The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate-Chapter 163: Challenging the authority (1)

Hearing Phillipe’s distressed cries, his close attendant, Lewis, was the first to rush into the room. His eyes widened at the sight before him. Zenna sprawled on the floor while the king kept his hands on his eyes, at the same time, he struggled to regain his breath.

"Your Majesty!" Lewis hurried to Phillipe’s side, carefully helping him onto the couch.

Tristan stormed in right after, expecting to witness an attack or some grave danger. But what he saw was something entirely different.

Zenna’s eyes, glowing with an eerie silver hue, gradually faded back to their natural color as she rose from the floor. She seemed dazed, her breath uneven as she locked eyes with her father.

Phillipe, now seated on the couch, took slow sips of water.

"What did you do to His Majesty?" Lewis demanded.

Zenna flinched at his accusatory tone. "I... I did nothing," she said. Confusion clouded her mind. She had no idea what had just happened.

Phillipe, however, wasn’t looking at her with anger or fear. His mind had drifted elsewhere, to a memory he had long buried. Zenna’s mother with silver eyes and flowing hair... the one person he had tried to forget but never could.

Zenna lowered her head, feeling the weight of his gaze. "I apologize, Father," she murmured, fear lacing her voice. "I don’t—I don’t know why that happened."

Her hands trembled slightly at her sides, uncertainty gnawing at her. She had never experienced anything like this before. ’What if Father locks me in the dungeon?’ she thought.

Phillipe remained silent, his mind racing as he struggled to comprehend the truth about his daughter. What exactly had Zenna’s mother hidden from him all these years? What kind of power lay dormant within Zenna?

Before he could find the words to speak, the doors swung open, and Loretta rushed in with her attendants trailing behind. Aria followed closely, her expression unreadable.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Loretta asked, concern in her voice, though her sharp eyes were already locked onto Zenna. "I heard that Melissa tried to harm you. Your shouts echoed through the entire corridor," she added, her gaze turning furious.

Zenna felt a chill run down her spine as Loretta glared at her with unconcealed rage.

"What are you looking at? Lock her in the dungeon!" Loretta commanded, her voice firm and merciless.

"No! I did nothing! It wasn’t me!" Zenna protested in a pleading tone as she turned to her father for help.

But Phillipe remained silent.

His hesitation only fueled Loretta’s authority. The guards stepped forward, their hands reaching for Zenna.

She stepped back instinctively, her heart pounding in her chest. "Father, please!" she pleaded, "I don’t know what happened after you grabbed my throat. Don’t do this to me."

Zenna realized, at that moment, that no one would save her.

"Tristan, take her to the dungeon!" Phillipe’s voice rang, his dark gaze locked onto Zenna.

"Your Majesty, please stop!" Radulf’s voice echoed through the chamber as he stormed in, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. All eyes turned to him, but his gaze was fixed only on Zenna, his mate.

Radulf rushed to her side, his hand instinctively reaching out as if to shield her. "Please, don’t punish my wife. She doesn’t deserve this," he pleaded.

"Stay quiet, Radulf!" Loretta snapped, her eyes burning with fury. "Zenna tried to kill the Alpha King!" She accused Zenna of something she never did though she knew nothing of the truth.

"No! I didn’t!" Zenna’s voice wavered as she shook her head, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I would never—"

Phillipe’s patience thinned as he turned his full attention to Radulf. "Are you questioning my decision?"

Zenna’s breath hitched. She knew what defying the Alpha King meant—what it could cost Radulf. If she admitted guilt, perhaps he would be spared from Phillipe’s wrath.

But before she could utter a word, Radulf stepped forward in a thundering voice.

"Yes."

Radulf held his ground, his green eyes fierce with unshaken determination. "I am questioning it because you are wrong, Your Majesty," he stated boldly. "Zenna is innocent, and I will not stand by while she is punished for something she didn’t do."

"You are willing to defy me for her?" Phillipe clenched his both fists. "Radulf, don’t forget that you are living on my mercy."

Radulf didn’t hesitate to respond. "I would defy the world for her."

Zenna’s eyes widened in shock. Her eyes turned misty and she realised because of her Radulf got into a problem.

"Your Majesty, this is wrong. Every time you send a summon to Zenna she is punished for something she had never done. Last time it was merely because she refused agreeing to you. Why should she give our pup to you? When she refused your order, you chose to punish her, not caring she’s no longer daughter. She is my wife too," Radulf declared, not fearing what consequences he would have to bear later. His green eyes bore into Phillipe’s, challenging his authority.

Radulf’s voice echoed through the chamber as he turned his sharp gaze on all the gathered wolves.

"Did any of you witness Zenna harming the Alpha King?" he demanded.

"Why would the Alpha King lie?" Loretta’s voice rang through the chamber, filled with authority and indignation. "Don’t forget your place, Radulf. You have no right to raise your voice in front of us!"

Radulf’s gaze remained steady, unshaken by her words. "I will not stand by and watch injustice unfold," he declared in an unwavering tone. "If the Alpha King claims Zenna attacked him, then he should present a witness who saw it happen. Who was the first to enter the chamber?"

Loretta’s sharp eyes flicked toward the Alpha King’s attendant. "Lewis, tell him what you saw!"

Lewis hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Zenna was on the floor... while the Alpha King had his eyes covered," he admitted.

A low chuckle escaped Radulf, his lips curling into a knowing smirk. "Then it’s clear," he said smoothly. "Zenna was the one being shoved to the ground. She never laid a hand on the Alpha King."

Phillipe’s eyes darkened dangerously. "Are you accusing me of lying?"

Radulf met his gaze head-on. "No," he stated firmly. "I am proving the innocence of my mate."

Loretta’s patience snapped. "Your Majesty, order your commander to throw them both into the dungeon!" she demanded.

But before Phillipe could respond, Radulf took a step forward. "Let’s not, Your Majesty. None of your warriors are capable of standing against me. If you insist on using force, I assure you—this entire palace will be drowned in blood before a single wolf touches my mate." It was a warning from his behalf. He would not let anyone make it alive from this palace if they tried to even touch Zenna, let alone punish her. He didn’t care for his life, but for Zenna he was ready to fight with every single wolf in this palace.

Radulf then turned to Tristan, "Tell me, how can an omega possibly harm an alpha, let alone the Alpha King himself?"

Though Tristan didn’t like Radulf because of the past, he couldn’t deny the facts he presented. Indeed, an omega could never harm the Alpha King. But the eyes of Zenna were something he never witnessed in any omega or any wolf. But for some reason, he remained quiet about it.

His eyes burned with anger as he scanned the faces around him. "You all saw it with your own eyes. Zenna has suffered unjust punishments at the hands of the Alpha King over the most absurd reasons. Last time too she was punished merely because she didn’t agree to the demand of the Alpha King."

Turning his piercing gaze to Phillipe, he stepped forward. "I will not stand by and watch this injustice. I, Radulf De Lagrange, challenge the authority of the Alpha King! I call upon the Council of Alphas to hold him accountable for his actions. This tyranny will not go unanswered, Alpha King Phillipe!"

Radulf’s dominant alpha aura spread throughout the chamber, causing everyone to feel his strength. His green eyes darkened and a growling sound reverberated in the chamber too.

"What did you say? You’ll challenge my authority!" Phillipe barked at him.

"No. I will challenge your unjust methods in the council, Alpha King. I will not tolerate this anymore. Everyone in this family who have harmed Zenna behind my back will be punished," Radulf pronounced, causing Phillipe to feel so small in front of his power.

Radulf moved toward Zenna and the guards immediately stepped back. He held her hand and walked out of the chamber with her.

"Tristan, arrest them both!" Loretta yelled in her sharp voice.

Before the order could be carried out, Phillipe raised a hand. "No," he said. "Let him go. I want to see what Radulf will do. He thinks he can challenge me. This time they both will be punished to death if they fail to prove Zenna’s innocence in front of the council. I will make it happen."