Cursed Without A Crown

08 | Behind the Scenes II; The Oblivious Wielder

STILL IN THE KING'S SOLAR

Queen Thyrah's eyes darkened at the threat just as she took two steps back. "Do not threaten me idly, my lord."

Finally, Drokah thought with grim satisfaction, a reaction.

"You can bathe in denial all you want, my lady," he advanced once more, "but you and I both know that I wield more power than you."

Thyrah's pupils blazed in anger, but unlike she had previously attempted, did not try to use her power against him. Drokah only smiled cruelly at her restraint, finally moving away to give her—and him—some breathing space.

Once he had seated himself at the head of the trestle table, he gestured to the other empty seats. "You may sit."

"No, thank you." The Queen of Drakonwell affixed a steely gaze on him. "I am not here to get comfortable, my lord. I am only here because you sought me out for something that is irrelevant at the moment. Mind you, tomorrow is an important day, and I would like to be mentally prepared for what is to come, if you do not mind."

Another surge of anger threatened to worsen his temper, but he swallowed it down before it got the best of him. Shrugging, he made himself comfortable and left the queen to remain where she stood, looking so much as if she belonged.

Drokah quickly shook away the disturbing thoughts and focused on acquiring the information he needed. "You do realise that the contents of that letter, in any hands, can be terribly dangerous for all of us?"

A black brow rose in bleak sarcasm. "Oh, so your hands are included then?"

"You are testing my patience."

"As I intend to," Thyrah replied with a calm exterior, but Drokah noted a tiny smile forming at the right corner of her lips. The blasted female enjoyed taunting him. Perhaps, if Drokah wasn't in a sour mood, he would've eagerly returned each snide remark with one of his own.

However, with each passing moment wasted, his mood continued to blacken, rendering him less enthusiastic at besting her that particular night. And even though Thyrah's proximity pleased him immensely—which he would never admit out loud—she had committed a severe crime in possessing something that wasn't meant for her, and Drokah had half a mind to punish the stubborn royal for that.

Except there was one problem. The more he showed how much the letter's absence affected him, the more she would delight in keeping it completely out of reach. He knew this, but as much as he tried, Drokah just couldn't help but fall into her meagre traps.

This time, however, he tentatively decided to follow things her way in order to get closer to the truth, as his threats weren't having their desired effect.

Thyrah must have seen the gradual relent in his eyes, for the second he opened his mouth, the tiny smirk returned.

"You are enjoying this."

"Possibly."

The wizard kept his expression neutral. "I only wish to be certain if you intend for this to be another game of yours to pass the time in your clearly unhappy marriage."

The almost invisible smile that had touched the edge of Thyrah's lips vanished entirely as she caught his double insinuation. "This is certainly not a game, my lord. I only want the right thing—"

"By stealing what is not rightfully yours?"

A frown creased her forehead. "You left me no choice."

When Drokah opened his mouth to point out the obvious flaw in her words, she interrupted with little remorse, "I know I have no justification for taking the letter—"