Chapter 99: The Princess’s Accusation

Chapter 99: The Princess’s Accusation
The next day was dull in the Kingdom of Onyx. There wasn’t much to do besides paperwork, which Vampires just aren’t suited for.

Only Viktor, Damon, and Seth were off working somewhere, running the kingdom so it didn’t collapse around them all.

And, supporting their hard work from afar, the rest of the Legion were lounging in the Queen’s salon, playing a card game.

The round table was low and had several cushion seats around it. Zen was sprawled on the floor, his cards hovering above his head in a purple glow. Fayed, without a hand of his own, was peering at Kamilla’s cards and giving her tips in a low whisper.

X, unnecessarily competitive, was glancing sharply at the others. “No reading minds!”

“You’re just going to lose again, brother,” Ethan stated, triumphantly gazing at his excellent hand.

Not playing with the others, Vlad was resting on the cushiony lounge chair beside the table. He was banned from playing with the others because at the first sign of cheating, he set every game on fire. And some people, like Zen and Ethan, simply couldn’t live without cheating.

With his hands neatly on his abdomen, Vlad looked like someone in therapy, but felt like anything but.

He felt wrathful to the tips of his toes, but still managed to lie as still and cool as nonchalance could produce. After all, there was no need to be angry anymore. He’d already spoken to the Queen.

All they had to do now was wait.

“Get up, Zen!” Kamilla complained. “You’re going to lose.”

“Patience, my dearest Queen,” Zen drawled, sending one card hovering slowly toward the pile on the table. “I still have one secret move—”

“For fuck’s sake.” Xavier snatched the hovering card out of the air, chucking it onto the pile.

“That was aggressive,” Zen yawned.

"Your move," Fayed told Kamilla.

“This one?” Kamilla whispered, pointing at one of her cards.

He nodded. “Yeah, then this one next.”

Ethan sighed in disapproval. “It’s been centuries, and you still cannot play Kingdom Court, Kamilla?”

“There are two hundred rules,” she muttered. “Do you blame me?!”

“She’s improved!” Fayed added, frowning at Ethan.

“Oh, don’t trigger Daddy Redhead by insulting his little girl,” Zen said, earning a kick in the leg from Fayed.

“I take it as a compliment,” Kamilla said, petting Fayed’s locks that were nearly the same shade as her own hair. “Who wouldn’t want such a lovely dad?”

“Your lovely dad just practically broke my leg,” Zen groaned, sitting up to clutch his limb.

“You deserved it."

The doors to the salon suddenly burst open, but nobody even turned to look.

Princess Ava, her hair billowing behind her like a pair of dragon wings, stormed into the room, marching straight toward her mother.
“Mom! We need to talk!”

“Hm, yes, sweetie, what is it?” Kamilla calmly said, letting Fayed slip a card out of her hand to toss onto the pile.

“That’s not fair,” muttered Xavier. “Getting help is cheating!”

“You’re so childish,” Fayed grumbled.

“Hello?” Ava called, crossing her arms.

“Yes, our beloved Princess!” Ethan sang. She yelped as he suddenly snatched her and tucked her in between him and Fayed. “You wanna sit next to Uncle Ethan?”

“Ugh, you smell like crimson wood!” Ava complained. “You still smoke?”

“It’s one of my few joys in life,” Ethan said, too close to her face so that she groaned in annoyance again.

“Mom, we need to talk!” Ava said, turning away from Ethan’s blowing lips.

“Talk, my love,” said Kamilla, staring at Xavier’s cards like she could see through them.

He couldn’t be sure, so X slowly slid a hand behind the cards he held.

“It’s about that girl. Aurelia.”

Ethan chuckled. “I heard you’ve got it in for her. Is it true?”

Ava paused, blinking. “Wh-what? Me? No, of course not! She’s the one who has it in for us! I’ve just gotten some terrible news from a credible source—”

“You straightened your hair again?” Fayed gently said, brushing thick fingers over Ava’s shiny red hair.

She paused, pursing her lips at the hint of sadness in his eyes. “Uhm… I just wanted to try a different look. I’ve had curly hair for decades, Fayed! Me, you, and Mom were starting to look like triplets, and every time I go around the kingdom, people ask me if you’re related to us.”

Silently smirking behind her cards, Kamilla listened as her dear daughter got successfully distracted by the Legion.

“Then tell them I’m not,” Fayed said. “No big deal, my tot.”

Ava pouted. “But… that also makes me feel like I’m rejecting you.” She wrapped both arms around his massive one. “Can I tell them you’re my grandfather?”

Howling laughter shattered the room, and Fayed pursed his lips disapprovingly at his jackal-like brothers.

“Grandpa Fayed!” Zen cackled.

Ethan was hanging onto Vlad’s leg as he laughed, unbothered by the look of utter bewilderment Vlad was giving him.

“Come on,” Kamilla chuckled. “He’s not even close to your father’s age. How can he be your grandfather?”

Xavier shook his head, holding back laughter. “I’d be so offended, brother.”

“Well, I’m not you,” Fayed calmly said, patting Ava’s head as it rested on his shoulder. “You can tell them I’m anything you want, my tot.”

“Hell no, don’t!” Zen protested. “I’m trying to get him married, Ava, I don’t need you making all the ladies think he’s a grandpa!”

“Get yourself married first,” said Kamilla. “And leave Fayed alone.”

Releasing a long sigh through flaring nostrils, Zen stared flatly at the Queen. “If you stand in the way of my becoming an Uncle, Kamilla, I’ll have to put our friendship aside.”

“I put it aside long ago,” she said, tossing a card onto the pile.

Zen gasped, eyes widening. “What? You’ve removed me as a friend? How could you?”

“Wait!” Ava frowned. “I had something really important to discuss! What was it…?”

Zen groaned. “I hope it isn’t a love confession, I’ve had enough for the week.”

“You wish!” Ava snapped, making Zen blink. “It was….”

The room was silent, all of them waiting as they played cards in silence.
Vlad reached out a hand, and, sensing it as she always did, Ava turned and took it, looking at him. “What was it, Vlad?”

“Aurelia,” he quietly prompted.

“Right!” Ava hissed. She scrambled onto her knees, shaking the table as a result.

“Whoa, careful, little one!” Xavier said, holding their pile of cards still.

“Mom!” Ava huffed. “You know that one maid, B—” She paused, glancing away. Betty had been asked to keep her identity confidential. “Never mind. Anyway, about Aurelia! I’ve just received gruesome news. News so gruesome that if Father were to hear it… he would kill her.”

Kamilla didn’t flinch, still looking at her cards. “Oh, yeah? And what’s that?”

Ava took a deep breath, deepening the suspense. “That girl… is trying… to seduce the King!!”