Chapter 65: Where Punishment Blooms

Chapter 65: Where Punishment BloomsTo Raven’s surprise, Zavren simply chuckled—the sound echoing darkly, gravelly as Raven’s eyes widened. There was a brief pause. "It seems His Majesty is already aware of this," he said quietly, noticing the slow, unsettling grin creeping across Zavren’s lips—cold, calculated—as the king’s gaze calmly landed on him. "And what if I am?" Zavren replied, his voice disturbingly calm. Raven’s eyes stretched even more. He was aware. Zavren knew. Oh, heavens after all the reading, all the discoveries—how could the king already know? It felt like he didn’t know this man at all. Despite all their years together, Zavren still remained a mystery. A stranger behind a crown. "Go on," Zavren spoke, making Raven look at him in shock. If he was aware, then why did he still...? But just as expected of the king he was unpredictable, Raven bowed and nodded. "Given that it is banned for a vampire to marry a wolf—and considering how rare it is for a wolf to be mated with a vampire..except they have s...se...sex—uh p..parental duties.." "Sexual intercourse, Raven don’t be stupid. What’s so hard about saying it? It’s not like you’ll get pregnant by just uttering the words," Zavren spoke dryly, and Raven’s ears burned in embarrassment. ’P...pregnant? A man?’ "Yes correct Your Majesty. The vampire must be a virgin, regardless of gender. And having intercourse with a virgin wolf can seal the bond, making them true mates—as lovers. I’m guessing that’s what happened between them. But now the real question is... despite the tight bond with his mate, why did he marry... I mean, why did he choose to marry... I mean, I apologize, Your Highness," Raven stammered, his body shaking slightly as he noticed Zavren’s nails beginning to elongate. But it wasn’t like the queen was still married to that man, so why did the king get so... "Get out," Zavren said calmly. Raven bowed immediately and rushed out, knowing his fate if he lingered a second longer. *** Leah and Ariana walked, though Leah remained two steps behind out of respect. As they made their way through the open hallway, the royal garden came into full view. Ariana felt the gentle breeze brush against her skin, but something at the far end of the garden caught her attention. A group of maids stood with their heads bowed deeply. Something was clearly wrong. Ariana halted in her tracks and turned to Leah. Slowly, she moved her hands and signed: "What is going on over there?" Leah looked surprised. She knew that when the maids were summoned, it was usually a rare occurrence—something reserved for special events or important announcements from the king. And it was always done in the maids’ quarters hall... never in the garden. "Queen Ariana, I do not know. This is the first time something like this is happening," she said, bowing her head respectfully. To Leah’s surprise, Ariana began to walk toward the gathering, her curiosity piqued. Ariana moved gracefully, her steps light, but her eyes widened slightly the moment she took in the scene before her. There were many—maids standing still, their shoulders trembling as if barely holding in their fear. And at the center of it all stood a man, his expression cold, unreadable. The man’s frown deepened at the sound of approaching footsteps, but when he saw who it was, his face paled. Quickly, he stepped aside and bowed with practiced respect. "Greetings to Her Highness, Queen Ariana," he said as the maids bowed low. Ariana turned slightly to Leah and began to sign. "The Queen is curious about what is happening—if you don’t mind," Leah translated smoothly. Ariana’s eyes shifted back to the man, quietly studying him. His hair, streaked with gray, spoke of his age—likely in his late forties—but the deep lines on his face made him look closer to his late fifties or even early sixties. It wasn’t the years, Ariana thought, but the weight of constant frowns that had carved those downward wrinkles into his face. Though he wore a smile now, it seemed strained—trembling at the corners, as if the act of holding it hurt more than frowning. "My Queen," he began carefully, "I am the head gardener. It has come to my attention that a flower has been plucked." What.. A Flower? He gestured toward the flowerbed gently. "These flowers are His Majesty’s favorite. A strict rule was set—no one is to touch them." The moment those words left his lips, Leah’s face drained of color. Pale as a sheet, her breath caught in her throat. That flower... it was the exact one Jack had plucked that day. To give to the Queen. Ariana turned her gaze to the man, her expression tightening into a frown. Slowly, she turned to Leah and signed. "She is also curious as to why the maids are here." Leah spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly. "We assembled them because we wanted to uncover the truth," the man replied. Ariana’s brow lifted. She signed again. "And what has been the conclusion?" Leah hesitated, then turned to the man. "S-she says... what was your conclusion?" The man bowed his head, speaking in a low voice, rough as though it had scraped against years of shouting—like a rock dragging over burnt iron. "Sadly, all of them claimed they had no idea. None saw anyone go near the flowers. We have not come to a conclusion yet, as we’ve not questioned everyone." His eyes briefly flicked toward Leah, who stared down at the ground, her lips pressed shut. She wanted to speak. She truly did. But with the queen present, it would be considered disrespectful. "And what conclusion will you reach when no one admits to it?" Ariana signed firmly. Leah translated with a dry mouth. "What... what will your final decision be if no one confesses?" The man’s eyes widened in surprise. "W-we punish all," he said. Ariana’s heart dropped. Her eyes widened. Why did everything in this place revolve around punishment, torture, and death? She had yet to hear words of kindness—no talk of reward, of praise, or goodness. Only consequences. Only danger. And besides, if anyone was supposed to punish, was it even this man? Did he think he had the right to put himself in that category? He looked more like someone who had been punished himself. Then, without breaking eye contact, Ariana signed again. Leah froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. She turned to Ariana, who now stared at her coldly. Swallowing hard, Leah bowed low and spoke: "The Queen says... she was the one who plucked the flower." The man’s eyes stretched in shock as he bowed deeply. "M-My apologies, my Queen. I had no idea you were the one who had plucked the flowers." Ariana noticed the maid’s shoulder ease slightly, though the shock still lingered. Leah seemed surprised herself, clearly not expecting the Queen to actually claim responsibility. Ariana’s lips curved into a smile as she signed, "The Queen suggests it would be only right for you to be punished for making assumptions that the maids were the ones who plucked the flowers." The man’s eyes widened even more, his body beginning to tremble. "She also says the maids may go." And just as those words left her lips, the maids all bowed respectfully and began to leave, one by one, in a straight line. The man’s body shook violently. "P...Punishment, my Queen? P..Please, I beg your pardon," he said, lowering his body and pressing his hands together in a pleading manner. "Punishment? Hmm, I don’t mind giving some suggestions." A deep voice rang out from behind. Ariana’s body stilled— The man collapsed to the floor. He shook his head. N-Not the K-King... He was here. The King himself. He was doomed. Zavren’s lips curled upward as he walked in gracefully, eyes glinting darkly, his gaze lazily resting on the man. "My wife, how about I take care of him?" he spoke calmly, but the grave edge in his tone lingered like a dagger. The man’s face turned as pale as a sheet. Take care of m..me? He could already hear and feel the torturing lit in those words. Ariana’s eyes widened as she looked from the man to Zavren. He really was scary. The truth was, she hadn’t actually planned on punishing the man at all just wanted to give him a warning. But now that Zavren had stepped in... she knew him. He never said things lightly. And she also knew—if she agreed, this man would not live to see the next day. Ariana pressed her lips together, her gaze locking with Zavren’s... then, she shook her head. Zavren’s lips widened into a grin as he looked at her. He hadn’t expected his wife to be the type to hand out punishments, but who knew? It seemed he really had been a bad influence. "I see... you want to give the punishment yourself. But..." he stepped forward, gently holding her jaw, tilting her face up to meet his. "I wouldn’t like my wife holding a dagger." Ariana’s eyes stared at him in shock. D...Dagger? The man’s body turned numb at Zavren’s words. Ariana couldn’t believe that was what "taking care of him" meant. She signed quickly— "T-The Queen s-says there is no punishment to—" Leah’s body froze in fear as Zavren’s deadly voice cut through— "Shut up." His gaze shifted to Ariana, who stared at him with wide eyes. Fear flashed across them. Zavren saw it—his jaw tightened. "Leave," he ordered. The man on the floor scrambled up, body shaking. He bowed once, then stumbled out as Leah bowed immediately and left. Ariana’s gaze locked defiantly with Zavren’s. THUD Her eyes flicked briefly to where the man had collapsed again in his rush to leave. He got up once more, barely steady on his feet, like his brain and internal organs were spiraling into malfunction. Zavren moved closer, his fingers gently shifting her chin again. He could see it now—the shimmer of hatred in her eyes. His body went still. Was she acting like this... because he had told that woman to shut up? To his surprise, Ariana curtsied. Then, she turned to leave. But just as she took a step, a soft gasp escaped her lips. He’d caught her wrist. She was pulled gently back, her body spinning slightly as her back came to rest against his chest. The evening breeze brushed her skin. Her heart thudded. Her hair fluttered slightly to the side as Zavren’s hands slid around her throat, lifting her chin so she looked up at him. "And where do you think you’re going?" he asked, his voice low and dangerously sultry. "I haven’t punished you yet." Ariana’s lips parted in disbelief. P-Punishment? For what? "For plucking my precious flowers—not just any... my little snowflake," he whispered. Her heart began to race. And then his next words made her knees give away— "The ones planted right under one of my favorite enemies’ graves."