The man lay half-naked on a silken mattress, covered only by a fur blanket. Sunlight shining through the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the room in natural light. The light filtered through his thin eyelids, waking him up. He blinked a few times, in an attempt to adjust his eyes to the light reflecting off the glossy stone ceiling.

When he moved his hand to cover his eyes, his elbow bumped into something cold. There was a woman lying next to him. He cast aside the blanket, exposing her badly bruised back.

He tapped her shoulder, which was covered in purple welts. "Hey, get up. It's time for you to leave."

There was no response.

"Get up!" He slapped her back.

She still didn’t respond.

Looks like I got a bit carried away last night. But it’s her fault for resisting.

He got off the bed, took out a cashmere robe from the nightstand, and draped it over himself. "Guards!"

The double doors of the room opened and two knights in silver armor entered.

He pointed at the woman. "Remove it from my sight immediately."

One of the knights approached her. "My prince, she's dead."

"So? You know the drill. Wrap it up and dump it with the other garbage."

"Yes, my prince."

The knights wrapped the woman's body with the bloodstained bed sheets and carried it away.

Prince Darius walked out onto the balcony. His mansion was situated upon a hill overlooking the capital. Even from afar, he could see the Royal Palace’s pointed towers and glistening walls of white stone. The mere sight of it provoked strong feelings of resentment inside of him.

Why am I still living here, in exile? I didn’t do anything wrong. Father only banished me from the palace because the nobles pressured him to. Once I’m king, I’ll purge them all. I’ll be able to do whatever I please, to whomever I want. The whole Dominion will become my playground.

"My prince, Otto is here to see you."

Prince Darius turned around and saw his butler standing at the door. "Tell him to wait downstairs."

"Understood." The butler bowed before leaving.

Prince Darius licked his lips.

What beauty did that disgusting piece of lard find for me this time?

***

Otto rubbed his hands greedily together.

I've hit the jackpot! Men would pay any price to get a taste of her.

Various price points floated in his mind. He would be able to charge a great deal of money for the services of his next slave. Leaning back into the couch, he wondered how he should spend his wealth.

Ooh, it’s so soft. Should I buy one of these for my house?

The dark brown couch looked like it commanded a hefty price. It had an exotic leather finish and refined arm rests with curves around their ends. A few years ago, he wouldn’t have even dreamed of owning something so expensive. But now things were different. His brothel business was booming thanks to his partnership with the prince.

Prince Darius entered the room, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. “How’s business?”

I thought he was taking his time to look presentable for me. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. Dressed like that… that spoiled brat still doesn’t respect me at all!

Otto put on a fake smile. “Fantastic! The last batch of women you sent over are fetching high prices for their services. As promised, here's half the profits."

He held out a bag of money.

Prince Darius pointed to the mahogany tea table. "Leave it there. I'll have my butler collect it later."

"Of course."

"What else do you have for me?"

"Oh... I see what you’re asking." Otto snickered. “You must be wondering if I’ve found any new women for you to enjoy.”

“Of course. Women are like wine – they taste great initially, but I quickly grow tired of them. I just discarded one this morning, so I need another one as soon as possible.”

"The woman I've found this time is a true beauty. I can honestly say that she's the most ravishing broad I've ever seen. Even a connoisseur of fine women, like yourself, would be entranced by her stunning looks."

“Is she a noble?”

“No, I’ve checked her background. She’s just a commoner, so we can do whatever we want with her.”

"Who is she?"

"She's a blonde who works at a popular new restaurant in the capital. I saw her while I was dining there. She had a perfect face and a sensual body to match. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain. Her breasts were so juicy that I just wanted to squeeze them, like this."

"I get your point. I must have her. Take four of my knights and bring her to me, immediately."

"Thank you, Prince Darius. I guarantee you won't be disappointed."

***

Chicken Castle was the talk of the town. It served delicious food that couldn’t be found anywhere else. There were rumors that the owner was a foreigner. Who else could come up with such a fresh menu? A long line of people waited to dine inside. The line extended far outside the restaurant's front doors.

A carriage, led by four knights atop horses, stopped in front of Chicken Castle. The carriage’s extravagant exterior, finished with gold and engraved with roses, drew stares from the people in line. They wondered who the owner of the carriage could be. A wealthy merchant? A noble? Or perhaps, a member of the royal family?

The knights dismounted. One of them opened the door of the carriage. A short, round man stepped out. The expressions of the people in line changed when they saw him. One woman raised her chin, while another tightened her mouth and raised a corner of her lip.

Glancing around, Otto noticed people staring at him with looks of contempt. It had always been that way. He’d thought people would show him more respect once he became rich. But that was not the case. They continued looking at him with disdain because of his looks.

He didn’t walk to the back of the line. Instead, he headed straight toward the restaurant’s front doors, followed closely by four knights.

The people in line whispered to one another as he passed them by.

“Does he think he can skip the line just because he’s rich? What a snob.”

“Why is he going to the restaurant? Isn’t he fat enough?”

“Only a mother could love that face.”

He wished he could order the knights to hack them to pieces, but there appeared to be nobles among them. He couldn’t touch them even with the prince’s protection. All he could do was hold in his fury.

He pushed open the door and looked around. Filled with laughter, talking, and squealing, the restaurant was bustling with noise and activity. Every seat was occupied. Children playing with their food giggled as their mothers looked on, exasperated. An old, immaculately dressed couple ate their food with forks and knives, one small piece at a time. Merchants, dressed in the brightest colors they could afford, spoke over one another. His gaze stopped at a blonde woman. She was taking customer orders behind a counter

I hate beautiful people like her the most. Why was she born into such a perfect body while I was stuck in this ugly one? Once the prince is done with her, I’ll put her to work immediately at my brothel.

He walked up to the front of the line. "I'm Otto. My business partner, Prince Darius, has taken notice of you. He would like to meet with you this evening. Rest assured, he'll make it worth your time."

The woman ignored him.

The anger that he’d kept pent-up inside burst forth. "You whore! You dare ignore me? Do you know who I am?"

The restaurant, which had been noisy a moment ago, became silent.

He could feel everyone’s eyes on him.

A cold voice came from behind the kitchen counter. "Is something wrong, Alana?"

She turned around. "He called me a whore."

A man dressed in an apron stepped out of the kitchen. Otto was taken aback by his appearance. He was the most handsome man Otto had ever seen.

She turned toward the man in the apron. "Hupo, I can handle -"

Hupo gestured for her to stop, glared at Otto, and shook his head. "Shouldn't have done that."

Beautiful people are always so arrogant. I’ll teach him some manners!

"You dare threaten me?" Otto turned around to face the knights behind him. "Threatening me is the same as threatening the prince - a crime punishable by death. Cut him to pieces!"

None of the knights moved. Their swords were shaking in their hands.

"What are you all waiting for? Get him!" Otto pointed a shaky finger at Hupo.

One of the knights gulped. "Sir, Hupo is the name of the current Combat Tournament champion."

"What? Him?" Otto looked at Hupo.

Why does he look so calm? Does he actually think he can beat four knights?

"That's just a coincidence! Why would the champion be working here? Even if he is the champion, he's not even armed. What can he possibly do without a weapon?"

Otto's outburst appeared to give the knights courage. They steadied their swords and looked at one another. One of them took a step forward, groaned, and fell.

"Wha-"

Before Otto could finish speaking, the remaining knights collapsed onto the ground. Hupo stood behind them.

How can anyone move so fast?

When Otto blinked, Hupo disappeared. Beads of sweat flowed down Otto’s face. He took a step backwards and bumped into something solid. Turning around, he uttered a yelp when he saw that he had bumped into Hupo.

Hupo stared icicles at him. "The knights are unconscious but alive. Don't ever come back here if you value your lives."

There was not a single trace of warmth in Hupo's eyes. This was a man who could do what he threatened.

"You, you'll pay for this!" Otto fled as fast as he could out of Chicken Castle.

***

He lounged on a plush couch and rested his feet on a polished table. In his hand was a long-stemmed wine glass, made of a clear crystal, intricately carved with beautiful birds. He flicked his wrist, making little circles in the air. The wine inside the glass swirled and sparkled magnificently under the warm lighting.

When he pressed the glass to his lips, a pleasant fruity aroma filled his nostrils. He felt a warm sensation flow down his throat as he drank the wine. Closing his eyes, he savored its rich, long, and complex aftertaste.

The wine was merely an appetizer to whet his taste buds. It made him even hungrier for the main course, which was the beauty that Otto had promised to bring him. He thought it was better this way, because he would be able enjoy the main course more.

Looking up, he sighed when he saw the oil painting hanging on the wall. Framed in polished mahogany, it depicted what he thought the perfect woman should look like – a scantily clad goddess with a wine bottle in each hand. He always found fault in every woman he’d ever met, but he never gave up his search. One day, I’ll find the perfect beauty, he thought to himself.

His butler approached him. "My prince, Otto is here. He says it's urgent."

That ugly pig is even more intelligent than I thought. He understands that anything involving wine or women is of paramount importance to me.

"Let him in at once."

"As you wish, my prince." The butler bowed before leaving.

Prince Darius unbuckled his belt.

I'll have her satisfy me right here.

Before he could finish taking it off, Otto barged in. There was no woman in sight.

"Prince Darius, I -."

"Where's the girl?"

Otto lowered his chin. "Uh... well..."

Prince Darius's brows drew together. "And where are my knights?"

"About that... um..." Otto gulped. "There was a strong man protecting her."

"I lent you four knights."

"I know, but it still wasn't enough. According to the knights, he's the current Combat Tournament champion."

Prince Darius had watched past iterations of the Combat Tournament with his father, so he was fully aware of how powerful the tournament champions were.

"Are you certain?"

"After seeing how fast he took down the knights, yeah, I'm sure."

"If he really is the champion, then no wonder my knights didn't stand a chance. I'm not sure I can kill him, even with all twenty knights under my command."

"You can't let him get away with this. Not only did he refuse to give you what was rightfully yours, but he also threatened your life!"

"He did what?" Prince Darius clenched his teeth.

"Well, he didn't threaten your life directly, but he threatened mine. I was representing you, so threatening me was the same as threatening you."

Prince Darius pounded the couch’s armrest. "Such insolence! I want to wring his neck right now!"

“Perhaps we can get the girl without having to fight him directly."

Prince Darius felt the tension leave his body. "What do you propose?"

A big grin spread over Otto's face.