You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 97

The Ashatra Civil War, the Parsion War, and the Omar-Padisha Rebellion—

For a time, it seemed Ashatra would be consumed by the unrelenting flames of war. But for the first time in years, the kingdom was able to enjoy a long-awaited peace. Three years had passed since King Sindar’s wedding ushered in a new era, yet the event was still spoken of throughout the land.

“Queen Elona was truly breathtaking, wasn’t she? And she looked absolutely stunning in our traditional wedding attire.”

“Do you remember the king’s expression during the procession? I was right at the front, and I saw it clearly. Even that fearsome man had the unmistakable look of a lovestruck groom—he couldn’t take his eyes off his bride.”

“Fate is unpredictable, isn’t it? Who would have thought that the woman brought here as a slave would go on to save our king’s life and rise to the throne?”

“And what about the young prince? They say he was blessed by the god Lu even before he was born. Our king is already a remarkable ruler, but I have a feeling the prince will be just as extraordinary.”

With this era of prosperity, the people’s trust in the royal family only grew stronger. As Ashatra gradually recovered from the aftermath of war, it slowly began to reclaim its former glory.

And at the heart of this golden age were King Sindar and Queen Elona, who, even today, greeted another peaceful morning in the most private chambers of the royal palace—just as they always had.

*

Inside the drawn curtains surrounding the king’s bed, a soft dimness still lingered. As Elona slowly blinked herself awake, her vision was hazy with sleep.

Beneath the rumpled, thin blanket, she lay bare—warmly embraced from behind by another equally unclothed body. The firm, familiar sensation of him wrapped around her made her smile unconsciously. It was yet another peaceful morning, just like always.

“You’re awake?”

Kazan’s voice was slow and languid, his cheek nuzzling into her hair. He had woken up first, but he still sounded drowsy. When he pulled her closer, his hold tightened just enough to make it hard for her to breathe. She gently patted his arm, urging him.

“We should probably start getting up soon, don’t you think? We have a luncheon scheduled today, so if we sleep in too late—”

“It’s fine. We have plenty of time.”

“Still… ah, hey!”

He playfully nibbled her ear, teasing her for worrying too much. Judging by the way he clung to her, it seemed it would take quite some time before they actually got out of bed. Stroking her waist, he whispered against her skin.

“Why did you fall asleep so early last night? I was lonely, you know.”

“And whose fault do you think that was?”

Elona replied with a mischievous chuckle, turning in his arms to face him.

His dark, tousled hair, messy from sleep, looked adorably endearing to her. Even after three years of marriage, the way his crimson eyes gazed at her—still filled with the same sweet affection as when they were lovers—made her heart skip a beat. Seeing the playful glint in her eyes, Kazan smirked.

“Elona, you can’t just blame me. Shouldn’t you start building up your stamina? I didn’t expect you to last only twice. You used to handle much more than that.”

“Well… that’s because… whenever I was about to sleep, you never let me. You kept waking me up.”

“Then maybe we should start training again today?”

Kazan pulled her in even closer, his smile deepening. As their bare chests pressed together, he leaned down, sealing her lips with a slow, lingering kiss.

Caressing her back, he murmured temptingly,

“We have a long journey ahead of us starting tomorrow. So why don’t we just stay in bed all day? It’s not like anyone would dare to drag us out if we refused to leave.”

“Kazan, you… You’ve been getting more irresponsible lately.”

“Why? Even if I slack off, the kingdom runs just fine.”

To an outsider, his words might have sounded like those of a reckless king, but Elona simply smiled. She knew exactly why he could afford to be so carefree.

Shaking her head, she playfully scolded him,

“If you keep this up, the chancellor’s position might actually become vacant one day. He’s already swamped with work because of our upcoming trip….”

After the rebellion had been quelled, Zachary Horta had taken the place of Harnuk Padisha as the kingdom’s new chancellor. For over three years, he had fulfilled the role admirably. As a noble from the esteemed Horta family, which had sided with the royal army during the Omar-Padisha Rebellion, Zachary had proven to be far more capable than his predecessor. Thanks to him, Kazan had far more leisure time than before.

“Zachary needs work to keep himself sane. He gets anxious when he isn’t busy. So really, me taking it easy is just my way of doing him a favor.”

Elona highly doubted that Zachary would agree with that logic.

Just as she was thinking about finding a way to give the poor man a break, Kazan pressed a kiss to her cheek, breaking her train of thought.

“So, what are we doing today?” he murmured suggestively.

“Kazan, you really….”

Elona lightly pushed against his chest, but as always, he didn’t budge an inch.

Since waking up, she had already felt the unmistakable firmness pressing against her thigh—proof of his persistence. She knew full well that if she gave him even the slightest opening, the morning would melt into another blissful haze.

It was entirely up to her how this day would begin.

She was no longer a slave—she was a queen.

And not even the great King Sindar could defy the will of his wife.

Elona gently caressed his cheek and spoke softly.

“Maybe later, but not today. I’ve been looking forward to this luncheon for weeks.”

“Let’s postpone it until dinner instead.”

“No.”

At this point, there was no room for negotiation.

Still holding her in his arms, Kazan made one last request.

“Then at least kiss me.”

That much, she could allow.

Smiling, Elona wrapped her arms around his neck.

Like lovers reuniting after a long time apart, they held each other close, sharing a lingering kiss—only then did they finally begin their morning in earnest.

*

“Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion, but…”

A stern-looking middle-aged man, Zachary Horta, Chancellor of Ashatra, spoke calmly as he addressed King Sindar.

“Did you not assure me that you would have ample time for a briefing before the luncheon? You said so yourself—just last night.”

The gold-rimmed glasses on Zachary’s face gleamed under the late-morning sunlight, reflecting with a sharp glint like a divine warning. Kazan subtly averted his gaze, as if avoiding its judgment.

“Ah… Now that you mention it, I suppose I did.”

“Majesty, with the luncheon scheduled at noon, how do you expect to handle matters properly when you leave your chambers with barely twenty minutes to spare? The restoration budget for Luka needs to be finalized today. You must take the exact figures to High Priest Aslan.”

“A very reasonable point. But can’t you just take him whatever numbers you’ve already prepared?”

“There are three proposals. Will you not even review them?”

“Go with the first one. Isn’t the first option always the best?”

“Unfortunately, today, even the second option is quite viable.”

“Then take both the first and second options and have Aslan choose.”

“If we do that, he will undoubtedly pick the second. It has the larger budget.”

“Really? Then let’s go with the second one.”

“…….”

Zachary was left momentarily speechless, unsure whether to be relieved by the king’s decisiveness or frustrated by his utter nonchalance.

Just then—

“Your Majesty, have you finished your discussion with the Chancellor?”

Elona approached them, dressed elegantly for the luncheon. She had taken extra care with her attire and makeup today, as this was an event she had eagerly anticipated for weeks.

Kazan’s eyes lingered approvingly on the sapphire headpiece adorning her golden hair—a gift from him. Each time she wore one of his presents so effortlessly, it gave him yet another excuse to raid the royal treasury for more.

And he wasn’t the only one delighted by her presence.

“Good morning, Your Majesty. You look radiant as always.”

Chancellor Zachary Horta greeted her with a warm, respectful smile. While he was sharp, methodical, and utterly unsparing toward the king, his loyalty and admiration for the queen were unwavering.

Elona caught Kazan shooting an envious glance at Zachary, and she couldn’t help but giggle behind her hand.

As she stepped closer, Zachary swiftly seized the opportunity to share some news.

“Since you’re passing by, I’ll keep this brief. Starting next month, the Parsion diamond mines will resume operations.”

“Oh my, really? That soon?”

“Yes, indeed. I had been concerned about how to manage such vast lands, but thanks to you, one of our greatest burdens has been lifted.”

“Zachary, you always give me too much credit….”

“Not at all. It was your guidance that steered us in the right direction. The governance of former Parsion territories remains unstable, but at the very least, we can now move forward with the project.”

“…That’s a relief. Truly.”

Change was finally coming to her homeland. Watching Elona’s genuine joy, Kazan found himself gripped by a strange emotion.

He had never once regretted the destruction of Parsion. Yet, as a result, Elona had lost her country. Even as she stood beside him as Queen of Ashatra, the fact remained—she was still a princess of a fallen kingdom.

While she conversed with the chancellor, her expression bright and animated, Kazan was lost in thought.

Now that they had both forgiven the past and chosen love over resentment, was there some way to return to her even a fraction of what had been taken?

“Your Majesty, I’ve taken up too much of your time. You should be on your way—your guests have already arrived.”

Zachary gracefully stepped aside, allowing the royal couple to proceed. Snapped out of his thoughts, Kazan felt Elona’s soft hand wrap around his.

“Shall we go, Your Majesty?”

Her smile, radiant beneath the midday sun, was dazzling. It was the very smile he had devoted his life to winning.

Squeezing her hand firmly, Kazan stepped forward with her.

Beyond the red amaryllis-filled gardens, the guest Elona had long yearned to see was waiting for them.