The King’s Tainted Mate
Chapter 29

My every instinct was on guard, my emotions running high and I had every intention to stand up to her, but I was blown away by the sight of my sister. The sight of a queen. Now that I was this close to her, I was made painfully aware of how deeply buried her desire to be queen had been and to what lengths she would have gone to gain it.

This is me making certain I'm the only one worthy to be chosen.

Her words echoed painfully from memory. She did look worthy. Dressed in an exquisite gown in fine purple, a shade darker than Liira's, Myrna stood with the grace of an actual queen. Back straight, shoulders square, her beautiful neck elegantly stretching out even as she glared at me.

Her hair that I was used to seeing cascading down her back was perfectly pinned together in a manner that made room for the most beautiful crown on her head. She was beautiful. More beautiful than I remembered. Royal life had most certainly been good to her. I would even dare say she was born for it.

Flanked by a group of maidens dressed just as exquisitely and a band of guards looking ready to defend their queen at the slightest sign of trouble, Myrna seemed to have it all.

The thought brought a bitter taste in my mouth and unearthed strange feelings in my heart. Shameful feelings that the Shyla I was before being betrayed would never have entertained. Then I had simply adored and worshipped my sister, but now? Now I couldn't help the desire to compare myself to her. To discover what it was my mate was drawn to. What made him defy our bond even when I was finally by his side.

My answer was, she was perfect. At least on the outside. Even when I was dressed in similar fine clothing and could easily pass for a noble lady, I knew I could never come close to the figure standing in front of me. If I didn't know better, she could have passed for a noble lady of a noble birth and heart even in my eyes.

But I knew better, as her darkness had been the light to illuminate my life ever since she'd conceived the idea of being chosen as Xatis's queen. And that darkness was now feeding the burning rage that was theatening to consume me whole.

"Apologize to your queen!" Some maiden with a sharp tongue hissed, sending my fists balling at my sides and my furious gaze colliding with hers.

"She's no queen of mine!" I hissed back, my tone surprisingly more menacing than I intended, sending the maiden's sharp gaze momentarily faltering and gasps erupting around us.

"How can that be? Is she not from Xatis?"

"A guest from a far kingdom, perhaps?"

"Shyla?" The shock in Myrna's tone jolted me out of the deathly staring contest that had ensued with the maiden who had dared to intimidate me. "Is that you?"

Was she only recognizing me now? I found that quite annoying too as no amount of fine apparel or cosmetics would keep me from recognizing my own sister at first glance and she'd had more than that already. "Oh my sweet Shyla!"

Anger flared. Sweet? Her sweet Shyla? I was definitely none of those things at the moment. Neither was I feeling anything close to sweetness. I hadn't been that since the day she made certain my life meant nothing to those I had cared for and thought cared for me

too.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Arms stretched out Myrna approached, a pretentious smile pasted on her lips. Did she think I would fall for it. The insult drew a menacing growl tearing from my lips, making her flinch. I could swear I saw her cower in fear too, but she was Myrna. She masked it before the world around her could even get a glimpse of it.

"Oh, you got your little wolf?" She sneered instead while losing a considerable amount of that graceful composure she'd held before.

"Not so little if you ask me." A new maiden's voice interrupted, amusement lacing their words and if I wasn't so angered by how Myrna attempted to dismiss my wolf too I would have hugged whoever had uttered them.

"I swear if your mother was not father's beloved step sister, I would have your tongue cut out right this minute!" Someone scolded and I found myself growling at them too. A noble maiden with fiery red hair that fitted her just fine for the witch she was had been the one to speak. Like Myrna, she stared down at the poor maiden who stood at the back of their little group. "You must apologize to her majesty."

"Apologize?!" The poor girl's eyes grew impossibly wide. "But I do not think I have done anyth-"

"Nobody cares what you think, Carlytte." The witch chided. "Apologize or I'll have to tell-"

"It's quite alright, Kerina." Myrna sounded calm, but I knew better. "Its nothing important. We best be on our way. Giving my thanks to the person who saved the love of my life is more important."

I could have let her go. Could have stomached her uncaring attitude that she'd put on to hide the shock of seeing me in the palace, but referring to my mate as the 'love of her life' fueled my anger as Myrna spoke proudly. I was not going to utter anything either, but her haughty attitude, that thing that she used to make me feel like I was nothing but dust and her clear intention to ignore me altogether made me speak up.

"I have no need of your thanks, his majesty's-" I paused, feeling every bit vengeful and spiteful, I held my sister's gaze. "My mate's safety is all that matters." I declared with more emotion than expected as confusion, realization, shock, disbelief, anger and a whole host of other emotions crossed Myrna's face before she spoke, or more specifically, roared.

"You?!" The devil in me smiled at her utter discomfort. "He's been singing praises about you?! You are the outlaw Xatis is beginning to admire?!" I knew nothing about anyone in Xatis hearing of the attack or care about what they thought of it, but Myrna choking at the news and the expression of disbelief and jealousy forming on her face was so priceless I thanked whoever had carried the gossip out of the palace walls.

Were her words worth an answer from me? I did not think they did. And just because I wished to give her a taste of her own medicine, I ignored her and resumed my earlier quest.

"You! You can't turn your back on me Shyla! I am your que-" Her tantrum was cut short and when I turned to understand why, my eyes widened. Her hand was held up in the air by a larger armoured one.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, your majesty." Gol! My heart was close to bursting at the sight of him protecting me in the manner he did. Wherever he'd come from, I thanked the gods for him too as he'd just saved me from an ugly fight with my own sister. My wolf had been begging to be let at her and if her slap had landed, holding back was not going to be my first instinct.

"How dare you! How dare you touch the queen of Xatis!" Her flawless skin took on a bloody shade as she spat her demands. Gol merely arched a brow as he dropped my sister's hand and that seemed to infuriate Myrna even more, making her turn to her band of

men.

"Defend your queen you imbeciles!" Myrna roared at the guards that had accompanied her. "Get this brute out of my sight!" The guards hesistated, getting even me curious. "What is this? You dare disobey your queen too!"

The guards still made no attempt to heed her demands but threw themselves at her feet. "This brute bears lady Liira's insignia and unless you wish to go up against the Matriarch, we cannot touch him anymore than you can command him, my queen." I had yet to speak to Gol about how he came to be dressed in Xatis's armour, but with the guard's words I could guess Liira's intent and it warmed my heart to no end.

"What?! I am the queen!"

"And you are in lady Liira's courts. Uninvinted, if I might add, your majesty." The guard dutifully pointed out and nothing was more satisfying than the look of utter loss that settled on my sister's face. "Not to mention that the whole of Xatis is truly indebted to the lady here whose bravery has saved the kingdom a lot of heartache." The guards offered me grateful bows that caught me off guard. The reverence with which they did so unsettled me too. I may have saved their king, but this...this was too much. And it seemed I was not the only one to notice.

"This is not over!"

Not by a long shot. I wished to say, but settled for Myrna's not so graceful walk as she angrily marched away from me.

"I may have angered her highness." I sighed as I watched her go while an unexpected feeling settled in my heart. I hated everything she'd done to me, all the hurt that was plaguing me still, but I couldn't help being sad at how this fight reminded me of how much I had lost. And it was only the beginning.

"From what I witnessed, you were perfect."

Mustering some semblance of calm, I playfully glared at Gol. "Witnessed? You mean you were here all this time and yet you left me to fend for myself?"

"It is time you learned to do that all by yourself. This place is worse than Dovah."

"How so?" I scoffed at the smile that graced Gol's face, no doubt glad about the opportunity to give me one more of his lessons.

He offered a hand that I gladly took. I hadn't noticed it yet, but all those overwhelming emotions seemed to have taken their toll on me and I felt a little drained of my strength. "In Dovah, your enemy is everyone who is not you and protecting yourself is easier in such a place. While here, your enemy might be the one you share your bed with."

I was aware of the treachery that could exist within palace walls but I wondered if he meant Myrna or my own mate. Either way, after the disaster of a morning, treachery was not what I wished to be pondering on. I longed for some peace, quiet and food. But that was not to be had yet as someone suddenly stepped in front of us.