**3rd Person POV**
“Retribution? Is that why you left Irvette when you knew she was locked up in a vampire cell?” quipped Regina options for an accusatory approach. If Emily was not guilty of this, she would know at once from her response.
“What are you talking about?” there was genuine shock in Emily’s tone. Regina sighed in relief, at least her cousin knew nothing about this.
“I'm sorry I accused you, Em. Grandmother hinted at it just before her death and I have been dying to ask you about it,” said Regina.
“Gina, this is serious. If Irvette is somewhere there, we need to bring her back home,” Emily had a horrified look on her face. She had never imagined that Lady Tristan would connive with the vampires to keep Irvette in prison.
She was a little hurt that her cousin would think she had done such a thing.
“We do. I think we need to make a trip to the Kingdom of Dome. And we have to bring Harlin home too,” said Emily.
“And then we have a wedding to plan. Congratulations Em,” Regina said with a warm smile. Then both of them hugged.
“I hope Charlie is ready to take the throne. I want to enjoy my married life,” said Emily with a spark in her eye. Regina envied her. She wished she could have that sort of joy too but it was not meant to be. She was too scared from Dagen's relationship that she could not bring herself to start a new relationship or go back to her old one.
She wondered if perhaps it was time to get over her fears and start a new relationship. Lucian had asked her out a couple of times and he had made it clear that if she wanted to be with him, he was still very much in love with her. Her problem however was that he was in love with Perisphone, which was a part of her soul. He had told her that such was not the case.
“So when you see me, you do not see Perisphone?” she had asked him.
“At first, I did but I have gotten to know you and I really like you. Perisphone is my past but I want you to be my future,” Lucian had told her. If she had been any other woman she would have been moved by those words.
“You really like me but you loved Perisphone,” she accused him.
“Hey, hey, why must you complicate things?”
“Why can't you say you love me?”
“Because when I do say those words to you, I do not want them to be here in hell.”
That had made her laugh.
Now, she looked at Emily who seemed to sparkle differently from the glow of love. Perhaps, she could have that too but love was not easy. Lucian did love her and she knew it well but she could not forget Dagen. She hated that she hated him and could not get over him at the same time. How was it possible to love someone who had hurt you so deeply?
****
Ashton decided it was time to return home. There was no point remaining here because it seemed that the Kingdom of Dome did not share his hatred for werewolves. Besides, he had more problems now. He had learnt that Lord Silver of whom he had entrusted his vampires to had been caught. He also guessed that since Prince Harlin had just woken up, his family may come to take him home. It would not be a good look if he was here when more werewolves arrived.
His plans to start a war with the Shadowclaw pack were now seen as impossible. He had not taken into account that he could be caught. Unfortunately, now that his den in Lord Silver's house was exposed all the other packs were beginning to raid houses randomly and his secret stash of vampires were being killed and jailed. It was a mess and since the King of Dome did not seem to care much about a vampire revolution, it was time for him to go and visit other vampire clans so he could rally their support.
There was however one little problem. He needed to find out where his maid, Rosaline, was. It was not because he cared about her deeply but because he knew she knew a lot of secrets that could bring all his other plans crumbling. For instance, she knew where Queen Irvette was and probably had an idea of what he intended to do to her. He had to end her life before she had a chance to spill any of his secrets.
****
Elder Thaddeus stood at the balcony of the room he had been given. He was admiring the landscape that stretched miles unending. If he compared this place with back home, he could not say that it was not beautiful. It was a beautiful country and in a unique way, perhaps even more beautiful than some places he knew back home. It was even more beautiful now because it was night and all the vampires had come out to work or do business. He looked up to admire the stars that seemed to cover the entirety of the sky so that although it was dark it was bright and one could see clearly.
He heard someone cough behind him and he turned to see Agatha standing there.
“You can't be here, you must leave…”
“I am Queen. Nobody tells me what to do, so I will stay if I choose to,” said Queen Agatha.
Thaddeus shook his head at this. He realised then that Agatha had not changed one bit. If she had, she would not be so obsessed with ruining his life because that is what would happen if anyone saw her here. He could be arrested for treason.