Claimed (Bloodline, #2)

Chapter 9

09 : The Queen's Charm

It took me several seconds and a lot of willpower to hold pit against his intimidation. My hands and knees were still trembling, but I managed to stand up.

Zaria, on the other hand, quickly wiped the blood off her mouth. Most of the knights near us, who were standing motionless a while ago, tensed as they reacted to the scent of her blood. She must have bit her lower lip to pull herself back to reality.

"You barely survived that," the king frowned, an utter look of dismay written on his face.

Zaria and I weren't able to reply. The king had that overpowering aura that every cell on my body was telling me to yield. And this was just a fraction of what he could do. That thought terrified me to the core.

The throne room was silent for a while and the surrounding air was oppressively cold, until he beckoned us to move closer.

Napatingin ako kay Zaria at mabilis naman siyang tumango. I nervously followed her lead and we stood just a few meters away from the dais. Troian, the head royal advisor, emerged behind the nearby pillar along with bureaucratic officials from the royal court. The knights who were lined up on each side of the velvet carpet exited the room and were replaced by the officials.

The king nodded to Troian and he lightly bowed at us.

"Your participation in the royal parley has been decided," he announced as the officials exchanged uneasy looks.

"And what's the council's decision?" asked Zaria.

One of the officials passed him a scroll and Troian carefully opened it. "Princess Vyrka is advised to proceed."

I felt a distant chill upon the mention of my name. "Only me?" sabay turo sa sarili ko. "How about Zaria?"

"I'm afraid the princess cannot participate as her situation will put Vrivarya in a disadvantage."

"But they will be more suspicious if I miss it," she argued. "Besides, I can be a political aide to Vyrka. You cannot just throw a fledging in a den full of vultures."

That was the first time I saw her frustrated and I was grateful that she wanted to be there, too. Parang hindi ko kakayanin kung ako lamang ang nandoon kahit na puwede kong isama ang retainers ko. Her presence would be a huge comfort.

Her words must have struck a chord, too, since Troian stole a glance at the king, but the latter remained expressionless. Zaria was about to argue again when the queen suddenly nodded, much to everyone's surprise.

"Let her go, too."

I was gaping the moment I heard the queen speak. It was the first time I heard her voice and it felt too compelling that I found myself nodding at her words. Queen Vinea's voice was intoxicatingly sweet, but it felt threatening at the same time.

"O-of course, Your Majesty," Troian uttered, his voice a bit shaken.

Shifting my gaze to the king, I saw him grimly nodding at her decision, too. That moment, I realized that perhaps the queen rarely speaks because her words weigh heavier than the king's.

***

We were led to the royal court to finalize the decision regarding the royal parley. As expected, the king excused himself since the topic was about politics. Mabuti na lang talaga at kasama ko si Zaria na mas maraming alam tungkol dito.

The interior of the royal court was modified to suit the purpose of the assembly. A circular oak table was prepared, and the advisors sat around it while Zaria and I settled on the chairs in front of them. But I guess, what unnerved all of us was the queen's presence.