Chosen Mate Of The Beastmen Empire

1941

A drore blew in from the window, smacking her in the face. But under her skirt, the ice bucket's cool air brushed her Aerator and cold at once-uncomfortable-so she shut the window.

hars ago with the south?" She hadn't seen anything about it in recent reports.noveldrama

But this year's weather had been brutal. If it was this bad in Hilltop City, it would be worse down south. Farmers and Anorers still had to work in that heat-tons of them must've gotten heatstroke.

Axseed Sheld dropped the ball-hadn't thought it through before.

She need to figure out ways to help folks too poor to see a doctor, so small illnesses didn't turn deadly. If a family's breadwinner went down, losing their main worker, she couldn't imagine how rough life would get.

The heir scratched his check, mumbling, “Lately, seems like a lot of people in the south have been getting sick-some even

Axjoked, snapping her head up. "What kind of sickness? Heatstroke? Flu? Or plague?

"I dunno," the heir said, fumbling. "My dad just heard it from some wandering trader-might not even be true"

No official reports of a plague had come from anywhere yet, but Nyx couldn't shake a bad feeling. She picked at her food a couple times, then lost her appetite. Her head was swimming with plague countermeasures.

Money and supplies were small potatoes-the treasury was thush, and she had cash to spare for donations. The real worry was if it spread too wide, too fast- medicines might not keep up.

Seeing her mood tank, the heir clammed up, regretting he'd brought it up. It was some trader's offhand comment-but it ruined Nyxx meal. If he could redo it, he'd have kept his mouth shut.

They'd arrived at the tavern all chipper, but left in silence, the air heavy. The owner started second-guessing himself and the taste of the food.

He chased after them a few steps outside, wanting to ask if he'd messed up somewhere. Just as he stepped out, he caught NY bumping into someone and rushed over. "My lady! Lady Nyx!

Nyx got steadied from both sides while the heir chewed out the guy: "You blind? Watch where you're going?"

She suddenly felt like some spoiled bully and waved him off quick. Looking closer, the guy who'll crashed into her was a ragged, wild-haired beggar-clearly sick, coughing nonstop, shaking all over, drenched in sweat. She couldn't tell if it was

illness or lear

Two shadow guards pinned him down hard; a few others lurked in the corners, eyeing him. "My lady, this guy's suspicious. Well take him back for questioning"

Wide street like this, he dodged everyone else but slammed right into her-maybe he was up to no good. That got the heir Jumpy too. Forgetting manners, he scanned Nyx. Lady, you okay? Not hurt, right?

Nyx glanced down at herself-nothing seemed off. T'm fine.”

She figured he was just too sick to see straight and stumbled into her by accident. But the guards' caution wasn't baseless. She sighed and only said, "Don't torture him. If he's clean, get him a doctor"

The beggar froze for a second, then dropped his head, letting his messy hair hide his althy face

Just a little biccup-Nyx didn't dwell on it. Back at the palace, both her guys were gone. A maid said respectfully, Aurelius and the General went to Four Peaks Mountain"

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16:15 Mon, 17 Mar M

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'Four Peaks Mountain? Banon?' Nyx was surprised. She thought, "They'd actually go see him. Is he about to croak, and they are giving him a last goodbye?'

It didn't add up though. Pale Wolf might, but her little cat wasn't that soft-hearted- he wouldn't care if Banon lived or died.

Lost in thought, Nyx started feeling tired, her eyelids drooping. Before lying down, she had to bathe-couldn't sleep all grimy.

She told the maids to bring water, stripped down, and soaked alone in the tub. The hot water melted her limbs, making her drowsier-she just wanted to close her eyes for a quick nap.

Evening at Four Peaks Mountain was bleak and lonely, the dying sun casting an even deader vibe. The abandoned retreat hadn't been tended in years-weeds everywhere, a few scrawny trees clinging to rocky cracks.

From the rundown house came Banon's gut-wrenching coughs, sounding like he might keel over any second.

Hearing that tubercular racket from afar, the two men stopped outside, not bothering to step in. "Spit it out-what do you want to say?"

The crumbling walls didn't block sound anyway-they'd hear him fine. Both guys' faces were identically cold.

They wanted to see what brilliant last words Banon had cooked up-something they'd regret not hearing after all his fuss to summon them.

The coughing stopped; the room went quiet. Then came a wheezing, broken laugh, like a busted bellows. "You're here- good, good. Guess what I've got?"

Nobody answered. Whatever he had, Aurelius didn't care, and Erik couldn't be bothered.

The laughter didn't quit-it got wilder. "If all went well, Nyx should have caught the same thing as me by now! Aren't you curious how long she's got left?"

Nyx was their shared Achilles' heel. In an instant, both men's faces twisted. Erik yanked his sword from his waist, his glare practically feral.

"What've you got?” Aurelius asked, a furious smile curling his lips, the urge to gut someone alive peaking.

Banon clammed up, humming a tune instead-choppy and awful. "A frail beauty fades on her sickbed, morning clouds and evening rain all ceased. Past glories slip away in dreams, youth fades fast, a soul broken, hard to mend."

"I'm just a dead man walking-why waste time questioning me? Better hurry back to check on your woman," he said, then sneered, "But this thing spreads easy. Best lock her up like me and stay away."

He thought, 'You said you loved her and only wanted her. But now she's a danger. You will never risk your own life for her! Poor Nyx, scheming for them her whole life, only to end up alone like me-a condemned sinner.

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16:15 Mon, 17 Mar M