“Lucky me, which knee would you like me over?” he laughs, and she folds her arms across her chest, and her eyes narrow at the man.

“My Queen,” she says and nods. Dustin walks over and opens the door for me.

“Abbie?” I whisper.

“You didn’t have to do this,” she tells me, yet the tension in her body has left; she looks more relaxed.

“Yes, I did. You needed to see.”

She looks out at all the naked guards and staff. “Did you have to make them do it, too?”

“No one made them do it, love,” Gannon whispers, and everyone in the hall bows or tips their heads to her, and her cheeks flush pink.

“So, can I take you somewhere now and put some pants on? It is a little chilly.” Gannon asks, and I give her a nudge.

“Go, no one cares what you look like,” I tell her, and tears brim in her eyes as she hugs me.

“More than my life,” she whispers.

“More than my life,” I tell her.

“More than my life,” all the guards and staff murmur in unison, making my heart skip a beat.

I look at Dustin, who nods, keeping his eyes on mine. I wait for Abbie to disappear around the corner near the stairs before racing to the cupboard for clothes. Clarice steps into the room as I pull on some pajamas, and I let out a breath.

“You’re a good friend,” Clarice says, wrapping a sheet around herself.

“I can’t believe everyone did it for her,” I chuckle. Clarice also laughs.

“Yes, but also you, you are our queen. Where you go, we follow, even if it is doing something as silly as being naked,” she says when Kyson’s voice booms through the link.

‘For goddess sake, please tell me she has clothes on now,’he growls.

‘I have clothes on,’I tell him, and he growls and goes to say something, but I cut him off.

‘I will deal with you when you get home,’I say.

‘With me? You better run when I get home,’he snarls.

‘Good, I will do it naked,’I tell him, and he growls, but I shove him out of my head.

“He is a little angry,” I sigh, turning to Clarice.

“Don’t worry, My Queen, you have an entire castle to back you,” she says, and I furrow my brows, remembering how I was able to override the commands of Kyson.

“How?” I ask her.

“How what?” Clarice asks.

“They all listened, Kyson commanded them, and they listened to me instead.”

“Ah, now that is something you need to ask your king about, My Queen,” she chuckles before strolling out. I sigh and sit on the bed. Now, I have to deal with my king when he comes home.

The day passes by quickly. A doctor comes by to take blood. I work on my reading with Liam and Dustin. At first, I am a little embarrassed by my earlier spectacle, but as I walk the halls, it is like it never happened; everyone is completely normal despite all of us being naked this morning.

After dinner, I go to bed. I can feel Kyson’s burning anger dissipate; he almost seems giddy and excited to get home. I find this odd and wonder what made his mood switch so fast. His anger is still there, but it has dissipated unusually fast, knowing Kyson.

Crawling into the comforting embrace of my den, I meticulously rearrange the edges of my makeshift bedding, twisting and turning them in a futile attempt to find a fragment of comfort. My weary eyes flicker open at the sound of the door creaking open, alerting me to Kyson’s arrival.