The next day, Alaya showed me around their settlement in more detail. It turned out to be quite a large community, with temples dedicated to various local gods, a market, a school, sports sections for children, and even a park for active recreation.

That last one struck me as a bit strange-after all, they already lived surrounded by breathtaking nature. But, as Alaya explained, parents felt their children were safest in the park, since the surrounding lands were home to plenty of wild and dangerous creatures.

There were also wandering werewolves, though Alaya assured me they weren't truly dangerous. They left their own packs in search of mates, traveling enormous distances, sniffing out everything in their path. They didn't attack humans or other beings unless provoked, and were mostly harmless. But-if one of them caught the scent of his mate on a girl, there would be no escape. He would drag her back to his den... and love her to the point of madness. So, young women were advised to be careful and avoid wandering too far from home. How I managed not to run into one yesterday was still a mystery.

After the long tour, Alaya needed to tend to her household chores, and I offered to help. It wasn't difficult for me, and I could see she appreciated the company.

"Come on, it's time to feed the hens and Fastik," she said cheerfully, and we headed to the backyard where the barn and shed stood.

Taking some grain and scraps of meat, we first went to the chicken coop. The chickens here were similar to ours, except for their bright and unusual feather colors. After feeding the birds, we walked toward the barn-where strange, muffled sounds were coming from.

The moment Alaya opened the door and we stepped inside, I nearly fainted.

"THAT'S A DINOSAUR!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when I saw what was inside the pen-it looked exactly like a velociraptor.

I jumped back as if from fire, while Alaya, surprised by my reaction, calmly approached the creature and began stroking its long neck.

"Well, yes," she said with a smile, pulling out the scraps of meat and feeding the reptile. "You have these where you come from too?"

"They used to exist," I said slowly, still unable to believe my eyes. "But they went extinct millions of years ago. All that's left of them are fossilized bones that scientists sometimes dig up."

Overcoming my first wave of fear, I stepped closer, unable to tear my gaze away.

To be honest, the creature looked a bit different from what I remembered from documentaries. Fastik had dark-green scales mixed with lighter green, almost like a watermelon pattern, and even a bit of feathery covering. His powerful hind legs ended in sharp claws, while the forelimbs were adorned with bright green feathers, and on his head grew a funny little feathered crest.

"Don't be afraid, he's domesticated," Alaya said softly, smiling at her favorite pet-who, to my complete shock, actually leaned into her touch like a cat.

"And what do you even need a dinosaur for on a farm? More importantly-are there any larger ones around here?" The last thing I wanted was to bump into a T-Rex or some other prehistoric nightmare.

"No, this is the largest kind," Alaya laughed. "The others are smaller. Fastik helps us like horses do where you're from. He plows the fields, hauls carts, guards the farm-he's way better than any dog-and you can even ride him. Want to try?"

"Oh, no! Thanks, but no thanks," I refused instantly. "Riding a dinosaur wasn't exactly on my bucket list! They were terrifying predators in their time."

"Well, in the wild, yes," she chuckled. "But this breed is intelligent and easy to tame. They're quite affectionate, too-especially when you scratch their backs. They can't reach that spot with their claws, you see," she explained, amused.

I'd already been living with Alaya for several days, and she continued introducing me to her world. During the day, I helped her with household chores, and in the evenings, we sat together, chatting warmly over tea.

If not for my questionable future, life in their settlement would actually be rather nice-even cozy. I'd even grown fond of Fastik, and now I could scratch his funny, toothy snout without screaming in terror.

But today hadn't started well from the very beginning. It had rained during the night, and I'd managed to stain the dress Alaya had kindly given me while feeding the animals. To make things worse, I'd already been wandering around the local market for forty minutes, trying in vain to find paparita-a dark-blue vegetable that tasted a bit like zucchini.

When I stopped by the stall where Alaya usually bought it, the merchant regretfully told me they'd run out and suggested I check a booth between the last two houses on the square.

But I never made it there.

Out of nowhere, a group of children and teenagers swept me up into a whirlwind of song and laughter, spinning me in a playful dance right there on the street. I barely had time to blink before they scattered in all directions, leaving me stumbling backward. Someone shoved me harder than the others, and my feet tangled together-I crashed right into the mud.

I knew this trick.

Cursing under my breath, I immediately checked my pockets.

Of course. They'd robbed me clean!

I couldn't possibly go back to Alaya empty-handed-and without money on top of that!

So, after muttering a few choice curses, I sprang to my feet and bolted after those little brats. They'd darted right between the two houses the merchant had pointed out earlier.

I almost caught up to one of them when I rounded the corner-and slammed shoulder-first into something solid. The impact sent me flying forward, eyes squeezing shut, bracing for a painful collision with the ground.

But I never hit it.

Instead, strong arms caught me mid-fall, holding me firmly against a solid chest.

It took me a second to recover from the shock. I blinked one eye open, then the other-and found myself staring at a broad chest covered in expensive fabric and pieces of battle armor. My gaze slowly trailed upward, and when I saw his face, my breath caught in my throat.

I had never seen anyone so stunning in my life.

The man holding me was tall and powerfully built, with tousled chestnut hair and piercing light-gray eyes that seemed to look straight into my soul.

We stood frozen like that, staring at each other. I-utterly incapable of tearing my gaze away. He was perfect.

A straight nose, sinfully tempting lips, a cocky arch of his brows, and a light stubble that only added to his allure. My heart raced wildly, and my mouth fell open in awe. A wave of heat flushed through my cheeks, and I felt ridiculously flustered.

Then his scent hit me-clean, masculine, and expensive, like fine cologne-and my brain officially short-circuited.

All I could think about was how much I wanted to press closer, to whisper, "Ruin me completely... more than once!"

If I could lose the one thing that made me eligible for that creepy king's contest-with this man-I'd do it without a second thought. Forgive me, Anton.

The magic of the moment shattered when the man narrowed his eyes, finally releasing me and giving me a slow, assessing look from head to toe.

"I didn't think our kingdom had any rascals," the handsome man sneered, twisting his mouth.

"What?! Who's the rascal here?!" I snap, unable to tolerate his obvious rudeness. That turkey suddenly stops being so unbearably handsome.

"Naziza, be quiet!" I hear Manar bark from behind the chestnut-haired man. "Kays, this is her."

Turning, I see that behind this gorgeous jerk, Kays, stands a whole delegation of armed men and the village leader. It's as clear as day that they've come for me - so I bolt. My chances of getting away are slim, of course, but my legs already carry me in the opposite direction.

Not for long.

Just before I can tear off, a bright spark flashes in the chestnut's eyes. A couple of steps later my legs simply give out, and I go sprawling into a fresh puddle. I feel muddy water seep into my cleavage and dirt drip from my hair.

This is not just anger - it's pure, white-hot fury. I try to stand, but my legs won't obey! What kind of day is this?!

I hear slow, confident footsteps and see the jerk crouch down beside me, peering into my eyes with curious intent.

"Where do you think you're running off to, Prepedollie?" the young man mocks, and I feel with every wet inch of my body that this is his doing.

"Who?!" I hiss like a snake, wanting him to drown in the puddle where I lie as he inspects me like some strange, unseen creature.

"A replacement, you say, Manar?" Kays tilts his head and addresses the village elder, looking at me with interest. "Maybe this one will do... Especially since your daughter's heart belongs to another. The king needs an unattached lady to form a family." He smirks. "We'll take her. And for all that's holy, get this ragamuffin into some kind of decent shape," the chestnut man sneers as he stands.

By Manar's order, I was dragged out of that disgusting puddle and sent to Alaya so she could make me look more "presentable" for these fine gentlemen.

Unfortunately for me, Alaya wasn't alone in this mission. Several young women were sent to help her in the grand process of transforming me.

They washed me for what felt like hours with fragrant water, rubbed me down with all sorts of creams, dried and kneaded me with four hands at once, combed my hair, dressed me, and did who knows what else. Apparently, smooth, hairless skin is highly valued here as well, so some of the procedures were... educational - and at times, extremely unpleasant.

Once they had me wrapped up in the gaudiest dress imaginable, I was finally "ready." Manar himself, along with Dildan, came in person to inspect the result.

After the grand inspection, I was officially handed over into the "caring" hands of the king's attendants - specifically, the so-called bride wardens, who had come for me. From this moment on, as Manar jokingly put it, I was their headache.

The guards were about a dozen tall, broad-shouldered men in armor - clearly well-trained. And leading them, of course, was that insufferable man, Kays - who, as it turned out, was one of the royal mages authorized by the monarch himself. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly he had done to earn that title.

For the guests, the village threw an entire celebration - a grand feast with songs and dancing. After all, the delegation was staying overnight. At dawn, we were to set out on a long journey.

Aside from me, the royal envoys had already found two more girls from other settlements - my fellow victims of fate, Vasmiya and Nufira. Both of them were stunningly beautiful - the kind of beauty that could make anyone stop and stare.

Vasmiya was clearly the youngest among us. A frightened, withdrawn brunette with deep, perceptive brown eyes, she looked as if she had never seen a man in her life. Every time one of the guards so much as glanced her way, she flinched and darted her eyes around like a terrified rabbit surrounded by wolves. A child, really - though her body had already become that of a grown woman.

Nufira, on the other hand, was the complete opposite - confident, composed, and, surprisingly, quite calm. A long-legged, curly-haired blonde with bright green eyes and a full, luscious chest, she seemed utterly unbothered by the situation. Instead of fear, there was curiosity in her gaze - especially when it came to Kays. She didn't even try to hide her interest; her eyes kept wandering back to him again and again.

And to be fair... it was hard not to be fascinated by him. The man was absurdly handsome - infuriatingly so. Those piercing eyes, that daring smirk... for a moment, they made your breath catch before you could even realize it.

We weren't being guarded out of fear that we might run away - Kays had placed some sort of binding spell on us. We couldn't move beyond a certain distance from him, though within the limits of that invisible boundary we could walk freely. That's why, at the moment, the three of us sat together on enormous pillows directly across from the royal mage himself, while everyone else around us celebrated with reckless joy.

The guards and the local officials were enjoying themselves to the fullest - stuffing their faces with food and drink, laughing, and boasting about the adventures they'd faced on their way here. I, however, couldn't swallow a single bite - my stomach was tied in knots from anxiety and disgust at their stories.

When the ceremonial speeches and displays of pomp were finally over, and most of the villagers and children had gone home to rest, the square where we sat began to change. People started putting up thick curtains and tall tents, enclosing the space.

It didn't take long for me to realize why they were going to all this trouble.

While we were sitting on the platform in the park and the guards were sharing their stories with the tipsy men from the village, women in revealing and provocative outfits slowly began to approach the king's sentinels. Some shamelessly sat on the men's laps, wrapping their arms around their necks, while others moved seductively in front of them, pressing their bodies together, kissing openly, and giving the warriors meaningful looks. The men quickly grew distracted - their hands wandered toward their belts as they forgot about their conversations.

One of these women approached Kays as well. She gracefully sat down on his lap, wearing a very short and daring dress. Turning her back to him, the dark-haired beauty began to move her body sensually, rubbing herself against him. The brown-haired man didn't mind the attention at all - his hands began to explore her curves with clear interest. He leaned closer, kissing her neck and whispering something that made the woman breathe heavily and smile with pleasure.