Chapter 31 Welcome his niece
The answer stood clearer than a blue sky. No war.
Alpha King Leon paired gazes with his subjects, once more, alerting them to stand down. It would have been foolish to break out a war without planning for it.
Leon growled a little, clasping his clawed fingers around his scepter that added to his authority as king.
“Very well, I accept your terms. It would be very selfish of us to… take the captive with us before the time elapses,”
“It is good that you have thought about the matter,” Valerio’s tone was even and distant. “Safe travels!”
Valerio turned away, dragging Evyths with him as they strutted through the hall while the werewolves watched closely, their thoughts rattling.
“Your majesty, I do not think that this was right. The vampires are clearly selfish. Vampires are gifted, they can tell that Evyths is blessed by the goddess and the value she holds now…” Selena interjected calmly, her eyes still fixed on Evyths, who was merely comfortable walking with the prince when it was expected that she should have been chained.
“I understand your worry, Selena. But, the vampire is right. Our rushed war would be unstrategic. I would be unwise to hurt my kind and ruin my regime over a mere… omega,” the king barked, his disappointment lacing his features like a second skin. His face squeezed even more tightly, his gray eyes hung with a sharp streak of fury that he forcefully stifled.
“What is Valerio’s motive here?” The alpha king’s son, his arms crossed tightly, his eyes looking at the expanse.
The alpha king turned on his heel and left the room. The thud of his scepter was the only thing that pierced the silence until Ryker interjected after the alpha king had left.
“The prince knows exactly what he's doing keeping the omega with him. The mistake has been made, we should not have given her out in the very beginning…”
“Or you shouldn't have allowed her to reject you. Your fists were tight enough —”
“Fuck you!” Ryker barked at the alpha king’s son, his heart racing angrily. If he could remember vividly, he was fiercer to Evyths as well as killing her parents to break her will yet it failed. She chose to be punished rather than become his Luna.
“If I were you, I would pick my eirds carefully. Not because my father dragged you in here means you could talk. You are only standing in for your late Dad, nothing more!” the alpha king’s son scowled at Ryker whose lips only twitched and swallowed his words.
Ryker’s gaze alone had committed a murder but then it did not want to offend the Alpha King by killing his son.
“All over again, prove to the vampires that we are hot-blooded and foolish!” Selena barked at them and she headed out and they followed her.
…
When the chaos had died down, Evyths was standing while Valerio was reading from the parchment that his father had left.
The study was covered in ancient books that reeked of dust and moisture. Cobwebs hung from end to end above their heads which irked Evyths.
Just like he had ordered, Evyths would move wherever he moved to monitor her and to protect her like he had promised her pack and kingdom.
Her eyes finally fell on him, and his golden hair fell across his face while he read the parchment intently.
The prince was usually fast while reading but this seemed different. Evyths sighed heavily, trying to figure out what the parchment entailed but she was at a loss.
When he placed the parchment down, he rubbed his eyes as if they stung him. Feeling her eyes on him, he said;
“Your eyes are heavy with unshaken gazes,” he let out. His tone was distant and cold, nothing she liked to hear.
Evyths swallowed hard, her lips fluttered as she looked away. Her fingers grazed her free arm while he looked right ahead of him.
There were nothing but bookshelves, spears, swords, and arrows that hung on the wall.
“Thank you for keeping me, I have been trying to tell you…” she finally blurted out, fiddling with her fingers.
“Mmhmm!” he snapped narrowing his gaze at her. “Sit, if your legs hurt,” he said, motioning with his pale fingers that were studded with royal signets.
Evyths bent and sat on the chair opposite where he sat, the table formed a demarcation between them.
Left to the prince, he wanted more. He wanted to talk about their earlier sexual encounter that she continued to avert.
“I was merely acting like a thoughtful leader should. I do not counter or withdraw my words. Unlike your cowardice king…” he snapped, plopping his elbow on the table’s surface, while resting his head on his palm. It was the most human thing she had seen him do.
“He remains my king and the ruler of Davendale” she said under her breath, her lips pursed afterward as he stared up at her and looked away again.
“How defensive but you did not want to honor your king at first,” Valerio pointed out, making her appear more guilty than she had been.
There was silence.
He, too, knew that he did not have to insist on letting her stay in the castle. She was not his kind nor was she better than his kind but he was not ready to bid goodbye to a girl he had finally found attractive and innocent. Who didn't share his evil motives? To him, Evyths was the only innocent creature in the whole of the Ravencroft kingdom.
Suddenly, he got addicted to his her, his slave hound. He should have been cruel to her. He should have tortured her. He should have chopped off her claws, starved her or beaten her, or caged her when she transformed but he did not.
He did not do what vampires would have done. Abuse her or torture her.
Not because he could not or because he chose to be soft, but because she reminded him of his late sister, Kaya. And he also felt a strange unexplainable pull towards Evyths.
“My prince, you look worried. What bothers you?” she forcefully asked. Silence lingered too long, thus appearing like corpses in a morgue.
He lifted a brow and huffed, “Nothing you can comprehend.” he snapped.
It felt offensive but she was used to his verbal outbursts.
“Test me, your highness. I know, I am from the lowest clan in my home and this… kingdom but… I know a few things…” she stated, throwing her hands shortly.
Her innocent gesture made his lips curl into a smile, all the more capturing his attention amidst the storm that lived inside him.
“Very well!” he snapped, crossing his arms on the surface, leaning a bit towards her as his golden cloak encumbered him as a shield and his Jasmine scent seeped into the air. Evyths caught each scent, jasmine and earth.
“I will tell you a tale. Dragons and beasts have never shared a common goal. Their existing feud lived from generation to generation. Now, the dragons breathe fire to protect and destroy and the beasts wield blades to feed and destroy. The question is, who deserves to own a place on earth?” the prince asked, Evyths’ brows wrung with confusion.
For a second, she remained silent. She thought that he would ask something logical or something that she could handle but instead, he chose a riddle from a tale that she was not so sure if it had existed. Finally, she mustered the courage to speak.
“Well, your highness,” a nervous laugh broke out, a cold sweat burst across her forehead while she tucked the strands of her red hair behind her ears. “From your… tale, the dragons sound fearless and the beasts are dangerous…”
“Who is fit to rule?” he pressed.
“Both!”
“Both?” His brows crumpled slightly.
She nodded almost frantically, “Yes, your highness, both. They are deserving if all they do is protect, feed, and attack their enemies. If I were to decide their fate, I would let them rally to fight. Obviously, no one wants to live as equals,” she said, doubting her words as she hugged herself.
“Really? What if one wins the other?” Valerio asked her.
“Accept defeat.”
“Sounds like something you will never do,” he snapped as she let out a beam.
“I am at a loss for words here, your highness. The cycle must continue, whoever wins takes the crown. This tale has no finite answer,” she charged calmly.
“The same goes for the vampires and werewolves. We may seem undeserving but, like you have said, rally to take the crown….” he said. Evyths fell silent, trying to figure out what the true intentions of the prince were.
“You plan to raid my people?”
“You saw what your Alpha King did, he was willing to wage a war—”
“That cannot be.” she interrupted the prince, something that only she could do and survive his wrath. “You promised to help defeat the hunters and their hybrids…” She rose defiantly, forgetting that he was the prince and could drink her dry. The prince’s eyes stared directly into her soul with intrigue.
A careless smirk played on his lips, disheveling her as well.
“That was merely a test.” he carelessly blurted. “You have just proven to me that your loyalty lies with your pack and you are willing to do anything to protect them despite their cruelty towards you—they were willing to take you home because you had a purpose and what happens after you have served your purpose? Death? Cruelty?” his questions pierced her, the more she tried to ignore, the more he spoke the truth. Her pack did not need her, they only needed her expertise since she was chosen by the moon goddess.
“You cannot conclude my fate, my prince!” she tried to be calm.
“I cannot? I have just told you their intentions. I know what I have seen in the minds of all three of them. They have realized that you were the chosen one, Eva, and they are desperate to save their kind despite what they did to your parents. Was it… fair?” he asked. His words crept into her ears like a devil’s music yet all that he had said was nothing but the unfiltered truth.
“You are yet to find your purpose or what your goddess wants you to do. But I can tell you one of the things gifts; she has made you immune to Wolfsbane. Consider your stay here as… buying more time to find your purpose. Left to me, I have found the ingredients of the antidote.” he smirked evilly, something sinister lay in his gaze. “Your innocence soothes me and your ignorance favors me which brings us to your earlier question; what bothers me. It is definitely something you cannot handle. I cannot share the secrets of my clan and kingdom with an inexperienced omega or hound. Just like you, my loyalty lies with my clan.” he snapped and paused, drumming his fingers on the desk.
Evyths sat back down, defeated by every word that he spoke casually.
Valerio saw deeper than she knew. He was indeed wise and tactical about his actions.
“Your highness,” she let out, her voice became frail. “Why are you… helping me?” she asked, staring at him.
Valerio remained quiet, only a smirk made meaning on his expression. He wasn't one to speak fast, he was slower than a venom.
“I don't know! But while my kindness lasts, savor it. Use it.” he said.
He vanished and appeared beside her, startling her instantly.
His cold fingers tilted her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his as her lips parted.
“I am not as gentle as you presume. I kill, I manipulate, I feed and I destroy!” his cold baritone came like a whisper. It made her question his actions.
He was confused. Complicated. Sometimes nice and sometimes… evil and cunning.
Was he truly the one she had sex with? Did he feel anything towards her? Did he just use her? What was his game?
He pulled away, smiling at her thoughts.
He was only helping her not to get too distracted by what they shared.
Did he love her? He couldn't tell but he certainly admired her prowess and her innocence which was why he appeared soft to her.
A knock interrupted as Evyths’ heart dropped. She did not want to be caught by any vampire being too close to the prince let alone permit their suspicion.
“Come in, Vance!” Valerio said as he slowly took off his hand.
Vance, ever agile and dedicated, walked in, bowing his head.
“Your highness, Lady Blackwin seeks a private audience with you…”
“Private?” Evyths asked herself, but the prince heard her and ignored her.
“Now?” Valerio asked Vance.
“Yes, your highness! But… she is not alone. She's brought someone with her. A child…”
“I see!” Valerio snapped while Evyths pondered on the soldier’s words.
“I can't believe the prince has a child! Is it truly his? Does anyone know?—”
“Your thoughts are wearing me off!” Valerio scolded Evyths as he left with Vance while she managed to catch up. She was embarrassed and somewhat pissed at the prince constantly listening to her thoughts.
…
As soon as they entered the throne room, Lady Raven plastered a smile at the prince and shot Evyths a demeaning dreadful look. While Evyths stared at the girl who was around 16 or 17 in human analogy.
She's not so little, Evyths thought silently.
“Your highness!” Raven bent regally, constantly exuding her beauty and sultry manners.
“Uncle D’Arcy!” the little girl screamed excitedly, spreading her arms as she swiftly ran towards the prince like a wind. Her speed could never match a human, Evyths thought.
Valerio, for the first time before everyone, grinned at the girl as soon as he carried her in his arm. The girl’s fangs were visible, her hair was silver and her eyes were grey.
Nothing like Evyths had ever seen before.
They must be cmvery close or him to have lifted a teenager, Evyths said to herself.
“You have grown so tall, Crystal. I did not think that you would remember me!” Valerio softly said to the girl. An instant contrast of what he was known to be; brutal, cold, arrogant and fierce.
Ophelia chuckled lightly, wrapping a hand around the prince’s neck while he held her.
“Ms. Raven took me with her. I was told that out old vulture has passed. He was truly fierce… and old!” Crystal saud as Valerio chuckled dryly.
He gently put down the girl, towering over her like a shield.
Crystal’s gaze shifted to Evyths who has been still.
“Uncle D’Arcy, who's she? I smell her paws…” Crystal let out, pointing at Evyths
“Oh, that?” the prince snapped. “That is my pet, slave hound from Davendale. Evyths. I call her Eva,” her stated calmly, his gaze resting on Evyths ego instanyly averted her gaze.
Wow, beautiful introduction. Evyths said to herself, clearly disappointed by Valerio’s words.