NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Perdita’s words left everyone confused except for Sthena who now had a small smile on his face.

He didn’t mean to smile because that would mean he was making fun of her ignorance but her expression and the way she said it made it all funny.

Sthena stood up, deciding to save Perdita from the confusion and embarrassment. The moment he had been avoiding was finally here. He thought.

”Give it to me,” He said and stretched his hand to collect the cup of blood but Perdita shifted it from his grasp and subtly glared at him.

”What are you doing?” She mouthed and told him to back out with her eyes.

”Give it to me, Perdita.” Again Sthena made to collect it but Perdita moved her hand away.

”I understand you’re very good friends with the king. But don’t try to get me in trouble. I haven’t thanked him yet for allowing me and my brother to stay here.” She scolded in a low voice only to the hearing of Sthena knowing the two ladies were pureblooded vampires and their hearing ability was sharp.

Sthena exhaled and finally got hold of the cup but Perdita wouldn’t give in. She held it tightly in her hand and spoke with gritted teeth,

”I don’t know if you’re trying to get me in trouble. Don’t be reckless and leave the cup.” As she spoke, she tugged on the cup so that Sthena would leave it, but the man remained adamant.

Perdita felt her blood start to boil in anger. She no longer subtly glared at Sthena, she glared directly into his red eyes with her face contoured in anger.

Up until this moment, the mother and the daughter duo were still shocked and unable to form any words. They just watched the King and the Lady having a subtle fight over who to take the cup.

Princes Sarah unable to take it any longer, burst out laughing at the scene that was incredibly funny in her eyes.

It was fun to watch the great untouchable half-brother of hers being played with. This could be once in a lifetime comic she will be able to watch.

Lady Rosamonda on the other hand didn’t know if she would laugh or be angry at the way some unknown Lady was disrespecting the king, the royal family member.

She didn’t care about the King, what she cared for was the reputation of the royal family. It was an insult to them.

Princess Sarah kept on giggling in her seat. Even the maids had to bite hard on their lips to stop the laugh that was trying to erupt from their mouths.

”Ah,” Sthena gave up on the cup and sat down with a sigh. He stared at Perdita not knowing how to tell her he was the king she was looking for.

This was certainly an awkward moment he had never experienced in his life. What would he tell her?

’Give me the blood. I am the king.’ That would sound absurd and Perdita would surely not believe him. She might even smack his face with this intense glare she had been casting on him.

”What is the meaning of this, young woman?” Lady Rosamonda’s voice boomed from where she sat. ”Do you have a death wish?” She continued to question with a glare directed toward Perdita.

Perdita became confused and misinterpreted Lady Rosamonda’s words.

She said with a bow, ”Forgive me, My Lady, I didn’t mean to keep the king waiting. It’s just that Sthena interrupted me.” She paused and glared at Sthena again and continued, ”Please where can I find the king? The blood will get stale if he doesn’t drink it now.”

Lady Rosamonda held a flabbergasted on her face. Her eyes narrowed as she couldn’t believe that the woman was still acting like a fool or was she knowingly mocking the king?

It had to be the latter reason, and she was surely going to teach her a lesson not to disrespect a royal again in her life.

Lady Rosamonda stood from her seat and walked towards Perdita who was not only confused but was starting to get embarrassed.

The way the younger woman was laughing and the older woman was angry confused her. Did she say anything wrong? She wondered and tried to remember all she had spoken but saw nothing wrong with her speech.

Were they perhaps angry that she barged into the dining room without permission?

Ah! Perdita internally smacked and scolded herself. She should have known that this was the castle and she was bound to meet the royal family members. Speaking of which, where was the silver-haired Prince Regan?

Before Perdita knew it, Lady Rosamonda was in front of her with her hand raised in the air.

What was happening? Perdita questioned herself. Was the older vampiress going to slap her?

Well, that was what it looked like because immediately, the hand of Lady Rosamonda swiftly came down and landed on Perdita’s face.

The sound of the slap resonated in the dining room leaving the maids and Perdita shocked as her face moved to the side.

The red imprint of Lady Rosamonda’s hand was quick to appear on Perdita’s cheek as it left a cut on her cheeks.

Lady Rosamonda had slapped her using the hand where she wore her ring and the impact had caused a cut on Perdita’s cheek where blood slowly started to slip and trail down her cheek before dropping on the floor.

Perdita stilled, not expecting the Lady to do what she had been thinking. What did she do to receive such treatment?

She knew the royal family and those of the high society were cruel and heartless, but was it to this extent? Slapping her without reason?

”How dare you insult a royal family member?!” Lady Rosamonda barked and raised the other hand to slap Perdita on the other cheek but before it could touch her, Sthena froze her hand in the air.

”Don’t you dare touch her again,” Sthena spoke and slowly stood up from his seat. ”I did not permit you to hurt her. How dare you hurt her? Did my warnings earlier not get into your head?” He bellowed, his eyes blazing in fury.

”What are you talking about?” Lady Rosamonda hissed struggling to release her hand from the force that froze her hand in the air. Her face contoured in rage and pain that was slowly creeping up her hand. ”Release my hand!”

”More words from you, and your hand will end up not belonging to you.” Sthena still maintaining his calm demeanor spoke but the warning message couldn’t be denied that he will surely do as he had said.

”W...wait, is s... she the Lady?” Sarah questioned with wide eyes as everything began to sink in. The fun she had been enjoying turned into something like this.

”Yes,” Sthena coldly replied.

”B...but brother, Mother is not at fault here. She was clearly insulting not only you but also the royal family. Please, let Mother go.” Sarah pleaded and went to stand beside Lady Rosamonda who looked pained because of her hand frozen in the air.

Not only was her hand in the air, but the force also caused the blood in that part of the body to congeal inside hence making her hand bite and itch badly.

Sthena turned to look at Perdita and took her hand that had gone cold. Blood was still slipping out of the wound on her cheek. His eyes darkened more than they were and he said ”Let’s go. I have something to tell you.”

”W...wait.” Perdita drew her hand back. She looked at the older woman who was in pain and asked, ”W...here are you taking m...me?” She couldn’t stop herself from stuttering after experiencing the first-hand cruelty of one of the royal family members. Her cheek stung from the pain and she sucked in a deep breath when she spoke.

What kind of ability did Sthena possess? She questioned herself. And what was the whole brother and mother thing? Was this woman his mother and the girl his sister?

What was happening? She only came to meet Sthena before deciding to thank the King too. Why and when did everything suddenly escalate to this?

Sthena’s cold eyes softened a little but his anger was still there boiling deep within him and wanting to explode and burn Lady Rosamonda.

”I’m taking you out of here,” Sthena answered and pulled Perdita by her hand so she could start walking.

”B...brother. What...where are you going? Won’t you release Mother?”

”No,” Came the short answer from Sthena. ”Let her find a way to release herself.”

”What?” Sarah’s eyes widened more than they were, ”You know she can’t release herself.”

”Very well then,” Sthena smiled. The smile that one had to be wary of. ”She will stay there until the wound she caused on her heals and completely disappeared.”

Without waiting for Sarah to speak more, Sthena pulled Perdita along with him and walked out of the dining that was left in the silence and aftermath of what transpired inside.

Sthena took Perdita to one of the guest rooms and sat her on the couch. He walked to the cupboard and took the first aid box. Sitting beside her, he gently grabbed her jaw and turned her face towards him.

”This will hurt,” He said and dabbed the piece of clothing on her cheek.

Perdita hissed and tried to hold back the pain when Sthena continued cleaning the wound before he applied a healing ointment to it.

”Does it still hurt?” Sthena asked as he observed her face. ”It will take time to heal. You’re not healing because it was a pureblooded vampire that injured you.” He explained.

Perdita nodded and subtly moved away from him which he noticed but he didn’t say anything. He was the reason why this had to happen to her.

A long silence ensued between them as both of them thought of how to put their thoughts through.

Perdita glanced at Sthena and averted her gaze almost immediately before opening her mouth to ask her burning questions.

She asked, ”Everything that happened in there, what was it all about? Why did she call you brother?”

Sthena exhaled and leaned back on the couch and began, ”I’m sorry you had to go through this, Perdita.” He sincerely apologized. ”The answer to your question is a yes. She is my sister, my half-sister.”

Perdita nodded in understanding still not meeting the eyes of Sthena. She continued to question, ”What about the part where she called you, Your Majesty?”

”You also heard correctly,” Sthena responded.

”You’re the King?” This time Perdita looked at Sthena and saw him slowly nod his head.

”Yes, I am the King.”

___★___

A/N: Happy Hundredth Chapter!