Chapter 227: Stripped Of Darkness
Viva opened her eyes and finally saw what had become of her. She had expected death, yet she lived; only the darkness had been torn from her body. A slow manic cackle bubbled up from her throat, shattering the eerie quiet.
"You think this will stop me? How naive can you be?" she rasped before breaking into unhinged laughter, head thrown back, mouth wide as if she believed she could simply chant another forbidden spell and reclaim her power.
But Eve remained silent. She simply continued her slow advance until she stood over Viva once more. Without a word, she gripped the former queen’s jaw. And with Viva still laughing, mouth open, Eve reached in, tore out her tongue, and severed it cleanly with a swift strike of her sword.
An agonising scream tore from Viva’s lips, while the others stood frozen in stunned horror at how ruthlessly Eve had delivered that strike. Damien, Cece, and Edward simply stared in silence. Though Eve’s action had surprised them, they didn’t give two hoots about what she’d done to the queen. They all knew Eve had cut out Viva’s tongue to keep her from uttering another spell, and in their eyes, the woman deserved that and far worse.
Around them, the other students and nobles gasped in shock at the brutal sight. Septimus maintained a carefully neutral expression, while Queen Elara and King Solan looked as though the ground had vanished beneath their feet.
The two officials from the High Council, however, were more intrigued than horrified. They were surprised to see Evelyn sparing the lives of the two perpetrators and wondered what else the princess had planned.
Valen, on the other hand, with his limbs torn apart, lay in a pool of his own blood. He heard his mother’s scream and forced his pale green eyes open, staring at her as blood still gushed from her mutilated mouth. He tried to move, but his body refused to obey. Every wound he had suffered in his battles with Damien and Ivan, especially while transformed, had left him numb beneath waves of unbearable pain.
The ground remained eerily silent, broken only by Viva’s wailing.
It was then that Ivan released Valen’s crumbling form and began walking toward his Eve. When he reached her, he lifted his hand and rested it gently on her shoulder, drawing her cold gaze away from Viva and up to him.
He said nothing, yet his eyes spoke volumes, telling her without words that it was finally over.
Finally, Eve loosened her grip on the sword she had been clutching all this while, letting it fall to the ground with a dull thud. A second later, she stepped into Ivan’s space and wrapped her arms around his bare waist, resting her head against his broad shoulder. He immediately drew her closer, folding his arms around her as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her unique, heavenly scent, which was now laced with the intoxicating richness of her blood.
The two lovers remained locked in each other’s embrace, soothing hearts that had long yearned for one another. Even though their parting had been brief amidst the chaos, it felt as though ages had passed since they last held each other like this. With fragments of their past-life memories still fresh and vivid in their minds, the weight of it settled deeply between them.
Two souls who had drifted in the void between the living and the dead, waiting endlessly for one another....were finally here. The realisation struck them both with profound force, making them hold each other even tighter, as if the very idea of letting go was unbearable.
While the two of them were lost in each other, they paid no mind at all to the audience around them.
Amara and Lucian stepped up to Valen and Viva, each claiming one with the enthusiasm of someone assigned the worst chore of the day. Lucian clicked his tongue thoughtfully.
"I’d normally say, ’You’re under arrest,’ and then cuff your hands..." His gaze drifted to Viva’s severed wrist, and he let out another click. "But it appears you’ve made that step wonderfully redundant, Your Majesty."
Viva only gurgled in response.
Amara gave him a flat look. "Lucian, please."
"What? I’m just appreciating her initiative," he replied with a shrug.
With a shared sigh, the council members took out healing stones and sealed the wounds, just enough to keep the pair alive before the final judgment was passed on them.
While they were busy securing their criminals, Solan, who was still reeling from the turn of events, shifted his deep blue eyes from Viva’s mutilated form to Eve and Ivan, who remained locked in each other’s embrace. As he watched them with a cold, distant gaze, a deeply buried memory stirred within him...
It was days before his former wife, Queen Selene, passed away. In the middle of the night, while she lay in bed panting for breath and burning with fever. King Solan had personally taken it upon himself to tend to her. He wrung out a cloth in a bowl of cool water and pressed it gently to Selene’s feverish face.
With effort, she lifted her weak, fragile hand and placed it on his wrist, causing him to pause mid-movement.
Opening her grey eyes, she whispered, "Solan."
"Yes, my love. Are you in pain? Do you feel discomfort anywhere? Should I call the physician again?" he asked anxiously, fretting over his wife’s failing health.
Selene gave him a faint smile. "No....not that. I need you....to promise me something. Will you do that?"
Solan’s brows knit together. He hated the way she spoke, as though she were preparing to leave him. "Yes, I’ll promise you anything....when you are back in full health."
Selene held his gaze for a long, quiet moment before letting out a weary sigh. "I....I’m not going to get any better, Solan. I think you already know that."
Her eyes filled with unshed tears as Solan began shaking his head in denial. He lifted her hand and pressed it to his cheek, whispering, "Please don’t talk like that. I-I cannot survive without you....Selene."
By now, Selene’s tears were slipping freely down her cheeks. She drew a shaky breath before speaking; each word was a struggle. "Solan....it is about our daughter. Please....I need you to promise me."
At that, Solan slowly lifted his head and stared at her. "What is it? What about Evelyn?"
"I had a vision....a horrifying vision. And I fear it will come true if we do not act now," Selene murmured softly.
Solan’s worry deepened, curiosity blending with dread at words, "What kind of vision?"
"A vision that will bring doom to this kingdom and the entire continent if it is not stopped. You know, Solan, that our daughter is special....things around her have never been simple. So I need you to promise me that you will never allow her to be with a vampire. Will you do that for me? For this kingdom and for this world?" Selene pleaded.
"A vampire? You mean King Iskara’s son, Prince Ivan?" Solan asked, confused.
"Yes....him or anyone else. Promise me that no vampire will ever marry or be with our daughter! Otherwise....otherwise ruin will fall upon all twelve kingdoms," Selene said frantically, tightening her grip around Solan’s hand.
Solan looked conflicted, as making such a promise felt impossible, especially as his mind drifted to the ancient prophecy. He spoke gently, "But my love....the prophecy. What if her twin flame is a vampire?"
"It will never be! I saw it. I know what I saw! Disaster will follow if she ends up with one! You must not allow it, Solan! Whatever the cost!" Selene cried, her distress rising with every moment he hesitated.
Not wanting to aggravate her already fragile condition, Solan let out a weary sigh. "Fine. I promise you, Selene....I will never allow Evelyn to be with a vampire."
Selene released a shaky, relieved breath and offered him a faint, grateful smile. "Thank you..."
Returning to the present, as Solan watched his daughter wrapped so intimately in Ivan’s arms, rage bubbled up inside him at the thought of breaking the promise he had made to his beloved wife.
He roared, "Just what do you think you are doing, Princess Evelyn?!"
Solan’s sudden, booming voice jolted Evelyn and Ivan from their moment of quiet comfort. Ivan lifted his head from the crook of her neck and narrowed his eyes dangerously at the man who dared to address his Eve in such a tone.
Eve also raised her head from Ivan’s shoulder, turning slowly toward the source of the outburst. Her cold golden eyes stared at Solan with an unusual calm.
Without pulling away from Ivan, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Solan barked; his loud voice travelled across the ruined courtyard. "Who gave you permission to stand so shamelessly with a vampire prince, especially in the presence of others?!"
His deep blue eyes blazed with rage and something far uglier....spite.
