Chapter 106: A Silent Declaration
"Oh.." she turned her gaze to Edward in surprise and asked, "That must have taken a lot of your magic powers." Eve knew how much magic it took to set up a strong barrier; the larger the area, the more magic it consumed.
Edward nodded, "It did, but I wasn’t alone. After a good rest, my energy is back to the way it was." He smiled at her.
"I see, I’m glad and very thankful for your help," she said with genuine gratitude.
"Please don’t mention it, Evelyn. With that kind of danger lurking, none of us was truly safe. Since we cannot secure the entire city, at least we were able to protect the two places where they would most likely appear if they tried." Edward replied calmly.
Eve gave him a nod in agreement, then it dawned on her that it was a Monday, "But, if you guys are here, what about classes?"
"Coming to that, we are here on an official summons by His Majesty. The incident you were involved in became a threat to national security, leading to the discovery of many nobles involved. The court hearing for both incidents is today. Since it was Edward and I who caught her red-handed, we’re here to give our testimony as witnesses." Cece explained.
"Today?" Eve looked at Ivan and asked, "Why didn’t you tell me?"
Ivan pressed his lips together, "Well...I was getting to that."
She gave him an incredulous look, "So the place you said we’d be visiting today is...the royal court?"
"Yes," he replied coolly, as if it wasn’t a big deal.
Damien chuckled at their exchange, "Don’t tell me, Ivan, you raised her expectation for a date only to crush them like this. My my...you have a long way to go, cousin." He grinned widely, like he was enjoying his favourite play.
"Seriously, Ivan, I think you need lessons on how to court a lady," Cece chimed in while sipping her tea.
Ivan ignored them both, keeping his focus entirely on Eve, "Were you expecting a date?"
Eve’s cheeks flushed, and she averted her gaze, concentrating fiercely on finishing her breakfast.
Edward quietly found himself amused at their interaction and stifled a chuckle at their little lovers’ quarrel.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Ivan’s face, "We’ll go out once all this is settled, alright?"
"We don’t have to, and I never asked," Eve replied in a clipped tone.
Cece smirked at Eve giving back to Ivan, something no one ever dared to do before.
Ivan narrowed his eyes at her, who was avoiding his gaze. Before he could say more, Eve turned to Cece and asked, "So, when is this court hearing?"
"During noon," Cece replied, placing her hand reassuringly on Evelyn’s shoulder. "Don’t worry, you won’t be there alone. All of us will be with you."
Eve sighed in relief that at least she wouldn’t face it alone, though a flutter of nervousness still tickled her stomach. Softly, she said, "I’m glad."
With that, they all continued their breakfast, chatting about other things to lighten the atmosphere.
...
By noon, when the sun had climbed to its peak, casting golden rays through the huge arched windows, Eve stood in front of a double door, each adorned with a carving of dragons from the royal sigil, facing each other. Ivan, standing beside her, noticed her fidgeting with her fingers as she took yet another breath, probably for the fifth time.
Ivan let out a soft sigh and reached out to clasp her hand, "Calm down, Eve," he whispered. "Remember what we told you earlier. You’re not alone, Cece, Damien, and Edward are right behind you." He squeezed her hand gently and added, "You also have me, the Crown Prince of Versailles, and the king. We’ll handle everything; all I need from you is to stay calm. Your emotions affect your powers, so just relax, okay?"
Cece and Damien, who were standing behind them, softened at how Ivan handled everything concerning Evelyn with such delicacy. Soon, Edward, who had been speaking to one of the Lumen priests he met along the way, quickly joined the group.
Eve drew strength from Ivan’s words and realised how she had been such a nervous wreck after all the revelations. It dawned on her that this was not how a princess should react. She felt tired of hiding behind Ivan and others for emotional support and chided herself for behaving like such a weakling in front of everyone.
No...she was no weakling, not anymore. She closed her eyes for a moment, centering her thoughts, and felt it: the power surging through her veins, coaxing her to emerge.
Everyone around Eve felt the sudden shift in the air, including the guards and Ignis Blades, who felt the hair rise on the back of their necks. Their focus instinctively shifted to the princess next to their prince.
Alerted by the soft golden light suddenly radiating from her, their hands automatically went to their swords, ready to protect their prince from the glowing princess. Watching this, Alex and Caleb moved in a blur to stand in front of Ivan and Evelyn, ready to defend them.
Ivan, noticing the commotion, raised his other hand, halting them in their movement, and shot them a warning glare. He didn’t say a word, yet the intensity of his stare was enough to send a cold shiver down their spines. Only when they backed down did Caleb and Alex finally relax.
Eve, unaware of the effect her surging power was having on those around her, repeated in her mind, ’I am not a weakling. I am a princess of the Kingdom of Luminear, and I will not let anyone look down on me in there.’
Her powers hummed in response to her resolve, and she heard a familiar ethereal voice echo in a faint whisper, ’Yes, believe in yourself.’
With that, Eve opened her eyes that now shone golden and looked at Ivan, who silently watched her. He noticed the shift in her demeanour, which was much calmer yet fierce, and heard her say, "I’m ready." She gave his hand a light squeeze, and the light emitting from her slowly ebbed, leaving her eyes clear blue once again.
Ivan’s lips curled slightly at the sight of her exuding a different air...an air he knew well, aristocratic and full of authority. In a low voice, audible only to the vampires nearby, he said, "Raise your weapon at her again, and I’ll kill without second thought."
Cece and Damien, who heard everything clearly, smirked. All the guards bowed in submission, and ones stationed at the door raised their heads and moved to open the ancient double doors.
The heavy door yawned open, revealing the massive royal court of Versailles. The hall was enormous, with white walls and multiple massive pillars supporting the structure. Tall arched windows cast sunlight across the space. At the center stood a huge table where various ministers sat. Red drapes adorned the tops of the windows, and behind the throne hung a massive royal sigil carved in gold.
Ivan walked in with confident footsteps, his stance radiating authority, making every minister’s eyes turn towards them. At the sight of their prince, they all stood up from their seats and bowed. Eve was still holding Ivan’s hand and walked next to him with equal grace and elegance, unbothered by the numerous red eyes staring at her....and at the hand she held.
Eve could have pulled her hand away from Ivan’s grasp before entering the courtroom. But she didn’t because of two reasons. First, she remembered the conversation she had with Ivan that first night in his room, where he had promised he would never hide her or their relationship from anyone, even if the rules were etched into the very constitution. She saw this as his silent declaration of their relationship.
Second, simply because he didn’t pull away, she didn’t want to either. Not only did his touch ground her, but it was also her way of sending a message to everyone present: that their opinion didn’t matter in her relationship with Ivan. The only opinion she respected was that of his father, whom she had already met, so she had absolutely nothing to hide, especially from the nobles likely imagining their daughters paired with Ivan.
Soon, they crossed the room until Ivan stopped near the chair next to the throne that belonged to the crown prince. Just like at breakfast, Ivan pulled the chair next to his for Evelyn to take a seat. Once she was settled, he sat beside her, leaving the entire courtroom in stunned silence.
Damien, Cece, and Edward took their seats next to Evelyn. Before anyone could say anything, the herald announced, "Please rise for His Majesty, the King."
Everyone rose from their seat and bowed to King Iskara, tall, regal, and exuding the authority of the throne, his red royal cape trailing behind him. He was followed by his trusted advisor, Cassian Dreymore, a vampire who appeared to be in his thirties, with glasses and long green hair tied neatly into a low ponytail. On his other side stood the king’s shield, Amond Greymark, a bulky silver-haired vampire in the royal knight’s uniform and commander of all the royal knights.
