Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 81: My Life is Worth Nothing

Convincing Duke Kadler turned out to be easier than Lorelai had expected.

It was not really surprising––tugging at his weaknesses was something she had dreamed about for years and now she finally received a chance to get back at him at least somehow. Unfortunately, to her great disappointment, this achievement was not entirely her own.

Once again, she had to resort to the help of the man she desperately wanted to get away from while being pulled toward him instead.

"So, how did it go, Your Highness?"

Once Lorelai’s conversation with Duke Kadler was over, Marianna pulled her out of the queen’s palace and invited the princess for a refreshing walk. Now that everyone was gathered in the banquet hall, even strolling around the main palace was quite safe for the two of them; no one would pay any significant attention to them anyway.

"It went well," Lorelai assured her aide, "the piece of information Marquess Frederick had managed to retrieve, worked like a charm on him."

Marianna scoffed. She, too, could not conceal her delight when it came to Duke Kadler’s mishaps and failures, however small they were.

"I still cannot believe that man agreed to share such information with us after what Duke Kadler did to him... He is a truly marvelous man. I wonder if he did it simply because he could not resist helping you."

Marianna’s words struck a chord in the princess’ heart. Lorelai also wondered why Rhaegar shared his information with her so easily. She could not help but wonder whether there would still be something he would eventually ask of her in return. His favor was indeed a great one.

"He sacrificed his pride once again," her aide continued, "and the beasts are known for their unwavering pride. There is indeed more human in him than in anyone I know."

Lorelai sighed. Not because she did not like Marianna’s conclusion, but because she wholeheartedly agreed with it.

"Marianna," she finally replied and her quiet voice made the woman tense a little. "What do you think will happen to me once Duke Kadler learns that I am no longer a virgin?"

Yes, that was the question Marianna was afraid of.

After the princess confessed her relationship with King Rhaegar, the woman spent restless nights thinking about the consequences of such a connection. She knew that Lorelai was aware of what had happened to the duke’s previous wives.

Vincent Kadler was a disgustingly cruel man who played with women as children played with toys they hated. He tortured and abused them, draining their lives to satisfy his perverted desires. And once the man no longer saw any value in them, he disposed of them as if they were useless objects.

Princess Lorelai could not be any different. Despite her royal lineage, she was powerless and held no importance to the crown itself. Women in Erelith could not inherit the throne, and even if Duke Kadler became her husband, Queen Althea would never let him near the throne as well.

Marrying her off to the duke was nothing more than a deal. The queen got his power and support to manipulate the rest of the nobles while Duke Kalder got the doll he had been desiring the most.

He would not mind disposing of her in the future, but he would make sure to take in everything from him while he could.

"Your Highness," she finally shook off unpleasant thoughts, addressing the princess once again. "What if you... what if you could run away from him?"

"What do you mean?" Lorelai’s brows shot up in surprise; she could never imagine her aide voicing such a daring suggestion.

"The lycan king... Perhaps he could take you with him? Somehow, I am convinced that he would. And he would protect you, he can do that!"

Lorelai wanted to laugh. Not because she found Marianna’s words ridiculous, but because she, too, had already considered that idea multiple times.

Still, she could never admit that in truth, she really wanted to escape with him.

"Stealing me as his bride will only make things worse, Marianna. The royal family will declare war on the Beast Kingdom for kidnapping Erelith’s only princess, and I do not want my people to suffer anymore. My life is worth nothing."

Marianna parted her lips, ready to object to such a horrible conclusion but Lorelai motioned at her to let her keep talking.

"The moment Althea set foot in the palace and was pronounced Queen, my life turned into nothing. My mother is dead. My father is a ghost. Kai will ascend the throne soon. And I will be taken to the North. That is what everybody wants and whether we like it or not, that is what everybody needs. There are not many humans who can claim a good life in the Beast Kingdom too. And I am certain that the majority of King Rhaegar’s subjects will oppose having a human queen as well."

Lorelai wanted to say more but had to stop as something sharp lodged inside her throat, pushing all the words back down. Heavy tears welled up in her eyes and she had to make an effort to stop herself from crying.

She knew that Marianna did not mind her tears, but she was tired of being so weak in front of her. And most importantly, the princess was afraid that once she burst into tears again, her aide would actually convince her to run to Rhaegar and beg him to take her away from there.

"Your Highness," Marianna wrapped her arm around the princess’ shoulders and pulled her closer to her body, landing a soft kiss on her forehead as she tucked a wavy lock of hair behind her ear. "It pains me to see you suffer like this, but you know that I will always be on your side, no matter what you decide."

Lorelai smiled back at her and the woman added in a soft voice, "Whether you choose to stay or run away... I will do everything I can to make sure you do not regret your choice. I will do my best."