"Long live, Your Majesty," the spy bowed to King Reginald who was goofing around with one of his maids in his bedroom.
Reginald would have already beaten the soul out of that vampire for disturbing his mealtime. But he remembered that he was the spy that he had personally selected and sent to Wyverndale.
"George! You look like you could use some rest… and a bath…" Reginald wrapped his lower body with a towel while the maid who was in his room gathered her clothes from the bed and rushed out of the room.
George put his arms behind his back and politely said, "I had some important information that I felt that you would love to hear first."
Reginald raised one of his brows and asked, "Is it related to Adeline?"
George hesitated for a while and replied, "You can say that it is related to the Princess as well."
"Is that so?" Reginald's face reflected the eagerness that he felt right now. "Tell me what it is? But first, tell me whether it is good news or bad news?"
George was well aware of his King's obsession with Princess Adeline. So he answered confidently, "For you, Your Majesty, it is good news. I bet that you will be delighted to hear it."
Reginald sat down on his bed with a broad smile on his face. And he ordered, "Then what are you waiting for? Give me the news."
George proudly began to explain what he knew, "Your Majesty, Queen Lillian was imprisoned today. From-"
He was abruptly interrupted by the King, "What? That Queen was imprisoned? Why? Did they perhaps find out that she has a deal with us? Did they find out about the war?" Reginald was shocked by the news, not delighted.
George calmly denied the concern of the King, "No, Your Majesty. That's not the case. It turns out that the Queen had committed countless crimes and she was charged for all of the crimes today. From the information that I gathered, it was almost certain that she would be imprisoned for life."
Reginald smirked when he heard that Lillian was going to be imprisoned for life. "Well, well! That is really a piece of wonderful news! I wanted to get rid of that witch and now look at the coincidence… she has magically been cleared from my path."
"It didn't happen magically, Your Majesty. The one who had managed to dig all of the Queen's past crimes and capture her was none other than Princess Adeline herself." George added this bit of information as he was sure that the King would love to hear that.
As he thought, Reginald was over the moon when he heard that piece of information, "Really?" He held his head high as if he was the one to capture the Queen and said, "As expected of my Adeline. She is an amazing lady. That is why I have my eyes on her."
He caressed his lower lip with his thumb and recalled his encounter with the Princess. "Maybe we really are fated to be together. I was looking for a way to approach the King with the proposal without letting that witch know about it. And look how she helped me. She imprisoned that damned witch! She understands me so well… we already have an unseen connection with each other."
George tried his best not to judge the King right now but he was failing at it. "Why does he think that he has a connection with someone who doesn't even know his name? Is he going crazy or am I just overthinking… But I guess he was born crazy, so this is very normal for him."
Reginald then glanced at George and happily asked, "Tell me, is there anything that you want for bringing me such an amazing piece of news?"
George was just thankful that the King was not scolding him and looking down on him. So he smiled and denied, "No, Your Majesty. I am just happy that I was of use to you."
"Yes, indeed. You made me really happy so I am going to let you take a rest for a day. And…" he gave a wide smile while spreading his arms as if he was a God, "I am also going to offer you a very healthy woman as a way of showing my gratitude towards you. Go to the servants' quarter and take a maid of your choice."
He snapped his fingers and winked, "But of course, you cannot touch my favorite one."
George smiled and bowed his head to the King, "Thank you for your benevolence, Your Majesty." He then turned around and left the King's bedroom.
Reginald stared blankly at the ceiling and imagined his future with Adeline. "Now that the witch problem has been solved by my beloved, I should immediately send a letter to the King of Wyverndale. Once I persuade him, I am sure that he will be more than happy to end our years-long enmity by marrying off his daughter to me."
He chuckled and celebrated his luck. "I am going to have everything soon… Adeline, her Kingdom, and this whole continent."
A smile curved up on his lips as the thought of having that beautiful Princess all to himself crossed his mind. He ran his tongue over his fangs and thought, "I wonder how she would taste like… I bet she tastes like honey."
"No, she smelled like vanilla. I bet she tastes as sweet as vanilla." He closed his eyes and inhaled as if he was with Adeline and he was inhaling her sweet aroma.
"I shouldn't delay in sending the letter. I should send it today itself. The King should get the letter first thing in the morning." Reginald jumped up from the bed and swooshed towards the throne hall in his towel.
Back at Adeline's room, she was sweating and panting in her sleep. She was dreaming about the man with red eyes that she had bumped into in the market that day.
That man was chasing after her. He was shouting that he was going to bite her and drink her blood. And Adeline was running at the top of her speed but that man was way faster than her. He grabbed her by her shoulders and threw her on the ground. He straddled her and snarled at her, intending to bite her neck.
"No! Don't kill me!" Adeline was shouting and kicking that man. But that man was too strong for her.
"Adeline… Adeline…" that man began to shake her and call her name out of nowhere.
"Adeline! Wake up!"
Adeline felt as though she suddenly fell down even further. She was startled and she flung her eyes open.
"Adeline, are you okay?" Theodore was hovering above her and looked really concerned for her. When he saw that Adeline was finally awake, he asked in a soft voice, "You were struggling in your sleep so I had to wake you up. Were you having a nightmare?"
Adeline was still breathless. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and nodded, "Yes, I saw a very bad dream.. That vampire that I met in the market was chasing after me."