Ariella's POV
I knew the queen was coming to see the king. I overheard some servants talking about it.
That was why I chose this exact time. I knew she was going to interrupt.
The king’s hand was already sliding higher up my thigh, fingers digging possessively into my skin, when soft footsteps echoed from the corridor outside. I felt the shift in the air…the heavy tension breaking like a snapped wire.
I moved fast.
Pushing off his lap in one quick motion, I stood, hands clasped tightly in front of my gown again.
My cheeks flushed with fake embarrassment, eyes wide and scared like a cornered rabbit. I kept my gaze glued to the floor, shoulders slightly hunched, the perfect picture of a helpless victim who’d just been caught in something she shouldn’t have.
His mate, Queen Lyra, ste
