At once, everyone in the hall dropped to their knees....Dimitri, Sorayah, and every servant present. The sudden hush in the hallway was deafening, broken only by the creak of leather boots and the rustle of royal parchnt.
The imperial eunuch stepped forward, his expression unreadable as he unrolled the decree with steady hands. His voice echoed through the silent chamber, solemn and unwavering.
"Concubine Sorayah is hereby condemned as a woman of indecency and disgrace. While the empire mourned the late Alpha Emperor, she shalessly seduced the Beta Lord, engaging in scandalous acts of carnal pleasure throughout the night. Both parties failed to attend the sacred mourning rites of the departed Emperor but then the Beta lord absence is understandable but Concubine Sorayah’s own is not. Therefore, by order of Her Majesty, Concubine Sorayah is to report to the Empress Dowager’s chambers imdiately to receive her punishnt."
"Do you accept this decree?" The eunch added with seriousness etched in his tone.
Sorayah remained kneeling, her head bowed low, her voice calm though laced with tension.
"I accept the Empress Dowager’s decree," she said, stretching out her hand to receive the scroll with dignity and grace.
The eunuch gave a curt nod and handed the scroll over, without another word, turned on his heel and exited the Beta Lord’s manor, the heavy doors closing behind him.
Dimitri rose to his feet slowly, his gaze darkened with grim determination. Turning to the soldier who had just arrived with news of Arata, his voice was steady and cold.
"I’ve received the news," Dimitri said. "You can begin preparations for the funeral even if my Concubine’s body is never recovered. I’ll go to the temple once more to search."
"Yes, Your Highness," the guard responded, standing up from the floor. He gave a sharp salute before departing, leaving Dimitri and Sorayah alone in the quiet, tension-laden hall.
Dimitri turned toward Sorayah, his expression softening slightly as he placed both hands on her shoulders. Their eyes locked.
"Liam will be watching over you," he said quietly, his tone more personal now. "They won’t kill you but you will be punished severely. I hope you can endure it... and wait for , just until tomorrow."
"I promise I won’t be long," he added. "Once I’m crowned, I’ll demand your release myself."
Sorayah nodded, her face calm but resolute.
"Yes, Your Highness. Go and take care of Arata’s funeral, while I... handle the punishnt from the Empress Dowager."
She gave a respectful bow, then turned and began walking toward the manor’s grand exit without looking back.
Just as the doors closed behind her, a figure stepped out from the shadows...Liam.
"Keep your eyes on her," Dimitri ordered firmly, his gaze sharp. "Report everything that happens at the Empress Dowager’s manor directly to . If it’s just punishnt. bearable punishnt...do not interfere. But if it turns toward death..."
He paused, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air.
"...intervene imdiately."
Liam nodded silently, the tension clear in his rigid posture, before disappearing once more to follow Sorayah.
****
The mont Sorayah arrived at the Empress Dowager’s manor, two guards stepped forward with iron grips, each seizing one of her arms and forcing her to kneel before the gates.
Within minutes, a long wooden bench was brought forth, followed by a large iron drum filled with canes of various lengths and thicknesses....each one brutal and worn. The guards stood solemnly around it, their heads slightly bowed but their eyes devoid of sympathy.
Sorayah swallowed hard, but said nothing.
From the interior of the manor, a regal and icy voice rang out.
"So... here you are."
The Empress Dowager erged, her presence commanding and elegant, adorned in gold-threaded robes. Her eyes were sharp, her voice laced with contempt. A golden chair was brought forward by her attendants, and she seated herself slowly, her gaze never leaving Sorayah.
Sorayah bowed deeply, her knees aching on the stone floor.
"Greetings, Your Royal Highness, the Empress Dowager," she said with formal reverence.
The Empress Dowager raised a single eyebrow, her fingers drumming against the arm of her throne.
"Do you admit your faults? Do you confess your disgraceful actions?" she asked coldly, her voice laced with venom and disdain.
"I understand, Your Highness. I shouldn’t have done that," Sorayah replied hoarsely, her voice strained from soreness. "I was focused on pleasing the Beta Lord which is very wrong of ."
Though her words were barely above a whisper, the Empress Dowager still understood her clearly. A smirk curled on the older woman’s lips, venomous and mocking.
"The Beta Lord’s stamina in bed must be quite exceptional if it robbed you of both your voice and your ability to walk properly," she sneered, her tone thick with sarcasm. With a cold flick of her hand, she turned her gaze toward the two guards flanking Sorayah. "Begin with fifty strokes of the cane."
Her voice rang with authority....sharp, unquestionable.
Without hesitation, the guards yanked Sorayah to her feet and shoved her toward the long bench. She was forced down onto it, her arms and legs tied securely to prevent movent once the beating began. Her breath hitched as the cold ropes tightened around her limbs.
I can endure this, Sorayah thought to herself, steeling her mind. I have to.
The first lash ca with no warning. The cane sliced through the air and struck her backside with a resounding crack that sent waves of pain surging through her entire body. She gasped silently. her throat too raw to scream while her spine tensed and her eyes watered.
The guards continued, their strokes rciless and deliberate. Each hit was worse than the last, tearing through both her flesh and her will. Blood began to seep through her torn robes, pooling across her bruised skin. Her body trembled, her consciousness flickering in and out like a dying fla, but she refused to break.
From her golden throne, the Empress Dowager watched with amused detachnt, her fingers adorned in jeweled rings resting elegantly on the armrests.
"The Beta Lord wouldn’t dare defy to save a re concubine," she said coldly. "You should learn to behave from now on. Once he’s crowned Alpha Emperor tomorrow, you’ll officially beco an imperial concubine but don’t let that fill your empty head with pride."
Her eyes narrowed.
"There are still other won from the late Alpha Emperor’s harem who will soon beco the new Emperor’s won. Won of noble birth. Won of power. And you?" She scoffed. "You’re a re human. You’re disposable. You may be favored now, but you’re not important enough to matter."
A guard stepped forward, panting slightly from exertion.
"Your Highness, the fifty strokes are complete. What would you have us do next?"
"Take her to the prison cells," the Empress Dowager ordered without hesitation, her tone sharp and final. "Make sure she receives no food or water. She is to remain there until the new Alpha Emperor personally requests her. If he doesn’t..." She let the words hang for a mont before continuing darkly, "Then you may do whatever you wish with her. Defile her. Break her. And then... dispose of her. She’s just a filthy little human anyway."
The Empress Dowager rose gracefully from her seat, her robes trailing behind her.
"I doubt the Beta Lord will even rember her. Not when he’s grieving the death of his concubine and unborn child. He’ll be far too devastated to care about her."
"Yes, Your Highness," the guards chorused in unison.
They untied Sorayah’s limp form, her body covered in blood and sweat. Without an ounce of care, they dragged her across the floor, her bare knees scraping against the cold marble tiles.
***
Once inside the prison building, the loud sound of wails from prisoners being tortured filled the air. The strong scent of blood, rot also filled the air.
"Tomorrow decides your fate," one of the guards sneered as he pushed her into the prison cell. Her body hit the stone floor hard, her skin grazing and tearing once more. "Sleep early and anticipate what’s to co."
"I wouldn’t mind exploring a human body before her execution," another guard chuckled, his voice thick with malice and perversion. He laughed cruelly before walking away with the others, leaving Sorayah alone in the cold, silent cell.
She lay still on the floor, her body trembling from both fever and injury. Tears spilled down her cheeks, burning paths into her bruised skin. The stinging pain in her buttocks was unbearable, and yet...her lips curled into a faint, defiant smile.
Well... I know you’ll keep your word, Dimitri. Her thoughts were faint but fierce. You still have goals that depend on . You need . Not just for your future... but because I’m the only one who can break your curse.
Her smirk deepened slightly.
And as for you, Mira... oh, we’ll have fun. Not just you, but all the other concubines. Even Luna Empress lissa. The harem is a battlefield anyways.
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