**3rd Person POV**
She began to cough up blood just as the intention was formed in her mind. Edvin and Tyler rushed to her side to assist her in recovery. They gave her some water to drink and told her she did not have to say anything. They could not afford to lose her now that Dagen had invested lots of resources into protecting her and preparing for Ashton to come by and forcefully remove her.
****
It took Ashton an entire day for him to get to Mount Shasta. However, the place appeared to be deserted. He tried walking the length of the mountain but discovered that the mountain was a lot bigger than it looked. It felt like it stretched on for miles unending. This made him frown because he could swear that he could see the end of the mountain from where he stood.
That was when he felt it; there was a magical force on the mountain preventing him from seeing something. He guessed it was to stop him from seeing the Fae settlement. He groaned in frustration because he had very little time left before Rosaline’s tongue would loosen. His mind wandered to the servant he had sent on a suicide mission. Perhaps that suicide mission was his only hope now.
“There should be no interference!” screamed Prince Ashton. He could only think of one being who would be helping the Faes and that was Hades. As he shouted the rule of no interference, he felt the magical air that was so heavily condensed before loosening up.
So they had other help?
Ashton thought hard and long to himself about the person capable enough to stand in his way and a singular thought crossed his mind, Perisphone, now Regina.
He cursed out loud.
“You brought Hades here, you fool. In his anger, he has loosened Rosaline from your oath,” it was clearly Regina's voice even though he could not see her.
His face contorted in terror.
“Yes, even now, the armies that are preceded by hazy biting dust are making their way to your kingdom. Your very own ministers will sell you out and you shall meet your ruin,” Regina's voice said.
“LIAR” He screamed, refusing to believe it was all over. His ministers would not sell him out so easily because they knew a bloodbath would follow upon his death. Regina had to be lying.
He mounted his horse and kicked its side so that it would gallop down the mountain as he was in haste to salvage what was salvageable.
But his horse seemed to have a mind of its own and would not move.
“Damn you, Pius!” he screamed at his horse but the horse neighed its protestations.
“Where do you think you're running off to?” enquired Regina.
He hated that he could not see her but only hear her voice. If he could see her, he would strangle her until she died.
Ashton got off his horse and began to trek downwards. If his horse refused to go anywhere then he would use his legs even if the journey would be four times as long. When he took his seventh step, however, a thick mist surrounded him such that he could not even see his own feet.
“Why are you so quick to hurry to your death?” quipped Regina with a wicked laugh.
****
Rosaline’s cough got better.
She frowned.
Something was certainly different.
“Lord Silver is a vampire,” she said out of nowhere just as Lord Edvin and Tyler were about to step out of the room. They turned to look at her in confusion and all they saw on her face was surprise.
Rosaline could not believe it. She had been freed from the oath. The only person that could do that was Hades. But why would Hades be interested in helping a lowly servant like her?
“I can talk!” she exclaimed with joy.
The two men were somewhat confused.
“You could always talk,” remarked Lord Edvin, trying to make sense of what was happening.
“I think she means she can tell us those secrets now,” said Lord Tyler.
“I will send for the Alpha,” said Lord Edvin.
Minutes later Dagen was in their midst. The three men looked at her in anticipation.
“You mentioned that Lord Silver was a vampire?” Lord Tyler wanted to start from there.
“Oh yes! He is a vampire, I thought that was pretty obvious,” said Rosaline, surprised that the shocked expression on their faces meant that they had never considered it a possibility.
“Obvious?”
“His skin is pale, chalk white and where there should be fangs is hollow which suggests that he pulled them out; his eyes are a thirsty red colour. He has been old for how long now? Before your parents were born, Alpha Dagen. As you well know, vampires have insanely long age spans. Besides your Elders in Council, I do not think there is any werewolf who has lived for more than two centuries,” explained Rosaline.
“How come? All the vampires were murdered during the war, the ones that weren't escaped up north where their kingdoms are,” Alpha Dagen looked bewildered and a little hurt that he had been fooled for so long.
“Not all of them were able to escape. The ones that could not escape had to remain on werewolf land and in order to remain alive, they stole identities, pulled out their fangs and acclimatised,” replied Rosaline.
Rosaline was a great storyteller and she held the three men spellbound.
“So, besides Lord Silver there are others?” quipped Lord Edvin who was quite surprised at this revelation.
“There are others, especially in other parks. Lord Silver is the only prominent vampire here,” came Rosaline's response.
“And it wouldn't have mattered if he were a vampire if he had not sold us out to Ashton,” said Dagen bitterly.
“But that is not enough to bring Ashton down,” frowned Lord Tyler. While he found news of Lord Silver's vampire status amusing, it was hardly enough to remove the wicked vampire prince from power forever.