The Third Prince Of Darkness

I opened my eyes when I felt movement. The first rays of the morning sun were gently dripping through the window. There was a pleasant taste in my mouth, harmonizing beautifully with the delightful memories of last night. As my gaze shifted to the side, I saw Luciana crawling out of bed slowly. She was completely naked, and the marks I had left on her last night, especially on her hips, were more visible in the sunlight.

She was probably trying to sneak out of the room, feeling ashamed of last night. I quickly reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her towards me. A gasp escaped Luciana's lips. I embraced her tightly, feeling her heart pounding like a frightened rabbit's. Her head rested against my chest, and I bent down to kiss her hair.

Her body was on top of mine, and since we were both completely naked, the sensation of her soft skin against mine was indescribable. Her body was so smooth and tender, like a baby's, as if there wasn't a single bone in her.

"Good morning, my love."

Luciana flinched when she heard my voice. She couldn't bring herself to look into my eyes. I held her tightly for a while. Her shy demeanor made me smile. I held her a little closer and whispered softly into her ear,

"Instead of sneaking out, how about staying and taking a bath together?"

At my words, her face turned even redder, and she nodded slightly. I could feel her heart racing again. Her innocent reactions always managed to captivate me.

"You made the night unforgettable," I said, gently running my fingers along her back. "But I'd prefer to spend the morning with you, too."

Luciana remained silent. But then, gathering her courage, she lifted her head and looked into my eyes. "What do we do now?"

I understood why she asked this question. Our love was a scandalous, forbidden affair. It was a significant question because it concerned our future and the challenges we would face.

"We'll figure it out… I promise."

My brief answer seemed to satisfy Luciana, and a faint smile appeared on her face. I gently cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer to me, and passionately kissed her swollen lips—a lingering testament to last night's memories. When our lips parted, Luciana's misty eyes gazed deeply into mine.

"I love you..." I said Stay tuned with empire

Luciana smiled initially, then hesitated. She bit her already sore upper lip from my last night's efforts and closed her eyes briefly. I could feel her pulse quickening. She opened her eyes and gazed into mine with those ocean-like blue orbs.

"I love you too..."

Hearing Luciana say those words filled me with warmth. In her blue eyes, I saw both peace and fear. My hands trailed slowly from her shoulders downwards, rediscovering every curve of her body. I couldn't help but smile faintly.

"You know we could build a life together, don't you?" I asked, my eyes locked on hers.

Luciana took a deep breath. "It's easy to say, but it's not that simple..." she said, her voice trembling. "I know, I want to, but... I'm scared. It will only get harder."

She was right. Building a life with her meant breaking the rules of our surroundings and defying societal norms. Even though incest was known, especially among nobles, it didn't mean it was socially accepted. But I was a king, and I was ready for it. I placed my hands on her cheeks and gently lifted her face, meeting her eyes close.

"No matter what, I'll be by your side. Just trust me, okay?" I said, my voice full of sincerity.

After a moment of hesitation, Luciana lowered her head. "I'd do anything to be with you... But I'm not sure where this will lead us," she said, her voice a mix of hope and fear.

I pulled her close again, and we stayed silent for a while. The stillness blended with the tranquility of the morning. In those moments, everything seemed possible. After a while, Luciana straightened up with a determined expression on her face.

"Alright," she said, the uncertainty in her eyes giving way to a hint of courage. "We'll see what happens together. But promise me... you won't leave me."

When I saw the innocence and determination in her eyes, I knew I'd never want anything but to be with her. "I promise," I said, pressing my lips to her forehead. "I will never leave you."

Luciana's face slowly lit up with a smile. In those moments, it felt like only the two of us existed in the world. The fears and uncertainties of the future momentarily faded, replaced by the love we had for each other.

"Now," I said, gently lifting her from my arms, "I'm serious about that bath. Isn't it the best way to start the morning?"

Luciana shyly nodded and followed me. We spent some time in the bath. Since Luciana wasn't drunk anymore, she was more reserved than she had been the night before. For now, I refrained from being intimate with her, allowing her to process everything and adjust. After a while, her shyness began to fade, and she carefully washed me, just as she did when we were children. She seemed more relaxed by my side, and my playful teasing was working.

When we emerged from the bath and dressed, we headed to the breakfast room. Isabella's scrutinizing gaze lingered on us, and noticing the blush on Luciana's face, she smirked mischievously. One might wonder why Isabella enjoyed seeing her best friend and the man she loved together. But that was just who Isabella was—a woman with a big heart hidden beneath her ample bosom...

She knew how unhappy Luciana was with Richard. Especially since Fiona had bullied both Luciana and her children, and Richard had done nothing to stop it. Isabella pitied Luciana, a beautiful woman without a real man in her life. I knew this because Isabella had told me herself.

When I confessed my love for Luciana, Isabella helped me because she wanted her best friend and the man she loved to be happy. Sometimes, remembering how good Isabella was made me want to throw myself at her and fuck her until she passed out... I suppressed this strange fetish confession with a cough and focused on the breakfast before me. Amid my family's cheerful chatter, I savored my favorite dishes.

---

In the silence of the night, I was writing two letters in my study. These were letters I intended to send to Liam and Thaerd. I planned to openly challenge both of them. Although I might seem at a disadvantage now, within the kingdom's strongest and most well-maintained walls, neither of them could do anything to me. However, attacking either one of them directly would also be highly dangerous for me.

My initial plan was to challenge both of them. The Duke of Fernnard, who supported Liam, would, of course, advise Liam to ignore this challenge. But Thaerd, being impulsive by nature, would likely be infuriated by my letter filled with insults. These letters would also allow me to gather some valuable information about my enemies.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

If Thaerd refused the challenge, it would mean that, like Duke Fernnard, he too had a clever advisor counseling him. Meanwhile, if these letters were rejected, I would commission a new article in my newspapers, portraying these two men vying for control of the kingdom as mere cowards.

The challenges were invitations to a one-on-one duel. In the letters, I told them to come and fight me personally, with the winner gaining the right to rule the kingdom. I also mentioned that by doing this, we would prevent further harm to our people. Naturally, since I planned to publish slightly altered versions of these letters in the newspapers later, my brothers' refusal of the duels would deal a significant blow to their public support.

*Knock-knock-knock

I had already finished preparing the letters when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" I said as I rose to my feet.

The temporary head servant I had appointed entered. "My lord… There are some very important people you must see," he said.

But before he could finish his sentence, someone burst into the room and ran straight toward me. I recognized her immediately. With her striking golden hair and captivating red eyes, she was a woman who could easily stand out anywhere. Her red eyes were wet, and although she rarely cried, she was biting her lips to hold back her tears as she ran toward me. She reached for me and hugged me tightly. This woman, who should have been at the academy right now, was Kayle, clinging to me with all her strength.

A moment later, she let go and stepped back, landing a hard punch to my stomach. My face contorted with the sudden pain as I looked at Kayle in shock.

"Never again… Never again will you put yourself in such danger… I won't allow you to do something like this without me!"

As I bent over from the sharp pain in my stomach, I noticed the anger in Kayle's eyes. Her uncontrollable anger stemmed from her love for me. Her trembling yet firm voice echoed in the room, mingled with her tears.

"Hello to you too, Kayle."

When I straightened up, Kayle hugged me again. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hit you so hard."

I only chuckled at her sweet apology. As my eyes wandered behind Kayle, I was surprised once again to see another woman standing there.