“This is unacceptable behavior from a servant!”
“The king shows inappropriate favoritism!”
“She should be imprisoned at minimum!”
“Banished back through the portal!”
It was a complete fucking nightmare.
Amaia sat in one of the chairs reserved for noble witnesses. Her hair was down now instead of elaborately styled. The water had ruined whatever complicated arrangement her maids had constructed. She wore a simple gown instead of the ornate dress from dinner. She must have been forced to change. To wash the water from her hair and skin and admit that my mate had utterly humiliated her.
I smirked despite my rage. Good. She deserved every bit of that humiliation.
“Silence!” I let my voice carry through the room. Let a hint of alpha command bleed into it, that tone that made wolves instinctively want to submit. “All of you will calm down or I will clear this chamber and make decisions without your input.”
The shouting died to murmurs as everyone turned to look at me. Some with respect, some with thinly veiled contempt. The Andreas sympathizers stood together near the back, whispering amongst themselves with smug expressions that made my wolf snarl.
One of the council members stepped forward. Lord Corvei. Old, powerful, and usually neutral in political matters. “Your Majesty. The council has convened to discuss the incident at dinner. Lady Amaia has made a formal complaint againstthe human girl. She demands punishment for assault on her person.”
“The human girl was defending herself against verbal assault,” I said coldly. “Lady Amaia called her a whore in front of witnesses. Multiple witnesses. My guest reacted appropriately to being insulted.”
“Your guest?” Corvei’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Some say she is more than a guest. That she occupies your chambers. That she comes and goes with unusual freedom for a human servant.”
“She is under my protection,” I said carefully. “That makes insults against her insults against me and my judgment.”
“Protection seems an interesting word choice.” One of the Andreas supporters spoke up. Lord Darius - smug, ambitious, a snake wearing expensive clothing. “Why would a human require your personal protection? Unless there is more to this relationship than you have admitted to this council.”
“That is none of your concern.”
“It is very much our concern if the king is making decisions based on personal attachments rather than the good of the kingdom.” Darius smiled in a way that did not reach his eyes. “Perhaps we should hear from the human herself. Let her explain why she felt entitled to assault a noble lady. Let us judge her character.”
“That is not necessary-”
“I think it is entirely necessary.” Darius turned to the guards stationed at the door. “Bring her here. Now. Let us hear what this human has to say for herself.”
“You have no authority to give that order,” I snarled. My control was slipping. My hands wanted to shift to claws.
“The council has the authority to call witnesses in matters of court justice.” Corvei’s voice was apologetic but firm. “If Lady Amaia is here to testify about the assault, the accused should have the opportunity to defend herself. That is only fair, Your Majesty.”
I wanted to argue. Wanted to refuse outright. But Corvei was right about the law. We had procedures for these things. And showing obvious favoritism to Wen without explanation would only make things worse. Would give Andreas more ammunition.
“Fine. But she will be escorted respectfully. Not dragged like a criminal. She is a guest in this castle.”
Darius nodded to the guards with a smile that made me want to rip his throat out. “You heard the king. Bring the human. Respectfully, of course.”
The guards left. I stood there, tension coiling tighter in my shoulders with each passing second, while we waited in uncomfortable silence.
It took less than five minutes. The doors opened and my mate was being dragged in by two guards who had their hands gripped around her arms. Dragged. Despite my explicit orders about respect.
My wolf roared inside me so loudly I almost could not hear anything else. My eyes flashed red without my permission. My voice came out as a growl that made the windows rattle in their frames and several candles gutter. “What the actual fuck is the meaning of this?”
Several nobles cowered and stepped back. Others stared at me with expressions that ranged from surprise to fear to calculation. The Andreas supporters looked pleased - I was losing control in front of the council. Exactly what they wanted.
The guards holding Wen looked panicked when they saw my expression. They released her arms immediately and started to stammer apologies that I could barely hear over the roaring in my ears.
Then I saw Captain Torin enter behind them. One of my most trusted guards, loyal since before I took the throne. His expression was grim as he approached and gave a slight bow.
“Your Majesty.” His voice was quiet and respectful. “There were too many guards sent to retrieve her. My men tried to stop them but we were outnumbered and they had orders from the council. The lady walked willingly rather than cause a scene or provoke violence. We followed to ensure her safety. I swear on my honor that nothing happened to her. She was not harmed.”
