Arlena walked through the long halls of the Lycan Palace with her heart beating hard. At the end of the corridor, heavy double doors stood between her and the room where Queen Isadora Lysandros lived—the Lycan Queen, mother of Prince Vaelen.
She had rehearsed what to say all the way here. This was important. She needed to get everything done before it was too late.
But before she could touch the door, a woman moved into her path. Arlena realized she was blocked by the queen’s personal maid.
And the maid’s posture said plainly that no one disturbed the queen for small matters, and her face clearly showed disdain toward her.
"State your business," the maid said without any expression, not even giving her the basic respect of a lady. She looked at Arlena as if she were an insect that had landed in the wrong place.
Arlena opened her mouth. "I have sothing I must tell Her Majesty," she said, trying to make her voice steady.
But the maid did not move, not even giving a tiny reaction. Arlena could feel heat rising in her cheeks.
She pinched her own hands, hiding the small shake. Because in her mind, she was almost seething with anger. "Wait, you bitch. When I beco queen, you’ll learn a lesson you’ll never forget. The first thing I’ll do is dig your grave."
But she didn’t show anything on her face at all and instead smiled politely and pleaded again.
"Please," she said softly. "It’s important."
The maid’s eyes narrowed, but she still did not budge from her earlier statent. "The queen does not receive without a summons," she said. "You must have a summons."
Arlena swallowed. She had no summons. She had only a truth that needed telling and a courage that did not always arrive at the right mont. All she could do was hold her ground.
"She will want to hear this," Arlena insisted. Her voice lost a little of its softness and beca harder. "It concerns Prince Vaelen."
At the na, the maid’s expression shifted... she was contemplating how much truth was in her words.
Arlena lifted her chin and said loud enough for the nearby guards to hear, "I have sothing important to report about Prince Vaelen. I’ve seen him with my own eyes roaming openly with so woman! Without any worry about how it might affect his image. He didn’t even care how it looked."
The head maid’s eyes narrowed, but she still didn’t move aside.
Arlena went on. "He was protecting her like she was so treasure while humiliating , his fiancée! I can tell what kind of woman she is. She’s no lady, that one. She must be so cheap slut clinging to him for attention. We have to tell the queen!"
The head maid didn’t reply. She just gave Arlena that sa cold look—the one that said to go away before you embarrassed yourself further.
Arlena’s hands tightened at her sides. She was about to explode when suddenly, the door opened from inside. Another maid appeared. "Let Miss Arlena enter," she said quickly. "The queen wishes to see her."
The head maid blinked in surprise and stepped aside.
Arlena lifted her head proudly, her lips curling into a smug smile. "Finally," she muttered. Without giving the head maid another glance, she walked past her into the queen’s chambers.
Inside, the air was still and heavy. Queen Isadora Lysandros sat on her throne gracefully but with eyes that could make anyone shudder. Arlena imdiately knelt down and lowered her head in respect.
"Your Majesty," she said softly.
The queen said nothing. She didn’t even tell Arlena to rise. The silence stretched for a long mont until the tension made Arlena’s skin prickle.
Finally, the Queen spoke. "You wished to see ?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Arlena said, raising her head slightly. "I ca to inform you about Prince Vaelen. I saw him at the training grounds. He was with a woman—a lowborn woman. He was protecting her, acting like they were in a relationship. He even went so far as to humiliate in front of others just to defend her."
The queen’s eyes narrowed, but her tone stayed calm. "I see," she said quietly. "So he finally found soone... after all his mourning."
Arlena blinked, caught off guard. "Your Majesty, that girl isn’t a noble. She isn’t even respectable! I’ve never seen her at any gathering or event. She must be so commoner."
Before she could say more, there was a sudden crash! The queen had slamd her hand against the armrest of her throne.
"Still a fool!" she hissed. "Why can’t he understand I’m working so hard for him? And yet he dares to follow the sa path as his father!"
Arlena flinched. The queen’s fury filled the room like thunder.
The head maid quickly stepped forward, bowing. "Your Majesty, please, calm yourself."
"Get her out," the queen snapped, glaring at Arlena.
Arlena wanted to protest, but one look at the queen’s furious eyes stopped her cold. She lowered her head and let herself be escorted out. The doors closed behind her with a heavy thud.
Inside, the queen stood there, chest rising and falling fast. Her hands trembled with anger.
"He’s just like his father," she muttered under her breath. "Arrogant bastard. Dares to roam around with whores when he already has a fiancée. All n are the sa. No respect for won."
Her voice grew sharper. "That bastard of a father—he slept with every woman in this palace! And now his son wants to follow him? If this continues, so whore’s child will end up sitting on the throne, and I’ll have to watch it happen!"
She pressed a hand to her chest, breathing hard. Her anger was almost too much to bear. The head maid rushed to her side. "Your Majesty, please, calm yourself," she said softly, trying to steady her.
The queen took a few deep breaths, but her eyes still burned. "Where was the king last night?" she asked suddenly.
The head maid hesitated but still didn’t answer.
"Where was he?" the queen demanded, louder this ti.
Still no answer. That silence said everything.
The queen’s face hardened. Without another word, she stord out of the room. Servants tried to stop her, but she ignored them all.
She marched through the corridors until she reached the king’s quarters. The guards hesitated to open the door, but the queen’s glare made them obey.
The doors swung open, and there he was.
The king was tangled in bed with two half-naked won, sleeping like a man who had no sha left in the world.
The queen froze, disgust washing over her face. For a long mont, she said nothing and only stared.
"Disgusting," she whispered.
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