Chapter 578 - Royal Infirmary

New Chapter for Highest Tier (June 2021)

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Vampire King Apollyon

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They went back to the royal infirmary to talk to Princess Sapphire, and they found her sitting on the chair next to the sleeping Xerxes while she stroked her fingers lightly on his hair.

She was like a dark-haired angel watching over the werewolf shapeshifter—except for the faerie wings on either side of her head. 

While he was asleep with her wife on their luxurious suite at Vinca Inn after the herald's visitation,  Apollyon was able to piece all the information he had gathered so far.

He recalled that Hephaestus, the God of Fire, was exiled by Zeus and Hera because he was born different from the rest of the gods and the goddesses.

Apollyon didn't know what deformities Hephaestus had, which made him hide and establish his workshops underneath volcanoes to avoid the insults from divine beings and other creatures who saw his true form.

It wasn't mentioned from the ancient books Apollyon has read so far. 

At least, becoming a hermit after his peer's rejection turned Hephaestus into a master of his craft, and that was, forging exquisite weapons for the gods and goddesses.

He built his earned reputation as the blacksmith of the gods by designing Zeus' Aegis breastplate, Aphrodite's famous girdle, Eros' bows and arrows, Hermes' winged helmet, and sandals, as well as all the thrones and equipment in Olympus.

He heard at Hecate and Hephaestus' confrontation at the Hedge Maze Garden that the Goddess brought him to the Underworld to create weapons for her.

That was also when Hephaestus met Princess Ourania when Hecate stole her from the Vampire Realm to prepare her for the prophecy, which she had no plans of following through.

Princess Ourania tried with the flawed God of Fire and gave birth to a flawed Faerie with butterfly wings attached to her head. 

Apollyon saw the face of the Fire God was covered with a full mask while his midnight blue robes of the universe covered him from head to toe while he was confronting Xerxes and Princess Sapphire at the arched arbor by the entrance.

He might have seen Hephaestus up close, but the only defect he could make out about him was probably, a horrendous facial feature or a physical disability in his right leg.

Luna had also mentioned that she saw Apollyon's impostor limping away a split second before he dropped the firestone.

During the battle between his automaton and Hecate's ghastly shadows, Apollyon also noticed that Hephaestus appeared like he was dragging his other feet while he ordered his metal dragon around to distract the Underworld Goddess. At the same time, he tried to steal his daughter away from the werewolf.

In short, all the evidence pointed at Hephaestus as the culprit, and Princess Ourania must take responsibility by talking to god about their daughter.

His mother owed it to Hephaestus as the god's lover in the past. 

He sat at the edge of a vacant bed just across his half-sister, and Luna followed suit, perching herself close to him in silence.

Settling her hands firmly on her lap, Luna quickly surveyed her surroundings with nonchalance before her eyes settled on Princess Sapphire.

He was about to open his mouth to ask his half-sister's permission that they discuss this 'elephant in the room' in private, but Princess Sapphire figured out his query before he could utter a single word.

She rested forefinger on her lips.

Apollyon could tell that the young spymaster wasn't keen at speaking about what happened at dawn with Hephaestus and Hecate when she gave Apollyon a long stare before she glanced at the doctor's direction—who was busy picking up flasks that contained herbal concoctions and mixing them after adding the correct amount.

The Fae doctor noticed the three of them staring at him while he shook the container with the bubbling light green liquid.

He stared back at them with the same intensity, lowered his spectacles, and raised an eyebrow at them. "Is something the matter  Your Highness?"

Princess Sapphire shook his head. Then she stood up carefully from her chair and said, "Brother. I would like to fetch Xerxes his favorite food at the top of  the mountains. The place where the three of us fell by accident?" She trailed off, and Apollyon nodded in understanding.

"It was Xerxes and I's favorite spot to rest after our training. He liked to catch golden fishes there and eat it." She explained further. "It might heal him faster after drinking the cure the Faerie Doctor had prepared for him."

Can you help me?" She titled her head at us expectantly, waiting for their consent.

His half-sister must have meant the waterfalls they had landed to escape the Spring Court's militia. He pinched his lips together as he recalled the incident.

It was almost hilarious that Luna created a portal just above it, and all of them got wet.

The walk from the top of the mountains down to the village dried them up from the sun's natural heat. 

"You know where it was located, right? Can both of you meet me there to  talk  about…. things, Your Highness?"

"Yes. I would like to try fishing even if I don't eat those scaled animals myself." Apollyon replied. "I would like to give it try."

What do you think, wife?" Apollyon's head turned in his wife's direction. "You want to relax and bathe on the waterfalls while we are there?"

He would like to see his wife in her clothes drenched for the second time, but today will not be through a mishap. 

Warmth settled in his loins, and he pressed his legs together.

It was indecent to be aroused by his wife in front of his half-sister.

"Hmm. I'm alright with it." Luna replied softly as he gave him a half-shrug. "You can transport us there since you already know where it is." 

"Please go ahead while I prepare for the meeting and change my clothes, Your Highness. I haven't changed since yesterday because I was busy making sure that Xerxes was fine until this morning. You can also return to Vinca Inn to acquire a dry set of clothes to wear after we hang around the waterfalls."