You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 94

Elona recalled the desperate moment when she had nearly been swallowed by the sandstorm.

It had been Aslan’s words—his warning—that had given her the strength to endure.

“Thank you, Aslan. Truly… it was all thanks to your guidance.”

She met his eyes, her gaze filled with gratitude—

“Ahem.”

A sudden, deliberate cough interrupted them.

Both Elona and Aslan turned to find Kazan clearing his throat awkwardly.

When he realized he had their attention, he hesitated before speaking.

“I’ll use this moment to say it properly. For giving Elona that prophecy… and for saving both her life and our child’s from Zahhak…”

He took a deep breath, as if forcing out the next words.

“…Thank you. Aslan.”

A silence fell over the room.

Elona and Aslan both stared at him, stunned.

Kazan, visibly uncomfortable, stood up abruptly.

“I’ll leave you two to finish talking.”

Before walking away, he added—

“For this year’s celebration of Lu’s holy day, make arrangements with the Chancellor. Take whatever was left out of last year’s budget and triple it. Celebrate however you see fit.”

Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the room with long, purposeful steps.

For a moment, Elona and Aslan simply blinked at each other—before bursting into laughter.

Still smiling, they both rose to leave.

“Let me know if there are any more updates from Luka.”

Elona gave Aslan a warm smile before walking away.

Aslan watched her retreating figure, then stepped out into the palace gardens.

Crossing the vast courtyard, his thoughts drifted back to the vision he had seen of Kazan’s fate.

The son of Rite, who had once escaped death by his brother’s arrow—

Had ultimately slain that same brother, returning to the cycle of fate once more.

Yet he had survived, despite the grasp of wind and death that had nearly claimed him.

Because Elona had saved him.

Beneath the scorching sunlight, a new statue stood in the center of the royal garden.

She overlooked the vast expanse of Ferma, her expression serene and resolute.

The statue was a recreation of the lost image of Lu’s shrine—the very one Elona had seen in Luka.

Aslan approached the artificial pond that surrounded the monument.

The woman’s face bore an uncanny resemblance to Elona.

She held a water jug, tilted eternally—

From it, a never-ending stream flowed.

The sacred relic that Elona had retrieved from the desert.

The water cascaded down into the channels that wove through the palace, carrying life from the highest point to the lowest.

Aslan chuckled softly.

“Elona… you have no idea how much you have given us.”

Not even in her wildest dreams.

*

The first child of King Sindar was born in the early hours of dawn.

Labor had begun at sunset the previous day, so not only Elona but Kazan as well had spent the entire night without sleep.

“Your Majesty, please return to your chambers and get some rest.”

The elderly royal physician spoke with concern, but Kazan shook his head immediately.

Elona was inside, giving birth with the help of the midwives.

According to palace protocol, a male physician was only allowed to wait outside in case of an emergency.

Of course, there was no rule that required the king to wait outside with him.

“Is there really nothing I can do to help? She’s in so much pain…”

Like all women in childbirth, Elona endured long hours of labor, her cries of pain echoing through the halls.

Every time he heard her anguished voice, Kazan flinched, his face contorted in distress as he restlessly paced the corridor.

The royal physician had no idea how to handle this rare spectacle.

He couldn’t laugh, he couldn’t ignore it, and he certainly couldn’t come up with any comforting words that would satisfy the king.

“Do not worry too much, Your Majesty. Everything is proceeding as it should. Perhaps you should get some rest—by the time you wake up, it will all be over—”

“How could I possibly sleep? Stop telling me to sleep. Ah, wait. You—why don’t you go inside and help instead? Maybe that will make things go faster—”

“I may only enter if there is a critical complication.”

Kazan froze.

“…A complication?”

“As Your Majesty knows, childbirth is extremely dangerous. If either the mother or child falls ill or a serious problem occurs during labor, one of them may…”

“Stop. Do not say another word.”

His expression turned deadly.

Letting out a quiet sigh, the physician decided to simply observe the king. He had seen many first-time fathers become unusually anxious during childbirth, but he had never expected the great King Sindar to be one of them.

“…So you’re saying all I can do is wait?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“There’s no risk to Elona’s health?”

“None at all. She is strong in both body and spirit—there is no need for concern.”

“How much longer?”

“Well… at least another three or four hours….”

Thankfully, it was only the two of them in this hallway.

Had any of the palace servants witnessed this, they would have gossiped endlessly about how utterly devoted the king was to the slave princess.

‘Well, everyone already sees them as husband and wife, don’t they?’

The slave princess of Parsion had rediscovered Luka, saved the king’s life, and now carried his child.

It was only natural that many people had stopped referring to her as a slave and had begun calling her “Princess.”

After all, her child would one day ascend the throne under Lu’s name.

“Ha…”

Hearing the king let out another deep sigh, the royal physician could no longer hold back his amusement.

A king suffering alongside his wife outside the birthing room—he had never thought he’d live to see such a thing.

At last, hours later, just before dawn, the sound of a newborn’s cry echoed through the halls.

“Your Majesty, congratulations! A healthy prince has been born.”

The midwife, drenched in sweat but beaming with joy, stepped outside to deliver the news.

But instead of celebrating the birth of his heir or acknowledging the midwife’s efforts, Kazan immediately tried to enter the room.

However, the elderly midwife stepped forward with a strict expression and blocked his path.

“You cannot enter yet, Your Majesty. There is still much to be cleaned and prepared. Please wait here.”

“What? Until when—!”

He tried to argue, but before he could finish, the midwife shut the door in his face.

Too stunned to get angry, he simply let out another long sigh.

The royal physician, meanwhile, was deeply impressed by the woman’s sheer fearlessness in the face of the great King Sindar.

“You may enter now.”

After a short wait, the midwife finally welcomed the king inside. Kazan immediately strode toward the bed where Elona lay.

“Elona.”

“Ah… Kazan.”

She turned to look at him, her body drenched in sweat, utterly exhausted.

The scent of blood and sweat lingered in the air, and in that moment, his heart ached. She had suffered so much through the night. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms.

But she looked so fragile, as if she might break if he so much as touched her. So instead, he simply sat beside her.

Elona studied his tired face.

“You stayed awake the whole time?”

“How could I possibly sleep?”

“You didn’t have to… I’m fine.”

She spoke softly, smiling shyly.

She was relieved that after all the pain, the very first person she saw was him.

And she was overjoyed that they would meet their child together.

“Your Highness, the prince!”

The midwife brought over the newborn, tightly swaddled in cloth.

With her guidance, Kazan held his child for the first time.

The baby was so small, so delicate.

It felt less like holding and more like lifting something impossibly light.

“Mmm…”

His tiny son, meeting his father for the first time, was so soft and weightless that Kazan felt worry before he felt awe.

Was this child really okay?

Could something so fragile survive and grow?

“Please grant him a name, Your Majesty.”

At the midwife’s request, Kazan turned to Elona.

By tradition, all royal children received their names from their fathers.

But…

“Elona, you should name him. I will give him my family name, but you should give him his first name.”

The midwife opened her mouth to protest, then fell silent.

King Sindar was known for disregarding rules and traditions.

Elona hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly.

“Ashad.”

“That name…”

“Yes, the name of the first king.”

Her eyes shone with deep emotion.

“I’ve always wanted to name him that. Since the day I made my promise to Lu.”

It was an unthinkable break from tradition.

The founder’s name was considered too sacred to be passed down.

But…

“Ashad Mileshatra.”

Kazan spoke the name without hesitation—then smiled. Lu would be pleased. He gently placed Ashad into Elona’s waiting arms.

This child, born under the love of the gods, would continue their legacy. And his life would be filled with love.

*

Prince Ashad was already designated as King Sindar’s successor even before he was born. The fact that his mother was from Parsion did not cast any shadow upon him.

The legendary events that the slave princess of Parsion had endured in the desert had spread throughout Ashatra in books, songs, and stories. She was the woman who had overcome all hardships and given birth to the first Lu King in 300 years. No one in Ashatra considered her a slave anymore.

“A lot of letters have arrived again today, Elona. Do you have time to read them?”

“It’s fine, Miriam. Just leave them over there.”

Half a year had passed since she had given birth. With the help of numerous handmaidens and wet nurses, Elona was raising her child with ease. However, as much as she had free time, she was also given new responsibilities.

The situation in Parsion, composed of a culture and people entirely different from Ashatra, remained unstable. For the struggling ministers of Ashatra, Elona’s advice was invaluable.

“It would be better to appoint administrators from commoner backgrounds in Parsion. Most nobles there owned slaves and did not contribute during the war. If they are placed in administrative positions, the conflicts will only deepen.”

Even though she had been confined for seven years, she had been born and raised in the royal palace of Parsion. Her wisdom was essential for improving relations with the former Parsion Kingdom. Most of the letters that had arrived for her today were sent from Parsion.

“Ah.”

As she flipped through the letters, which were practically reports, Elona’s eyes widened when she spotted a familiar name. The sender was Sir Zerox.