Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 816

Chapter 27 : An Impossible Code to Crack

I tried not to think about Jared’s words as I set to work on the scroll.

There was a small desk near the windows of my room, showered in crisp, early spring sunlight. I set up camp there, rummaging around in the drawers for paper and several quills, then set to work.

Translating anything from Pritian was always a challenge, especially with no published texts to work from. Pritian was nothing but symbols that danced in an uneven rhythm. It could be read side to side, left to right, right to left, or even top to bottom, so on, and so forth, which is why, after nearly two hours of copying directly from the scroll and then doing my best to translate each individual symbol on a separate piece of paper, I found myself with a toe-curling headache that had me seeing stars every time I blinked.

I heard a knock on the door and mumbled a silent prayer that someone was bringing me a lunch tray with hot coffee, but found myself now sharing the space with Brandt, who seemed a little sheepish as he gave me a boyish grin as he closed the door behind him.

“I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“No, of course not,” I breathed, giving him a weak smile. “It would have been better if you’d brought me some coffee, or were fluent in written Pritian.”

I waved my hand over the mess of papers now littering the desk and the floor. Brandt shrugged and pulled the chain of fabric next to the door that would ring a little bell somewhere in the depths of Aeris’s castle, alerting a maid that I needed attention.

“I can get you some coffee, but I’m no help with… Pritian, right?” He crossed the room with his hands tucked behind his back, peering over my shoulder at the work I’d accomplished. I’d translated nearly all of the symbols, but I wasn’t ready to start deciphering what the scroll was trying to convey. I’d be at this all day at this rate.

“Yes, Pritian,” I mumbled, squinting at the bottom line of the scroll. It was a signature of some kind, the symbols totally new to me. “Damnit, I have no idea what this is supposed to be.”

There was a soft knock at the door. I didn’t turn my head to the soft footsteps that entered the room. It was her startled squeak that had me snapping my neck to face her, a mousy young woman with blonde hair and cornflower eyes. She looked… scandalized, but not because Brandt was in my room, no. She was looking at the papers strewn all around me, covered with ink and my untidy scrawl.

“Could you bring us some coffee, please? Maybe a few sandwiches,” Brandt asked kindly, giving the young maid a beautiful smile.

She blinked up at him, then bobbed her head, trembling a bit as she turned back to the door.

“Wait,” I said hurriedly. “Do you by chance have any texts related to the early people from this realm? Early Lycaonic people, from when he–”

“Oh, I wouldn’t–I wouldn’t know,” the maid squeaked, her voice wrapped in sudden apprehension. “We aren’t allowed to read.”

“What?” I scoffed, glancing up at Brandt, whose brow was furrowed as he peered at the young woman. “Why not?”

She shrugged, her cheeks coloring. “Most of us can’t read–”

I opened my mouth in shock, but Brandt took a step toward the maid and handed her a small cloth bag. It was a coin purse, and it was heavy.

the rectory of the Temple of Lycaon next door? It’s imperative she has the resources she needs. And–” Brandt reached into his pocket, pulling out another small purse. He plucked a small gold ring from it, dropping it in the

maid backed out of the room, her eyes wide with shock

not to think about Jared’s words as I set

mean?” I asked, turning in my chair as Brandt walked back over to stand beside me. “None of them can read? Really? What the hell

of place that prefers women to warm their master’s beds rather than debate them about politics and decorum,” Brandt said flatly,

when we combine all the pieces. I was wondering if the symbols on the Cryptex were Pritian too, but now

down on the edge of my bed, then reached out to pick up a scratch paper I’d wadded up and tossed over my

to be a nurse, actually. But I needed a history credit. I took a

“Everything?” Brandt smirked.

glared at him playfully

room. I answered any questions he had, cleared up some rumors about the differences between the realms, and spent a great deal of time recounting the two years I’d spent at the University of Mirage. He loved my animated stories of the college parties

the royal families of my realm, or my tie to his Luna Queen. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him, even though I did trust Brandt. I liked him, and I knew that he wouldn’t run his mouth and cause chaos knowing I

ransom for me, or use me in any

reason to try to get rid of me, knowing I had

wasn’t ready to leave,

She gave Brandt an apologetic shrug as she hurried

I said

needed to talk to Jared about this. After translating every symbol, there were at least twelve that I couldn’t make sense of. They weren’t written in Pritian, I

the ancient people from

back in my chair with my coffee clutched between my hands and breathed deeply, my

do you think it says?” Brandt asked, leaning on one of the windowsills as

my breath, shaking my

burning my mouth. “I think it’s encrypted. I could probably read it with a cipher as a guide, as long as

it was obvious he had no idea

out of my lap. My hands were ink-stained and aching, my neck felt tight and

this thing? Did he know it was going to be in code?” I muttered against the

across the room, turning

about enlisting the help of the witches a while ago,”

head to look at him,

sure he has a few books on this stuff too, Eliza. When we get home you can… do whatever you’re trying

elbow, considering this. The conversation had also shifted to the topic of Jared, which

did Aeris call Jared the Lost

down at his shoes and shifted his weight. I sat up a little

not for me to say,” he said weakly, giving me an apologetic look that