SAMANTHA
My heart sank. It was clear that Leslie was trying to drag me into this trouble while she was almost falling into a pit herself. Her eyes were wild. Her hands were trembling. But her finger was still pointed at me.
Lionel's expression became dark as he looked at me with anger. His golden eyes narrowed. His jaw tightened. It was obvious he was singling me out as a troublemaker.
"You again?" he said. His voice was low and dangerous. "Always up to mischief?"
Leslie's face was a portrait of happiness. Her lips curled into a smile. Her eyes glittered with malice. She threw more fuel into the fire without hesitation.
"Your Highness," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness, "this is all her fault. The princes fought because of this lady. She has been casting spells on them. She has been using witchcraft to make them notice her. She is not innocent. She is evil."
Lionel ignored her.
He did not even look at her. His eyes were fixed on me. His gaze was icy and his tone was harsh.
"Tell me," he commanded. "What happened?"
I cast a glance at Leslie. Her sneer was malicious. Her eyes were bright with anticipation. She thought her dreams would come through. She thought I would be banished. She thought I would be branded a rogue and thrown out like garbage.
My wolf, Cece, at this point did not know what to say. She was quiet. Confused. Uncertain.
"Oops," Cece finally said.
Then she disappeared.
I turned my attention to King Lionel. I took a deep breath. I recounted the events calmly. My voice was steady. My hands were still.
"Your Highness," I said, "this is what happened. The princes arrived to observe the practice. I was kneeling with the other women. I was holding my dildo." The thought of even saying, "dildo," in front of the Alpha King was so hard. "I was trying to practice like everyone else. I did not speak to any of the princes. I did not look at any of the princes. I did not approach any of the princes."
I paused and let my words settle.
"Prince Jayce noticed that I was not performing well and he commented on it. Then he offered to assist me personally. I did not ask for his assistance. I did not want his assistance. I remained where I was kneeling."
I glanced at Jayce. His face was unreadable.
"Then Leslie intervened. She approached Prince Jayce. She offered to practice with him instead. He rejected and kicked her. She became angry and attacked me. The princes intervened to protect me. That is when the fight started."
I turned back to King Lionel.
"Your Highness, that is exactly what happened. Please lay judgment."
With that, I bowed, lowering my head to soothe his ego. I then waited for his final say.
The room was silent. The other women held their breath and Daisy wrung her hands. The guards stood frozen.
"I see," Lionel said.
His gaze softened. The anger did not disappear, but something else joined it. It was curiosity and interest.
"Did you say the princes fought for your attention earlier?" he asked. "You said they have feelings for you?"
Feelings for me?
I did not feel any emotion from them. Not really. Jayce was cruel. Finnian was cold. Darlington was gentle, but gentle did not mean affection.
I disagreed with this information. I looked at the three princes.
Their expressions moved from irritation to calmness. Jayce's face was hard. Finnian's face was blank. Darlington's face was soft.
And from gentleness to aloofness. The one thing I did not see was affection.
I knew they did not like me. They might want me. They might be curious about me. They might be drawn to me by some bond I did not understand. But like? No.
Only the Goddess knew what was in store for me. What these gremlins would do to me. Only the Goddess knew.
I lowered my gaze to my feet. I thought of how best to respond to the king's question.
Leslie, however, was panicking.
Desperation took over her. Her face went pale. Her hands shook. Her eyes darted around the room like a trapped animal looking for an escape.
"Your Highness," she began, her voice high and frantic, "do you not want to punish this woman? She is the cause of all of this. She is the reason the princes fought. She is the reason the room is destroyed. She is the reason—"
Wait.
Was that jealousy? Envy?
Why was Leslie jealous of me?
The king was not punishing me. He was asking questions. He was listening. He was thinking.
Leslie was jealous that the king did not want to punish me immediately. She wanted to see me suffer. She wanted to see me bleed. She wanted to see me dragged away in chains.
Lionel shot her an angry look. His eyes flashed. His lip curled.
"Why do I need you to decide for me?" he snapped. "Guards, remove this lady!"
Leslie's face went white. Her mouth fell open. Her hands dropped to her sides.
"No!" she cried. "Why? Your Majesty?!"
Her voice shook with fear and confusion. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She fell to her knees.
"Have mercy, please!" she begged. "I will change, Your Majesty. Please do not punish me. I will be good. I will be quiet. I will not cause any more trouble. Just please—"
It was too late.
Two buff servants seized her. Their hands locked around her arms. They lifted her to her feet.
"No! No!" Leslie yelled. "This is unfair! Unhand me, please!"
She struggled against them. Her body twisted. Her legs kicked. Her arms pulled but the servants were too strong. They dragged her toward the door.
"Unhand me! I said unhand me!"
Her cries grew louder. More desperate. More broken.
"You cannot do this to me! I am innocent! She is the guilty one! Not me! Not me!"
The door opened. They pulled her through.
Her voice faded into the silence.
And left a stillness.
Everyone in the room bowed their heads. The other women. Daisy. The guards. Even the princes lowered their gazes.
I bowed my head too.
My heart was pounding. My hands were cold and my legs were weak.
This was the power of a royal family. They could decide a person's fate with just one word.
So, Leslie was gone. And I was still here.