Chapter 126: The Storm Beneath Her Calm
Cece caught on to her brother’s words and asked, "Do you know something about him, Damien?"
Damien moved his dark red, keen eyes towards Evelyn and answered, "Not much...but there’s something odd about him that I’ve heard."
Eve’s brows pulled together. "What is it?"
"The Kingdom of Dartmouth is, of course, a human kingdom. In the past, when I was investigating a certain case, I came across several reports of women going missing, around the same time their king fell bedridden with an unknown sickness. Since then, their Queen has ruled in his stead, taking all the major decisions alongside their son, who is known to be quite a philanderer," Damien explained.
Oliver, who had been listening quietly, added, "I’ve heard that too. My family has done business with them in the past...and there are many mysteries surrounding that kingdom. But if my guess is correct, then I think I know why King Solan would choose such a suitor."
Everyone’s attention turned to him as they waited for him to say more words. Oliver continued, "It’s a known fact that after the civil unrest in Luminear, King Solan married the Princess of Roseville, Queen Elara. And Queen Elara’s family has strong ties with Dartmouth. So, to expand her family’s influence, she must have suggested to the king to get Princess Evelyn married to the Prince of Dartmouth to solidify her own son’s position in the royal court of Luminear."
All their expressions grew grimmer at the thought of devious Queen Elara’s scheme.
Edward was the first to speak, "Evelyn, you must know that my family will always be in your support. And though people don’t say it openly, there are many who do not wish to see Prince Ryan become the next king of Luminear. Most people find him too reckless and temperamental to be a good ruler. And now that it is known you possess such powers, your supporters will only grow in number."
Oliver also replied, "You have my family’s support as well."
Damien quipped, "Even if people support her, marrying her to a human prince won’t sit well with those who want to preserve the purity of the royal bloodline. I know this because that’s exactly how some people in the vampire world think. But still, human or lumen, the truth is that the pure-blooded lineage of a vampire is strong enough for any offspring to be born as pure-blooded vampires."
Edward chimed in, "Lord Damien, it’s the same for pure-blooded lumens. No matter who their partner is, the royal blood always dominates, making the offspring pure-blooded lumens."
"That’s correct, even Queen Elara is half lumen, yet she still managed to give birth to a pure-blooded lumen prince," Oliver added.
Damien raised his brows, surprised by this bit of knowledge. Then his eyes shifted to Evelyn, and he mused, "Well, now I’m curious to know which side would dominate if a pure-blooded lumen and a pure-blooded vampire produced an offspring? I wonder if it would be...a new species?"
Eve tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "Are you saying there’s never been a case of a pure-blooded vampire and a lumen being together?"
"Not that I’ve heard of," Damien replied flatly, glancing around the table, "Anyone else?"
When they all shook their heads, silence settled over the group as each of them drifted to their own thoughts.
Cece sighed softly, "I think we are drifting away from the real issue here." She turned to Eve and asked gently, "Evelyn, are you okay with marrying the Prince of Dartmouth?"
Eve’s expression hardened as she replied firmly, "No. I don’t want to marry him or anyone right now. I came here to complete my education and become someone worthy of helping my people...and I will not allow myself to be pushed around like this." Her grip tightened around her cup, and everyone could see how agitated she was at the thought.
"Then you must stay strong, Evelyn," Edward said earnestly. "Queen Elara won’t back down easily. She’ll try everything in her power to secure the throne for her son."
"I am...well aware of that.." Evelyn’s gaze fell on the table as unpleasant memories resurfaced. How could she not know that painful truth when she had suffered all her life because of it? There had been countless moments when she’d thought it would be easier to give up... to stop fighting....to stop living that meaningless life. But each time such morbid thoughts crept in, Septimus’s words echoed in her mind:
’Remember what I have always told you, that nothing is a coincidence in this world. I have faith in you and your abilities that you would be able to overcome any challenges life throws at you.’
Thinking about Septimus’s words brought her a sense of courage...but it also twisted her heart, knowing that he must have known about the locket placed on her to suppress her powers. The knife of betrayal still cut deeper than she had ever expected. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she forced herself to maintain a strong front.
Everybody around the table noticed the subtle change in her demeanor, so Damien decided to break the heavy silence.
"Well, don’t worry, Evelyn," he said reassuringly, "you have plenty of people standing behind you, and I’m sure we’ll come up with a solution. Since King Solan can’t force you to leave the academy, we simply won’t go on the excursion to the Kingdom of Dartmouth. I’m certain Ivan must have already made that clear to Headmaster Charles by now."
He spoke with such confidence, believing, without a doubt, that Ivan would never let such a thing happen. Not now, not after going to the length to make their relationship known to everyone.
But what he thought would cheer her up only made her eyes harden. She silently placed her cup down with a sharp clank against the plate, making everyone flinch at the sudden change in her demeanor.
They all exchanged uneasy glances before turning their gaze back to Eve. With the air around the table growing heavy, they all looked at Cece, silently urging her to ask her the question that lingered in everyone’s mind, but none dared to voice.
Letting out a soft sigh, Cece finally spoke, "Evelyn...what did Ivan say about this?"
With an unreadable expression, Evelyn replied dryly, "He agreed."
The words left all of them stunned, their eyes widened so much that they would have popped out of their sockets.
"I beg your pardon...h-he agreed?!" Cece exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yes," Evelyn said in a tone as cold as frost. "He was the one who pushed Headmaster Charles to comply with King Solan’s request."
This made a chill run down their spines. They had always known Ivan could make anyone freeze with his presence, but seeing Evelyn radiate that same icy fury made them realise just how angry she truly was.
’What the hell was he thinking?!!" they all screamed in their minds.
Cece gulped softly and tried to speak as gently as she could. "I’m...sure there must be a good-"
"It’s fine, Cece." Eve cut her off, in an emotionless voice. "Why he did what he did doesn’t affect me. Because in the end, I will never marry anyone out of force."
She abruptly stood up, her chair scraping lightly against the floor. "I’m sorry, everyone, but I think I’m tired and would like to rest now. I’ll see you all later."
Without waiting for anyone’s response, she left the dining hall gracefully, her movement calm but her aura sharp enough to silence the room. Other students watched her in awe and wariness, now fully aware of just how powerful she truly was.
Back at the table, Cece slammed her fist down the table, snapping everyone out of their stunned silence, "What the hell is Ivan thinking?!" she burst out, her voice tight with frustration.
Damien leaned back, his expression grave. "I am not sure ....but one thing’s certain, he’s gotten himself into something he’ll find hard to get out of. That woman is the eye of the storm right now, and something tells me he’s going to get torn apart when he faces it."
Edward let out a low whistle, still having goosebumps, "I never thought I’d say this, but I actually feel scared for His Highness. I’ve never seen her this mad before."
Oliver sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "And she has every right to feel that way. I don’t know their dynamic, but even if Prince Ivan isn’t thinking about marriage...hearing the person you like agree to have you around someone who’s trying to marry you, must have hurt like hell for sure."
They all let out a soft sigh. Damien frowned and muttered, "Honesty, why is he so clueless about something so basic?"
Cece crossed her arms and said, "Well...for once I’ll say he deserves whatever happens next."
The others exchanged worried looks, silently bracing themselves for Ivan and lighting a candle for him in their minds.
