because I wanted the queen to remain intact and not everyone here would have her safety in mind.