Tyrant's Obsession With The Heiress

"Now that you know everything, are you going to put me on a pole like those men in the ward and freeze me over?"

Lady Karina's soft voice came floating up to him, interrupting his thoughts of domination. He turned to her, his dual-coloured gaze drifting over her blonde hair and the sweet curves of her face.

It was no exaggeration to say that the pampered heiress of Moonveil had the most beautiful face, a feature that was not lost on her and something that Van Merikh had noticed since the beginning.

There was something about the fiery-spirited woman that intrigued him above any other woman he had ever encountered.

It was his interest that decided that she was of utmost value to him.

And unfortunately for himself, Van Merikh was thinking with his loins rather than his mind, which usually made his decisions for him.

The Lady Karina was far too knowledgeable about Moonveil to so easily rid himself of her, especially since he had yet to question her about the beasts.

More than that, he didn't particularly want to dispose of her.

After all, this plucky, lovely, feisty little woman was an unexplored curiosity to him and until he figured out what exactly it was about her that drew him, he would spare her life and keep her around.

"Not at the moment," Van Merikh answered her question, but any elaboration on his reply was interrupted by several men as they entered the solar.

Van Merikh took the liberty to pour himself more wine as the knights filtered in with their armour clanking, his dual-coloured gaze focusing on the men as they surrounded them.

It reminded Lady Karina of the moment she was dragged from her chambers on the day of the invasion when these familiar faces surrounded her and her servants.

They too wore markings of unknown nature on their skin, leaving her to wonder which distant lands they had come from.

She tensed, her fingers tightening around the cup until her knuckles turned white and she didn't dare to glare at them as she had done with Lyall.

"Since you will be captive in your own castle, I think it is only fair that you familiarise yourself with the men who hold your life in their grasp and understand that they are nothing to be trifled with, Lady," Van Merikh stated, his voice carrying its usual stern tone.

He lifted his cup and pointed it in the direction of the dirty blonde knight who had taken charge of her the night of Moonveil's capture.

"This is Lyall McShane; his mother is Romalian and his father is Francian, so he possesses all of the nasty temperament of those who despise Caelthywn," Van Merikh introduced and Lyall stood much like a stone figure with an unnerving gaze.

Romalia and Francia were kingdoms to the far Midwest, dealt much damage to by the armies of the Kingdom of Caelthywn where Blackthorn Reach's Border stood.

Caelthywn's armies, possessing various magical abilities within their ranks and bearing a powerful advantage, colonised and possessed as they saw fit and it was no surprise that a mixed-born like Lyall of Romalian and Francian blood despised Caelthywn to the core.

"Next to Lyall," Van Merikh continued, gesturing to the knights standing to Lyall's left, "stand Hendrix Alonso, Gilghard Hughes, and Caelum Montero. They are sworn to me above all else and would not hesitate to kill if I wish it, so I suggest that you learn to respect them, Lady."

When she found her courage, Lady Karina's gaze drifted over the four knights Van Merikh had indicated; the dirty blonde one named Lyall was young and fairly handsome, while the other three were tall, broad, large, and hairy, in that order.

She couldn't see anything spectacular about them other than that they were dirty, exhausted men with blood-crusted mail, much like their liege.

They gazed back at her with varied degrees of disinterest.

The hairy one even dared to pick his nose like a barbarian, naturally because he was one, and looked away.

Lady Karina had no intention of getting friendly with them. She would serve her respect only if she saw fit.

"If you do not plan to impale me like those men in the bailey, what are your intentions for me?" Lady Karina sounded suspiciously as if she was demanding. "Am I to be sent back to the vault or do you have other plans?"

Van Merikh poured his fourth cup of wine since he entered the solar.

"You will return to the duties you were charged with before I became Lord of Moonveil," Van Merikh stated, taking a long swallow. "You will continue to administer Moonveil's riches and maintain the keep as chatelaine. You will have as much freedom as necessary to complete your duties but you will not, for any reason, leave this keep. Is that clear, Lady?"

Lady Karina frowned.

"If you expect me to maintain my duties, then I must indeed leave the keep on occasion," Lady Karina replied without hesitation. "We have orchards and herds, my Lord. I must see to them with my own eyes as the keeper of the stores."

Van Merikh lifted a dark eyebrow at her words. "Then let me rephrase my statement. You will not leave this keep without one of my knights as an escort. To do so would incur my wrath and I believe you have already had a taste of that. A second taste will not be pleasant in the least."

He watched her cheeks flame just before she lowered her head, knowing full well that her mind must have suddenly recalled the 'punishment' that he passed moments ago in the vault.

Van Merikh observed her for a while, his mind racing with just foreign thoughts that it was difficult to grasp just one of them. Ideas that had not entered his mind since he had been a young, ambitious boy blossomed like unwanted bramble, cluttering up his thoughts to the point of distraction.

He began to entertain strange interests, like the colour of Lady Karina's cheeks as she blushed.

It was a lovely colour.

…lovely colour?

"If you have no more questions, then you may retreat to your chambers," Van Merikh remarked in a snappish manner, angry at himself. "You will not leave until I send for you, Lady."

Lady Karina's head came up, her emerald green eyes fixing on him. "May I ask a question, my lord?"

Van Merikh had turned back to his cup by then, grunting by way of an answer.

She took it as an affirmative.

"Where is my father?"