Surprised by her words, King Calum paused for a moment. Azalea chortled seeing his enlarged eyes.

"Pft! Alright, I'd admit, I did not expect that," King Calum said, letting a short laugh escape his lips. "Are you that happy hearing that I will avenge you?"

​​

"No, not the avenge part," Azalea replied, her face, blushing. "You seemed worried about me, that's why".

"Well, I - ," King Calum wanted to say something but he hesitated and averted his eyes afterwards, "Nevermind". Instead he inched his face closer to Azalea's and kissed her on the lips. It was a short and gentle peck. "Now, tell me".

Azalea's face became redder, feeling her husband's lips brush on hers. But since it was too short, she pouted in dismay.

"Uhmm … just a peck?"

King Calum was taken aback. Raising one his eyebrows he smirked and asked her, "Are you sure you want me to do more than that? I'm telling you, it won't stop with just a kiss if I start again".

"Ah … I - I'm just kidding," Azalea shook her head and unconsciously pushed King Calum away from her.

"Kidding, huh?" King Calum teased her. "Backing off already? I'm always ready anytime you want to. Even now …," he lifted his body and moved on top of Azalea, pinning her down on bed. "What do you say? Do you want it now?" he teased again.

"No!" Azalea shouted. "I - I'll say it! I'll tell you what happened!"

"Ha ha ha ha!" King Calum laughed loudly that it echoed in the whole chamber. "Now that's more like it. You're a hundred years too early to play dominant against me".

"Hmf! Says someone with lots of experience," Azalea mumbled.

"Are you daring me?" King Calum scoffed. "You're really asking for it, are you? I guess I have been too patient, waiting for you to be ready before doing it. Turns out, you're craving for it but is too shy to ask. Well, say no more". He then brushed his lips on Azalea's neck and gave it a gentle nibble.

"- What? No! D-don't … ahhh," Azalea tried to free her hands from King Calum but his lips on her neck made her body shiver.

King Calum continued to tease her. He licked her neck and moved his lips upward, catching her mouth and sliding his tongue inside. He slowly let go of her hands and slid his hands, one to her thigh, and another on the back of her head, pushing her lips deeper unto his.

Azalea felt her body grow weaker in each passing minute of feverish and passionate kiss from the king. In her mind she thought, "How ironic … Before, I used to dislike his kiss … but now, why do I feel that I want it?" Her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

After half an hour of vigorous kissing, they finally let go of each other's lips.

"Hahh … Hahh," King Calum breathed heavily. "This is why I don't like kissing you sometimes," he commented then looked at Azalea straight in the eyes, "You're torturing me … making me hard, and not doing something about it".

"A-ahh …," Azalea was taken aback. Her face flushed red, and she averted her eyes from him. "I'm … I'm sorry … for making you feel that way. Ahm, in the future, I - I don't know, maybe? I'm not so sure, it's just that -"

"You're not ready for it yet, I know," King Calum finished it for her. "But my patience and endurance has a limit. Don't make me wait for too long," he smirked again. He then got off from pinning Azalea and sat on the bed, with his back on the headboard. "I believe I satisfied your cravings for my lips. So now, tell me what happened".

Azalea got up and sat beside the king. "I was resting in the garden when Selena came to join me and we happily discussed a couple of things. Then, Nefastus came, not long after saying you were childhood friends and that you're closer … and that … she'll take the position of queen from me. Because I'm … nothing but a tool for childbirth". Her voice became softer and softer as she told the story.

King Calum felt the sadness in her voice. "So that's why you hesitated to tell me? Because you thought we were close and that I'd take her side?" he asked bluntly.

Azalea sighed and admitted, "Yes. Sorry about that".

"Misunderstandings happen from assumptions. Instead of assuming things, just ask me and I'll answer you - as simple as that".

"Next time, I will. Thank you".

"Then, what about those spiritual traces in you? Why did she use magic? Did she try to harm you?"

"Technically, it wasn't directed at me but since I was there with Selena, I got caught in it, too. When she insulted me, Selena got angry for me and told her off. Nefastus went mad after the things Selena said, and that's when she cast hundreds of ice spears and aimed at us".

Hearing this, King Calum felt his blood boil in deep anger.

"I see …," he tried to answer calmly but his frustration was leaking out. "Good thing Clavis arrived to protect his wife. Or else both of you would have died already". He was saying words of thankfulness but rage took over his voice.

"Ahm, about that -"

"I need to go somewhere," King Calum interrupted her. His mind just thought of a goal and he wouldn't relent until he finished it. He gave Azalea a light peck again, stood up from the bed, and vanished in thin air.

"I was gonna say …," Azalea tried to continue but the king was gone in an instant, "that it wasn't Clavis. Hmmm … I wonder where he'll go?"

In a blink of an eye, King Calum was now back to his throne room. Servus felt his presence and immediately went back to welcome him.

"Your highness, you're -"

"- I want all officials, Generals, Judges, and all heads of the noble families here in one minute," the king commanded in one breathe.

His voice was so cold and scary that Servus couldn't help but feel the heavy atmosphere.

"What should I tell them, your highness?"

"That the king summons them. And that they need to come immediately. Whoever is late will be killed".

Servus jolted and his body trembled in fear. He immediately vanished afterwards and teleported everywhere to gather the audience that the king wanted.

One after another, the officials came, followed by the Judges, and the Generals. While they waited for the rest to come, some of them whispered amongst themselves, asking what was the sudden meeting all about. But no one had a bit of idea what was going on.

58 seconds was what it took for everyone to gather in the throne room. With all of the important people gathered in one place, King Calum faced them, as he sat on his throne and stared at them coldly.

"You have all been gathered here because today, I have heard the most ridiculous thing in my whole life," King Calum greeted them all in a very unpleasant way.

The crowd's murmur grew louder. They all speculated in their own ways. And judging from the king's tone, whatever it was, he wasn't happy about it.

"What is this ridiculous thing you speak of, your highness?" one of the Generals asked the king.

"That someone tried to kill my queen," the king answered.

Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. For who in the world would dare do such a thing? Some of the Generals, those who went to the garden that morning, immediately knew who it was and they simply looked at each other's eyes.

"Such audacity!" one of the nobles shouted in anger. "Who would dare commit such a crime? They deserve to be punished!"

"I totally agree with you," the king nodded. "Tell me, what punishment should be given to someone who dared do such a thing?"

"I say, let that person be tortured!" another nobleman shouted.

"That person might do it again, it's better to kill the culprit instead," said another.

A man with dark green hair stood out from the crowd. He was that same man who had a torn piece of the prophecy on his hands before.

"My brethren, let us all calm down," he said, "Isn't death too much of a punishment for our kind when our queen is merely a human? Should we value a human's life more than our own?"

Other noblemen got frightened the moment that the man spoke. He had this sinister smile on his lips like those people you'd never want to cross paths with. All of them shut their mouths and didn't dare answer his questions.

A moment of silence passed by.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" the king laughed loudly, breaking the silence. "Why did you all shut up? Does this mean you agree that my queen is nothing but a mere human and that it doesn't matter if she dies?" Standing up, he continued, "It seems you have all forgotten what happened when my National Treasure died? Now, you want the queen I appointed to die?"

Alas, a strong gust of wind blew inside the throne room and the ground shook in his heightened fury.