Chapter 137: The King is not here.
Ava's POV
I woke with a start, my body aching pleasantly from the night before. Memories flooded back, Raphael's touch, and Grey's dominance. Where Raphael is cold and possessive. Grey is dominant in everyway.
My cheeks warmed at the thought.
I reached across the bed, expecting to find Raphael's warm body beside me. Instead, my hand met cool sheets. I opened my eyes fully and pushed myself up on my elbows, looking around the chamber.
No Raphael. No Grey.
Instead, I saw Callie arranging fresh linens by the washbasin, and little Marissa sitting on a stool near the window, swinging her legs back and forth.
The moment Marissa spotted me sitting up, she jumped from her perch and ran to the bedside, her golden curls bouncing with each step.
"You are finally awake! I have been waiting for so long, my lady," she exclaimed, her little face bright with excitement.
I pulled the covers higher, suddenly aware of my nakedness beneath. "You did?" I asked, feeling a flush of embarrassment creep up my neck. I couldn't blame myself though. Yesterday had been... intense.
"Are you alright, my lady? You slept all day," Marissa said, counting dramatically on her small fingers to indicate how long she had been waiting.
"Marissa!" Callie scolded, rushing over to pull the child back from the bedside. "Give Lady Ava some space to breathe."
"The child didn't lie," a voice whispered from across the room.
I turned to see two maids standing by the window, folding linens. One had bright ginger hair, the other dark brown braids. Neither looked pleased to be there.
"All she has done is bring trouble," the ginger-haired one muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. "Because of her, I lost my friend. She is the problem."
Her words stung. I knew the palace staff had mixed feelings about me, a former slave now elevated to the king's bed, but hearing it spoken so boldly in my presence made the disregard more obvious.
"Will you all shut up!" Callie hissed, her face flushing with anger. "If you want to lose your head, I dare you to speak again."
The room fell into deep silence. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm.
"Callie, could you take little Marissa outside?" I asked quietly.
"Yes, my lady." She grabbed Marissa's hand and gently guided her toward the door.
Once they were gone, I turned my attention to the remaining servants. "Gather around, all of you," I commanded.
The maids exchanged glances before moving closer, their steps reluctant. They weren't afraid, nor did they seem remorseful. All I saw in their eyes were hateful glares.
So be it. We would do this the hard way.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the magic I knew still flowed within me. Even though I am unable to reach Maya, my wolf, I had noticed that some magic still worked. It was as if she was locked away.
I pushed that troubling thought aside and concentrated. When I opened my eyes again, the maids were staring at me with undisguised contempt. For a moment, I knew they were considering whether they could overpower me, gang up and beat me.
They didn't know what I was capable of.
With a simple swing, I opened my hand. A blue light formed in my palm, shaping itself into a glowing whip that hummed with power.
The ginger-haired maid's eyes widened. "A slave girl? You would dare whip me?" she asked, her nose flaring with indignation. "Do you know who my father is?"
I met her gaze coolly. "You are nothing here but a servant, since you are serving me."
"Me? A servant?" she spat. "The gods forbid! I was picked by the king himself to serve you. A mere slave, and you dare act haughty..."
Her words cut off abruptly as my whip lashed out, striking her across her back. The magical weapon didn't break skin, but the pain was real enough.
She howled, more in shock than agony. "How dare you!"
As she straightened, her eyes changed color, from brown to a bright amber that gleamed with rage. I knew immediately what gave her such confidence.
She was a Lycan beast female.
Her body began to shift, bones cracking as she prepared to transform. The other maids backed away, some with fear, others with anticipation.
"You think that frightens me?" I stood tall, letting the bedsheets fall away. I didn't care about my nakedness anymore. Let them see what their king desired. "I am mate to King Raphael. I have faced demons and beasts far more terrifying than you."
"You are nothing!" she snarled, her face elongating slightly, fur beginning to shape along her jawline. "You have no wolf! We all know the truth. You lost it in the dungeons. You're broken, incomplete, unworthy to be our king's mate!"
Her words struck deeper than any physical blow could. How did she know about Maya? How did she know my wolf was trapped somewhere inside me, unreachable?
But I wouldn't let her see my pain. Instead, I channeled it into power.
The whip in my hand glowed brighter, changing from blue to a fierce white-hot light. "I may not have my wolf, but I still have this and even more."
With a flick of my wrist, the whip coiled around her transforming body. She screamed as the magic burned through her, forcing her back into human form.
"What is this?" she gasped, falling to her knees.
"Something older than your bloodline," I answered, though truthfully, I barely understood it myself. The power had come instinctively, as if someone else moved through me.
The door burst open. Callie stood there, her face pale with concern. Behind her stood two centaur guards, their weapons drawn.
"My lady!" Callie exclaimed, taking in the scene; me standing naked with a magical whip, the ginger-haired maid on her knees, the others cowering against the walls.
"Take this one away" I ordered the guards, nodding toward the ginger-haired woman. "She has threatened the king's mate. That is treason."
As the guards moved forward, I let the whip disappear back into nothingness. The ginger-haired maid glared at me with pure hatred as they dragged her away.
"You will regret this," she hissed. "The Council will hear of this. We know what you are, or rather, what you are not anymore."
Her words should have chilled me but I didn't, my face was impassive until she was gone.
Once the door closed, I sank back onto the bed, suddenly exhausted. Callie rushed to my side, wrapping a robe around my shoulders.
"My lady, are you well?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Where is Raphael?" I asked, ignoring her question.
"The king left early this morning with Lord Drogon. There was urgent business, they said." She hesitated. "He left a message that he would return soon, and that you were to remain safe within the palace walls."
I closed my eyes, feeling suddenly abandoned. After everything we had shared last night, they had simply left without a word.
And what did the maid mean about the Council? How did they know about Maya?
I clutched the robe tighter around myself. "Callie, I need to speak with someone who knows about old magic. Someone who might understand what happened to my wolf."
"There is an old fairy woman in the Nohte capital," Callie whispered. "They say she was once a priestess in the god realm before the great war. If anyone knows about such matters, it would be her."
I nodded slowly. "Then prepare a cloak and some food. We leave at nightfall."
"But the king said..."
"The king is not here," I cut her off. "And I will not sit idle while others plot against me."
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