Chapter 9: The King’s Council

⟐﴾SUNSPIRE, CAPITAL CITY OF ASTRAGARDE﴿⟐

••{EROS’S POV}••

The cold stone beneath my fingers feels like the only solid thing in the world right now.

I lean against the balcony railing outside my chambers, gazing into the distance, past the rolling hills and rivers, far beyond the city walls.

Rhiannon is somewhere out there... all alone.

My heart aches so much it feels as if it might tear itself apart inside my chest.

I haven’t felt pain like this since the day I lost her mother. Sleep has abandoned me these past two days, and every waking moment without my daughter has become its own kind of torment.

Dark thoughts run endlessly through my mind. I try to push them away, clinging to the hope that she’s still alive. But she’s a human in the hands of blood-sucking monsters and that reality alone terrifies me.

"Father," a familiar voice breaks through my thoughts.

I turn to see my son, Rayn, standing in the doorway. His expression is filled with so much worry no child should ever have to carry.

"The royal court has been assembled," he says softly, stepping onto the balcony. "They’re all waiting for you."

I give him a nod. "I’ll be there in a moment."

A moment of silence passes between us before Rayn’s lips part.

"Do you..." he hesitates. "Do you think Anna is—"

I quickly erase the space between us.

"Your sister is alive and well, son," I say firmly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Rayn looks into my eyes and I see the glimmer of tears gathering there. Even as my own hope crumbles, I can’t let my children fall into the same despair that threatens to drown me.

Not now.

Not ever.

"Go," I tell him gently. "Tell them I’ll be joining them soon."

He gives me a nod before entering back into my chambers. When he reaches the door, he glances back at me.

I force my lips into a reassuring smile and we hold each other’s gaze for a heartbeat before he finally leaves.

My shoulders sag as the smile vanishes from my face.

The moment I step into my chambers, my eyes fall on my crown resting on the vanity.

The gold gleams in the sunlight, a reminder of the duty, the expectation, and the strength I must project even when I’m completely falling apart.

I sit and look into the mirror.

Instead of seeing the reflection of a man swallowed by worry and grief, I see a warrior.

A king.

The kingdom needs me to be that man. My daughter needs me to be that man, now more than ever. And this time, I won’t fail her like I failed Rose.

Slowly, I lift my crown with both hands and place it on my head. When I try to bring them down, a sharp pain shoots down my arms into my back. I squeeze my eyes shut, wincing through the lingering gift the vampire left me when he hurled me into that stone wall.

Carefully, I rise to my feet then leave my chambers.

꧁ ✧༺ ❦ ༻✧ ꧂

As I step into the throne room, the entire royal court rises to their feet and bows their heads. My son stands silently beside the throne, his hands folded behind his back.

I ascend the dais and settle into my seat. Then, with a single nod and a lift of my hand, everyone takes their seats.

For a heartbeat, I glance at Rayn seated by my side before turning my attention to the lords, ladies, and advisors gathered before me.

"Lords and ladies of Astragarde, esteemed members of the Royal Council," I begin, my voice echoing throughout the hall. "Thank you for answering my summons on such short notice."

Through the ache in my chest, I take a deep breath before continuing.

"I wish we were gathered under happier circumstances," I say, my voice trembling slightly despite my efforts to keep it steady. "But we were all there two days ago when the Vampire Emperor, Azræl Bloodbourne, ambushed my daughter’s wedding, slaughtered our people, and kidnapped my daughter. In front of our eyes, that monster murdered Cyrus so brutally that it still haunts my thoughts."

The room remains dead silent.

"I have gathered you all here today to discuss our next course of action," I continue, hardening my voice. "I will not sit idle! Astragarde will not rest until her princess is safely returned! We are her blood, her people, her family. And we will not fail her!"

A chorus of agreement fills the throne room, mingling with a wave of applause that ripples through the court.

Cyrus’s brother, Alexei, rises to his feet.

There’s nothing but sadness carved deeply into every line of his face, and his bloodshot eyes make it painfully clear he hasn’t stopped crying since that day.

"Your Majesty," he says, placing a hand on his chest and offering a bow. "I apologize on my father’s behalf for not being able to attend this gathering. My mother and sister grieve Cyrus’s loss, and he wishes to remain with them in Goldhaven. As for me..." his voice turns cold, his hands curling into fists. "I seek vengeance. Azræl Bloodbourne must answer for what he has done. I won’t rest until I rip his heart from his chest, just as he tore my brother’s from his."

A few lords and ladies exchange shocked looks as murmurs and whispers rise.

"If you allow it," Alexei continues, "my father would like both our kingdoms to join forces. With Goldhaven’s army alongside Astragarde’s, we will march on the vampires and bring Rhiannon home."

"I second this," a noblewoman calls from the far side of the room. "We can’t allow those monsters to think they can take one of our own and go unpunished!"

"Yes," a Lord agrees. "With the two kingdoms’ armies combined, we can wage war against Azræl! Burn his kingdom to the ground for what he’s done!"

Voices start to rise from every corner of the hall. One voice becomes two. Two become ten. And within moments, the entire hall erupts into heated debate.

Lords and ladies rise from their seats, speaking over one another as shouts, arguments, and cries for vengeance echo beneath the vaulted ceiling.

I strike the arm of my throne with a clenched fist.

"Silence!" I command.

The throne room immediately falls quiet.

Lord Teramon, my hand and most trusted advisor, rises from his seat.

"Your Majesty, may I speak?" he asks.

I incline my head. "Go ahead, Teramon."

"I beg you all to hear me," he says, his voice carrying across the hall. "Even if we merge Goldhaven’s army with ours, marching on the vampires is unwise. I have studied such creatures for decades... traveled to lands where their kind roam. The vampires are faster than our eyes can follow, stronger than our best soldiers can withstand. Their senses are beyond what humans can comprehend. And Azræl Bloodbourne? He doesn’t just rule a single kingdom. He rules an empire of nine kingdoms, each with its own army of vampires. If lesser vampires are already difficult to kill, imagine fighting against higher beings like Azræl himself and his generals. To march on them is to walk into a banquet where we are the feast."

Whispers rise again as the nobles shift uneasily in their seats.

"Teramon is right, your majesty," Lord Percius says carefully as he stands from his seat. "Marching on the vampires directly would be suicide. We all know what vampires are. Blood sucking dæmons who feed on our kind for survival. I’ve heard stories of their raids from distant kingdoms where they take humans like us back to their lands, and not once has one of their nobles felt the need to be a part of that when they can just send foot soldiers to carry out their will."

He stops, then slowly, his brows pull together.

"But I have a question that has plagued me since the princess was taken," he continues, his gaze sweeping across the court. "Why would the Vampire Emperor himself travel all this way to Astragarde to abduct just one person?"

The question stabs me like a knife in the chest.

Percius turns to face me. "Your majesty, if there’s anything you’re not telling us I suggest you let us know now while we’re all gathered here."

Suddenly all eyes are on me.

My heart begins to race in a way it never did before I walked into this hall.

When I feel my son’s hand grip mine, I glance at him.

His brows are furrowed as his blue eyes search mine for answers I can’t give. I can feel their collective gaze like a physical weight, pressing against me from all sides.

My throat bobs.

My hands grip the armrests of my throne.

It doesn’t take long before they start trading suspicious looks, whispering among themselves.

"Quiet, all of you!" I command. "I don’t know why Azræl Bloodbourne kidnapped my daughter and that is not the reason why I called this council! We are not here to question motives, we are here to plan how to bring Rhiannon back home safely!"

My eyes sweep across every face in the room. "I need strategies, I need brilliant ideas—not speculation, not fear," I shoot a cold glare at Lord Percius, "and certainly not useless questions. Every moment we waste debating why, risks Rhiannon’s life further."

The murmurs die, replaced by a tense silence. Then after a moment, Teramon stands again.

"Your Majesty, since we can’t march on the vampires on our own, then perhaps we must seek an alliance elsewhere. One that balances the scales."

"What kind of alliance?" I ask, raising a brow.

"An alliance with one of the supernatural races," he replies.

A young lord speaks up. "The witches?"

"No," I say sharply, turning to face him. "That is not an option. My grandfather spent his life purging the witch plague from Astragarde. Other kingdoms from Aradel, to Bellaflor, even the far desert kingdoms of Saharim are still ridding their lands of witches. Witches are cursed beings who harbor nothing but hate for humankind."

"Then what other options remain, Your Majesty?" Alexei asks, his voice carrying both frustration and urgency.

My shoulders sag, and my gaze falls to the floor.

I have no answer to that.

After a few heartbeats, I lift my head to meet Teramon’s gaze.

"What do you suggest?" I ask quietly.

The old man presses his lips into a thin line, and for a moment he does nothing but stroke his grey beard.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, his eyes meet mine again.

"My King, there is only one option I can think of," he says. "A race of powerful creatures who can go toe-to-toe with the vampires. Their warriors are unmatched in raw strength. If we can earn their trust, we might have a chance to even the odds."

"Well?" I ask, immediately leaning forward. "Who are these creatures?"

"Lycans."