Chapter 32: A House Divided I

𖤐••{AZRÆL’S POV}••⛧

As I stare into the flames dancing in the hearth, my fingers tighten around the wineglass until I fear it might crack beneath my grip.

I never expected this.

I knew Rhiannon’s blood was different.

I knew it carried power.

I just didn’t know the scent alone would be powerful enough to turn every vampire nearby into blood-crazed monsters.

And now the very thing I tried to prevent has come to pass.

They all know.

Every kingdom, every noble house, and even the fucking commoners are aware of what my wife carries in her blood.

"You should have told me everything from the very beginning," Mother says quietly, her tone laced with frustration. "How could you do something like this and not tell your own family?"

I take a slow sip of bloodwine before turning to face her.

She sits across from me with her legs crossed, her arms folded over her chest, and a deep frown etched across her face.

Azeria is seated beside her, her expression much calmer than our mother’s, but she keeps picking at her fingers.

It’s a habit of hers whenever she feels nervous or afraid.

"I didn’t tell you because you would have turned it into another big argument," I say calmly.

"Even though," she says sharply. "I am your mother." She gestures to Azeria. "And she is your sister. How do you expect House Bloodbourne to stand united when you keep secrets like this from your own blood? If I had known who that girl truly was, none of this would have happened."

"You can’t possibly know that," I reply.

She opens her mouth to say something but I cut her off.

"What happened that night was an accident," I say firmly. "And you know as well as I do that no amount of preparation would’ve changed the outcome. Rhiannon is human. Humans get hurt and bleed. Even vampires bleed, Mother. Sooner or later, something would have happened."

"Regardless, you endangered this family by acting alone," she counters. "And worse, you’ve put Rhiannon’s life in jeopardy."

Luke, who has been leaning against the wall by the window, finally speaks up for the first time.

"Azræl, your mother is right," he says quietly. "The empire wants to know what House Bloodbourne intends to do with Rhiannon. The people are already asking questions. They’re more than curious to know whether their Emperor plans to keep the celestial blood all to himself or use it to restore our race to its former glory."

And that’s exactly what has been weighing heavily on my chest.

I don’t care what the empire wants. I would rather die than reduce my wife to nothing more than a vessel for her blood.

Rhiannon is not a cure.

She is not a resource.

She is not some sack of flesh created for vampires to drain whenever they please.

She’s a person.

My wife.

And I refuse to let anyone treat her as anything less.

But the moment the nine kingdoms realize that I have no intention of sharing her blood with them, I know exactly what will happen.

They’ll resent me.

They’ll accuse me of being selfish.

Nobles will call me a tyrant for hoarding something that could change the fate of our entire race. Kings and queens will demand I give them access to her. Some will plead. Others will threaten.

And when neither works...

They’ll come for her.

My fingers tighten around the wineglass again.

"Azræl," Mother says calmly. "You don’t even have to say a word for me to know that you won’t share her blood. But when the nobles realize that, they won’t accept it quietly. Someone will try to take her by force and her presence here may very well ignite another civil war."

I hurl my wineglass against the wall and it explodes into a dozen pieces.

"You think I don’t know that?!" I snap, whipping my head toward her.

She shoots to her feet instantly.

"Don’t you dare raise your voice at me," she warns.

Azeria stands from her seat and steps between us.

"Both of you," she says urgently, "please, calm down."

Lucærys walks over to her. "I don’t think you want to be in the middle of whatever happens next," he murmurs, gently pulling her back.

I begin to pace, roughly dragging my fingers through my hair and pulling at the strands until it hurts.

"The power in her blood was too precious to leave unguarded," I mutter. "I brought her here because if she were discovered by someone else, Astragarde wouldn’t be able to protect her. I married her so she would be hidden in plain sight as my wife."

Mother scoffs. "And look how miserably your plan failed."

I stop pacing, clenching my jaw tight as I glare at her.

"Do you seriously believe that you will go unchallenged just because you are Emperor?" she asks, slowly crossing the space between us. "As long as that girl lives under our roof, one of the other houses will surely rise against us. And when they do, we will need power."

When she reaches me, she raises her hands to cradle my face between her palms.

"Son," she says softly, the look in her eyes tender as they search mine. "If we drink her blood we could become unstoppable. We could walk in the sun like our ancestors once did. We could have more heirs. House Bloodbourne will remain unchallenged for eternity."

"No," I say immediately, my expression curling with disgust.

I shake her hands off me and take a few steps back.

"I never brought Rhiannon here so House Bloodbourne could grow more powerful," I continue sharply. "I made her a promise to never take her blood and I intend to keep that promise until my dying breath."

My mother huffs, looking at me as if I said the funniest joke.

"You would risk losing the throne over some silly promise you made to that girl?" she asks, raising her brows.

Before I can speak, Azeria steps in between us.

"Mother, Rhiannon is not an object you can use as you please," she says harshly, her expression filled with anger. "She’s a person and she’s already been through so much since Azræl brought her here. You can’t just hurt her and take her blood without her consent. She already doesn’t trust anyone in this castle as it is."

Mother’s expression hardens.

"And why should I care who she does or doesn’t trust?" she asks, her tone as cold as ice.

For a few heartbeats, Azeria stares at her with nothing but utter disbelief before shaking her head slowly.

"Mother..." she says, her voice almost a whisper. "I never imagined that I’d hear you say something like this. I’m so disappointed in you."

Mother’s expression doesn’t falter. She even lifts her chin to stand her ground.

"Do you know who you’re starting to sound like?" Azeria murmurs.

The room falls quiet for a moment before my sister answers her own question.

"Samæl."

As soon as the words leave her lips, a loud crack echoes through the room like a whip and Azeria’s head snaps to the side.

My eyes widen and Lucærys curses under his breath.

Mother’s hand hangs in mid-air, her nostrils flaring as her chest heaves.

And for the first time since this nightmare began, I feel what’s left of my family truly beginning to fracture.