Chapter 193: 40
"You're highness, he's back." An older, well-dressed vampire kneels down tremblingly.
Dark black eyes stare deeply at the vampire as he idly plays with his long silver strands of hair. Prince Rigel's lips faintly press up in a cold smile that didn't reach his eyes, causing the other vampire to shiver.
It was difficult to understand what the crown prince was thinking, but since Alaric had left to go on holiday with his boyfriend, Mr Garth, the once lazy prince had become hardworking and ambitious. However, in return, he had become rather ruthless and coldhearted. Even though many of Prince Silas' decisions when dabbling in governmental and court matter were ultimately beneficial and in favour of the coven, the palace and those close to him still couldn't help but feel a chill in their core around him.
It didn't help that there were many things that happened in the last year that made one feel oddly suspicious about the character of the crown prince.
Since Alaric Rong had left, Prince Damian had been framed by Prince Kieran. Of course, at the time, many people didn't realise he had been framed and blamed Prince Damian for the conspiracy that harmed more than a few of their coven members. It was a brutal massacre done by the Eclipse Coven, however in order for it to be accomplished it required insider information to prepare beforehand and be so successful. Such vital information was restricted to only a few and other than Prince Damian, Prince Silas and the weak Golden Rose Coven king himself, the rest who knew were all dead.
Under Prince Silas' decision, he not only almost permanently blocked the second prince's powers but exiled him to live a human life. No matter how much the young prince had begged and pleaded toward his elder brother, it was no use, and while the elders had also thought of this punishment as well they still couldn't help but be fearful at such a swift and heartless move toward their younger brother. If that wasn't already harsh enough, Prince Silas even suggested disfiguring the other's face and breaking Damian's legs, crippling him on top of everything else. It was only after vehement protests did he retract the idea.
Even Prince Kieran, the one who accused Prince Damian, couldn't help but speak up with a pale and sweating face. After all, the expression Prince Damian had at that moment was truly hard to bear.
Maybe it was because of this that when Prince Damian finally came back with the lost artefact, the Pearl of Path Truths, to bring light on his innocence, he also spoke up for Prince Kieran in turn.
Or maybe it was because he couldn't bring himself to allow Prince Silas to do something so extreme and cruel as executing his youngest brother like the eldest prince wished to do. Instead, Prince Kieran had his powers restricted greatly and lost his right to the throne, becoming a useless and idle prince of the coven. However, he wasn't exiled, still keeping the prince title in his name and living in the palace, albeit in a rather embarrassing position.
Oddly enough, while the relationship wasn't good, Prince Damian and Prince Kieran as a result formed a tentative bond over the ashes of their previous brotherly relationship. This bond was forged under Prince Silas' increasingly almost tyrannical attitude.
Many of the elders and those working in the palace had already noticed a distinct tension and turbulence in the air. People always had their own considerations, and the Golden Rose Coven was a very justice-oriented and soft-hearted coven. It seems as long as Prince Damian pushes the boat, the crown prince's status as future king of the coven might capsize.
However, there were more than a few who disagreed with the notion. After all, Prince Silas' power was too powerful and rumour had it he had gained even more power during the past year, making his abilities truly unfathomable. No matter how moral they were, if the fist was hard enough, even an iron will, can bend.
"How is he?" Prince Silas softly asks, it was a lazy voice full of indulgence and yet he was now more akin to a sharp sword, ready to strike at any moment. His long fingers move from touching his long strands of hair that had now grown past his lower back, to idly touch the cuffs of his black robes.
The kneeling vampire begins to sweat. By now, most people in the Golden Rose Coven understood the prince had more than simple feelings toward Alaric Rong. They understood but also didn't understand, and a small noble vampire like himself didn't dare to try at this point. With a shaky and timid voice he stutters, "H-he's doing very well your highness."
"Heh." The prince sneers, "You may leave."
As the vampire gratefully bows and scuttles away, Prince Silas glances down at the embroidered golden thorns of roses that decorated his clothing. The roses bloomed brightly, delicate and beautiful, but the curved thorns on the numerous vines were wickedly sharp, curling around his body like chains.
"Alaric.. it's good you came back." With an almost strange affection, the prince lightly traces the sharp thorny vines with a dark light in his eyes. "After all, it's much too troublesome to hunt you down."
.
In a prestigious and darkly ornate office, Kylan Laframboise kicks open the door without a hint of cautiousness. Count Vericus, who was working at his desk, reacted quickly, standing up in surprise and vigilance before reluctantly relaxing after seeing his useful little brother-in-law come in. "You really need to work on your manners." The count chides indulgently like a loving elder.
Kylan combs his brightly coloured hair back and sneers, giving no attention to the other's hypocritical face. Instead, he walks over and very arrogantly sweeps off the contents sitting on the large desk, even ruthlessly pushing away the count's arms in the process.
This time, the older vampire doesn't hide his distorted expression, "You- what are you doing!?"
"You really need to work on your manners." Kylan mocks, "It's unbefitting of a vampire of your status to raise your voice toward your superior."
Count Vericus glares at him with red eyes and pounces over the desk to attack the other, ready to put the other in his place. However, in a split second, the count found himself twisted over the desk as the younger-turned-vampire pinned him down unhesitatingly. In such an embarrassing and painful position, Count Vericus could only look at this white-eyed wolf with a hateful and disbelieving stare.
"Why..?" He spat out, "I thought we had an agreement."
"The agreement is over." Kylan adds even more pressure onto the count, pushing his face painfully into the hard wood of the desk, relishing the older vampire's strained look of humiliated forbearance. "I didn't get what I wanted, so why do you deserve to get what you wanted?"
Count Vericus grits his teeth, "You ingrate!" He snarls as he tries to fight against Kylan, but both of them knew it was a hopeless battle. "The Vericus family won't stand for this! And do you understand what happens if our clients no longer get what's promised? Face it, you need me!"
"I need blood to live, but I hardly need you." The turned vampire laughs sharply, "I'm not the idiot you think I am. Of course, I know these things. However, it's not a problem."
The count pales, and a chill runs down his back as he realised despite all the commotion, there hasn't been a single vampire to rush in to help him yet. However he's been in power for so long he can't accept the implications of this so easily.
However Kylan had no intentions of letting the other keep his state of denial, happily he shared what he had done with sadistic pride. "Your ex-wife hates you, you know? And many of the Vericus clan aren't as confident about you since your marriage with my sister. It only took a few small waves to overturn the boat."
Hearing this, the count's face goes red. To hide the things he was doing, he used his relationship with Olivia Lafromboise as a cover-up. In his opinion, the more ridiculous his love for her is, the better; those who only see the jokes on the surface will not tend to look deeper. Besides, with his ability, he was confident this sort of romantic drama wouldn't affect the workings of the family at all. "What did you do?"
"As I said," Kylan smiles, "It didn't take much. Just a few words here and there, as well as my good sister making a mockery of herself more than a few times, and some patience. You trusted me too much, really, or maybe you trusted yourself too much; it didn't even take a year, and nearly everyone has long deemed you unsuitable for your current high position."
"Unfortunately, our statuses are too far apart. In order to quickly bridge that gap, of course, I had to take these drastic actions; otherwise, how could I even be considered to be worthy?"
No way?? Count Vericus flushes in panic. Even if he was still good-looking, he was still a vampire old enough to have the form of a man in his late forties, not to mention he was married to his sister! Wasn't this brat's taste too hardcore?!
Oh, but it's true he has been quite kind to Kylan giving him material things he couldn't have before, opening him up to a new and powerful world of vampires, while stern he treated him quite fairly and with indulgence.. added with the fact Kylan probably had some father issues it seems. Is it not that surprising he would fall for himself?
Still, to trap him like this for the sake of love was really too much ah. The count couldn't help but complain internally. Kylan's methods were too strange and extreme. Is this a result of his poor upbringing and lack of love growing up that has caused this? Does taking away his everything allow Kylan to feel a sense of security and assurance in making sure he will always stay by his side? Is he really so important in the other's heart he would go to such lengths?
"But despite everything.. My efforts were hardly noticed. I.. was hardly noticed."
Count Vericus suddenly felt a bit guilty. Well, maybe he could've been a bit more generous in praise toward the other in the past. Kylan had done quite a lot, after all, more than some of his own long-term subordinates, really. Recalling the other's surprising acts of competency that he had previously dismissed so derisively, the count felt a little ashamed at his arrogance.
At the same time, he was also a little flattered.
No one has ever done so much for him. His first wife was strong, and their marriage was more the product of mutual benefits and interests than anything. And his second wife, while more affectionate, was very much just an exchange of interests as well, with Olivia loving the fame and fortune as well as his doting behaviour toward her. Count Vericus tried to recall anyone who would actively go out of their way to do things for him for the sole sake of liking his person and, depressedly, couldn't think of anyone.
Glancing at Kylan's face, Count Vericus suddenly realised the youth was really quite handsome. While not to his usual gorgeous and elegant tastes, the vibrant hairstyle was flamboyant and added a fiery, wild charm that contrasted attractively with the other's ruthless and unexpectedly cold nature. The more the noble vampire looked, the better he felt Kylan looked.
Even though the other was still objectively too young for himself, vampires tended to value maturity and competency over physical age. And the fact Kylan had completely overwhelmed him in his plans was enough to make the count see him in an equal, even superior light.
Count Vericus calculates in his heart and feels Hey, this, this probably can be done?
Well, it'll be a bit difficult if the young man wanted to be the top in the relationship, and given how aggressive the other was, the count didn't believe Kylan was the submissive bottom sort. But it's not completely out of the realm of discussion either. He has friends with these inclinations, so it won't be too difficult to consult them about it. The problem, though, is the extent of how obsessive Kylan is.
If Kylan's willing to go this far to pursue himself, then would he be able to even go out anytime soon after this? Is this the irony of someone like himself, the head of law enforcement, being imprisoned in his own home?
Hmm well.. it can't be helped while he can't accept it as a permanent measure for the sake of appeasing this lovestruck fool, he supposes he can consider this more like a vacation if anything else
"Because of everything, I was too late. I didn't even get to talk to Jasmine before he left! Much less let him see how good I am, how good I'll be to him!"
Count Vericus: ( _ )???
"I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that; whose name did you say-?" The count weakly asks.
Kylan gives him a strange look, "Are you talking about Jasmine?"
"And Jasmine is-?"
"The love of my life." The young delinquent youth proudly admits, "And when he comes back, I will use the power of the Vericus as well as the connections and products from your underground deals to chain him to me, and let him truly see I am the only one who can love him!"
Count Vericus: ...
Jasmine Jasmine suddenly an image of a pretty girl that was starred on the screen of one of his nephew's phone and computer, as well as multiple posters decorating his coffin, popped into the count's head.
"The crossdresser?!" Count Vericus was suddenly so angry he really spat out blood there and then before fainting. Before falling into unconsciousness, his head was full of nothing but curses.
Are you telling me this fucking bastard really ruined his life not because of his secret taboo love with this brother-in-law, but because he pathetically didn't have the ability to seduce some pretty boy in a dress?!
Then??? How??? Was??? This??? His??? Problem???
What a psycho!!!!
Little Theatre:
Kylan: It wasn't his problem but I made it his problem haha ()
Count Vericus: I was ready to dedicate my heart, body and soul to this twisted, sadistic love game, only to find I wasn't even a player on the board. ( )
The author has something to say: Not going to lie, I want the Count to get bottomed hard now ah _(:3)_