Chapter 43


    The very Cor


    You… You….Your Highness!”


    The man couldn’t believe his own eyes. A member of the Imperial Family, in the ve Market? What


    had gotten into him! He nced at the concubine next to him, and the obvious cor on her neck. What


    was that? He probably wanted his new toy’s cor off, but… What was the deal with the dozens of


    ves behind him?!


    “Take that damn thing off.”


    Kairen’s angry voice had everyone sweating in fear. One of the older men took a step forward, looking


    at Cassandra’s very cor with a suspicious look.


    “It’s not that simple, Your Highness. Every ve has a binding contract and a debt to pay in order to


    buy their freedom back.”


    *A debt?” repeated Cassandra, shocked. “Are you implying I owe you money?”


    Kairen raised an eyebrow, not because of the ve trader, but in surprise at her sudden stance. It


    wasn’t often that he saw her really angry at someone.


    Cassandra was shocked and furious. She stepped forward, ring at the man like she never had


    before.


    “You stole me like some merchandise from my tribe when I was a child! You ransacked every house,


    killed every man you couldn’t sell. You locked women and girls in cages, like we were animals! If any


    money has to be taken into ount, you owe me more than a hundred whole lives could repay, for


    everything you’ve done! You owe me everything you took from me, my family, my life, my people!”


    The man was shocked that the young Concubine had dared to yell at him. He nced at the Prince,


    but seeing that he wasn’t taking part in the conversation, he crossed his arms and made an offended


    look.


    “Young Lady, how is it my fault if your tribe, or whatever, fell because of some war or bandits? It’s not


    like people run here for very contracts! That’s how the business is. We get the ves and find them


    ces to work. You should consider yourself lucky. You were provided a roof and food after what


    happened to your people!”


    “Lucky?” repeated Cassandra in astonishment. “You think ves…are lucky?”


    Some of the people following them started yelling at the ve trader, making him step back. The crowd


    behind him wasn’t too happy, either. In the ve Market, which was basically a huge tent for buyers


    and sellers to meet and trade the ves, there were about thirty to fifty ves per trader. While their


    wrists, ankles, and neck were all bound by chains, they were free to re and yell. Seeing the situation


    wasn’t good, some buyers promptly left. No one wanted to get caught between a ve-trader and an


    Imperial Concubine wearing a very cor…especially when she is backed-up by her Prince and his


    Dragon. (3)


    Krai was standing outside of the tent, growling regrly. Plus, with its size, no one could ignore the little


    mountain of ck scales that stood visible behind all of the crowd.


    “I’ve spent almost half my life as a ve, and I should be grateful for it?” said Cassandra, outraged. “I


    should be grateful for all the times I’ve been whipped, beaten, and starved? For eating scraps and


    drinking dirty water? For risking my life every day? Thank you for the scars and nightmares?”


    The ve trader rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed at her.


    “What are youining about, huh? You got yourself an Imperial Prince, didn’t you? You, of all


    people, should be damn grateful you weren’t killed!”


    – For the first time in her life, Cassandra felt utter hatred for someone. She took the little dagger at her


    hip, and


    without warning, shed the man’s arm. Not too deep, just enough for blood to appear, making him yell


    in pain.,


    “You…you swine!”


    “What? Aren’t you grateful? Isn’t this nothing?!” Cassandra yelled back angrily, with tears in her eyes.


    “ves get injuries like this every day! The only person I’m grateful to is My Lord, for not killing the


    abused goods that I am! For taking a liking to me, despite all the scars I carry!”


    “Cassandra, enough,” said Kairen, taking the dagger from her shaking hand.


    Gently, he put his hand around her,forting her and kissing her wet cheek. Cassandra had never


    been so angry before. She couldn’t even express it correctly.


    “It’s… Those men are…”


    “Calm down,” he whispered.


    He didn’t mind her getting mad at someone. He wouldn’t have blinked if she killed him, but he didn’t


    want to see her too worked up, not when she was pregnant. She was crying in anger and shaking. He


    turned to the man, ring at him with a deadly look in his ck eyes. O


    “The cor. Now.”


    The man hesitated. Even if this Concubine was upset or whatever, the Prince was a member of the


    Imperial Family, someone with money to no end. Maybe he could get some more before freeing that


    ve for him.


    “I can do it, but the binding contract, and the fee…”


    This time, Kairen had enough. Without warning, Kairen grabbed the man by his cor and pulled him


    back to the entrance. The man screamed like a pig, terrified. He didn’t expect the Prince would get mad


    over a ve, or even a Concubine. Kairen’s apparent calm andposure had misled him to think


    Cassandra was the only one who was


    angry.


    “Let me go! I’ll free her! I’ll free her right away! We have a key! A key that works for…”


    Before he could end his sentence, Kairen threw him like a sack toward Krai. The Dragon, like a dog


    catching a ball, crunched him half-way. It didn’t even chew, just gulped the man down, ending his life in


    seconds. After that, it burped loudly, to everyone’s disgust. When Kairen walked back to his Concubine,


    Cassandra was frowning.


    “Can Dragons get sick?” she asked.


    “What would he get sick with?”


    “Rotten meat,” she said with disgust. “It’s the second one today.”


    Kairen smirked.


    “His stomach can handle fire.”


    He then turned to the other ve traders present, all of their faces had gonepletely white with fear.


    Before any of them wondered how many humans a dragon could eat in a day, they all ran to


    Cassandra, each bringing some very odd key. Kairen kicked one that hade too close, warning the


    others not to overstep that range.


    He grabbed one of the keys and gently turned Cassandra around. Her head was spinning a bit. Really,


    now? Was it…really happening? She noticed her own breathing was getting louder, her heartbeat


    ringing in her ears.


    With a loud clicking, the two half-rings of metal fell at her feet. Cassandra looked down at the rings for a


    few seconds, stunned. It was more than just those pieces of metal, it was her neck, and the sensation


    of lightness, that struck her. 5


    There would be no more constant heaviness around her neck, no more pain. She slowly brought her


    fingers up, touching her skin. It was gone, really gone. It wasn’t just the cor that was removed; it was


    like a hundred pounds of sorrow, fear, and pain had been lifted off her shoulders.


    Cassandra silently started crying, hiding her face in Kairen’s shoulder. Her Prince held her close,


    caressing her back and neck, waiting for her to calm down.


    With her cheeks still wet, she suddenly grabbed his face and kissed him without warning. The War God


    wasn’t expecting this. Never before had Cassandra been so passionate, demanding, andmanding.


    Yet, it felt so incredibly good. He answered her kiss,pletely forgetting the world around them. It


    was like another woman had taken over her body, iming him, hungry and restless. She caressed his


    cheek, his nape, keeping him to herself. Kairen was pleasantly surprised, his arms around her waist,


    hugging her until they parted, both of them out of breath.


    For a while, they stayed silent, their faces close to each other, in a slight daze.


    “Thank you,” whispered Cassandra.


    Kairen didn’t answer, only wiping her tears and kissing her gently again, while Cassandra stood against


    his chest, her eyes closed. She was still trembling a bit, but he continued to hold her and turned to the


    ve traders.


    * The others. Now.”


    The ve traders looked at therge group, a bit hesitant, but all of them had seen or heard the sound


    of a man being eaten alive by a Dragon. No one wanted to be the main dish. They rushed toward the


    other ves, each carrying one of the keys, and the cors fell one by one. People started crying,


    screaming, andughing in joy. Some even hugged their siblings or friends, overwhelmed with relief.


    Cassandra only listened. She still had her eyes closed, leaning on Kairen’s chest; her Prince’s hands


    holding her tightly.


    When they were done with the group, the ve traders returned, visibly pissed by what had just


    happened. Freeing fifty or so ves in a day wasn’t a part of their ns at all. Kairen’s deadly re on


    them wasn’t stopping, making them feel as if something was wrong.


    “S… Sir, we are done…”


    “I said, free the others.”


    For a few seconds, they didn’t understand. They had obviously freed all of the group, so why… Then,


    their faces turned white, one by one. He couldn’t possibly mean all of the ves? Yet, the Imperial


    Prince’s re was obvious. The men stepped back.


    “Your Highness, this… this is our trading business. This is how we…we make our living.”


    “If we free all our merchandise, we…”


    Kairen’s unwavering expression was extremely scary and disturbing. Three of the ve traders turned


    back and ran to free their ves, with shaking hands. The men left were hesitant. He couldn’t be…


    serious, could he?


    All of a sudden, a loud growl was heard. Krai began to bite and tear the tent away. Even though the


    tent was dozens of meters long and wide, the dragon pulled it like a child would have yed with a


    handkerchief.


    Kairen stayed silent again, but Cassandra stepped closer, talking to the closest trader.


    “The man who sold me, sold my younger sister too. His name was Nubar.”


    “Nu…Nubar died years ago, Madam.”


    “How can I find my sister?” she insisted, still visibly upset.


    The man hesitated, but someone from behind him spoke first.


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    “How…how old was she, Madam?”


    “She was seven.”


    “Then…she was probably sold to a brothel.”


    Cassandra felt her heart sink.


    “To a brothel? I just said she was seven years old!”


    “They take the young girls when they are very young, so they can train them and ensure their virginity.


    If they are very pretty, they can be sold at very high prices to wealthy nobles, but most of them are kept


    as prostitutes.”


    Cassandra almost fainted. A brothel… Her sister had really been taken to some brothel? She felt like


    crying again, and throwing up. Those people were less than human. She turned to Kairen, shaking her


    head, feeling sick.


    “I want to leave,” she cried. “I want to leave this ce. I never want to step foot here, ever again.”


    Kairen slowly nodded, and carried her outside, Cassandra’s arms around his neck. When he reached


    Krai, the dragon was growling in the direction of the ve traders, its eyes darkening,


    “Stuff yourself,” the War God whispered.