Chapter 109: Confessions
"Was it only you and Drake Viremont involved in that drugging incident?" Cassian asked.
"No, it was me, Drake Viremont, Gabe, and Elana who were also involved. Elana and I were tasked with distracting Cece and Damien, while Gabe’s role was to offer her the drugged wine. Later, Drake was supposed to take her to the secluded spot. But the plan failed, because even though Marquess Lester tried to keep Prince Ivan away from the academy, he still appeared and spoiled the plan."
People were aghast at her for revealing such an elaborate plan against Evelyn, to say the least. What none of them could comprehend was how she confessed everything so candidly, almost as if she no longer wished to live. And she was doing so in front of the Vampire King, who had clearly shown favour towards the princess by officially welcoming her the moment he entered the hall. Not to mention the icy Crown Prince, who had openly declared Princess Evelyn as his by simply walking hand-in-hand with her. He was known to be ruthless and fiercely protective of anything he set his eyes on.
This woman truly didn’t want to live; they all thought in unison.
Duke Regulus’s lips curled into an amused smile, quickly realizing it was the princess who was making the woman talk. He was fascinated, to say the least, to see such powers, ones he had never heard of before, and a terrifying one at that: the ability to make someone confess their sins.
"Well then, it seems she has accepted all the charges brought against her, Your Majesty," Regulus said, turning his eyes toward King Iskara, who gave him a nod in return.
It was only then that Evelyn broke contact with Kayla and blinked. Her eyes returned to their usual blue, but a dull ache began forming at the back of her head, so she pressed her forehead lightly with her fingers.
Ivan sat down to lean closer to her and asked softly, "You okay?"
She lowered her hand and gave him a slight nod, which didn’t convince him one bit. Iskara noticed his son’s interaction with Princess Evelyn, and he wasn’t the old one; several ministers also took note of it.
Deciding to redirect their attention away from them, Iskara spoke. "Who is this person named Gabe?"
"Gabe Barlow is the son of a count from a small district in Versailles, Your Majesty. We also have the shopkeeper in our custody who sold the illegal drugs to Gabe," replied Damien, who had been enjoying the spectacle all along.
Kayla snapped out of her trance-like state, panic flooding her as she realized she had spilled the entire truth. With no hope of salvation left, she thrashed violently against the guards’ hold, shrieking to be released, until Amond Greymark, the King’s Shield, stepped forward. In a single, precise strike to her neck, he silenced her, leaving her limp and unconscious in the guards’ grasp.
Iskara thought about it for a moment, then turned to Ivan, "Prince Ivan, I leave their punishment in your care. And where is Drake Viremont?"
"Drake Viremont has been missing since yesterday. We have reasons to believe that he is now working with the darkrots." Ivan responded calmly while seated, interlacing his hands with Evelyn’s beneath the table as his thumb traced soothing circles over her skin to relax her.
"But how could darkrots travel from the Bastian to Welfort on the same night?" another minister asked.
Ivan turned his sharp eyes to the minister and said, "You must be aware of darkstones. Darkrots are evolving creatures, and they can now traverse distances by creating portals."
A chorus of collective gasps rippled through the chamber, followed by rising murmurs, until Iskara’s commanding voice rang out.
"Silence!"
And the court once again fell still.
"We live in a time where danger looms over us all," the King declared, his dark red eyes sweeping across the hall. "I urge you all to keep your eyes and ears open, for what is seen may not always be the truth."
"Darkrots are not only capable of traveling anywhere, but they can also disguise themselves as one of us. This is the time to unite as one and face the threat together to protect our people and this kingdom, where your own families also reside. Darkrots entering this kingdom means they are trespassing in your homes. Therefore, we must take every precaution necessary to keep them at bay. I command you all to remain vigilant and report anything that seems amiss, so that this corruption does not take a deeper root within our lands."
Iskara then turned his eyes to Evelyn and said, "Princess Evelyn, I offer my deepest apologies for such an incident occurring within my kingdom, under my watch. To make amends, you may ask for any form of compensation for the horrific ordeal you endured."
Eve was taken aback by the king’s apology before the entire court and quickly replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for expressing your regret. Although the incident wasn’t a pleasant experience, I was still saved by Prince Ivan, and for that I will remain forever grateful. I do not require any compensation, Your Majesty."
Iskara’s lips curled up in a faint smile, "Very well, but I would still like to bestow something upon you. If nothing comes to mind at present, you may take your time. When you do, you may ask me for a favour, one I promise to fulfil in the name of the Ignia de Ashen family."
Eve’s eyes widened in surprise. She got up from her seat and bowed to him in gratitude, "Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty."
Iskara gave her a nod before turning his gaze to Ivan, "If there is nothing more, I give you all the permission to leave."
Ivan returned the nod and stood from his seat, followed by Eve, Cece, Edward, and Damien.
But before they could step away from their seat, one of the ministers, Silas, spoke up, "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I believe there is one more issue that must be addressed before the prince departs the courtroom."
Iskara shifted his gaze to the minister, "And what matter would that be regarding?"
Silas rose from his seat and looked towards Ivan, "I believe the prince may need to address the nature of his relationship with Princess Evelyn. As the minister of public relations, we wouldn’t want civil unrest." He adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose before shifting his gaze to Evelyn, who maintained a neutral expression.
Ivan raised his brows at the man’s audacity. His molten red eyes scanned coldly across the court before settling back on Silas. "Since when has my personal relationship with anyone become a matter of discussion in the royal court?"
Silas’s red eyes moved to Ivan as he responded, "Your Highness, you are the crown prince of this kingdom. Naturally, who you associate with will become a matter for the royal court."
Ivan responded, "For a minister of public relations, you don’t seem very bright, do you?"
"W-What do you mean, Your Highness?" Silas stammered under Ivan’s intense gaze.
"What part of it is none of your business, do you not understand?" Ivan’s cold voice resonated in the room.
Silas nervously pushed his glasses up and pressed on, "Prince Ivan, we understand you may not want to share the details, but your current display of support towards a lumen princess raises concerns about future unrest...unless she’s only temporary?"
Suddenly, Ivan shot forward like a blur, and in an instant, his hand clamped around Silas’s neck in a crushing grip. He lifted Silas effortlessly until his feet dangled off the ground. For a moment, nobody moved; every minister stared wide-eyed at the sight of the crown prince holding Silas like a ragged doll with a single hand.
Ivan’s chilling low voice shattered the silence, "Her name is Princess Evelyn...not a lumen princess. Speak of her that way again and you’ll learn what a truly painful death feels like."
His grip tightened around Silas’s throat as Ivan felt repulsed at the man’s audacity to question his bond with Eve. He had expected them to pry, after all, many had shamelessly tried to push their daughters towards him, but he didn’t expect them to demean Eve so openly. That crossed a line for him.
Ivan wasn’t the only one enraged by the man’s words, but also Cece, Damien, and Edward, who watched the strangled minister with cold, unblinking eyes. They held no pity, only hard satisfaction as they watched the fool meet the consequences of his own making.
Eve, on the other hand, kept a neutral front, but she couldn’t deny that the man’s words pricked her a little. She already knew that their relationship was only temporary as they would part their ways in the future.
She watched the man continuing to struggle under Ivan’s grip around his neck and heard Ivan speak in a slow and measured voice, "I’ll say this once, so everybody listen carefully." His eyes swept the room, "I am in a relationship with Princess Evelyn, and I will be with her as long as we both want. Your opinions about us does not matter, but if I hear any malicious words used against her like this ingrate just did, you will answer directly to me. And trust me, the pain I’ll deliver will be unlike anything you have ever experienced."
