Chapter 45

45 Grudge

“Say, do you know that one of us left her betrothed because she wants to marry the King?”

Daphne spoke and Jasmine clenched her hands. That was not exactly the truth, but she could not correct them unless she would be belling the cat.

“Woah, who is that?” Alicia asked, and Daphne smiled and whispered. “Top secret.”

“Oh Daphne, tell me already who must have done such wickedly.” Alicia pleaded, but Daphne just laughed.

On the east end of the hall sat Zavian, with the dukes and other lords of the kingdom.

“How many years has it been?”

Lord Aaron asked, and Zavian turned to him;

“How many years since what?”

“Since the war? Since we have all gathered here like this?” he asked, and Zavian smiled.

.....

“Approximately five hundred and forty-five years, Aaron.” He said.

Aaron sighed,

” I never thought that a day like this would come, that we would be all gathered and we would put the past behind us.”

Zavian clenched his jaws as he knew what Aaron was talking about. It was Delilah.

They were among those who had pressured and made sure he chose a queen.

“Yes, it’s been long since there was peace. Cheers to peace!” He shouted, raising his wine cup, and the rest raised their wine cups, too.

“Cheers to Peace!” They all chorused before drinking.

“Yes, that reminds me, I heard of a girl who looked like the queen. I cannot find her here?”

Lord Fredrick, Princess Alicia’s father, asked, and everyone turned to Zavian. They had heard of the rumors but were not sure of how true it was, but since everyone was talking about it, they knew there was some atom of truth in it.

“Yes, there is someone who looks like Delilah. A slave girl, I think.”

“Oh, so the rumors are true. Where is the girl?”

Fredrick asked, and Zavian blinked casually.

“I don’t know. She’s of no importance and certainly won’t affect the course of the ceremony.”

Zavian had forgotten to ask Neera not to come to the ceremony that evening, and he prayed she was not there. The last thing he wanted now was to make the Dukes ask questions.

There had been peace for a while, and he intended it to remain like that.

He would just have her lie low till the Dukes left; the Princesses would be too busy with their training to be concerned with Neera.

“Hmm, I would have loved to see her, but since you’ve said she is of no importance, we would leave it at that.” Fredrick smiled and started on a different topic.

Freya, who sat a few meters away from their table, sipped her drink.

Of no importance?

She laughed internally. If only the Dukes knew how far he had gone with the girl. She was even sleeping in the room next to his!

Freya chuckled as her eyes looked at her brother. She prayed he knew what he was doing because, in the end; she did not have a choice but to fight for him.

...

Kitana looked around the hall as she searched for the girl that looked like Delilah. Delilah was the most captivating demon to exist when she was alive.

Zavian had come to their kingdom to see her father and was taking a liking to her, but Delilah had appeared and bewitched him and pretended as though she did not know what she did.

She had acted all innocent and fragile and made her seem like the evil one.

Zavian, who came to see her almost every afternoon, now barely glanced at her. She regretted inviting Delilah over that afternoon. She wished she could take it back, but it was already late. Zavian had asked her father for her hand in marriage.

Delilah pretended as if she did not know that she loved Zavian and married him without batting an eyelid.

She had been angry, but during the war, when she heard she was killed, she was finally happy.

She did not choose a groom as she knew Zavian would one day remarry and she would be right here waiting for him.

But now, someone who had her face had appeared?

Kitana scoffed. How would she allow that? Zavian could not resist her centuries ago; how would he resist her now?

No matter what she was. Delilah or her replica. She must make sure she returned to the grave and remained there. This was her chance to become queen, and she wouldn’t let a mere slave girl get in her way.

Kitana withdrew from her thoughts when she saw Zavian stand up and retire inside. She had been looking for some alone time with him, but there was no chance.

And if she stood up now, everyone would notice.

She bit her lower lip as she watched him walk out of the door and the guards shut it right after.

...

Zavian breathed out after he left the hall. Although the Dukes had fought alongside him, it didn’t mean that they were not thirsty for the throne.

He had the most trusted generals, who he was sure could not betray him; and even if war broke out, he would win, but he did not want to go to war. The last war took his most priceless treasure; he was not sure he could fight another.

Zavian had almost reached his chambers when he saw a rather familiar silhouette standing beside the rails.

As the woman turned around and looked at him, all color drained from his face. She had not come to see him in over two hundred years; why was she here now?

Zavian trembled but tried to maintain his composure. He wanted to hug the woman; he wanted to be excited, but he couldn’t. Zavian clenched his jaws and blinked as a grave silence ensued between them.

The woman was beautiful, a demon. Her hair was red like Freya’s, and her eyes were golden like Zavian’s.

There was a long silence between them, as though each was checking how much the other had changed before Zavian spoke;

“Mother...”