Azimir was unwilling to leave Vasili in the state he was in. But he could not ignore his guests either. He was the Alpha and King of Ideni, and it was his responsibility to greet and welcome his guests. It was also the respect they deserved from him.
Reluctantly, he followed Zavid towards the throne room where his guests were currently waiting for him. His mind was still on Vasili as he hoped for his friend to wake up. All he wanted was for his Beta to survive this ordeal somehow.
'I will use my entire life to make it up to you. Please just wake up, Vasili.' He prayed in his mind before he entire the throne room and the moment he did so, his feet halted in their place.
Azimir had entirely forgotten about the girl who had captivated him the previous night. All his thoughts were filled with Vasili and his well-being and the anger he had on himself for even putting his Beta in such a state.
It was only when he saw her here again that his heart skipped a beat again. Slowly, carefully, he walked towards the group of warriors, keeping his eyes trained on the girl in the middle. Although she was with the group, she was standing a foot in the front and Azimir tilted his head, realizing who held the command among them.
A smile made its way on his lips despite the state of chaos his heart and mind were in, each for a different reason. Azimir observed the girl first, not missing her bold and confident countenance, making her worthy of being a warrior. From her stance alone, he could make out that she was quite formidable and he was impressed and beguiled by her completely.
Azimir did not hold his gaze on her longer than necessary for he deemed it to be disrespectful towards her. He also made sure to observe the men around her, trying to comprehend why the humans were even in the jungle the previous night when they knew the danger they would be facing, especially on such a dreadful night.
Azimir did not occupy the throne, contrary to what everyone had thought him to. Instead, he stood right in front of them surprising everyone, including Zavid who was following him closely. But he concealed his expression and stood behind him quietly, not giving away how unusual it was for him to see his Alpha not following the norms.
Before Azimir could welcome the humans, the group before him bowed at him in respect and it was the lady in the front who broke the silence between them.
"Greetings, Alpha of Ideni. We are here to give you our respects."
Azimir's smile widened on hearing her and he nodded at her curtly. Though she was dressed in the same attire from the previous night, she still looked as beautiful as he remembered her to be. Her sapphire-colored orbs still gleamed with courage and might, and he could not stop himself from getting pulled into them.
Even though she was dressed as a warrior, it did not hide the innate elegance she carried with her and Azimir was beyond pleased to have met such an interesting lady, despite the circumstances.
"I, Azimir Bhaltiar, Alpha and King of Ideni welcome to our land. Please forgive me for not welcoming you before. I apologize for my impertinence."
"Please do not apologize, Alpha. We understand the situation." Aylin stopped him and smiled at him faintly. "I had an important matter to discuss with you, Alpha. If not for the urgency, I would not have disturbed you."
"Yes, please speak your mind." Azimir frowned lightly as he detected her uneasiness and he waited for her to continue. But all he saw was the girl looking around her and he got the hint immediately.
"Please follow me to my study, Miss. I presume you want to speak to me in private."
Flashing him an appreciative smile, Aylin nodded at the men behind her before she started to follow Azimir towards his study. On her way, her eyes took in the magnificence of the castle she was in.
Although it was not as grand as the one in Aranill, it still had splendid architecture. The ivory-colored pillars and walls had distinct carvings on them, making them all the more stunning. The candle chandeliers that adorned the castle made it seem as though she was stepping into a land of wonder.
'I wonder how beautiful the castle would be at night. It must be a sight to behold.' Aylin thought to herself and followed the man towards one of the corridors that was as bright as the other halls and rooms.
Surprise flashed through Aylin's eyes and she gazed around her in bewilderment. She had visited quite a few kingdoms since the time she had become Commander General of Aranill. But most of the castles held a dark and gloomy aura around them, making one feel cold and despondent to even take a step inside.
This was the first castle that had captured her interest and she could not help but want to explore it more. She had never been intrigued before, not after she started to stay at a castle as gorgeous as the one in Aranill.
A contented sigh escaped her lips even before she could stop it and Azimir stopped walking immediately.
"Is something the matter, My Lady?" He queried in worry.
"No, no, Alpha. Not at all. Pardon me for my behavior."
Azimir gave her one look before he led her to his study at the end of the corridor and Aylin followed him, reprimanding herself for her actions.
Azimir kept the door half-closed. He did not fear anyone eavesdropping on them for that would never happen. No one in the kingdom dared to disobey him. If anyone were to even walk in the corridor, he would sense them right away. So, he had nothing to worry about.
Aylin smiled at him, appreciating his considerate thoughts and waited for him to speak first.
"What did you wish to speak to me about, My Lady? And please take your seat."
"Pardon me for my words, Alpha. You do not even know who I am. Yet you trusted my words and brought me here, to your study. What if I was here with some malicious intentions?" Aylin questioned as she stood still in her place.
"Lady, do you really think you would make it out of here alive if I deem you to be here with ill intentions?" Azimir's tone was filled with mirth. Yet they held a rare gentleness in them which Aylin missed completely.
Aylin did not speak a word in reply. But Azimir realized what she was attempting to say through her silence.
'Never underestimate your enemy. You never know when they might outwit you.'
Azimir's impression of hers only turned more favorable and he folded his hands, not budging from his stance.
"You are right, My Lady. We should not underestimate people. But I have no reason to not trust people whose eyes are clearer than the sky and whose hearts is genuine and pure. My heart chose to trust you and that is enough for me."