The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 74: A Little Too Close ()

Zariah blinked once and then twice, unable to believe the words Prince Treyton had just said.

She stared into the large, luxurious quarters and then back out at Prince Treyton and a grinning King Askel before she passed a fierce glare to Luther and Nile who stood at the entrance snickering.

"What did you say again?" Zariah asked the baffled Prince Treyton in a low tone.

Prince Treyton clearly could not understand Zariah’s reaction to the situation and so he replied carefully.

"I could not decide if Lady Zariah and King Askel would want to share a single quarter or have your own individual quarters, considering you are both newly found mates,"

"I took the liberty to assign you a shared quarters with adjacent rooms... seemed like the best way to go around my confusion at the time... though, I’m not so sure now." Prince Treyton replied slowly as his tail flicked lightly,

His gaze moved between a very satisfied looking King Askel and an appalled looking Zariah, unable to decide if they appreciated his thoughtfulness or otherwise.

Zariah was not sure in what words to break it to Prince Treyton that his thoughtfulness was completely appreciated by one party while unwelcomed by the other.

Zariah could not understand how Prince Treyton had not taken notice of the fact that King Askel and herself were both rather distant for mates,

She did not think she would have to say it out loud before everyone got the hint that she wanted nothing to do with King Askel,

Yet seeing as things currently stood, Zariah guessed her silence must have somehow misled them into believing she and King Askel were just like every other pair of mates.

"Maybe I should have just prepared a single quarters? The adjacent room was overboard wasn’t it? As newly found mates, you’d definitely be sharing a bed, what was I even thinking?" Prince Treyton said, shaking his head at what he felt was his own stupidity.

Zariah was stumped for words and so she merely rounded her gaze on King Askel, a dark look in her eyes.

King Askel chuckled quietly before turning to Prince Treyton.

"As much as I would love to have Zariah by my side at all times, we have more pressing issues than our personal affairs and Zariah does love her privacy...we would prefer separate quarters." King Askel relayed.

At the mention of her privacy, Zariah realized that if she did share a quarters with King Askel, she would not have her privacy indeed, but neither would King Askel.

Out here, away from the protection of his Ethereal Domain, perhaps there was more possibility of Zariah discovering his well hidden plots, especially now when he was not wary of her at all.

Zariah knew she could not only count on her investigation into the strange drawing, if it wound up in a dead end, she would have wasted a trip to the Sea Kingdom.

If Zariah could keep a close eye on King Askel using this situation, Zariah felt it would be worth it.

Regardless of anything, King Askel could not have carried out all he did in the previous lifetime without external help,

The Royal Lycans were just not enough help for such a grand scale plot, which meant there had to be others in the shadow,

Now that King Askel would be out here, he would have to communicate with his aides one way or the other,

If Zariah could not find a chink in his facade, then there needed to be someone else she could keep an eye on, someone who had some sort of involvement in King Askel’s plot other than him.

King Askel himself was a tough nut to crack, his facade was so believable that Zariah found herself almost falling for it, which meant she needed to find another opening... an easier opening.

"Oh...I understand, I had originally intended for you all to reside in the Coral guest palace as it is the least frequented and your presence will not draw too much attention,"

"The present tension has made it so that my kin are rather unwelcoming to other species of the supernatural realm, the coral guest palace is small and has only these joint quarters suitable enough for revered guests."

"I will order for a place to be prepared in the Lily guest palace immediately, it will only take a short moment." Prince Treyton assured as he made to leave.

Prince Treyton had already shown Nile and Luther their assigned quarters.

"Wait...it would be best to reside in the most inconspicuous place and I will need to have... frequent deliberations with King Askel, Luther and Nile during this time and I would rather not have to move around the Sea Palace."

"The Coral Palace will do, there will be no need for another guest room." Zariah decided.

This time, it was King Askel’s turn to be stunned as he glanced over at Zariah.

"I have had dry clothing delivered to your respective quarters, they are enchanted and so they will remain dry at all times and will adjust to your respective sizes,"

"The Sea Oracle will send his attendants over to receive your clothing requests, please make do with the temporary clothing and change out of your soaked attires."

"I have heard people above surface are susceptible to catching a cold from wearing wet clothing, my father would have my head if anything went wrong."

" The Sea Kingdom is encased in cold, chilling waters, consider it an act of saving my life and do stay warm, we mers do not catch colds and are not familiar with the ailment."

"I will return to guide you to the Sea Oracle’s cave on the morrow." Prince Treyton said.

Zariah nodded in understanding, she had also begun to feel very uncomfortable with the wet clothing she wore and could not wait to be out of it.

"Ah... Kristen will be concluding his shift in an hour or so, I understand Lady Zariah will need your rest. When will be suitable to send him over?" Prince Treyton asked,

"An hour is more than enough time for rest, send him my way as soon as he is done with his shift." Zariah replied.

Prince Treyton nodded, inclining his head in a small bow and with a single flick of his tail, he shot off down the halls.

"My King, I will communicate with Dechlan for his report and return with it immediately." Luther said with a bow as he took his leave.

Zariah nodded her permission to Nile who lingered behind and he also took his leave quietly.

Zariah and King Askel were left alone in their quarters, with King Askel’s stunned gaze still fixed on her.

Zariah ignored his gaze and glanced around the large quarters they had been assigned.

The first thing Zariah noticed was the transparent walls at the edge that gave a clear view of the open sea and Zariah was momentarily left in awe by the sheer sight of it.

The guest quarters was large and clearly had been prepared with much attention as everything in sight gleamed of luxury.

There was a receiving room with large and smaller seaters all arranged in a beautiful pattern and there were floating lilies and corals adorning the place.

There was a tea table at one end and other strange amenities Zariah did not recognize but decided they were things only found within the Sea Kingdom.

On one side of the receiving room were two doors side by side with only a short distance between them which Zariah guessed were the adjacent rooms.

There were two other doors on the other side of the receiving room that Zariah was not sure where they lead.

Zariah turned her gaze back to King Askel, somehow her mind first registered how his wet tunic stuck so closely to his broad chest and if it wasn’t a pitch black color,

Zariah guessed it would have been transparent enough to reveal the curves and contours of his well defined, muscular chest.

But even with the dark color King Askel wore, Zariah could still make out his well defined muscles, the wet clothing clung so tightly, especially around his biceps...

"I now am rather reluctant to shed off this wet tunic..." King Askel spoke up, his words drawing Zariah back to reality.

Zariah knew although King Askel did not say it directly, he most certainly had noticed where her gaze had been.

Zariah shook her head quickly, frowning at where her thoughts had been leading, she quickly diverted her gaze.

"I will retire first then." Zariah said when King Askel just stood leaning against the wall and watching her with that familiar intense gaze and a smirk on his lips.

Zariah shook her head wondering how exactly she would survive his intensity while living in such close proximity to him, but Zariah decided she would keep her focus on the greater good.

At least this way, she was not manipulating him with the mate bond, he knew her stance clearly enough... she was only keeping her enemy close enough.

But Zariah could not help but wonder, was a demarcation of only a single shared wall between them perhaps a little...too close?