Isola's words resounded in the area like a delicate thread, her voice conveying a seeming concern for Edmund's welfare. The Naiadon people and Umbralfiends exhaled a collective sigh of relief at her intervention.
At least now, these Young Lords wouldn't dare to cause a scene upon hearing the royal consort's name.
But upon hearing the name 'Asher Drake', Edmund's features twisted in barely concealed contempt and anger.
Asher was an alien filth he had tortured like a dog in the past.
But now he was known as the Hell Prince, 'Kraken Conqueror', and lauded for his Immortal Bloodline and impressive feats. The mere mention of Asher's name ignited a flame of resentment within Edmund, reminding him of how easily someone like him got overshadowed by someone who was still weaker than him without any real background.
With a scoff, Edmund's eyes narrowed into slits, a twisted smirk tugging at his lips as he retorted, "Consort Asher is not here right now, is he? I will explain everything to him later. For now, I am in charge."
"Even if I wasn't here, it's against the law to take charge without my permission, as the Umbralfiend Emissary has correctly mentioned," The sudden echo of a man's voice pierced through the silent night, a calm yet authoritative voice ringing loud and clear,
All eyes swiveled towards the source of the voice, the villagers' hearts leaping in their chests at the familiar sound.
A sigh of relief washed over the crowd, including the Umbralfiends, the tension immediately diffusing upon recognizing the figure that emerged from the crowd and the tall, imposing, armored figure walking behind him.
The tall, striking figure of Asher commanded attention, his athletic build and graceful gait exuding an air of effortless power.
His dove-grey skin, smooth and flawless, caught the light, adding an otherworldly sheen to his already striking appearance. High cheekbones, a strong jawline, and full lips hinted at his dangerously charming demeanor.
However, it was his eyes that truly captivated the crowd; dark, yellow pools, making even Edmund's face green more than ever. This alien seemed to have gotten even stronger within just a few months. How could someone keep getting strong this quick?
Dressed in a royal black robe, the symbol of a dragon etched on his chest, Asher's presence itself made everyone realize the might of House Drake.
Edmund's face twitched as he saw Asher approaching, the man's subtle smile somehow putting him even more on edge.
Young Lord Ignatius, Young Lord Thaddeus, and Young Lady Zephyrine, who were standing behind, had uneasy looks, not expecting the royal consort to be so concerned about the Umbralfiends.
Asher's imposing figure moved with a fluid grace, making his way to Isola and wrapping a casual arm around her shoulder. He pulled her closer, a casual, intimate gesture that made her soft body squish against his, though it immediately caught Edmund's attention.
Isola shot Asher a displeased look, her sapphire blue eyes narrowing into a glare that was lost on no one.
Vraxos and his people frowned with dark expressions as they took a step forward, but suddenly they froze on the spot with confusion flickering in their eyes. And the next second, they reluctantly took a step back and stayed on the spot.
But Edmund's face hardened at the sight. He had already been drawn to Isola's otherworldly beauty, and now seeing her under Asher's arm was like a slap to his face.
He said in a voice that he strained to keep neutral, "It seems you are making the Umbralfiend Emissary uncomfortable, Consort Asher. Perhaps, she doesn't like to—"
Asher looked at Edmund, his yellow eyes glinting with amusement as he interrupted him, "Does it matter?" he asked, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk, "They are all under my management, aren't they? And surely they wouldn't be smiling after surrendering to us, would they?"
Isola's lips tightened into a thin line, her body subtly squirming against Asher, as if trying to free herself from his hold. Her eyes looked away, a flicker of resentment passing through them, but she remained silent, seemingly resigning to Asher's hold.
Seeing such a beautiful creature like her giving in to this alien filth made Edmund's breath feverish, though he held it in.
Still, refusing to back down from why he came here, his voice carried a challenge as he stated, "Now that you're here, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I take in General Vraxos. He's committed a severe crime - slander against my name and that of House Thorne."
Asher's brows furrowed slightly at this, a look of confusion passing over his features as he turned towards Vraxos. With a simple gesture of his hand, he beckoned him to come forward.
Vraxos shifted his gaze towards the princess, who looked at him, nodding with her eyes, and then he began to walk towards Asher.
"Vraxos," he began, his voice echoing across the silent village, "did you commit a crime just like Young Lord Edmund is accusing?"
Vraxos stepped forward, his deep blue eyes fixed on Asher. He shook his head, a firmness to his stance that belied his words, "I did not. I never slandered the name of House Thorne or Lord Edmund's."
A scoff echoed through the silent crowd, turning everyone's attention back towards Edmund, "How dare you lie right before everyone!" he bellowed, his voice filled with indignation. "I know you've been cooking up tales for your people. And these tales were intended to defame me and my House!"
Vraxos maintained his composure, his gaze shifting to Edmund's. His voice carried across the silent village as he denied the accusation once again, "I never mentioned your name nor your House in my tales, Young Lord."
Suddenly, Asher's eyes lit up as he snapped his fingers together, a look of realization crossing his features. "Ah, I remember now. General Vraxos has been recounting tales to his people on some nights. But those tales only mentioned a vampire warrior with silver hair. Never a specific name. Nor did he ever mention if it was a tale from his imagination or reality."
Murmurs ran through the crowd, and many of the Naiadon people nodded in agreement.
This sudden turn of events seemed to take Edmund aback, his eyes widening slightly, especially since Asher was agreeing to Vraxos' words. Why was he protecting these prisoners?
Still, he immediately turned to his companions, speaking in a hushed tone, "Is this true?"
Young Lady Zephyrine, her face paling slightly, held up her hands defensively, "Well," she began, offering an awkward smile, "It was Thaddaeus who told me about this."
Young Lord Thaddaeus, looking equally anxious, pointed a finger toward Ignatius, "I... I heard it from Ignatius," he stammered, his face paling under Edmund's intense glare.
Young Lord Ignatius gulped audibly, his face growing pale under the scrutiny.
He offered a shaky smile, nervously meeting Edmund's gaze, "Ah, well, yes. What Vraxos said was true. But, the details of the tale... they just seemed eerily similar to..." His voice trailed off, not daring to complete the sentence under Edmund's burning gaze.
Edmund turned back towards the crowd, his posture straightening, a forced chuckle escaping his lips, "Well…It seems I was misinformed about the crime," he began, his smile wavering slightly, "All this was just a misunderstanding."
Vraxos crossed his arms, his dark, piercing eyes glancing at Edmund before looking away.
The silent contempt in his momentary stare was more than apparent, a subtle defiance that stung Edmund.
Asher sighed audibly, a look of weary exasperation in his captivating dark yellow eyes, "Maybe next time, Young Lord, you shouldn't be too quick to jump on the words of your own people," he remarked, the undertone of his voice somewhat mocking, "It's amusing how easily people twist information for their own benefits."
Edmund's red eyes darkened, a wave of embarrassment and anger washing over him.
Asher's words might seem like he meant well. But only he knew they were a thinly veiled mockery, a slight he couldn't publicly retaliate against. The insinuation that his own people had manipulated him was a blow to his pride, one that he could ill afford.
He also couldn't risk causing a scene and making his father ground him again. He had one of the most important quests in his life coming up soon and couldn't risk anything related to it.
Barely containing his indignation, Edmund cleared his throat, addressing the crowd once again, "Well, since the misunderstanding has been solved, I'll be taking my leave," he announced, trying to retain an ounce of dignity.
His gaze inadvertently drifted towards Isola, whose eyes were fixed on him. There was a softness in her gaze, a silent plea that tugged at his nerves.
But before he could react, Asher turned around, sweeping Isola away in his hold and effectively severing the unspoken connection between her and Edmund.
Edmund's jaw clenched as he watched them disappear into the crowd, his chest burning with a seething rage.
And so, with a final cold gaze cast towards Vraxos, Edmund turned on his heel and walked away, his entourage trailing behind him, the memory of the day's humiliation after coming out for the first time in months, still burning fresh in his mind.
As soon as Edmund and his party were out of sight, Isola slowly glanced at Asher's hand on her shoulder, her voice echoing in his mind, "You can remove your hand now, Asher. He's gone."
Asher let out a soft chuckle, his hand falling away from her shoulder as he turned to face her, "I must say, I'm impressed by your performance. It was just subtle enough to get his attention without going overboard."
Isola sighed, running a hand through her wet hair, "I just hope you know what you're doing," Her expression turned into one of disgust as she added, "Even without knowing what I know, I can see how rotten he is from just interacting for a few minutes," Isola winced even more when thinking about what that repulsive man did to Asher all those years ago.
Turning her gaze back to Asher, a genuine gratitude flickered in her eyes, "And thank you...for defending Vraxos. I know you never heard any of his tales," Her voice trailed off, hinting at her understanding of his ruse. She knew he lied just to strengthen Vraxos' statement.
"As I said...I repay my debts..." Asher said with a subtle smile as he slowly turned away, his silver-white hair trailing behind him as he walked away, leaving a certain sense of quiet calm behind him while Isola stared at his disappearing back with a softened gaze.
However, the people wondered what kind of relationship their royal consort exactly had with the Umbralfiend Emissary after helping her people out while the Umbralfiend Emissary wondered if their princess let the royal consort act rude with her just because he did a favor for them.
Still, this sight made both the parties keep blinking as they couldn't figure out the right reason and something between the two...just seemed strange.
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