Alia couldn’t get a hold of the king for the whole day; he was truly busy. She had searched the east wing, the council hall, even the garden balcony where he sotis stood when he needed air. Everyone she asked either bowed nervously or gave vague answers. The palace had been tense since morning, whispers floating around like unsettled spirits. Sothing had happened, sothing serious.
As she was on her way to continue her search, she finally saw them. The king and his advisor were walking down the long hallway toward her path. Relief washed over her and a small smile appeared on her face. At least now she didn’t have to keep wandering the palace like a lost child. Arthur excused himself imdiately, muttering sothing about preparing for the journey ahead.
"Your majesty, I heard about the princess. Is she okay?" Alia asked, her voice softening, trying to sound concerned at least as much as she could manage.
"Yes, the princess is alright," Alexander replied curtly. His expression was cold, distant. Anyone could tell he wasn’t in the mood to speak. He didn’t even look at her long enough for her to read him.
Alia nodded slowly. "What about Lady Serena? I... I overheard she suddenly got sick. Is she okay?" she asked.
"Yes. She is very sick."
His voice dropped lower, and if Alia listened closely, she might have heard a faint edge of frustration, maybe even worry.
"Oh, how unfortunate. I hope she gets better soon." She fidgeted with her fingers, waiting for him to show so emotion, so acknowledgnt, but Alexander only nodded. "Well, I ca to tell you that I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. I told my father I would only be here for two days."
"Good," ca Alexander’s reply, short and sharp.
Alia clasped her hands together. "I know, I really do not wish to leave so soon... but I have to go ho because of Father, so..." she added, her voice softer, adding a hint of sadness she hoped he would pick up on.
"I’m glad you enjoyed your stay at Noct," Alexander said with a straight face. "You have a long journey ahead of you, so you should retire to your chambers and rest. I have sothing to attend to." Without waiting, he walked past her.
Alia turned around quickly. "Uh–uh, your majesty, I—"
But before she could finish, the king was already gone, disappearing around the corner as if he couldn’t stand another second in her presence.
---
That evening, Derrick finally returned from his journey. His clothes were dusty, his hair slightly disheveled,clear signs of the long ride.
"I’m sorry, your majesty. There was a slight delay on the journey. I couldn’t make it here this morning," Derrick apologized, bowing.
Alexander waved his hand dismissively. "Hope you have so useful information," he said. His voice was tired yet firm, the weight of the palace chaos heavy on him.
Arthur walked into the room at that mont, his eyes shifting to Derrick. "Derrick, you’re back," he said with relief, touching his shoulder briefly.
"Hm," Derrick humd. "Yes, your majesty. Would you like to hear them?" he asked, looking between the two. Alexander closed his eyes, then opened them again with a slow breath.
"Are you ready to leave?" Alexander asked Arthur, turning his gaze toward him.
"I’m ready to leave. I might not be back this evening. Hopefully by tomorrow I’ll be here with her," Arthur replied. His tone was steady but heavy.
"Where are you going? Did sothing happen while I was away?" Derrick asked. The mont he stepped foot in the palace earlier, he had sensed an unfamiliar tension. Guards were stationed in every corner, servants moved with stiff nervousness, and so looked downright terrified. Sothing terrible had unfolded.
"A lot happened while you were away," Arthur said, letting out a sigh. "The princess was almost drowned, and now Lady Serena is seriously sick. We need to find a witch." His words ca out in one breath, his worry evident.
Derrick frowned slightly. "Is her highness alright? Who would do such a thing?"
It sounded absurd to him—unbelievable, even. Sneaking into the Vampire King’s palace was one thing, but attempting to kill his sister and then his guest? That required either madness or insane confidence. Derrick had been with Alexander for years; he knew the king well. Anyone who offended him never escaped unscathed.
Arthur shook his head. "Beats . Whoever the person is has an audacity, I’ll give them that."
"How can I help, your majesty?" Derrick asked.
Alexander tapped his fingers on the armrest in frustration. "I only need to find the witch. By morning, we’ll discuss the important matters." He stood up from his chair and walked out of the courtroom without another word.
"Take a rest. I’ll be leaving," Arthur told Derrick before following the king out.
---
Alexander walked into his room, exhaustion weighing down his body. He removed his jacket and sat on the plush couch, his eyes imdiately drifting to the bed where Serena lay motionless. Her chest rose and fell faintly, her skin pale—almost ghostly. She was still under the influence of the sedative—a strong one the physician had recomnded to keep her from burning up or hallucinating under the spell’s effects.
He let out a long breath, dragging a hand through his hair. Things were becoming unbearably complicated. First his sister had almost drowned... and now Serena was at death’s door. The image of her lying there, unable to move or speak, stirred sothing inside him he didn’t want to acknowledge.
He stood and walked toward the bed, staring at her face. Her lips were pale, her breathing shallow. His hand lifted instinctively, reaching toward hers, but he stopped halfway, just inches from touching her. Why did he hesitate? Why did his chest tighten?
He felt lonely and strangely hollow with her just lying there. It was odd, he had never felt like this for anyone, not in all his years. Serena was the first person who kept invading his thoughts. Her eyes... her face... her lips... everything about her shifted sothing in him, sothing he wasn’t ready to na. He was always lonely in the palace but without her, he felt lonelier.
He rembered the marking ceremony. That night, he had actually been tempted to mark her the normal way, to claim her fully as his own, the first female to ever tempt him. But instead, he took her blood—and now he could feel it within him. rmaid blood. The purest blood to ever exist.
He raked his fingers through his hair again and walked into the bathroom. He removed his shirt and stepped into the cold water, letting it soak him from the waist down, trying to cool his burning frustration.
One thing he knew for certain:
if anything happened to Serena, he would search the whole world to find the person responsible and make them beg for rcy in blood.
She was his pet.
No one was allowed to lay a finger on her except him.
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