I. The Secret Sanctuary
Vael followed Lady Serana in a daze, too emotionally exhausted to summon a single complaint. Serana led him not to a dank prison, but to a secluded lodge near a pristine lake, hidden deep within the Rival Clan's territory.
The contrast with his previous life was staggering.
Serana, who was still hiding her identity as the Lord's daughter, treated him not as a prisoner, but as a precious, fragile scientific specimen. She handed him a soft, linen tunic and pointed to a private bathing room with clean, running water.
"There is no need for guards here," Serana said, her voice soft and clinical. "You may bathe and rest privately. This area is magically secured. No one will intrude, nor will any unwanted attention be paid to you."
Vael stood stunned. No guards? No three women debating the optimal military formation for my bladder relief?
When he emerged, Serana had set out a simple, nourishing meal. She sat across from him, quietly observing, her intense focus unnerving but not aggressive.
"Why are you doing this?" Vael whispered. "You work for the people who kidnapped me."
Serana replied, her tone professional: "I am interested in your unique fragility. Your strength is built on loneliness. Here, you are safe from compulsion. You are free to be Vael, the fool, as your private verse stated. I am merely ensuring your preservation."
Vael felt a wave of profound emotion. He had been rescued by a kind, logical, and beautiful woman who seemed to genuinely respect his boundaries—and, most importantly, left him alone when he asked.
"You are so... you are so good," Vael choked out, his eyes glistening. "You treat me like a person. Not an object, not a king, just... me. I was trapped by women who thought my every breath needed armed protection, even in the loo! Thank you, thank you for being the friend I needed."
Serana simply nodded, hiding a tiny, triumphant smile. Yes. He believes I am his friend. The protective instinct is taking hold.
II. The Heartbreak of Harem Logic
For a day, Vael experienced true bliss. He and Serana talked for hours. She listened to his stories about Earth, never mocking his library job or his love for Anaya. She was the perfect confidante he had always craved.
That evening, Vael, feeling relaxed and secure, decided he needed to use the facilities.
"I'll be right back," Vael said, heading towards the door of the lodge.
"Wait, Vael," Serana said, instantly standing up. Her eyes, which had been so soft and understanding, narrowed with a fierce, cold possessiveness that Vael instantly recognized.
"What's wrong?" Vael asked, his heart sinking.
"I must accompany you," Serana stated, her voice regaining a military edge. "This Sanctuary is secure, but the Rival Clan's influence is everywhere. If anyone sees your vulnerable form alone, they might seize you and expose your secrets. I cannot allow that. I must protect my subject's rarity."
Vael stared at her, the blood draining from his face. The peace, the joy, the genuine friendship—it all shattered.
"No," Vael whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. "No, Serana. Not you too. Are you telling me that even here, with the one person I thought was my friend, I can't even pee alone?!"
Serana stepped closer, placing a possessive hand on his shoulder. "Precisely. You are mine to protect. Your true self must be kept secret. I will accompany you. It is not difficult, Vael. It is necessary."
Vael broke. The betrayal was too much. The one person who saw past the poetry was now just another jailer, only more polite and strategic about it.
Vael sank to the floor, covering his face with his hands. He sobbed uncontrollably, heartbroken not by the loss of his freedom, but by the loss of his last true friend.
The protection is always real, but the price is always the same: my life is not my own!
III. The General's Comedy of Errors
Unknown to Vael and Serana, they were being watched.
Lord Kael, Serana's imposing father and the leader of the Rival Clan, was highly suspicious. His daughter, who hated every single male warrior and had zero romantic interest in anyone, was suddenly spending all her time with the captured enemy Commander.
Lord Kael, dressed in a comical, rustling suit of stealth-optimized dark leather, was clumsily creeping around the perimeter of the lodge.
Vael had stopped sobbing and was being consoled by Serana. Serana, seeing her father's shadow flicker near the window, whispered to Vael: "Ignore him. He is just assessing the threat. We must look normal."
Lord Kael peeked through the window. He saw his daughter, usually cold as ice, tenderly touching the crying Vael.
Lord Kael instantly froze. He saw the two of them look right at the window. Knowing he was caught spying, Lord Kael, in a brilliant move of panic, dropped his stealth posture, stood bolt upright, and began performing a series of comically exaggerated, silent physical training exercises.
He did stiff, robotic jumping jacks, followed by aggressive-yet-silent lunges, all while maintaining an unblinking, serious expression, pretending he was merely doing his Evening Commander's Workout.
Vael, through his tears, saw the massive Lord Kael doing silent, awkward stretches right outside the window. He began to laugh hysterically, the shock of the situation overcoming his grief.
Serana simply rolled her eyes. "He's pathetic. He won't challenge us openly; he fears I'll scream at him for invading my privacy. Ignore him; he will run away when he thinks we are finished with our private time."
Vael watched as Lord Kael, exhausted by his performance, suddenly straightened, gave a quick, nervous salute to his own reflection in the window, and bolted silently back into the woods, terrified of his daughter's wrath.
Vael wiped his tears, a genuine smile returning. "Okay, Serana. You are still a jailer, but your life is hilarious. Alright. Take me to the loo. But you have to tell me more about your Dad."