Chapter 16
Favour
The two girls beside her gasped. They couldn't believe their ears. He wanted Ara to be his? Is Ara was his mate? Mrs. O'Neil looked worriedly at the girl; she didn't know how to deal with this situation now. This is too sudden. Ara was new here, but she managed to capture the knight commander's attention. She's really something else.
'Did I hear him right? Wanted me to be his?' Ara thought in disbelief in her mind. Right in front of her true mate? Is he out of his mind? Yeah, the royal knight doesn't know that she's the king's mate, but that surely angered the king.
Ara peeked at them to see what was happening; as she raised her head, she saw him looking at him. His face was just cold and serious; what was he thinking? She couldn't help herself but wonder.
"Claim her?" Vladimir asked to confirm. Does his ear play him? This man was asking for her? His mate? How wonderful, his jaw clenched and fist turned white. "Why would you want a low-class vampire like her?" he continued. Ara bit her inner lips after hearing that. Is that how he looked at her? A low-class vampire?
Ara realised he didn't want to have a mate like her. As if she wanted to, she wanted to tear him apart, break him, destroy him, and make him suffer. But she still couldn't help but feel the pain; they still hadn't broken the connection; they were still mates.
And that's what hurts the most. When you find your mate, the two of you will share emotions. If he or she gets intimate with another man or woman, expect extreme pain. It will hurt and kill you slowly, not logically speaking, but literally.
Ara closed her fist tightly and remained silent; she didn't want to talk; she had nothing to say. Her voice here doesn't matter for now. She can't show her real identity on her first day. And one more thing, she didn't expect any of this to happen, but now she needed to deal with this.
"You heard it right, your majesty. I wanted her to be my maid." William confirmed firmly. His personal maid? Ara repeated in her mind. If she were the royal knight commander, she would leave the palace and move to the knight's pavilion. How will she plan her revenge if she's away with her enemy?
"Ara doesn't deserve this; the royal commander wasn't as kind as he looked. The last time he chose his personal maid, end up dying in his hand." She heard Cattie thought. So, that man was cruel, too? If she's not here for revenge and her mate isn't the king, it will be just okay for her to go with the knight commander.
But everything was different; she couldn't leave this place, not now that she was here. If the king approves the knight commander's favour, she'll be doomed. She knew that the king knew that she was his mate, but that didn't mean that he'd be possessive over her and wouldn't let her go.
He looked down on her, and rejection was not impossible to happen. Ara lowered her gaze and just waited for what would be her fate. Vladimir looked seriously at William; he didn't expect him to say that. He wanted her to be his personal maid.
If he approves his favour, that means giving his mate to someone else. And if he declines, everyone will question him and be curious. If possible, he wanted to keep to everyone that he found his mate. Mate will be just his destruction.
What will he choose?
"Why did you want her to be your maid, William? You have a lot of maids in your pavilion already." Lady Natalie suddenly talked. Their attention shifted to her; she made a good point.
William smirked at her, "Seems you don't see my point, Lady Natalie; I said personal maid, not just a normal maid." Ara closed her eyes tightly; her patience was getting thinner and thinner. She doesn't want to be the centre of attention, but they are talking about her, just all about her now, like she doesn't exist in the place.
"Oh, a sex slave?" Lady Natalie amusedly said again. There was a big smile playing on her lips; she knew how good the royal knight was in bed. Vladimir was in a rage after hearing that; he didn't like the sound of someone claiming what was rightfully his.
She was his mate; he didn't want her, but he couldn't let her go.
"Bastard," Maddie whispered emphatically; they were afraid of what would happen now. William isn't a good man. Ara doesn't deserve all of this.
"What will be your decision, your majesty?" He asked him. Vladimir clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. He looked in Ara's direction to see her reaction, but he saw nothing. She looks like a dying person waiting for her fate to be sealed.
"Okay." He decided. That made Ara look at him. Did he agree? Did her mate give her to the royal knight commander? What kind of mate do I have? Ara thought with much anger and hate. She really hates him so deeply.
William plastered his big smile; he knew the king couldn't decline his small favour.
"Please do something, Mrs. O'Neil. Ara is too young to face this. She's just new," Cattie begged her. Mrs O'Neil thought deeply; Cattie was right. Aria didn't deserve this; this day was her first day. This is surely hard for her. She collected the courage to step back and call their attention.
"Pardon, Your Majesty, Sir William. But Ara is a newbie here. She doesn't know too much about the rules. She just started today, and what's happening right now shocked her a big time. I hope you'll consider her and spare her." Ara looked at their senior editor.
She was standing with confidence and power in front of her; at this moment, Ara knew she was a great person. She doesn't deserve her wrath. Before she comes here to the palace, she swears to destroy all of them. She guessed she would give consideration, too.
Vladimir was already expecting this to happen; he placed his one hand above the table and moved forward. "So, you mean?" He asked her. Mrs. O'Neil took a deep breath. She needed to save this young girl.
"I'm using my last favour, King; I wanted Ms Clarkson to be under my protection." She answered. Her voice was firm and serious. She's determined to get Ara away from the vicious Knight Commander. Mrs O'Neil knew how cruel William was; he could kill someone without any hesitation.
"Oh, the king already approved my simple request. How dare you to say that." William furiously said and stood up. Nicolas held his hand and pulled him down, "Don't disrespect your king, sit down, Rogers." Vladimir tapped Nicolas's shoulder and stood up from his chair.
"I believe I didn't agree yet, Rogers." He said that caught their attention. He doesn't? He said "Okay" a while ago. William's eyebrow furrowed, "What do you mean, king?" Vladimir blankly looked at him.
"I just said okay, but that doesn't mean I'm agreeing," he looked at Mrs O'Neil and then at her, who was looking at him, too. This girl can look directly into my eyes without any fear in her eyes; she's really something else; he can't blame William for wanting her.
"Since there are two of you debating for her, let the lady choose." He continued. As he said that, all of them looked at Ara. She's still kneeling on the ground. She's slightly caught off guard. Does he give her fate in her own hand?
"Before you choose, what is your name?" Ara took a deep breath and started talking.
"Arabella, Arabella Clarkson, Your Majesty." Arabella, that's a beautiful name. It suits her well. Vladimir doesn't notice he's admiring her in his mind; she's really a beauty, but what a pity, he can't have her the way she can't have him. He set aside that thought in his mind and looked seriously at her.
"Ms. Clarkson, okay then, state your decision."