Chapter 2
My heart dropped.
"Is it... an imperial decree?" I asked.
The butler shook his head, his lips quivering.
He replied, "It's the Crown Prince's Palace's token.
"The Crown Prince is summoning you. You're to head to the palace right now."
The Crown Prince's Palace was extravagantly luxurious, almost eerily quiet.
A faint, cloying incense hung in the air, so sweet it made me feel uneasy.
I followed the servant through endless corridors.
We finally stopped outside a brightly lit hall.
"General Nelson, the Crown Prince is waiting for you inside," the servant said.
The servant bowed and left, leaving me standing there alone.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy doors to the hall.
The hall was as warm as a spring day.
Andrew lounged lazily on a divan draped with a white tiger pelt.
He'd shed his ornate court attire for a casual black silk robe, the collar loosely undone.
His long black hair fell freely around his shoulders, making his features look even more devilishly handsome.
He held a crystal goblet filled with amber wine.
As I entered, Andrew glanced up, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.
"General Nelson, you're here. Take a seat," Andrew said.
I didn't move.
"Crown Prince, why did you say that today?" I asked, cutting straight to the chase.
I always cut to the chase, especially when dealing with this unpredictable lunatic.
"Why?" Andrew raised an eyebrow.
He swirled the wine in his glass and gave a soft laugh.
He asked, "Which line are you referring to, General Nelson? Was it when I said you were guilty? Or when I claimed you harassed me?"
His words were openly teasing, with no attempt to hide his flirtation.
My hand went to the hilt of my sword without thinking.
"You know exactly what I'm asking," I said.
My voice was cold as ice.
"This benefits neither of us, nor the royal family," I added.
"Quite the opposite," Andrew replied.
He straightened up and placed his glass to the side.
"There's plenty to gain," he said with a smirk.
He rose to his feet and sauntered over, closing the distance between us.
The air grew heavy with the scent of wine and incense, pressing in on me as he drew near.
"General Nelson, you've been masquerading as a man and lying to the throne. That's a crime that could wipe out your whole bloodline," Andrew said.
He stopped right in front of me, standing half a head taller.
He leaned in, his lips almost brushing my ear, his voice dropping to a low whisper, like the devil whispering in my ear.
Andrew whispered, "With just a word from me, I turned your crime against the crown into nothing more than a juicy rumor.
"Of course, I'm the star of this little drama.
"But at least you and the Nelson family get to keep your heads, at least for now, right?"
I stayed silent because he was right.
He had indeed saved the Nelson family and me for now. But I wondered what the cost would be.
There was no such thing as a free lunch.
Andrew would never do anything unless he could get something out of it.
"What exactly are you after, Crown Prince?" I asked.
"You're clever," Andrew said.
He straightened up with a pleased grin.
"I like dealing with people who know how to play the game," he added.
He paced around me, sizing me up like I was some kind of interesting prize.
His stare unsettled me.
Andrew said, "The Frost family wants to use you to bring down your father and strip him of his power.
"I can't stand the Frost family.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You get how this works, don't you, General Nelson?"
"So, you want to work with me, Crown Prince?" I asked.
"No. It's not a request, it's an order," Andrew said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
He reached out, his fingertips gently lifting a strand of my hair.
Andrew continued, "I helped you keep up this lie, protected your secret.
"From this moment on, Hayden, you're mine."
My eyes narrowed, and I instinctively tried to dodge his touch.
But he was quicker, pulling his hand back before I could move.
"Now that you belong to me, you'll be doing my bidding," Andrew said.
He strolled back to the divan and picked up his glass of wine.
"I've got your first assignment for you," Andrew continued.
He paused, glancing up at me, his eyes glinting with a wicked light.
"It's simple. Come here and help me bathe," Andrew said.
My hand tightened around the hilt of my sword, the cold metal steadied me a little, cooling the rage that threatened to boil over.
I thought about killing him.
I wouldn't dare do it in the main hall.
I wouldn't dare do it here, either.
All because he was Andrew, the Crown Prince.
I stared at him, my gaze as cold and deep as a frozen lake.
"As you wish, Your Highness," I said, my voice icy.
Andrew's smile deepened.
It was the kind of delight a cat would feel when it had got the mouse completely under its paw.
He was clearly pleased with my ability to read the situation.
He turned around and sauntered toward the back of the hall, heading for the sectioned-off space behind the folding screens.
The sound of water trickled through the air, steam curling up and filling the room.
A huge white marble pool sat there, its surface covered with rose petals floating atop the water.
He unfastened his belt, letting his black robe slip to the floor.
Next, he shrugged off his inner layer.
With zero shame, he showed off his toned, well-defined torso right in front of me.
There was not a scratch or blemish anywhere.
His story of being sexually harassed was obviously a lie.
He stepped into the marble pool, water erupting all around him.