Chapter 59: The Queen’s Place(18+)
Arthur lay sprawled on the tangled sheets, his body a map of bruises and bite marks, sweat cooling on his skin. The room still throbbed with the aftershocks of what had just happened—Urzara’s wild laughter, the scent of orc and sex, the ache in his muscles that reminded him he was, for now, only human.
The door opened with a sharp crack. Isolde stood in the threshold, her presence a blade of cold steel. Her eyes swept the room, taking in Arthur’s naked, marked body, the rumpled bed, the fading heat in the air. Her jaw clenched, her hands balled into fists at her sides.
Urzara, still catching her breath, met Isolde’s gaze with a smirk. "Come to see if your king still has strength, Queen?"
Isolde’s voice was ice. "Out. All of you. Now."
Urzara’s smirk faded. For a moment, it looked as if she might challenge the order, but something in Isolde’s eyes—regal, unyielding, dangerous—made her think better of it. She rose, gathering her clothes, and with a final, lingering look at Arthur, strode from the room.
Kaela and Mira, the two maidens, exchanged nervous glances. Isolde’s gaze snapped to them. "You too. Give us a moment."
They scurried out, closing the door behind them. The room was suddenly silent, the air thick with tension.
Isolde stood at the foot of the bed, her chest rising and falling with each breath. She looked at Arthur as if she might devour him or destroy him—or both.
Arthur tried to sit up, but his body protested. "Isolde—"
She crossed the room in three strides, her movements sharp and purposeful. She grabbed his face in both hands, forcing him to meet her gaze.
"Do you even remember who you are?" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "Who I am to you?"