Stefan’s POV
The court lady didn’t even slow down when I asked;
"Can I at least clean up first? I just woke up."
She glanced back at me with the kind of polite emptiness that meant the answer had already been decided.
"No one keeps Her Majesty waiting. Not even for a heartbeat." she said, sounding so stern.
I scoffed under my breath but followed her anyway. Arguing with the court Lady was pointless; the real fight was waiting at the end of the corridor.
I knew better.
The Queen’s private receiving room was exactly as gold-drenched and oppressive as I remembered. She stood near the tall windows, the long, flowery silk robes she had pooling around her feet like liquid metal.
Two court Ladies hovered around the room, with their heads bowed respectfully and far behind the Queen herself, stood Dove, her first Lady in waiting.
Even fully covered, the mere presence of the Queen hit me the same way it always did. The curves only hinted at beneath the fabric, the heavy swell of her breasts and the sharp cut of her waist suggested rather than shown, her posture so perfect it felt deliberate.
Every line of her body radiated the kind of effortless, untouchable authority that made my breath catch for half a second before I forced it back under control. Beside her stood General Belladonna, her arms were by her sides and I caught sight of what could only be the missing honor in her left hand, holding it with pride.
It was similar to the golden bird I burnt when we were leaving the camp. Bigger and there was something carved on the bird’s flap, something so shiny it would blind eyes momentarily if looked directly into.
The General’s beauty was different: harder, carved from war and discipline, but no less striking. The kind of woman who could kill you and still look flawless doing it.
Of course they had sorted the missing honor without me. Typical. I told myself that it was even better that way because I didn’t have time to get involved in the court mess.
The Queen’s golden eyes settled on me with the temperature of winter stone.
"I saw the two Flowers you restored," she began. No greeting. No acknowledgment that I had done something impossible. Just a flat statement, as if she were commenting on the weather.
"It seems you may prove useful after all. I will allow you to remain on my planet for a time, so that I may observe what else you are capable of."
The way she phrased it made my teeth itch. Not thank you for returning two of my warriors from living death. Not even you have done well. Just the cool implication that I was the one who needed her permission to keep existing here. She spoke like someone who had never once required help in her life and found the very concept mildly offensive.
Belladonna’s gaze was worse. The System interface flickered at the edge of my vision, confirming what I already knew from the hard set of her jaw and the heat in her eyes.
[BELLADONNA — Current Mood: Burning Rage]
I almost laughed but held back and scoffed instead. Was there ever a moment this woman wasn’t angry?
The Queen turned slightly toward her General. "Belladonna returns to Bloomhold shortly. Do you need the Alien’s presence there?"
Belladonna opened her mouth but I moved first. I wouldn’t let that General decide my fate. Not with the Incubus mission I had at hand. I had to be in the palace to get through to Kara.
I pushed what little Authority I had to the front despite knowing fully well it would bounce off both of them like water off polished steel and spoke before the General could shut the door on me completely.
"Since I’ve been deemed useful," I said, keeping my voice smooth and just respectful enough to avoid immediate execution, "perhaps Her Majesty, in her benevolence, might grant me a small wish."
The Queen’s eyes narrowed a fraction. She studied me the way a predator studies something that has not yet earned the right to be considered prey.
"Speak." she said.
I inclined my head, playing the part. "I would ask for a proper space - both here in the palace and, if needed, at Bloomhold. For now, I wish to remain in the palace. So that I may continue proving my usefulness directly to Her Majesty and the court."
"It’s purely out of proving my worthiness to the Queen directly." I added. At least one statement would get to her out of the two.
A long silence stretched. The Queen’s expression did not change, but I could almost hear the calculations turning behind those cold gold eyes. Finally she gave a single, slow blink.
"You may stay."
Belladonna’s rage spiked so hard the System actually pulsed a warning at the corner of my vision. She said nothing. She didn’t need to. The look she gave me promised that this was far from over.
The Queen flicked her fingers in a small, dismissive gesture. "Then begin making yourself useful."
I swallowed, straightened my spine, and decided that if I was already pushing my luck, I might as well shove it off a cliff.
"I have one more request, your Majesty."
The temperature in the room dropped another degree. The Queen’s head tilted, silk whispering around her like a living thing.
"How audacious of you to assume I would grant you a second wish." she said, voice soft and lethal.
I met her gaze and held it, even though every instinct screamed that staring too long at a woman like her was a good way to lose eyes. My heart was beating too fast, but I kept my voice steady.
"Guts is all I have left on this planet, Your Majesty," I said, paused for a moment, swallowed then continued fastly.
"And right now, I’m betting they are worth more to you than another obedient Bound who can’t do what I just did."
I let the words hang in the gold-drenched air between us, watching her face for the smallest crack.
The Queen did not look away. I didn’t look away either.
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