Chapter 179 Chapter 179: Don't you dare!

Chapter 179 Chapter 179: Don't you dare!
~ Kingdom Of Belgravia~

Everyone in the room froze. Nobody moved.

Dorian took a step back toward the door. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Don't lie to me," Amadeus growled. He started walking toward Dorian menacingly. "It's been over twenty-three years since you destroyed Valtarra. But I never forgot your smell."

Liam looked back and forth between Amadeus and Dorian. His face showed confusion and fear. "What's this? Dorian, what is he talking about? Valtarra? He is not the one, believe me. We have been looking for the princess together."

Dorian's face, however, changed. He didn't look confused anymore. He looked mean with a smirk on his face. "I don't have to explain myself to a tree spirit."

"You know each other?" Liam's voice got louder. "Dorian, answer me! How do you know each other?"

Amadeus stopped a few feet away from Dorian. His green eyes glowed with golden light. "He's the one behind everything, Your Majesty. Every bad thing that happened to you and your kingdom. The Darkling attacks. The dark magic spreading and rotting away Olu's power. The love potion that almost destroyed your marriage. Even..."

Amadeus turned to look at Raven with sadness in his eyes.

"Even your mother's death, Master. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. But your mother's soul has been destroyed by Dreculus. She's gone forever. She can never rest in peace."

Raven felt like the world stopped moving.

Her mother's soul was gone. Not just dead. Destroyed. She would never see her mother again. Not even in the afterlife.

Her knees stopped working. She started to fall.

Liam caught her. His arms wrapped around her tight. "I'm here. I've got you."

But Raven barely heard him. Her ears were ringing. Her vision got blurry.

"You're lying," Dorian said. But his voice shook.

"Am I?" Amadeus's eyes glowed brighter. "I searched for you after I got my powers back. I could feel you somewhere in Grok but I couldn't find exactly where. Not until two days ago when you used your magic on my Master."

Raven's head shot up. "What?"

"He used dark magic on you," Amadeus said gently. "To make you doubt your husband. To make you believe he was still under a spell. That's what Dreculus does. He uses magic to make people not trust each other. He destroys love and friendship from the inside."

Raven felt like she couldn't breathe.

The talk in the library. Dorian's kind voice and his warnings about Julie. Had all been lies.

Liam's face went completely white. "Dorian, tell me this isn't true. Please. We've been friends since I was a boy in the mines. You saved my life!"

"You want the truth?" Dorian's face became twisted and more mean. No longer pretending.

"Fine. Yes. I used magic on her to make her doubt you. I've been controlling you for years. Since I pulled you from that mine when you were twelve. You were so easy to trick. So trusting like a stupid little puppy."

"Why?" Liam's voice broke. He sounded like he was breaking inside. "Why would you do this to me? I trusted you!"

"Because watching humans destroy themselves is the most fun thing in the world," Dorian laughed. "I gave Princess Julie the love potion. I told her exactly how to use it. I had Raven kidnapped that night. I made the fake order with your seal saying to kill her. I sent those men to the cabin in the woods. I wanted to see if, after that, she would still love you. And guess what? It almost didn't!"

Liam looked like someone had stabbed him in the chest. His face showed so much pain.

"And you," Dorian turned to Raven. His eyes became colder.

" Do you even know who your father is?” He laughed hard and then continued. “ You know I've been watching you since the day you were born. Waiting to see if you'd bond with a World Tree like your mother was supposed to. And you did. Unfortunately, I didn't notice in time."

"My mother," Raven whispered. Tears ran down her face. "What did you do to my mother?"

"I had her killed," Dorian answered calmly like it was nothing.

"But why?" Raven's voice broke. "Why did you care about my mother at all to have her killed?"

Dorian smiled, his expression suddenly filled with excitement. "Because your mother, Princess Denessa, was special. Very special. She was from Valtarra. The only kingdom in the world where people could bond with World Trees. And I wanted her to bond with me. But she didn't choose me."

"She chose me," Amadeus filled in sadly. "Princess Denessa chose to bond with me. And you couldn't stand it, could you, Dreculus?"

"No, I couldn't!" Dorian's face twisted with anger. "She was supposed to choose me! I was stronger! More powerful! But she chose you instead. A stupid tree spirit who cared about peace and love and other weak things! I wasn't sentimental so she should have picked me!"

"So you destroyed everything," Amadeus said. "You couldn't have her, so you destroyed everything."

"Yes!" Dorian laughed. "I found someone just as angry and obsessed as me. King Alaric. He loved Denessa too. He wanted her desperately. So I used him. I made him even more obsessed with her. I helped him destroy Valtarra. We burned the whole kingdom to the ground. Killed everyone who could bond with World Trees. Made it so you could never get your full power back."

Raven's eyes went wide. "King Alaric?"

"Yes!" Dorian smiled. "King Alaric is your father. He was so obsessed with Denessa that even after destroying her kingdom, he kept her as a slave. He couldn't let her go. And then you were born. His daughter with the woman he destroyed, I guess your mother didn't tell you he was your father. And of course, Alaric didn't bother to claim you."

Raven felt sick. King Alaric was father, the man who destroyed her mother's kingdom. Who made her mother a slave was a slave.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew my mother?" Raven turned to Amadeus. Her voice shook. "Why?"

She screamed, preferring to turn her anger on Amadeus than think of such a wicked man as her father.

Amadeus's face softened. " I am sorry, Master. I was in so much pain. I hated how I failed in protecting my lady. I hated myself. I didn't want you to hate me as well.”

"Is that why you bonded with me?" Raven asked. "Because I'm her daughter?"

"At first, yes," Amadeus admitted. " But I stayed bonded to you because of how kind you were.”

Tears poured down Raven's face.

"How touching," Dorian said with a mean laugh. "But you're missing the best part of the story. I arranged everything. I made sure, you Raven married my dearest friend Liam with the intention of making you suffer. servant.But no. This stupid fool,” he yelled pointing at Liam. “ He fell in love with her!"

Liam's hands shook. "You... you arranged our marriage?"

"Of course I did!" Dorian smiled. " I wanted to see Denessa's daughter suffer in a foreign kingdom. But you ruined it by actually loving her. So I had to get involved. I made the nobles at first to deal first hand with her. I made lady Johanna and her daughter try and get rid of her. When that didn't work. I involved Julie and gave her the potion. I turned you cruel. It was fun watching you hurt the woman you loved."

"You monster," Liam snarled. His voice was full of hate.

"Thank you," Dorian answered like it was a compliment. " Since everyone in this room is going to die here, I might as well tell you everything.”

He walked to a chair and then sat down crossing his legs.

“I've been working with King Alaric for years. He helps me spread corruption and I help him stay in power. Together, we've destroyed so many lives. Well, at least with his help, I have been able to feed my friends with blood."

"The Darklings," Vincx said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him. "The corrupted Darklings. You made them blood drinkers."

"Yes!" Dorian looked proud. "The people of Valtarra were the only ones who could control Darklings. Keep them from becoming corrupted. But I destroyed Valtarra. Now the Darklings have no one to guide them but me. They become corrupted and spread darkness everywhere, I so choose and want."

"You're sick," Raven said. Her sadness was turning into anger now. "You destroyed an entire kingdom. Killed thousands of people. Destroyed my mother. All because she didn't choose you?"

"All because I wanted power," Dorian corrected. "And I got it. I've been playing with you all like puppets for years. Pulling your strings. Making you dance. And it's been the most fun I've had in a thousand years."

Amadeus stepped forward. Divine light glowed all around him. "Enough talking."

Dorian's smile got bigger. "Yes. I agree. Enough talking."

He raised his hand fast. Dark magic exploded from his palm in the form of dark smoke.

But he didn't aim at Amadeus. He aimed at Annie.

Black shadows wrapped around Annie. They lifted her off the ground. She screamed. Her eyes went wide with fear.

"Annie!" Raven tried to run to her but Liam held her back.

"No! Let me go!"

"I don't think so," Dorian laughed. "You're coming with me. I need a bait for the World Tree. And you're the perfect one. She is your mate
isn't she?"

"Don't you dare!" Amadeus roared.

But it was too late.

Dorian and Annie disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.