Chapter 157: Chapter 158

Azalea POV Waking up, Kyson was gone, and I growled. Of course, he took off. He knew I would have questions. Tossing the blanket back, I find a robe and pull it on before walking to the door to ask a guard.

Liam was outside, dancing on the spot and singing to himself. He does a whirl and freezes when he spots me standing in the doorway. I chuckle at him.

“My Queen,” he answers, smiling deviously.

“Do you know where the King went?” I ask him.

“He is questioning Trey and trying to figure out how to get you to drop your command on Gannon and Dustin.”

“Pardon?”

“You commanded them not to follow you or touch you. Now they can’t do either!” Liam explains, and I sigh and roll my eyes.

“Wait, why does he want to talk to Trey?”

1 “To see if he is a traitor,” Liam answers. The man saved my life and yet he is still under suspicion?

“What’s wrong, Lass?” Liam asks.

“Nothing, he just doesn’t answer my questions, or he runs from me when I have them, and now he is questioning one of my guards and hiding from me again!” I tell him.

“Stubborn man, the King, but you just have to think. There is a time he can’t run,” he says, smiling slyly. I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate, and he chuckles.

“Was that supposed to help me?” I ask, confused.

“I don’t know, did it?” Liam laughs again.

“You’re an odd man, Liam.” I laugh and shake my head.

“That is why I am so much fun,” he replies and winks at me.

“What about Abbie?” | ask.

“She is with Clarice, though I know the king wanted you to wait here until he returned.” I raise an eyebrow at him.

“And with that look, I don’t think you intend to wait around for the King to return,” he laughs.

“No, I want to find Kyson,” I tell him, and he nods. Heading for the stairs, Liam clears his throat, and I look over my shoulder at him.

“Probably be wise to put some clothes on under your robe, my Queen,” he says, and I looked down, forgetting I was naked underneath. I sigh and quickly rush back into the room and pull on a dress before coming out. Liam follows me down to the King’s office, where I can hear arguing.

Pushing the door open, I step in, and the arguing instantly stops. “You’re awake!” The King exclaims, and I nod, moving into the room and sitting in his chair. He was standing over Trey, who sat across from me, and Gannon, too, stood behind him with his hands on Trey’s shoulders.

Dustin leaned against the bookshelf in the corner of the room with an angered look on his face, while Damian looked like he needed to crawl into bed. Everyone stares at me, and the room falls silent.

“You should go back to the room. I will be up in a minute.” Kyson tells me.“Trey and Dustin are both my guards, are they not, if you’respeaking with them? I have a right to know about what,” I tell him. Kyson growls, Trey tries not to smile, and Dustin looks over at the King but says nothing. “Wait, I thought you said | commanded Gannon and Dustin away?” I ask, turning to face Liam.“You did. You commanded them not to follow or touch you. You came in here. They can’t touch you or follow you, which you will have to fix. I don’t trust many with you as your guard, and until then, you are stuck with Liam or with me permanently attached to you,” Kyson says, shaking his head.“Still my guard, therefore, I have a right to sit in?” I tell him.

“Oh, she has a point,” Liam says from the doorway.

“You were supposed to ensure she remained in the room,” Kyson tells him, and Liam shrugs, not caring for his anger.

“Would you rather me pin her to the bed or tie her down?” Liam asks, and Kyson growls.

“We can continue this later,” Kyson says, and Gannon growls but lets Trey go stepping away from him.

“Continue what later?” I ask curiously. Whatever it was, it was once again being kept from me.

“The King thinks I am the one who poisoned you. I explained how it is impossible to harm you even if I wanted to, not that I do, my Queen. It is all just a huge misunderstanding!” Trey says, and Kyson growls at him in some warning.

Yet my eyes moved to Dustin and Liam. Didn’t they accuse Trey of the same thing? Dustin shrugs, meeting my gaze. “It appears I was wrong,” Dustin admits, glaring at Trey.

“Really? He is suddenly off your creepometer?” Liam asks, looking down at Trey.

“I still think there is something slimy about him,” Liam accuses, narrowing his eyes.

“Don’t shove your prejudices against me, even if they aren’t intentional. We all know why you blame me. It’s because I am the only guard that was originally a Landeena, an outsider. I wasn’t part of the Valkyrie Kingdom. That is what pisses you off. Just admit it!” Trey snarls at Liam.

“You got in on a whim! You don’t get to waltz on in and become part of the guard without working for it,” Liam snaps.

“Enough! Everyone may enter the trials. He never cheated, and he was blood tested like everyone else,” Kyson growls at them.

“Wait! What is going on? What prejudices? What are you talking about?” | ask. But Kyson remains quiet, so I look to Dustin, who steps forward.

“When all the Kingdoms were alive, we all used to compete. Landeena’s were known for cheating. The competitions had huge rewards.

They liked remaining in control. The Kings also used to compete in them,”

“I am not following what this has to do with Trey?”

“The King ones were separate from that of Guard ones. We competed, but not like that. The game trials were just for added effect to amp up the Kingdom’s,” Kyson says and shakes his head.

“What is the point, though? What would a king win?” | ask.

“Pure bloodlines, rein over the council for that year. My father beat yours one year. His bet was Landeena’s King’s first daughter. You, you were the bet between our father’s, same with the Azures,”

“Wait, slow down. How many Royal families were there? I am so confused right now? They would bet on bloodlines?” Kyson sighs and walks around his desk, and I get up out of his seat. He sits down and pulls me onto his lap. Damian takes the seat next to Trey, and Gannon takes the couch. Liam rubs his hands together.

“Storytime!” Liam squeals, making Dustin snort at his enthusiasm as Liam forces Gannon to move over, leaving Dustin the only one standing.

“I have a knee, good sir. You may use it,” Liam says to Dustin, wiggling his eyebrow. “Anyway, you like,” Liam offers, and Dustin growls, his face turning bright red.

“Will you stop with that filthy trash talk? We fucked. Get over it and stop mentioning it,” Dustin hisses.

“Correction, we are fucking. I never said I was done with you. Now sit,” Liam says, gripping Dustin’s wrist and jerking him on his lap. Kyson chuckles behind me while Dustin looks like he is about to beat the living daylights out of Liam.

“I told you not to go there, Dustin. I warned you that he is clingy as fuck!” Gannon tells Dustin.

“I am not!” Liam growls at Gannon. Dustin puffs, annoyed.

“You’re so cute when angry, like a savage chihuahua,” Liam laughed, pulling at Dustin’s cheek. Dustin slaps his hand away. But their banter lightened the tension in the room and I turned my attention back to Trey.