Chapter 20 Strip and kneel
Chapter 20: Asher
~A few minutes earlier~
“My king, should I alert the palace that you are close by?” A technical officer asked in front of the large screen.
I yawned and stretched. “Yes—no, wait.”
The officer looked at me and I pointed my finger into space several times.
“Don't tell them.” It would be nice to see how my castle fare when I was not around. “Don't tell them anything. Maintain the path until we reach there,” I ordered.
“As your grace wishes.” She bowed her head. She turned to the screen and never looked away.
The castle's top came into view, and it reminded me of the woman waiting in there, Scarlett.
I hissed and rolled my eyes.
I wanted to feel nothing for her. I channeled my rage towards my wolf. But I couldn’t stop feeling the longing for her after being away for more than a day. It was frustrating how could hate her but at the same time love her.
I tried to keep my mind focused on other things but as soon as the Beast go the castle's gate, the first person I wanted to see was her.
The guards were shocked. They bowed to me as fast as they could, but I ignored them and walked straight to the castle’s main building.
Scarlett was on my mind, I picked up her scent and a low growl escaped my throat. She was in the kitchen, even after I warned her. She never learned.
But even then, I wasn't angry at her. I almost smiled when I zoomed up the steps. My emotions were all over the place and I blamed her. She had cursed me!
“Y—your grace.” The maids in the corridor briskly greeted and bowed as soon as they saw me, but I ignored them.
I stopped in front of the kitchen doors, and I picked up the sound of laughter. Her laughter…
She was standing in the kitchen, laughing with maids when she barely smiled before me. My eyes narrowed into slits, and I pushed the doors open with all my might.
For a second, the terrified expressions on Scarlett's face, ignoring the maids, made me happy until my eyes saw the Roses on the table.
I stared silently at Scarlett and then at the vase. My guts screamed it was a man that did that, and they had given it to her… Some idiots had thought it was right to give my mate of bunch of flowers in my absence!
My happiness was slowly replaced by a new type of hatred, one mixed with jealousy.
“Who gave you those flowers!” I pointed at the vase.
Scarlett nearly jumped. I glanced behind her at the maids and bared my teeth at their continuous presence when they could tell that this confrontation had nothing to do with them.
“Do you want to keep your heads? Do your work!” I roared at them.
The maids scurried like rats to the sinks and started looking for faults in the clean kitchen space.
I turned to Scarlett and walked towards her. “Now you, who gave you these flowers?” I growled.
I curled my hands into fists and growled as she began to tremble under my gaze. Yet she refused to say anything. Her eyes reflected her fear but there was also defiance.
“You know, it's good that you are all healed up. I won't hold back when I beat it out of you!” I grabbed her by the back of my neck and brought her up to my face.
“Please— Asher stop!” She squeaked like a trapped pup.
I lifted my hand and grabbed her jaw. “You better start talking—”
“I did it— your grace!” A young boy splashed himself at my feet.
My head cocked to the side as my rage moved away from her and shot at him. He must be the one called Bee— the one Scarlett's aide had informed me of.
He laid face down on the floor and pleaded.
“I'm the one, I did it for the queen. She has been very nice to me. I— I—” He glanced at Scarlett, which irritated me the more. “I wanted to repay her kindness that's why I did this! I am sorry my King… Please forgive me…”
“No!” Scarlett choked with wide eyes.
I released my hold on Scarlett. She was trying to protect the fool…
My attention went to him, and I growled. “You better start talking!” I kicked him in the side, but he barely flinched.
“Asher, stop, don't do this!” Scarlett cried out, before turning to me with joined hands. “I'm the one! I—I bought the flowers, Asher, I bought the flowers myself—”
“Silence!” I shut her up.
I turned to the boy and crouched to his level so I could see his face. He wasn't bad for looks, but he was a teenager at maximum.
A scoff escaped my lips.
“Kids these days are quite courageous…” I chuckled darkly. “You thought you could have a go at my lady?”
I grabbed him by the collar and planted a hard slap on his face. A bloodied tooth sprang from his mouth onto the floor, but again, he barely cried out.
“I'm very sorry your Grace. Please forgive me, I shall not do it again.” He whispered.
Ah, shut up you feral fool!” I stood up. “You won't be doing it ever again. That’s for certain.” I dusted my hands and straightened.
I moved my fingers and the around already knew what to do. They came into the room and grabbed Bee by the shoulders.
“What are you doing, wait, wait!” Scarlett was puzzled and tried to grab him from the guards, but they ignored her.
I wiped my hands clean with a napkin in the kitchen. “See that he is given the appropriate punishment and banished from the castle.” I looked at the vase and brought out the flowers. “Trash this with him on the way outside.”
“Asher! Please! Please! He's just a boy! Where would he go?” Scarlett begged as they moved the boy away.
I ignored her and walked out of the kitchen. The remaining guards barred her from getting too close.
“Get me, Luciano, it seems he has been slacking off,” I told a guard. “Don't tell him the details.”
“Yes, your grace!”
The guard quickly disappeared from the kitchen, and I let my eyes wander to Scarlett, feeding my rage by her tears. Satisfied with the punishment she got, I went back to the room and removed my armor while I waited for Luciano.
Soon someone knocked on the door as I removed my jacket, and I knew it was Luciano.
“Come in.” I threw the sheathed sword on the bed and turned to the door.
Luciano stepped in and bowed. I gave him a long hard look, and I watched as he struggled to keep his stare away from me.
I sighed deeply and shook my head.
“I told you to keep Scarlett in check when I left—” I poured myself a glass of water. "But somehow, a courageous boy from the kitchen approached the Luna— My mate and gave her flowers. Where were you?” I glared at him.
Luciano's eyes narrowed, somehow, seeming relieved, and then he looked to the side. “Wait, Bee?”
I didn't reply. I emptied the glass and smacked my lips, waiting for his reply.
“I— I didn't know about that. I never saw that coming—”
I scoffed.
“You never saw that coming. That's very foolish of you, Beta.” I growled. “Day by day, you lose your credibility.”
I removed the belt on my trousers and held it in front of me. His eyes went to bed, the sword on the bed, and the armor on the floor… then finally landed on the belt I was folding.
A sweat broke on his forehead and he bowed. “It shall not happen again, my king. I was concerned about the pack matters.”
“You are so fucking incompetent! If you weren't useful, I would have ended your life by strangling you with this belt!” I hissed.
He went down to a knee and bowed his head low.
“Forgive me, my king. My incompetence shall not happen again.” He apologized. “Instead, I will make up for it by carrying out punishment on her per your orders…”
My head cocked to the side, and I glared at him. “You want to punish my mate, for me?”
“No… I am just— She's stubborn my king and does what she likes, I do not have the power to control her like you because of her rank…” He foolishly stuttered.
I dropped the belt on the bed and scoffed. “That won't be necessary, I will punish her myself. Bring her to my chambers.”
Luciano snapped his head up to me in alarm. “My king, you— you can't punish her yet! She hasn't healed from the injuries from last—”
My glare silenced him. It was enough to remind him he was walking on thin ice. And the cold clutches could get him soon.
“It seems you don't value your head. How dare you tell me what to do? Bring that woman here!” I roared and he jerked backwards.
“Yes, your grace.” Luciano stood up and disappeared from my sight.
I washed my face and waited for them to return. I already knew how to punish Scarlett. Her stubbornness was nothing a good cock couldn’t handle.
Luciano knocked once and entered with Scarlett following behind him.
“Leave us,” I ordered, without meeting his eyes.
Luciano bowed and left without a word.
I cracked my knuckles and approached Scarlett slowly. She stood at the center of the room and no matter how hard she tried to be strong, she couldn't hide the fear.
“It seems you have been quite busy…” My voice was husky, and this seemed to surprise her as she met my gaze briefly before turning those green eyes away.
For a moment, the innocence in her eyes made my heart jump. She looked so beautiful, my wolf let out a growl as it fought to get to touch her…
I hated this, the way she always did this to me effortlessly. I shouldn't be feeling like this…
But I recovered and frowned.
“Strip and kneel before me,” I commanded.