Chapter 172- The Queen Needs A Favor

Arabella:

Maya waited until we were well away from the café before she finally let go of my hand. "You know what your problem is?"

I glanced at her walking stick, then at the way she was moving beside me. "Right now? Probably the fact that I’m letting a bruised woman drag me around."

"Very funny." She gave my arm a light shove. "You should’ve shut Bradley up the second he started throwing all that I helped you three years ago crap in your face. So what? Does helping you once give him a lifetime pass to yell at you?"

I slowed down so she wouldn’t have to keep up with me. "Maya, I wasn’t trying to win an argument with Bradley. It was about something else."

Right now, I didn’t want to confide in her about Bradley being Anika’s mate.

"Still, you should’ve tried a little, Ara."

I let out an annoyed sigh. She was clearly not going to let this go. "I’m trying to focus on one thing at a time. Right now, I need to figure out what happened to Anika. Bradley getting pissed at me isn’t exactly at the top of my list."

"Respecting you should always be at the top of your list!"

"Maya."

"Fine." She adjusted her grip on the walking stick, still looking irritated. "But next time someone points a finger in your face. Don’t just sit there looking shocked."

I gave her a sideways look and shook my head while walking. Bradley’s anger bothered me, but not for the reason Maya thought. I had asked one question, and somehow, I had hit a nerve.

As we continued walking, my phone pinged. I slowed down beside Maya and pulled it out of my hip pocket. It was a message from Victor.

Dad will be at Atrium Mall tomorrow at noon.

Well, that was quick.

"Who is it?" Maya asked, trying to peek at my screen.

"Victor." I slipped the phone back into my pocket. "He wants me to meet Dad at the mall tomorrow."

Maya suddenly stopped walking, and I had to turn around to look at her. "Wait. You’re going to meet your father? Why on earth would you want to do that?"

"There’s something I need to talk to him about."

"Arabella, seriously?" She shifted her weight onto her walking stick. "After everything that man did to you, you’re planning to go running back to him? Have you forgotten how he treated you? He doesn’t deserve another minute of your time. That man practically threw you away, and now you’re going to..."

"I haven’t forgotten anything, Maya. And I’m not going back to him. I’m just meeting him."

I gently interrupted her before she could get worked up again. "There are things I need to know about my mother, okay? And unfortunately, he’s the one who might have the answers. Don’t worry about me. I know how to protect myself."

But what if Bradley refused to accompany me this time?

After what had happened at the café, I wasn’t even sure he’d want to speak to me again. And going alone to meet my father didn’t sound like the smartest idea either.

I was still wondering what to do when an Omega approached us and bowed her head slightly.

"Lady Arabella, the Queen wishes to speak with you."

Oh, wow! Just what I needed.

"Now what does she want from you?" Maya complained before I could even respond, not caring that the Omega was still there. "Doesn’t that woman have anything better to do?"

I couldn’t help laughing. My friend sounded ready to take on the Queen now.

"I know, ma’am." I gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze before turning to the Omega. "I’ll be there in a minute. Let me get my friend settled first."

The girl nodded and walked away.

My gaze darted back to Maya’s face. "You know what? You need to stop worrying about everyone else for a while. Just go back to your room, relax, and enjoy yourself. Maybe watch a movie." I reached over and smoothed down her messy hair.

"Should I send a cheese burger to your room? And a Diet Coke?" I offered, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe that’ll put you in a better mood."

Maya closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "Fine. Go and meet her. But don’t let her give you trouble." I took Maya’s arm and started walking.

I didn’t know why she was so irritated today. Maybe it was because her burns were taking longer to heal than we’d expected. She had been stuck resting for days, and knowing Maya, that alone was enough to drive her crazy.

While walking beside her, I thought about the queen. What did she want from me?

***

I had no idea why the Queen wanted to see me, but after everything that had happened between us, I wasn’t expecting anything pleasant.

Still, I decided to go.

When I reached her chambers, I noticed something unusual. There were no maids inside or outside her bedroom, and when I entered, neither of her daughters was there either.

The Queen was alone, standing near the window. She turned when she heard me enter, and to my surprise, she actually smiled.

"Hello, Arabella." She gestured toward the couch. "Please, have a seat."

Since when did she become so polite?

I frowned but walked over to the couch anyway. The last time she’d acted this sweet toward me was when she wanted Lucien to believe she cared about me.

I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice. "You wanted to see me?" I asked, sitting down. "What is it?"

Instead of answering, she settled into the armchair opposite me, fidgeting with her fingers as though she wasn’t sure how to begin. "Arabella, before we discuss anything, there’s something I need to ask you." She adjusted her dress over her knees. "Can I trust you to keep this conversation between us? I mean, whatever we discuss here shouldn’t leave this room."

Oh, here we go again. What was she up to this time?

"That depends, Your Highness. What exactly do you want to discuss?"

She didn’t seem pleased with my answer, but instead of arguing, she looked down at her hands. "I need a favor from you, Arabella."

"What kind of favor?"

She took her time answering, and I was already beginning to lose patience when she finally spoke. "I want you to stop investigating Anika’s death." For a moment, I wondered if I’d heard her correctly.

"Excuse me?" I got up from the couch. Of all the things I had expected her to say, this certainly wasn’t one of them.