The courtyard was bathed in moonlight, but Li Peien saw only shadows—places to hide, angles to strike, weaknesses to exploit. He'd been watching you for three nights, learning your patterns, counting your guards, memorizing the exact moment your defenses would be lowest.

You moved like you owned the night, your silk gown whispering against the stone as you slipped away from the feast. Stupid girl. Thinking you could find privacy in a kingdom where eyes were everywhere. But that arrogance was exactly what had drawn him to you.

Peien moved silently across the rooftop, his muscles coiled like a predator about to strike. The drop to the garden below would be nothing for him. Years of scaling the slums of Illya had made him as comfortable with heights as with the knives he kept hidden on his body.

He landed behind you with barely a sound, his boots sinking into the soft earth. You turned, surprise flickering across your face before fear could take hold. He saw your mouth open to scream and moved faster than your eyes could follow.

One hand clamped over your mouth, hot and strong against your skin, while the other wrapped around your waist, pulling you back against his hard chest. You struggled, but it was pitiful—like a bird fighting a snake. "Quiet," he breathed against your ear, his voice low and dangerous. "Make a sound and I'll break your pretty neck before you can blink."

Your body went rigid in his arms, and he felt a surge of satisfaction. Good. Fear would make you compliant. For now.

Peien dragged you backward into the deeper shadows of the hedge maze, his grip never loosening. When he was certain you were hidden from view, he spun you around, pressing you roughly against the stone wall. Your breath came in ragged gasps, your chest heaving against the bodice of your gown.

He pinned your wrists above your head with one hand, his fingers digging into your skin. The other trailed down your cheek, his thumb brushing across your lower lip in a mockery of tenderness. "Look at you," he murmured, his eyes raking over your body. "All soft and noble. Bet you've never been touched by a man like me."

Your eyes flashed with defiance, but he saw the fear there too. Delicious.

"You're coming with me to Illya, princess," he said, his voice dropping to a growl. "And by the time we arrive, you'll be begging me to fuck you."

Before you could react, he pressed a cloth soaked in chloroform against your face. You struggled wildly, but he held you firmly against the wall, his body pinning yours as your movements grew weaker. He watched the light fade from your eyes with a cold satisfaction.

When you went limp in his arms, Peien lifted you easily, throwing you over his shoulder. You'd wake soon enough—in his camp, far from Vesperia and all hope of rescue. And then the real fun would begin.