Chapter 31: Fall of a Lord

We didn’t speak as we walked back through the palace corridors.

The crystal floors reflected our distorted images — blood-streaked, paint-smeared, exhausted. The torches along the walls flickered softly, their light catching the dried crimson on our skin.

I wanted to say something.

About the king.

About the queen.

About the way she had looked at him when she said he would always be beneath them.

But one glance at Timi was enough.

His jaw was tight. His eyes were distant. Not angry — not anymore.

Hurt.

Deeply.

So I stayed quiet.

And he stayed quiet.

And the only sound between us was the soft echo of our footsteps.

When we reached the physician’s wing, we turned the corner—

And nearly collided with him at the entrance.

The man dressed in white steadied himself, his robes brushing against the marble wall. Up close, I could see faint stains of darkened blood on his sleeves.

“How is he?” I asked immediately.

The physician exhaled slowly.

“The wolf venom was… unlike anything I have encountered,” he admitted. “It was aggressive. Fast-moving. It would have reached his heart within minutes.”

My stomach tightened.

“But,” he continued, “I was able to drain it from his system before it spread beyond control. It took effort. And precision.”

Timi’s voice came out lower than usual. “Is he stable?”

“He is healing gradually. His body is strong.” A small pause. “And he is awake.”

Relief hit me so suddenly my knees almost gave out.

“Can we see him?” I asked.

The physician stepped aside, gesturing toward the door.

“Of course.”

We entered quietly.

The room was simple but spotless. The white walls were lined with shelves of herbs and glass bottles. A single bed stood in the center, covered with fresh linen. A small wooden chair rested beside it.

And on that chair sat Ayara.

She was leaning slightly toward Daniel, speaking softly to him.

Daniel looked pale but alive. Very much alive.

When he noticed us, his eyes widened.

“You’re alive!” he exclaimed, attempting to sit up.

The movement sent pain across his face and he immediately winced.

“Just lie down,” Ayara said gently but firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He relaxed back into the pillows with a sheepish grin.

Then Ayara looked at us properly.

Her gaze traveled from our faces… down to our hands… then to our clothes.

“You could have at least cleaned yourselves up,” she said flatly.

Timi and I looked down at the same time.

Blood.

Black paint.

Crusted along our arms. Dried into our clothes.

We must have looked feral.

Daniel laughed weakly. “You two look like you crawled out of a battlefield.”

“We did,” I replied.

Timi stepped closer to the bed, relief softening his features for the first time since the throne room.

“We thought we lost you.”

Daniel waved a weak hand. “It was nothing.”

“Nothing?” I repeated.

He grinned. “Best night of my life.”

For a second, we just stared at him.

Then we all burst into laughter — even Ayara tried to hide a smile.

The tension cracked.

The heaviness lifted.

Timi shook his head. “You’re unbelievable.”

Then his expression shifted slightly as he looked at Ayara.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “For pushing you into the snow.”

Ayara didn’t respond.

She didn’t even look at him.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the chair.

Silence lingered.

Timi nodded once, accepting it.

“We’ll… let you rest,” he said. “We need to wash up.”

Daniel gave a lazy salute from the bed.

“Try not to start another war while I’m asleep.”

“No promises,” I replied.

Timi and I stepped out of the room.

The door closed softly behind us.

Without another word, we turned down the corridor leading toward the private wing.

Toward Timi’s pool.

We reached Timi’s private pool in silence.

It was hidden behind carved stone walls and tall silver-leaf trees that shielded it from the rest of the palace. The water glowed faintly blue beneath the early dawn sky, warmed by underground springs that ran beneath Nhim.

Without speaking, we removed our blood-soaked clothes and stepped into the water.

The moment it touched my skin, I exhaled.

The warmth seeped into my muscles, easing the stiffness from the fight. The tension in my shoulders slowly loosened. Even the lingering sting of minor wounds dulled beneath the mineral-rich water.

Timi submerged himself fully, disappearing beneath the surface for several seconds before rising again, slicking his hair back.

We stayed there for a while.

Just breathing.

Just existing.

Finally, I broke the silence.

“I don’t think we’re going to stay anymore.”

That pulled his attention to me immediately.

His eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”

“This wasn’t the plan,” I said. “We were supposed to travel. See the world. Have fun. Not get caught in a civil war.” I paused. “Daniel almost died tonight.”

Timi looked away toward the horizon where the first faint hints of sunrise were forming.

“I know,” he said quietly.

“We should leave,” I continued. “You should come with us.”

He didn’t respond.

“You’ve spent years serving the wrong people,” I added. “People who don’t value you. Who threaten you. Who humiliate you in their own court.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“It’s complicated,” he said.

“It’s not,” I replied. “You owe them nothing.”

He let out a humorless breath.

“I have no home anymore,” he said. “I cannot return to the Count. He would reject me. And I have traveled the world more times than you can imagine. There is nothing left to see.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is for me.”

I tried again. I told him he didn’t need a title. Didn’t need land. Didn’t need a throne to matter.

But his eyes had that distant look again.

After a while, I stopped.

The sun began creeping over the horizon, casting gold across the pool’s surface.

Then we both heard it.

Footsteps.

Multiple.

Approaching.

Timi groaned softly. “What do they want now?”

The royal guards appeared at the entrance to the pool courtyard, fully armed.

“Lord Timi,” one of them said formally, though his tone was rigid. “The royal family demands your presence at court. Please dress and proceed immediately.”

They turned and left without waiting for a reply.

“What was that about now?” I muttered.

“I have no idea,” Timi said.

We stepped out of the pool. Water dripped from our skin onto the stone tiles.

He went toward his chambers to change.

I headed to mine.

I dressed quickly in clean black attire and made my way toward the court.

As I approached, I heard a voice echoing from inside.

“The king strips you of your title and your lands. You are no longer a Lord of this court.”

I froze.

Who—

The massive doors opened as I reached them.

And then I saw.

The court was full.

Every noble. Every lord. Every high-ranking member of Nhim stood in attendance. Their robes were immaculate. Their expressions tense, watchful.

At the center of the hall stood Timi.

Alone.

The king sat upon his throne, cold and unmoving. Beside him stood a royal official holding an unrolled scroll — the source of the declaration I had heard.

Understanding hit me instantly.

This wasn’t a meeting.

It was a punishment.

The official continued reading from the scroll, listing accusations—insubordination, unauthorized military action, assault upon the queen.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the nobles.

Timi stood still.

Proud.

Silent.

The king’s voice cut through the chamber.

“You have betrayed this court, Timi. You acted without consent. You dishonored your queen. You have brought instabi

lity to this kingdom.”

I clenched my fists.

The queen sat beside him, composed. Calm.

Watching.

The king rose to his feet.

“From this day forward,” he declared, “you are no longer Lord of Nhim. Your lands are reclaimed by the crown. Your title is stripped. You stand here as nothing more than a common vampire.”

The words echoed.

And in that moment—

They took everything from him.