Chapter 84: Before He Leaves
Raven pushed the door open, and his eyes widened. He bowed immediately, his ears burning as he silently cursed himself for arriving at the wrong time.
Zavren was carrying Ariana in a princess-style hold, her flushed face turned away from where Raven stood. Although Zavren’s back was to him, Raven could tell the king was carrying the queen.
Ariana face-palmed herself. She didn’t even know how to face anyone, Not to mention the shattered plate on the floor, which said enough about what had just happened. And honestly, she wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking otherwise.
"What is it?" Zavren’s voice broke through the silence, his eyes shifting to Ariana, whose face remained hidden behind her palms.
"I... I apologize, Y-Your Majesty," Raven stammered. "I only came to inform you that the carriages are ready for departure."
His voice was unsure, and the suffocating tension in the room wrapped around him even from where he stood. If he had known they were in the middle of... something, he wouldn’t have dared step foot into the dining hall. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, waiting for a response.
"Leave," Zavren commanded coldly.
Raven bowed quickly and rushed out. That was exactly what he had been waiting for and expecting. The last thing he wanted was to be punished—and he had been punished by the king before. He would never want that again... or even wish it on his worst enemies.
Just as the door closed, Zavren finally turned his gaze toward Ariana. His eyes locked on her face, scanning it slowly. Ariana’s cheeks burned as she kept her face buried in her hands.
Then, in a deep, commanding voice, Zavren said, "Remove your hands, Ariana."
She hesitated but finally lowered them. Her eyes slowly lifted until they locked with his, making her breath hitch. Even though she still couldn’t believe Raven had walked in like that, there was no taking it back—the plates scene had already been witnessed.