Chapter 79: Ch 79. I’m the Lion King’s Cousin!

Dorven rose from his seat, greeting Selena with a pleased look. "Selena, why did you come? Is there something you need from my palace?" he asked, making Selena smile slightly.

"No, I came because I realized you’re the only one of my husbands I’ve never healed at all. So, I wanted to tell you that I’ll be staying at your palace tonight," she said as she walked toward Dorven, who did the same.

"Really?! You’re going to stay at my palace?!"

Selena could clearly see the joy on Dorven’s face, until her gaze fell on Tyra—the girl the servant had mentioned earlier. The girl was staring at her disapprovingly. Selena, who had already heard about Tyra’s feelings toward Dorven, wasn’t surprised or taken aback anymore.

She was just a little taken aback that this girl would show her disapproval so openly.

"I’ll be staying here to begin performing healing techniques and check on your condition. You’re the one who won the second prize in the drawing, right? It seems there’s something very serious you need to deal with, so I want to treat you so you can resolve it as soon as possible," Selena said, making Dorven smile.

"Yes, thank you. I do need to be healed quickly so I can take care of some matters right away. Selena, you’re serious about what you said, right?" he asked to confirm.

Selena just smiled, then looked at Tyra and said, "I don’t know who you are—could you leave us? I want to talk about something private with my husband," she said, deliberately emphasizing the word "husband."

Dorven seemed to hold back a smile upon hearing that; Selena admitted it was an extraordinary moment in her life. Not to mention that Selena had also come here and asserted her position as Queen—that was even more extraordinary, since this was the first time in several days that Selena had visited her palace after her powers had been restored.

"Your Majesty, you may not know me, but I am King Singa’s cousin," said Tyra, her face displeased at being dismissed, prompting her to immediately reveal her identity.

"Oh? You’re King Singa’s cousin? I didn’t know that," Selena replied with a small smile. "What’s your name, little girl? You look very young—do you have a boyfriend yet?"

Tyra clenched her fists, finding Selena’s question rude. However, when she looked at Dorven, he was already glaring at her—showing her no support at all, even though they were family.

Because of Dorven’s piercing glare, Tyra was forced to answer politely, though her voice sounded strained.

"My name is Tyra Bons. I don’t have a boyfriend yet, Your Majesty."

"What a pity. I see that the young men in Eldoria are quite handsome and charming. How is it that a cousin of the King like you doesn’t have a partner yet, when you should be pursued by many men because you’re beautiful and charming?" Selena said pointedly as she walked toward her.

Tyra stared at Selena, as if trying to figure out what the woman wanted. She’d heard several times that the Selena of today was quite different from the Selena of the past; perhaps this woman was just playing a trick on her.

Tyra wasn’t sure, since she’d never actually met the Selena of the past. It felt the same to her, though, because she’d seen Selena occasionally back then but had never gotten close to her. Judging by her appearance, this woman wasn’t much different from the Selena of the past.

"It’s true that many have pursued me, but I’m the one who doesn’t want to. My father hasn’t given me permission to marry yet," Tyra replied, maintaining her aloof demeanor. "You don’t need to meddle in my personal affairs, Your Majesty. Including asking whether I have a boyfriend or not—that’s rude."

Selena gave a small smile; the girl standing before her was so arrogant. She was indeed the typical confident woman intent on dominating—it was nothing new for members of the Lion clan to have such an arrogant attitude.

Selena understood that, but...

"As King, His Majesty Darven Drakon is, so to speak, the head of the family and the leader of the entire Lion clan. Everyone, including his family members, is under his leadership. He also has the right to command your father or any male family members within his extended family lineage."

"Therefore, as his wife, I automatically become the Queen and the guardian of the female family members of the Lion Clan, right? I also have the right to command, ask questions, or inquire about your life as a family member and a member of the Lion Clan. It’s not just you—I can even rule over your mother. That’s a basic rule in the palace; you couldn’t possibly have forgotten all that since you’ve grown up in the palace and among the nobility of the Lion clan, right?"

Tyra clenched her fists again, but this time she didn’t answer. She knew Selena was right, but she didn’t want to admit it out loud. This woman was someone she had to eliminate if she wanted to stay on track with her original goal: to gain Dorven’s attention and secure the title of Lion Queen.

However, that seemed like a difficult task given that she was facing Selena right now. This woman appeared to be a formidable opponent, not to mention her rare power—one that only she possessed—which undoubtedly made Selena’s value far greater than her own.

"Go home. I’ll join the King for an afternoon snack, just as you suggested earlier. At the same time, I’d like to discuss a few matters that might pertain to your future marriage," Selena said with a smile as she took in Tyra’s figure.

"What do you mean? You want to arrange my marriage?!" Tyra snapped, her voice strained.

"Yes," Selena replied, then smiled and walked back toward Dorven. "You’re already at the right age to get married; if you wait any longer, you might not be able to choose the right partner. Don’t worry, I’ll discuss this with your mother later as well—I won’t force you to marry if your parents don’t agree."

Tyra glared at Dorven and protested, "Your Majesty, are you just going to stand by and watch the Queen marry me off as she pleases?! I’m a member of the royal family—my marriage isn’t something to be taken lightly!" she said, making no attempt to hide her protest.

Dorven waved his hand dismissively. "The Queen knows what’s best for you. Besides, she’s the female leader of the Lion Royal Family. She has the authority to arrange your marriage, your sister’s, and those of my other cousins. Stop being so disrespectful. Go home and learn what you need to learn before you get married. That way, you can become a good wife someday," he replied, causing Tyra to stomp her foot in protest.

But Dorven paid her no mind at all, merely glaring at her to deliver a final warning. This caused Tyra to finally walk away, holding back her emotions, while Selena watched her expressionlessly before shrugging nonchalantly.

"Such a child," she muttered, then looked at Dorven, who was watching her.

"In terms of age in the world of Eldoria, Tyra is a few years older than you. But since she’s always been spoiled by her parents, she does lack good manners," said Dorven, causing Selena to raise her eyebrows high.

"Oh, really? Why hasn’t she gotten married yet if she’s actually older than me? Or is she waiting for someone?" Selena asked, trying to draw him out.

Dorven looked at her for a moment, then smiled and gently took Selena’s hand before leading her toward the chairs. Vee poured their drinks, then bowed politely and walked out of the room, knowing that Selena and Dorven were about to discuss something personal.

"I’m sure you already know what her intentions are," Dorven said, causing Selena to keep her eyebrows raised. "There isn’t a single servant in this palace who doesn’t know about her intentions toward me, and they certainly wouldn’t hold back from telling you."

"So, you must also know what my problem is with Tyra and her family. What the servant said is true—I am the weakest king for allowing a silent coup and the transfer of military power into my own uncle’s hands," he said, finally causing Selena to sigh.

"Has this been going on for a long time, or since you were cursed?"

"For generations, my uncle’s family has held the position of general in the Lion clan. For hundreds of years, everything proceeded normally, and they were extremely loyal. It was only during my uncle’s reign that things began to change; he felt his ancestors had rendered great service, so he wanted to secretly seize power from my military forces."

"When he found out I was under a curse—that I couldn’t keep using my emotions recklessly or I’d lose them—my uncle became even more reckless. He swayed the entire family, intending to stage a massive coup, but not many supported him. So my uncle could only carry out a covert coup, controlling me with the threat of hundreds of thousands of Lion military troops."

"I’m powerless, so I can only let it be for now. I hope that once I’m healed, I can regain control and restore things to the way they were. But I also realize I don’t have you all to myself—I have to share you with four other men," she said at length, causing Selena to let out a heavy sigh.

"Unfortunately, I also only have one body to take care of all five of you; I was completely overwhelmed until my energy was completely drained yesterday," Selena said, explaining her own difficulties.

"I know, that’s why I don’t want to force you. I—"

"Let’s make love tonight, so you’ll recover quickly and be able to restore things to the way they were with your abilities."