Chapter 170 Chapter 169
A week passed, and there was no word from the palace concerning their trespass. Seeing they might not be punished for it, Rayena could finally breathe easy. She refused to step out of her room no matter how hard Soraya insisted, stating there was no need to when everything she could possibly need was brought to her. Yet at night, when she lay in bed, she found it hard to fall asleep.
Her traitorous mind kept drifting to Lylall, wondering if it was the end of their escapades. Besides, could he really stay away from her now that he knew she’d discovered his secret? She remembered Soraya’s conversation about a shifter male’s fixation on a woman they liked, and she wondered if all the time they had spent together would have been enough to trigger one.
So much for laying low. She’d sauntered into the lion’s den herself. Or is it tiger’s? She didn’t even want to know. She’d brought in a lot of novels during her one-week imposed exile, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t lose herself in them. She kept getting distracted, her thoughts drifting toward him, her concern for him growing.
How was he doing? Was he alright? Did he like the blanket she had made for him? So many questions and no one to answer them. She didn’t think her mind would ever be at rest.
Then one day, quite early in the morning, a knock came on her door. Thinking it was Soraya, Rayena didn’t bother to ask and strode toward the door, pulling it open. It wasn’t Soraya. It was a guard, and from the uniform he had on, a palace guard. Rayena’s heart skipped a beat before it began pounding.
“H-how may I help you?” she stuttered, hating how shaky her voice sounded.
“You must be Rayena, right?” he asked, his tone respectful. Rayena nodded, not trusting herself to speak just yet.
“You have been summoned by the king,” he announced, and her knees buckled; she almost slumped to the ground. Cold sweat broke across her skin, her mouth going dry. The summon was here. He’d finally called on her, not as Lylall, but as the king.
The king of the shifter realm. There was no escaping this. Not that she could try. Rayena removed her shaky hands from the doorframe, willing herself to stand upright.
“You’re coming with me,” the guard added, and Rayena nodded absentmindedly, trying to force air into her lungs.
“One second, please,” she said, her voice already hoarse. Taking a moment to collect herself, she stood straighter, her head raised and shoulders squared. “I’m ready,” she said with a confidence she didn’t feel.
“Let’s go.”
.
.
.
The guard accompanied Rayena as she was led out of the harem. Around her, women had stepped out of their rooms, huddling together, and soon the murmurings began.
"Did the king summon her?" she heard someone ask, but she couldn’t turn to see who it was.
"Why? What happened? Did she catch his eye?" another parroted, the voice sounding suspiciously close.
"Maybe he’s heard about the rumor that she snuck a man into her room and wants to punish her for that."
At that, Rayena’s blood ran cold, her stomach twisting itself into knots. She resisted the urge to scoff. If only they knew the man she had hidden in her room was the king! They wouldn’t know what to do with themselves.
Suddenly, her back prickled as she felt the uncanny gaze of someone on her body. Looking around, she spotted Lady Ysolde glaring at her, a furious expression on her face. If looks could kill, Rayena would be six feet under with the sheer amount of malice that was in her eyes.
Ignoring her, Rayena continued with the guard until they stepped out of the harem, heading towards the palace. The walk to the building was slow and dreadful, and she felt like she was walking to her death. The gardens felt too quiet, and her stomach had twisted itself into serious knots thanks to anxiety. Even her vision seemed to spin around her. Squeezing her dress in her hands as she walked, Rayena tried to maintain a calm expression.
They finally reached the entrance of the palace, and Rayena’s heart plummeted to the ground, her body already trembling. Her steps faltered, and the guard noticed. "Is anything the matter, miss?" he asked, and she shook her head, willing her racing heart to calm.
Letting out a shaky breath, she continued to follow him. He led her through the grand hall, up a flight of stairs and several winding corridors before they arrived at a grand double door adorned with intricate designs and the head of a tiger as the doorknob.
The guard knocked once, then turned to her. "You’re to proceed from here alone."
"A-all alone?" Rayena stammered, her voice trembling. The guard gave a curt nod. She swallowed the lump in her throat, raising her shaky hands to knock when a deep voice broke through.
"Come in..." it growled, and a shiver went down her spine. Hell, he already knew she was here.
The guard pushed the door open, and after a brief hesitation, she finally dragged her heavy legs into the room, flinching as the door closed behind her. Her head snapped back to the door as she contemplated if she should try and run away before slowly turning around to observe the room before her.
Long rows of bookshelves lined the walls, windows open to let the breeze in, and at the center of the room sat a large oak table littered with scrolls and half-opened books. Blood thundered in her ears as she slowly raised her head to find Lylall—the king—sitting behind it, his hand moving as he scrawled something down.
Even while he was sitting, he still radiated so much authority and confidence. Remembering to curtsy, she made to speak. "Your Majesty, you summoned me," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Thankfully, it was calm—a sharp contrast to the terror she was feeling.
"Indeed, I did..." he growled, his deep voice sending tremors through her even as his gaze scalded her. Rayena suddenly found her feet very interesting.
"Look up," he ordered. Her head instantly raised itself before her mind could catch up.
Those cerulean orbs held hers captive, and her heart wouldn’t stop hammering in her chest. Her knees turned to jelly, and she could feel the sweat gathering in her fisted hands. Unable to bear his gaze, she turned away, clearing her parched throat.
"We meet again," he drawled lazily. "It’s been a while, has it not?"
"Yes... yes, it has," Rayena forced herself to answer when the silence became too unsettling.
"I missed you," he announced, the statement startling her. She peeked a glance at him and was shocked to find the seriousness in his expression. "You just went silent on me," he growled, the sentence an accusation.