Chapter 150 - The Trial
"I don't have it. I gave it away."
"To whom?"
Her eyes found his, it had only been for a moment before she looked back at the King, pleading.
"Please, he didn't do it. He didn't mean it--"
"Who did you give it to?"
"Oliver. I gave it to Oli, my mate."
"It was a gift of trust." Oliver stood up from the chair, his eyes twinkling with the glint of the ever-present humor. "I didn't even use it. I didn't do this, I didn't do anything. Tell them, Laura!" He ended with a smile.
Rage blazed in her eyes, seamlessly mixing with helplessness.
It was such a sight.
Beautiful.
"You did it."
His smile dwindled.
"I know you did it and that is why things haven't been the same between us."
"Things haven't been the same between us because I spent a night with Riza."
Gasps filled the court at the implied reference to cheating.
It was a scandalous thing and very distasteful thing to happen between mates, fated or chosen.
It was an act deserving of punishment.
How hypocritical these vampires were, Zezi couldn't help but think. Weren't some of them advocating that the King should take another and make her his concubine?
"The Kingdom's enemies." That had come from Kestra against Oliver and his eyes went wide from the implication of that.
She was accusing him of treason.
Every bit of his humourous aura had drained right out of him.
"They are not traitors, they only used to be part of the former King's army." Oliver looked around for validation, stroking his braided beard, although that didn't give him as much delight and ease as it normally would.
Probably because this time, there was nothing to laugh about.
"You are lying. Whatever you used the key for was to impress Riza. I will never let you back into my chains after this. You cheated on me!" She finally yelled. The only reason why she wasn't clawing his face away was because there were many guards and chains restraining her.
"Bring Riza in. Let her answer some questions." The King ordered.
Oliver nodded, his eyes darting to Delice, holding her gaze for as long as she would look at him which was no longer than three seconds.
Riza's testimony didn't do anything to help matters. Instead, it worsened things for Oliver.
"Basit, my husband," she had cried. It was no news that Basit was already dead from the Volakys' attack, although it had been confirmed medically that he had sustained his injuries long before the Volakys broke into the hall, which confirmed her statement that they had gone into the den.
Riza talked about how Oliver and she had met some days ago in a Pleasure Store and they had shared an interest in a particular toy.
The court was thrown into awkwardness but she seemed to be the only one immune to it.
"Is that true?" Laura asked.
"Silence, I ask the questions. Is that true, Sir Oliver?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Gasps and murmurs.
This was louder than the first one.
The King held his hand up. Order and silence were restored.
"He desired something we could provide as a couple and we thought we could use him. So, we asked him for the key."
"How did you know he had it."
"He slipped, your Majesty. To get us to agree to his offer, he bragged about many things."
"Lies. Accusations!" Oliver banged his hands against the table. Leaning forward, rage blazing in his eyes. Zezi straightened up in her seat, now that was a rare thing for Oliver's eyes to possess.
Where, oh where, was the ever-present glint of humor?
"I don't have any key, I didn't know about the Volakys dungeons, I don't know anything." He turned sharply to Laura, his next words sounding gritted. "WHY. ARE. YOU. DOING. ThIS. TO. ME?"
He tried to absolve himself from guilt but Riza claimed he had done it. That he had found a way to discreetly get into the den, and that he had made them fulfill his intimate desires before, he had handed the key to them.
"We wanted something from the Volakys, so we could remake them and fight for the reign of our King that we are most loyal to. My husband died in King Zirus' name and I am not afraid to do the same."
Valerick flinched at the mention of his father's name. No one would have noticed except someone close enough to, except Zezi.
"Take them away," Valerick was standing up before Zezi could even register what was going on. "Throw them all in the dungeon."
____
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Rumours of the King killing all the Volakys, and how he had consumed blood from many life sources to do so, spread through Lavida like wildfire. After the war, he couldn't kill them all at once and had locked them up in the den. They had been four thousand, eight hundred and sixty-four (4864) Volakys back then. He had reduced them to 47 over the years and today he had wiped them all out at a cost.
The brave ones had gone to see the dungeon still littered with the dead Volakys. Zezi had gone too and despite everything Valerick hadn't said a word to her or acknowledged her more than it was formally necessary.
It was painful.
He affected her. It was shameful.
George and Aunt Alice had met her with worry when she returned to her daughter's room. She assured them that she was fine and had to leave immediately. George didn't want to let her go, but the audacity to stand in her way that he used to have before, had evaporated from him.
His wolf was still traumatized from what she did to him that night.
Aunt Alice didn't interfere, relying on her words to do the job.
Zezi on the other hand, had one goal in mind.
The castle walls were getting dangerous and it was all a game of survival now, a dog-eat-dog world, and there was no way she would allow herself to get crushed in this foreign land.
Let the Royal Castle Games Begin.
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