"I apologize for the inconvenience, Lord Zadkiel, but this matter takes utmost priority. We can't have them wait on the other side while people travel through the portal. You know it too, right?" Duke Silverthorne said with a hint of mockery.
He was a tall man with a long face and silver blond hair.
Even a kid could see this man was far too cunning and malicious.
"I understand what you're saying, but we've an important function that cannot be delayed. If we're going to wait for someone, then at least have the decency to say who's coming?" Duke Zadkiel was at his wits end from the back and forth between the abhorrent and stupid gorilla in front of him.
Neither he was allowing anyone to pass nor he was speaking about the said guest.
"Here," Duke Silverthorne presented a letter with a royal insignia on the top of it. "It's a royal decree for the abrupt stoppage of the portal until our esteemed guests pass through it."
With an unamused expression, Duke Zadkeil grabbed the letter and read it.
It was as he said- a letter signed with the royal insignia- an unchangeable and ultimate decree which, upon breaking, can result in death to anyone in any position.
"Ah, what to say? The King can't live without Silverthorne nowadays," Duke Silverthorne said. "Well, it's not like he can trust everyone. After all, the more power someone possesses, the more dangerous they became."
"Well, I'm glad you're aware of power, Lord Silverthorne," Duke Zadkiel folded the paper neatly. "Since I respect and abide by the law, I'll follow the royal decree. Only because it's a royal decree." He handed the letter back.
He was about to walk away when he heard the duke;
"Ah, I see, one of your prodigious 'sons' is here. Hey, Edward! come here and greet lord Zadkiel and young master Damien."
A young noble boy of age around his early twenties came forward, hopping from the wagon like he was eagerly waiting for this opportunity to call upon.
"Greetings, Lord Zadkiel and young master, Damien." Edward elegantly bowed as a true noble would do. Though Damien was sure he was just mocking them, the mockery wasn't evident in his posture. Nothing gave his acting away.
"Likewise," Damien said.
The Duke nodded in acknowledgment.
"How's your illness coming, young master? Are you able to move now?"
'Oh? How civil.'
"I'm not completely cured, Edward. I'm pulling some weights to enjoy the moment." Damien smiled elegantly.
"Does it bother you much?"
"No. The illness can--"
"To watch your fellow peers and siblings being trained and getting stronger?"
The air suddenly tensed. All the sounds came to a standstill. Even the falling leaves felt like were falling ever so slowly.
The young duo locked their eyes.
People around them were nonchalant, nonresponsive like all the talking around them was not their problem, but in fact, they were all listening, honing their hearing power to the maximum.
If they're not discreet, then they're six feet down the hole.
"Edward, my son," Duke Silverthorne started. "Don't be like that. You know it's a sensitive topic for him. Be better next time." He said in a scolding manner, quirking his brows.
"Sorry father--"
"That's alright, my lord. What he said is indeed true. It's hard to watch them grow while you remain stale as a garden bread," said Damien. "But what can I do but to curse my fate?
I've come to love my uselessness and enjoy the life I have. You can understand me, right my lord? I mean, you of all people can understand the kind of privilege I enjoy, right?" His lips quirked up to form a thin smile. Though his eyes were unresponsive, they held a certain glow in them.
"Bravo! You've truly grown up, Damien." Edward clapped his hands as he once again came face to face with the sickly and useless youngmaster. "Seems like your illness is curing just correct."
"Well, I'm taking my medications unlike you, who can't even actively search for the medicine because of the embarrassing situation you're in," Damien smirked as he gazed at the slightly taller guy. Watching his face crumbling as the words registered on him.
"...What are you talking about, young master?" beads of sweat trickled down the pretty face of the Silverthorne young master.
"Here," He gestured a handkerchief to Edward. "You're sweating profusely, young master. It's not good to sweat without doing any physical work." He smiled elegantly as he saw the redness on the handsome young master.
Edward's lips were quivering, pupils dilated, and more sweat rolled down his cheeks.
"The portal is opening! They're coming!" One of the Silverthorne knights screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Holy! Form the formation. Remember the guests are here for diplomatic matters, we must show our at most respect and as well as the might of our kingdom." Duke Silverthorne barked the orders and the knights from both the Silverthorne Duchy and the royal palace marched to form a wall starting from the rectangular portal itself.
Throughout the entire conversation, Duke Zadkiel didn't utter any words- he simply watched his son. Observed him.
This was not the same person he knew a few spans ago. Something changed in him. Like he suddenly gotten matured. The awkward expressions were replaced with more matured and passive expressions, like he aged mentally without any physical changes.
But how? That was the question the Duke had in his mind.
Must be the abduction and the following events. Something must have changed during that time. The Duke thought as he nodded his head in understanding.
The purple translucent portal shimmered and shivered as the mage near the portal chanted some words while holding a spherical blob in his hands.
After a few seconds, in came an elegant, naked leg before completing the sensual form of a beautiful, matured woman.
Her dress was like a long gown with a split around her right upper thigh. The tight dress amplified her matured and perfectly curved bodily mountains. Her milky white skin could turn red even with just a simple spank.
Long black hair swayed and danced around her head as she walked with an elegant smile. Her eyes, bluest of the oceans, emitted a powerful and regal aura.
Just by seeing her, Damien's little dragon rose to full form and saluted her.
'Holy fuck!'
That was it. That was the only 'object' he sees now. The image of pinning her down and gobbling up her massive bazookas filled his little heart.
Resting his face on her soft pillows after a hot steamy night, wah! What a dream.
In a split moment, Damien imagined a thousand ways he would make love to her. Fuck! He even imagined and voiced the woman moaning under his mighty dragon, though he was yet to even hear her utter a single word.
'Is this love? Wait, no. I'm feeling love for every lady I'm seeing now. What to say? My heart is just that delicate and big.'
It was not love he was feeling; it was lust! A carnal desire to just pin her down on this very road, and punish her to his heart's content.
His eye glowed, making his slightly glowing red ink of color turn into something blazing, like freshly spilled blood.
His lips turned slightly more reddish than normal, as well as his cheeks have a rosy tint to them.
He felt a wave of euphoria throughout his entire body, from the nail of his toe to all the way to the single strand of his hair, making his body look more elegant and oozing with love aroma.
'What...is this power?'
He wasn't imagining it, he could feel the physical change happening to his body.
'Is this the power of lust? Whatever it is, I'm loving it!'
He felt he could conquer the world eight times in the span of two days.
When he looked back at the source of his power, he got surprised as the blue ocean eyes were staring at him from a distance.
She suddenly averted her eyes with rosy cheeks and a small smile.
There were more people in front of the portal right now. He was confused but he couldn't care less as the embodiment of all the matured women in the world was side-gazing at him, averting her gaze like a teenage girl in love.
Before he knew it, the party was moving towards them.
They stopped before them and Duke Silverthorne unamusingly introduced them; "This is Duke Zadkiel from the Zadkiel duchy, and this is his second son, Damien." His voice indicated his obvious annoyance with the pests, like he assumed they would be gone while he tended to the esteemed guests.
Duke Zadkiel introduced himself, but all Damien could focus on was the lad- the 'woman' in front of him.
She held her hand.
He wants her! He needs her!
It was not a desire- it was a commandment written by the gods themselves.
"Your beauty could start a war on its own, your grace." He said as he kissed her hand.