Chapter 30 - Daddy Dearest

Chapter 30: 30 - Daddy Dearest

Dickhead’s shoulders straightened as he cleared his throat. "It’s regarding Her Highness, Your Majesty. She has... found herself in a bit of trouble."

His gaze dropped to the weights around my limbs. "There had been a horde of scorpions attacking another village, and she had decided to engage them. Rather recklessly, if I may be so bold. It might draw the attention of some apex-ranked cold-bloodeds from the Wastelands. They’re likely to come investigate."

He shifted his weight, one hand running through his hair as he awaited the shell’s response.

"You had one job, Vicerion." Disapproval dripped from father’s voice as it emerged from the shell. "What was it?"

"To ensure Her Highness stayed on the right path," Dickhead continued.

"Yet, here we are, dealing with her rebellions once more. You’ve clearly not grasped the severity of your oversight." Father paused, and in that silence, even Dickhead seemed to shrink, his shoulders hunching slightly as if under an invisible weight. "Now, let me speak to her directly."

Dickhead’s fingers tightened briefly around the shell before reluctantly lifting it closer to my face.

"Hey, old fossil," I managed, though the words trembled as they left my lips. My body shook despite my attempts to appear defiant, the cold grip of fear making my muscles quiver beneath the weights.

A soft chuckle echoed from the shell, adding to the tension in the air.

"Old fossil, huh?" Father asked with mock offense. I could almost picture him leaning back, a smirk playing on his lips. "This ’old fossil’ has a few tricks up his sleeve yet."

His tone sharpened slightly. "Noticed you’ve developed a fondness for scorpions, have you? Maybe this ’old fossil’ can boost them up a bit, make your encounters with them a tad more thrilling."

"Father," I finally said, forcing softness into my tone even as it made my skin crawl. I tilted my head toward the shell, trying to appear earnest. "I don’t know how I ended up here, but I’ve really grown to like this place...Can I, please, stay here a little longer?"

"Vicerion, how is her face?" my father asked. "Is she treating herself with care?"

As if considering whether to indulge my whims based on Dickhead’s response, he paused, the silence stretching between them. Dickhead swallowed visibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

"Don’t forget that she is my one and only blood-related daughter. If I discover you’ve lied to me," he added, his tone turning even more threatening, "I’ll take her from you and place her under the watch of someone else."

Dickhead absorbed the threat. He touched the scratches and bruises on my forehead before answering, "She is beautiful as always, Your Majesty."

"Good. From this moment forward, you will refer to your betrothed as Vicerion, not the... crude name you’ve been using. And cease your vulgar tongue, or I’ll have that mouth washed out with soap until it learns some manners. Am I clear?"

I bit down on my lip, trying to keep the words from spilling out. "Yes, Father."

"Vicerion will make the necessary arrangements to ensure your new harem is expanded accordingly. And, of course, to keep you safe from... any... foolish decisions. As for your request, you may stay as long as Vicerion deems fit."

The connection suddenly cut, leaving no room for negotiation.

Dickhead, aka Vicerion, shifted his weight, his shoulders relaxing almost unnoticeably as the authority in my father’s voice validated his position.

I, on the other hand, felt a cold dread wash over me. My fingers twitched against the ground, nails scraping against dirt as I resisted the impulse to snatch the device and hurl it against the nearest rock.

Dickhead’s posture straightened further, a faint smile touching his lips as he absorbed the new level of control being granted over my life.

It was a trap. One I knew all too well, but Dickhead didn’t. My father had played him like a fiddle, as he always did with those who thought they could outsmart him.

Dickhead had become a pawn in my father’s twisted game. A puppet, dancing to his tune. But of course, nobody would trust a crazy woman’s words over the honeyed tongue of a grandiose liar.

"There’s no need to call me Vicerion. Just Vick is fine." His hand reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face with a gentle touch. "It will be our little secret, how about that?"

I stared blankly at him, a deadpan look in my eyes.

He signaled Kurus to get ready to move now that he saw my mood had stabilized. "As you could have observed, one male might be enough to protect Precious from most external threats, but it’s clearly not enough to hold her back when she decides to go on a rampage."

Kurus lifted my heavy body onto his shoulders, which now weighed about half a ton.

"But will the two of us be enough to restrain and take care of Precious?" Vick stood up and ran his hand through his hair. "You said that a high-ranked eagle tried to court Precious? Despite her scars?"

Noodle confirmed, "He said mate is the kindest female he has ever seen... after she led some villagers to safety."

"The females in this world must be a hard nut to crack if someone considers our Precious as the kindest." Vick stifled a laugh as he slung my backpack over his shoulders, showing Kurus how to carry me most efficiently.

He distributed my dead weight across Noodle’s shoulders, positioning my torso to align with the serpent’s powerful spine. "We will take turns carrying her."

Noodle hissed, his body coiling in agitation at the thought of me in another male’s arms. "No. I’ll carry her myself."

"Fine. But remember, the first sign of exhaustion, and I’m taking over." Vick spoke as if he had been with Noodle from the start and knew him well, already twisting him around his little finger.

Damned groomer, I thought, remaining unresponsive to their conversation. But it wouldn’t be Dickead if he didn’t try to work me up with his next question.