497 Follower

"So what if I am? Can't I hide someone in my own room?" he replied. His voice was back to being calm but the air around him was still a little heavy. 

Dinah threw a glance at the door behind him and a smile formed on her face. "Of course, you can, Zeres. It just makes me wonder at what manner of a person must it be for you to be acting so defensive like this."

A short but weighty silence reigned between them before Zeres momentarily averted his gaze from her as he spoke. "She's just another witch I spent the night with. She's still sleeping, so I don't want anyone disturbing her," he said. His ears even turned slightly red.

Zeres cannot help but feel embarrassed with the words that tumbled out of his own mouth – though done willingly. Even though it was a lie, it still made his ears turned hot. It seemed he wasn't used in lying his way out, and he also knew that the queen inside was definitely listening in to whatever that was happening outside here.

However, the reaction Zeres was trying so hard to hide actually worked itself to his favor and killed the suspicions in Dinah's eyes. Dinah lifted a very arched brow at him – luscious, pouty lips forming a small and perfectly rounded 'o'. It seemed the woman herself wasn't expecting what Zeres just revealed.  

"Oh, I see. So that's why you concealed yourself last night," she muttered, nodding as she looked him over with a meaningful gaze. She stared intently at him for another long while before she finally gave in. "Fine. See you tomorrow then, Zeres." She said and majestically whirled around to her many followers, having her back facing him. She took a few steps forward but halted beside the man in the black cloak.

Her eyes peered at him sideways. "I hope this is not your doing, Kiel." She murmured, her eyes sharpened as if she was dissecting him.

"He found the woman himself," the man answered simply.

"Which is strange."

"He's a man."

"But he's a witch. Not a vampire who's exceptionally fond of women, Kiel."

"But witches aren't immune from the very real temptations of the flesh, Lady Dinah – as you also are very much aware of. They too, can elope with someone they don't love. And don't forget he's been alone in this lonely and forsaken place for a very long time."

"Well, you are right… I wouldn't worry if she's someone he doesn't love… but don't you think he's a little too overprotective of someone he's simply eloping with?"

"You know what kind of man Zeres is. He's simply doing what he thought is the right thing for him to do. That's just how he is. Don't worry, he's not going to fall for anyone else. Everything will go as planned, I can assure you of that."

"Of course, I will always believe in your reassurance, Kiel," she told him without looking at the man in the black cloak. She then took another step forward but paused again. "Ah, I almost forgot." She peered over her shoulder, her voice floating over to him. "I need your presence tonight. Not later than twilight, aye, Kiel?"

Without waiting for Kiel's response, Dinah gestured at her minions and they all finally left the old castle.

Upon making sure that they were gone, Zeres' shoulders drooped and he leaned his sturdy frame against the door. He let out a deep sigh of relief as his gaze fell to the man in the black cloak.

"That was close," Zeres uttered. "What's with her? Barging in unannounced like that?"

"Don't mind her, she's simply suspicious. I believe those two witches must have signaled the alarm to her."

The door was suddenly pulled open, causing Zeres to fall a step back before catching himself from falling over. How mortifying that would be – him, a witch in his own right, toppling over due to a door opening behind him. He composed himself before glancing over his shoulders. Alicia emerged from behind him, looking at Zeres with a raised brow.

"So you're actually bedding women in this room of yours knowing full well that you have a wife?" she asked him, straightforwardly. Of course, Alicia was aware he had lied about her presence. However, regarding the matter with the previous witches that he claimed he brought in this place was a whole different ballgame!

Witches weren't like vampires who normally are in relationships with multiple women throughout their lifetime. In fact, since the ancient times, male witches were one-woman men because upon marriage, they would both be bound by a spell where both parties have to be in full agreement with. That spell was akin to the couple's vows in human weddings, but for the witches, it is a spell that no one could break. With that, the couple will never fall for anyone else aside from their husband and wife until they die.

Alicia realized from the cloaked man and Dinah's conversation, that Dinah is well aware of this fact. However, just by seeing her being worried and considering her over-the-top actions, was a very telling to Alicia. There was only one reason for Dinah's unsolicited and unreasonable worries – her very actions are spotlights on the fact that confirms Zeres was never and still wasn't bound with anyone yet.

"Y-you…" Her words flustered Zeres. "Stop saying such ugly things, queen. I will never betray my wife." He argued. He was completely thrown off by Alicia's words. 

"Oh, really? How about the previous witches you said you brought here?" Alicia couldn't help but to continue baiting him.

"I just took those witches here to help me locate my wife."

"But that man said, you're just a man and you're not immune from fleshly temptations too. It seemed he was a witness that you have succumbed to temptation at least once." Alicia pointed at the man named Kiel with a mocking expression. "…if not more…" Alicia added that quietly, but it was enough for two other pairs of ears to pick it up.

Zeres' mouth hung open and he could only pinch the skin between his brows. "Queen, if you keep this up, I will stop calling you 'queen'. A good queen shouldn't be judging someone with such haste like what you are doing now without any evidence."

"Well, apologies for not being the stoic and ideal queen, oh great ancestor, Zeres," Alicia responded, with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, causing Zeres to be rendered speechless. She waited for him to get angry or at least glare at her, but none of that happened.

He stomped over to the cloaked man and landed his hand heavily on the man's shoulder. "I don't think I can deal with this new generation's queen. Maybe our age gap is just too much." He complained.

The man in black cloak stood still, unmoving, but he also let out a quiet sigh. "She's just playing around. Don't take her words seriously," he said with an almost monotonous voice.

"Well yeah," Zeres expression changed back to a calm one. "She's young and new to power, I should be patient with her," he continued before facing her with a patient smile. "Now….why don't we just forget about that whole fiasco and move on, queen. I need you to locate my wife now so I could –"

"I have a question first, Zeres." She cut him off. The game seemed to be over now because her expression turned fierce, and she was glaring at him with such intensity again.

"Okay, go ahead," Zeres immediately relented, and Alicia's eyes narrowed even further as she continued.

"I was expecting that you should be that woman's master, Zeres. But it seemed I was wrong because from how it was playing out earlier, somehow, it's actually the other way around. Why? How?" Her voice was filled with wonder and disbelief. "How did a powerful and immortal witch like you came to be at her beck and call? Have you been reduced to being only a mere human follower?"

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[Second chap will come later before midnight ^^]