The Tyrant King's Queen

Chapter 35

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     The very next morning, Nicholas had been apprehended by the search team ordered by the King. Maya found it out from her handmaids as Dexter had refused to speak with her since the night before. Although she was sad that they weren't on talking terms, she was also angry at the fact that Dexter had been taking all of these decisions without her behind her back. Thanks to her request, he was yet to do anything to him.

       After hours of deliberating if she should go see him or not, Maya finally mustered enough courage to. Having her handmaids dress her in a deep blue dress that screamed regality, she wore her hair down,  adorning with jewels. She didn't want to drag this out for so long.

       She went straight to his study, her handmaids and guards not too far behind. The guards at the entrance watched her warily, inclining their heads slightly as she neared them. "I want to see the king." She stated calmly. They nodded promptly and opened the door for her.
    
       She walked in. Dexter was busy talking with his personal aide when she arrived. He paused when he saw her, his tensed posture revealing he was still angry. She let out a sigh, pursing her lips.

       "Why are you here?" He asked coldly, his eyes narrowing.

        " I want to see you. Can we talk?"

         He stared at her for a long time and Maya began to think he would refuse. Then he waved his hand at his aide. "You're dismissed. I'll call on you later." The latter bowed and immediately exited the office, leaving the two alone.

         She went ahead to sit down, keeping her gaze on him. " I would like to see the Knight." She announced.

         "That would not be possible."

         "But I need to. I need to know why he bothered to look for me anyway... At least before you do something."

       " Well, I refuse to give you the permission." He stated calmly.

         " If you don't give me permission to, I would have to do it behind your back." Maya warned, with a haughty raise of her chin. Then she softened. " I'll make sure to go with guards so you don't have to worry about me being alone. I just want to ask some questions. That's all."
 
         Dexter glared at her and from the expression she wore, knew she was serious about this. Letting out a sigh of surrender, he closed his eyes.

       "Fine. You have my permission. But you are not allowed to spend more time than necessary." He warned.

          "I won't." She replied, sounding relieved. "Thank you." She stood to her feet. We'll talk later." She said as she walked out of the room. At the king's request, the guards accompanied her to the dungeon.

       The murky, stale smell of the underground rooms upset her and she wrinkled her nose. Waiting till her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she stepped in. They led her to the dungeon where Nicholas was kept. He was sitting on the raised pavement, his gaze on the ground. Noticing he wasn't alone any longer, he looked up to see the intruders.

    His eyes widened in relief and he immediately rushed to the bars, gripping them tightly. " Your highness!" He greeted warmly, his voice already hoarse.

    Maya swept a look at him. He appeared even worse than before. A shadow of his gallant herself. She swallowed, ignoring the guilt that threatened to engulf her. "I'm sorry you had to go through this. I didn't realize how serious the situation was before." Maya said. "I hope you're fine." She asked gently.