The Lycan King's Puppet-Chapter 30: A Night in the Garden

Chapter 30: A Night in the Garden
He played the scene over in his head - the shock in her eyes, how happy she looked, the weight that seemed to be lifted off her shoulders.
Yeren stared at the content of his goblet, as if the answers to his questions laid there.
"How did she react?"
Yeren glanced up.
"Will you leave me alone for once?" He tried to sound irritated, but couldn’t for some reason.
"I told her about the trial." Andon said, smiling slyly.
"And how did she take it?"
"She refuses to expose her uncle."
He rubs his chin. "I thought as much."
"Let’s take a walk in the gardens."
Andon stopped. "You haven’t been to the gardens since your father died."
Yeren set his goblet on the table. "Perhaps, I might find the solace he always found when he walked there."
"Solace? From what?"
"From... everything."
He grabbed his cloak and started out of the room.
The guards opened the doors leading to the exterior for him.
He nodded at them, savouring the cool breeze that flooded the room.
The moon shone, almost full, but just as potent.
The moon didn’t affect him as it did normal wolves - Lycans shifted at will.
Andon remained by the door.
"I will leave you at this point."
Yeren nodded, absent-minded.
The rose bushes surrounding the yard were perfectly trimmed, glowing warmly under the soft kiss of the moonlight.
He plucked a petal and fuddled with it.
But, the air didn’t only smell of flowers, and leaves and... it smelled familiar.
Like a person he knew.
No wolf would be out under the moon at night.
Especially not in his private gardens.
Except...
There was only one person he knew who wasn’t affected by the call of the moon.
Yeren walked further, disappearing into the maze.
"Who’s there?" A soft female voice called out.
He stopped walking. The sound of grass being crunched under his feet was loud in comparison to the stillness of the night - almost as loud as his breathing.
"Show yourself." The voice whispered, shaky yet insistent.
"I believe I should be the one asking you that."
He heard her move - her movements were swallowed by the earth, which meant she was barefooted.
She gasped.
Then, he caught sight of her. She was standing beside the water fountain, drawing invisible things on the water surface.
But what caught his attention was her state of dress.
She was wearing a silk night gown and a matching robe over it.
Who had allowed her to leave her room in the middle of the night? In such a state of dress?
His orders had been clear.
"What are you doing here?"
She spun around, her hair flying at the brusk movement.
"Nothing." She snatched her hand from the water and hid it behind her back.
He stepped forward, once, then again.
Her chest was heaving with each breath.
"Did I scare you?"
She glanced at the ground, then nodded.
"I... I didn’t tell you how grateful I was for... my sister’s safe return, Your Grace." She curtsied.
He followed her movements beneath his lashes.
She kept fidgeting. Was there something she wanted to say?
"I didn’t mean to intrude... I will send a guard to accompany you."
"I may not have a wolf, Your Grace, but I believe I am capable of seeing to my own protection."
"By protecting the interests of people that intend to harm you? We both know you are not safe out here."
"And why is my safety of any concern to you?"
He blinked.
She always asked him ’why’. Why?
Was she weary of everyone, or just him?
"Because I am a man who knows when to fight, and when to retreat."
"And you choose to fight for me? Why? You can’t marry me. You can’t keep me. I can’t offer you anything-"
"Keep you?"
"As your mistress."
"Why would you ever think that? Am I so low in your eyes-"
"It’s not about what I think - it has never been, and it never will be."
"I can see that. But, it might interest you to know that I care very much about what you think."
She blinked.
"What do you intend to do with me after the trial?"
"There will be no trial. You are the only one who can stand for yourself - and you chose not to. There is nothing else I can do to help you."
Claire clutched the edge of the fountain’s basin.
"How did you know about it?"
He hesitated.
"I know everything."
She smirked, folding her arms across herself.
The leaves and trees around them danced to the melody of the wind.
It was going to rain - he was certain.
"If you know everything, why do you need my permission for anything?"
"You misunderstand me."
She stepped forward. "Do I?"
His gaze fell to her pale, moon-kissed skin. The way the light caught on her hair was simply... breathtaking. She looked like an angel at twilight.
His hands twitched, eager to run through her divine locks.
"I will not contradict you."
Claire turned back to the fountain and continued drawing patterns on the water surface.
"I will speak against uncle Jarren in the trial tomorrow. The trial must be held."
He inhaled a sharp breath.
"Why? What made you change your mind?"
"Isn’t it obvious?"
He tilted his head.
"My sister. She deserves justice, even if I don’t."
"You think you don’t deserve justice? After everything he made you go through?" He struggled to not clench his fists.
She glanced over her shoulder at him.
"There’s no such thing as justice for me. Not where corruption fills the very air I breathe. If there was none of this would have happened in the first place."
It was clear she blamed him for everything that happened to her.
"And you know about Zachary."
The sudden change of subject threw him off at first.
"Whqt about him?"
"I’m going in search of him once the trial is over."
His lips thinned but he nodded.
"He can be brought to you."
"And why should I remain in your custody?"
"Because I’m the only man that can protect you."
She tilted her head this time.
"I think I’ve heard that before... As if you’re not going to take advantage of my helplessness the moment an opportunity presents itself."
"So you admit you are helpless?"
She parted her lips but closed them.
"I want you - how could I not? But I have my virtues."
"I don’t believe you."
"Would you like me to prove it to you?"
She turned fully.
"How?"
"By showing you how much I want and how little I am willing to take."
He swore she stopped breathing.
Then to his surprise, she said, "Show me."
He didn’t move immediately.
Yeren had baited her, only because he was sure she would not fall for it.
But now?
How did he show her exactly how much he wanted her without appearing desperate?