Chapter 315 - A Family Curse

The Dark Magic Lord had no idea what made his grandson angry, but the air was becoming thin by the minute. He started to gasp for breath and startled Roland. He retracted his magic and slumped on a chair.

He looked at his trembling hands. He was more confused than the Dark Magic Lord, who looked at his grandson in disbelief. What did just happen? What had he done?

The Dark Magic Lord finally understood what just occurred. He smirked. He did not expect that he would discover his grandson's weakness. In fact, Roland may not have noticed it yet. He looked so shocked and confused at what he did.

Marquis Edmond Quivel recalled what he did in his younger years when he learned that his beloved was sent to marry the King of Ishelon at the time. His grandson was better than him in controlling his emotions. He stopped before his emotions consumed him. Marquis Edmond was not that strong. 

The Dark Magic Lord did not wait for Roland to recover completely from the event that just transpired. He began telling his grandson about King Odhran's plan to satisfy the wish of his daughter.

"King Odhran's daughter, Princess Odette, told him that the only wish she has is to marry the Crown Prince of Tissuria. It is well known how Prince Vaughn dotes on his wife, and we have decided to eliminate Zenia Anisen first and put Vaughn in a depressive state. That way, we will be able to control him better. As long as Zenia Anisen is around, it will be impossible to control Vaughn. Abducting Zenia Anisen and locking her in the tower won't be enough to render Vaughn helpless. He may agree or pretend to agree on some terms that we say to him, but he will still think of a way to get his wife back. We only have one option and that is to send Zenia Anisen to her death."

Roland clenched his fists as he tried to suppress his anger. Marquis Edmond sneered inwardly. It was cunning of him to use their family's weakness against a member, but he had nothing else in his sleeve to convince his grandson and make him act on his own accord. Being a fool in love was something that runs in their family. He, his daughter, and now his grandson. It was more like a family curse.

Prince Roland was unusually calm. It seemed like he did not have an outburst earlier. He stood up and forgot all about the reason he went to look for his grandfather. 

"Let me deal with Zenia Anisen myself. I'll make sure that she will not appear in front of Vaughn ever again. Tell King Odhran to make sure that no harm will befall Zenia Anisen or I will personally settle the score with him."

Roland did not want to hear anything further. He turned his back on the Marquis and walked to the door. He opened it and went out without looking back.

The Dark Magic Lord had a solemn expression on his face. 

'He has grown much stronger these past few days, but it looks like he won't be able to escape from the family's curse. I hope that you get what you want.'

Roland gritted his teeth in anger. It was his mother who found the Left Minister first and used him to exact her revenge. But, he abandoned her in the end when he met King Odhran who was still the First Prince back then. The Left Minister used Elenia's ideas and presented them to King Odhran. When Marquis Edmond Quivel joined King Odhran and the Left Minister, he liked the idea and continued to carry out the plan.

Roland wanted to tell the Dark Magic Lord that it was Elenia, his daughter, who came up with the plan, and not King Odhran or the Left Minister. He had been following the plan without knowing the brains behind it all. It was true that King Odhran and the Left Minister altered the original plan a bit, but the idea still came from his mother Elenia. 

His mother lost her sanity and herself. She was already in that state when Prince Roland confirmed that it was his mother who orchestrated the fire incident involving the entire Anisen household. It was only recently when he learned that almost half of young Zenia's back was burnt. The scar on her back was the reminder of that gruesome event.

Ever since then, Prince Roland would only visit his mother once every month. But, he made sure that she had capable people to take care of her. They were bound by blood, and he could not simply deny her as the woman who gave birth to him. She had always been good to him, although there were times when she would inflict pain on his body. Roland took it all because he believed that his mother loved him so much.

When he learned what his mother did to the Anisen household and put Zenia in danger, he wanted to end her life. He remembered how Zenia smiled at him when they met in Venetia. She did not look like someone who experienced such a tragedy when she was very young. That smile was the only shimmering light in his dark world.

He decided to pay Odette a visit and make everything clear once and for all. He never liked her for one bit even though he thought that she was his sister back then. He was willing to cooperate with her to fulfill his own wish.

* * * * *

Odette was already resting when her lead personal guard reported that King Odhran already made his move regarding her wish. The Dark Magic Lord sensed Zenia's presence in a ship, but he could not confirm if Vaughn was with her.

He almost got her if not for the strong magic that blocked him. He tried to locate Zenia's presence, but it was futile. Even the strong magic that he felt before was no longer there. However, he felt another presence in that ship that he was somewhat familiar with. 

Odette smirked, "Is that Dark Magic Lord really that powerful? How come his men failed to help my grandfather, the Left Minister, in Tissuria?"

"I am not familiar with how they operate, my apologies, Princess. I don't know how to answer your question."

"You may go now."

Odette's lead personal guard bowed his head and left without turning back. He really had no idea why King Odhran wanted to keep that kind of useless daughter. He did not detect any magic on her body. If Prince Joram's child suddenly appeared and that child possessed the same magic as Prince Joram, the reign would finally fall to the rightful owner. 

He sighed and wished that Prince Joram's heir would come. He only chose to stay by King Odhran's side because he and his family had nowhere else to go. If he and his family could flee to another kingdom, he would not hesitate to leave Prazia.

Odette thought that she would hear something good. She was expecting to hear about Zenia's death and how Vaughn fell into the dark pit of depression. But, Ovid Ansien's daughter had the luck goddess by her side and continued to bless her.

"Ahh!"

Odette threw everything that she grabbed. Everyone in her villa was startled by the loud noise. Her personal guard heard the commotion and shook his head. If King Odhran would choose Princess Odette to be his heir, Prazia would soon perish in Maecaea. She was not fit to be the ruler of a kingdom.

When Odette's lead personal guard reached the office of King Odhran, he did not hesitate to report everything – from Odette's reaction when she learned about the failed attempt on Zenia's life to her tantrum. The lead guard was trying his luck. He wished that King Odhran would change his mind in naming the heir to the throne.

"Valentin, I know that you're thinking that my daughter is a disappointment. Nonetheless, she's my first-born and rightful heir. She grew up without her mother or father beside her. I want to make it up to her."

King Odhran sounded apologetic, but Odette's lead personal guard, named Valentin, had a hunch that the King of Prazia was only trying to sound pitiful. He was not convinced that King Odhran regretted neglecting his daughter. In his opinion, King Odhran had no other choice but to take his daughter in. Otherwise, she would be executed along with the Left Minister. But, if there was something he could do, he wouldn't take Princess Odette…yet. 

"Your Majesty, I'm not thinking of anything. I'm just here to report everything that transpired in Princess Odette's villa."

Valentin remained expressionless. King Odhran had no idea what Valentin was thinking. 

King Odhran sighed, "You may return to Princess Odette and continue observing her. But, don't let her know that you are monitoring her. Let me know if her mood continues to turn bad."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Valentin bowed his head and turned to leave.

King Odhran looked out the window and imagined the beautiful face of Concubine Jayda smiling at him. It was the same visage that kept him company all through the years, especially when he was down and feeling confused.

'Jayda, our daughter ended up having the same fate as me. We both fell in love with someone that we should not. I truly wish that she would change her mind, but she's just as stubborn as me.'

King Odhran flashed a somber smile as he continued to look at the sky while imagining the fair countenance of his beloved woman.