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Chapter 27 - The King and Queen



Castle Xanthe

City of Aphelion, Wolfen Territory

The Realm of Xathos





"My King, you have to see this," Argus told his Alpha.

Dimitrios looked up from his spot beside Ailara's bed but refused to leave her side.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's much better if you see it with your own eyes," replied Argus.

Dimitrios shook his head.

Ailara slept soundly now. It seems that the worst part of the night is over but one can never be too sure. He wanted to be by her side in case she needed blood.

Throughout the night, he constantly fed her his blood. She threw up but he only fed her more. No one had a cure for the poison yet but new blood in her system might just rid her of the Cerran blood and also this poison.

"How is she?" Argus asked.

"This is the first time she's slept peacefully. I let her drift off this time. Her breaths seemed deeper and not like the shallow ones earlier. She needs to rest."

Argus clenched his jaw and moved closer. "We will find that scum who dared harm one of ours," said Dimitrios' beta.

"Any other leads?" the King of the Wolfen asked.

"No further leads. Still just the trail that went cold and the scent of the Wolfen together with the scent of the Cerran. I am keeping close watch on our people, my King. We may have a traitor in our midst. I want him or her to be found before more harm can be caused."

"Good. Be vigilant," Dimitri said.

Argus bowed and crossed the room with silent strides. He then threw open the shutters.

"What are you doing? It's almost dawn!" Dimitri hissed.

"Just take a quick look and I will close it."

With a sigh, Dimitrios stood up from his perch beside Ailara's bed. Immediately, his head spun. It was a good thing Argus was looking at the opposite direction or he would have seen his King waver like a drunkard.

Dimitrios steeled himself and took several deep breaths. He must've lost more blood than he thought.

"What is it?" he asked as he approached the window.

Argus pointed below them. "That," he said.

And then Dimitrios' breath was knocked out of his lungs.

Below them, standing by the courtyard, was assembled all of the Vampyrs. All of Ailara's people stood there looking at the window to her room. Most of them held candles while others had torches.

Due to his keen Wolfen senses, Dimitrios could see that their eyes were closed and their lips moving in prayer.

The sight before him was eerily beautiful. It was clearly a show of loyalty and of love. They held this vigil for their fallen Queen and prayed to the gods for her speedy recovery.

"Quite a sight, huh?" Argus remarked.

Dimitrios said nothing. His beta was right. He simply stared at the spectacle below him. How could Ailara have this much loyalty from her people?

She was a traitor, wasn't she?

It was said she betrayed her own kind. Aside from that, she ended the alliance between the Wolfen and the Vampyr.

"I know what you're thinking," Argus whispered after a while passed.

Dimitrios turned his head and faced his Beta.

"How could she be this beloved by her people when she's done them so much wrong?"

"Exactly," Dimitrios whispered back. He recalled the instance earlier tonight when Ailara thought she was dying and bid him to take care of her people and treat them like his own when she was gone.

Argus sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

Then, he closed the shutters and checked every inch to make sure no amount of light filtered through. Afterwards, he lifted one of the chairs and placed it beside Dimitrios'.

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.

"Maybe we're wrong," he told his King.

Frowning, Dimitrios asked. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying that maybe everything – or maybe most – of what we know about your Queen is wrong. Maybe we're missing a piece to the puzzle and what we're missing is the crucial piece."

That statement gave Dimitrios pause.

All he knew, without a doubt, about Ailara is what he saw with his own two eyes. The first one was that she led the attack to his castle several years ago. She killed his mother and several of his people.

The second one was that she was tied up like a blood slave and then left to die by Heilen the moment he saw her again and rescued her. He didn't think much of it before. His only thought then was that she deserved it and that he didn't know what ran through his mind for him to help her.

He wanted answers. That was the reason. But he could have killed her as revenge and answers be damned.

Now that Argus mentioned it, it was as if he was seeing a new version of things.

Was she Heilen's prisoner? Was she a blood slave? Why did she want to die back then and even rejected the help he gave her?

What if she was a victim in all this as well?

His initial reaction was denial. She can't be a victim. She was a cold-blooded killer and nothing more.

But fate led them to this. The gods must have a different plan for them. She was his Queen now and she deserved, at the very least, to have a fair hearing. But he doubted he'll get any answers from her.

"You will," Argus said.

Dimitrios was lost in his own thoughts that he did not understand.

"I know what you're thinking. You're trying to figure out a way how to get the answers we seek."

Dimitrios huffed. Sometimes, he thinks his second-in-command can read minds.

"How?" he asked.

"You get her heart. And then you get her loyalty."

Dimitrios glanced at Ailara. Her breaths were still even and she didn't even move. He was confident she was still soundly asleep.

"Get her heart?" he repeated. Then, the King of the Wolfen laughed.

"What? The great king doesn't know how?" Argus teased.

Dimitrios' frown vanished. If this was any other Wolfen, he would have been punished for answering in such a way. But Argus was his Beta and also a long-time, very loyal friend.

"I was only wondering if that was possible. On the outside, my queen is as cold as the frigid mountains of the north."

But inside her is a fire that burns hotter than Celestia's brightest star.

Argus threw back his head and laughed. "Frigid? But you pant after her like she's in heat."

Dimitrios growled. His Beta only laughed harder.

"My advice to you, my King: get the heart of her people. If she is as loyal to them as they are to her, then that's your way to her heart. Once you have her love, you get the same amount of loyalty. When you have her loyalty, you have her trust. And that's when you get all the answers," Argus advised.

Dimitrios only shook his head. Argus' advise made perfect sense. And probably, her people have already heard word about their King standing vigil over their Queen's bedside.

Perhaps, this plan is already in motion.

Before Dimitrios can say anything else, Argus bowed and left him to his thoughts.

He went back to the chair beside her bed and sat. Then, he took one long look at her and sighed.

"Your beauty never faded. You're still as beautiful as the first day I saw you," he whispered.

He first saw her on the day they were bonded together as children. He was young and did not understand a lot of things yet but when he took one look at her, he appreciated her beauty.

"I thought I was like Sylvan looking at Aerine for the first time."

She was a Vampyr and there was still that lingering hatred towards the other kind back then. But all that fled when he looked at her. She had blue eyes like him but hers was more luminous. It was like seeing magic in the surrounding darkness.

"I didn't understand then but I understand now. None can compare to you," he whispered to no one in particular.

Finally, he was being able to say the things he kept inside him; things that were confined only inside his thoughts.

"But then you betrayed me. You broke the alliance. You killed my mother. You broke me."

He reached for her hand and caressed it softly.

"Why, Ailara?"

He looked at her as though waiting for a reply that will not come tonight.

"How can I win your heart?"

And not risk losing mine in the process?



The next day...



Dimitrios' eyes opened when he heard rustling.

Quick as a flash, he was on his feet and ready to attack. Every muscle in his body was tense. He only relaxed when he saw that it was the Wolfen healer and the Vampyr priest.

Both of them were fussing over Ailara. They both stopped when they saw him on his feet.

"My king! Sit down! You should not be up and moving so fast. You've lost a lot of blood!"

He felt his head spinning again so he sat. The two continued what they were doing. They removed the dressing and cleansed the wound. Then, they inspected it.

As they worked, Dimitrios looked around the room. He fell asleep and it must be sundown now for the priest was already here. He mentally kicked himself. What if Ailara needed him in the middle of the day and he was sound asleep?

"I don't think there's any trace of the poison left. Her wound is starting to heal," Andreas said.

"I agree. And it's not bleeding so much anymore," said the healer.

"The color is also good. It doesn't look like it's infected now but we cannot be too sure."

The healer nodded. "I can give her some herbs to boost her system and avoid infection."

"Can I see?" asked the priest. "Vampyrs rarely need herbs for healing because we heal fast. However, the herb may be similar to what grows in our kingdom. If I know what it is, I can make sure it's safe."

The healer reached for her bag and showed the priest the herbs she used. Dimitrios tried to drown out their discussion about herbs for he didn't understand a thing.

"Do you think she'll need more blood? I fear that it may be too much for our King."

Dimitrios raised a hand and silenced her. "I'm fine. She can take as much as she needs," he declared.

"But my King!" cried the healer.

"Silence. You are talking about your queen. Show some respect!" he growled.

The healer quickly bowed her head. Andreas, the priest, stood there open-mouthed. Dimitrios turned to face him.

"Does she need more blood?" he asked.

The priest shook his head. "Not at the moment, your highness. Everything is fine as of now. She may need more when she wakes up, though."

"I will make sure she gets more," he answered.

"She may still reject the blood, your highness. We are still not sure that the foreign blood is out of her system."

Dimitrios nodded. Then, he watched as the two worked together to dress Ailara's wound. The Wolfen healer reached for her bag and withdrew some herbs. She pulverized the dried herbs and mixed it in a glass of water.

Then, she handed it to Dimitrios.

"For me?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, my King. To help replenish the blood you've lost so you can give more," the healer answered.

He took the glass she offered and down the contents in several gulps. It tasted bitter but he didn't complain.

"We'll be leaving now, your highness," Andreas said after a while.

Once again, Dimitrios was lost in his own thoughts that he lost sense of time and his surroundings. When he looked at Ailara's bed, the sheets were new. The bloody mess that was left last night was now gone.

The room also smelled fresh. There were several herbs placed by the bedside table that gave off that scent that was so like the forest.

The windows were opened and moonlight filtered into the room. Now that the moon is shining brightly, he could see that her color is much better.

And speaking of the moon, Dimitrios saw that it was the full moon tonight. He lifted his head, closed his eyes, and basked in its ethereal light. He opened his eyes once more when he realized there was something missing.

It was the full moon but he did not feel its call. He did not feel the adrenaline and the heat coursing through his veins. He did not even feel its call to shift and run in the woods.

What was happening?

Was it because the mate that his wolf recognizes is in peril? He's heard stories about mates not feeling the call of the moon when half of the pair was sick or gravely injured. There were also instances when mates had to be separated by long distances and both also did not feel the call of the moon.

Was his wolf truly recognizing Ailara as Dimitrios' mate? He knew his wolf was protective of her but was she now considered a true mate?

Dimitrios shook his head. No. That was not possible.

"We're finished her, your highness. Is there anything else you need?" the healer asked.

He shook his head. "Thank you," Dimitrios said to both the healer and the priest.

The two bowed and started to walk away.

"Vampyr, wait!" he called out.

Andreas stopped in his tracks and went back inside the room.

"Yes, your highness?"

Dimitrios looked out the window and saw that the Vampyr were still holding their vigil for their queen outside. It was the same scene as the night before.

"Tell them their queen rests. Tell them her condition is now stable. And thank them for their prayers. The goddess Lai heard their call and answered," he said.

For a moment, the priest stood there in stunned silence once more.

Dimitrios blinked. That seemed to snap the priest out of his stupor. He quickly bowed low.

"Yes, your highness. We give you our thanks for all that you've done for our beloved Queen," the priest told him.

"No thanks needed. She is my wife."

"Still, we would like to extend our gratitude. We are forever in your debt just like we are in hers."

Dimitrios couldn't help but satisfy his curiosity. He took a deep breath and then asked, "Why?"

The priest blinked. For a moment, incredulity crossed his features. It was as though he did not understand why Dimitrios was asking that question.

"P-pardon?"

"I know you are loyal to her. But what I see here," Dimitrios waved his hand and indicated what was outside the window, "goes more than mere loyalty."

"She is our princess."

Dimitrios snorted. "Try again, Vampyr."

The priest swallowed. "She has saved us countless times. We were almost extinct for we were being hunted by the Cerran. But we're not all gone yet. We're not blood slaves. She saved us."

Dimitrios frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We always know when there's going to be an attack. We are given a warning. She sends it in whatever way she can. Because of this, we are able to flee. That's all I know. It's our generals who can answer more, your highness," the priest told him.

It took a few moments for Dimitrios to digest all that was said.

So Ailara was both attacker and rescuer? It did not make sense. And then the priest was asking him to talk to the Vampyr generals?

Dimitrios snorted. He was ready for change but change does not come this radically. The generals would be the ones most loyal to Ailara. He would not get a word out from them especially if they know that he's been avoiding her these past few days and that she is being mistreated by his people.

Dimitrios sighed heavily.

"You may go," he told the priest. With another bow, the priest left the room.

"Argus! Enter," he called out.

His second-in-command entered and bowed low.

"Tell our people that there would be no revelry tonight. No dancing. No bonfire. No drums."

Argus opened his mouth to speak but Dimitrios held up a hand to silence him.

"They may run in the woods with their mates as they wish. But there shall be no celebration. Not until the Queen awakens."

Dimitrios saw the flash of surprise and admiration in his beta's eyes. It was quickly hidden behind the mask he always wore.

"As you wish, my King," answered Argus.

And that night, there was no dancing. The sound of the drums didn't echo across the vast forest. There was only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and mates quietly running together.

There was no bonfire to illuminate the darkness and shine light on the dancers. Instead, there were only candles and torches as the Vampyr continued to hold vigil for their queen.

But then there was also the whispers.

It was about how the King of the Wolfen banned all celebrations until his queen was well. The whispers spread far and wide to both Vampyr and Wolfen.

For the Wolfen, there were some who were confused and even more were less than pleased with this turn of events. But they dared not question the order of their King and Alpha and risk his wrath or make it seem like they are issuing a challenge.

And the Vampyr?

They looked at the window still praying to the goddess Lai to restore the health of their queen and keep her from all danger.

But added to that, there was curiosity and newfound admiration for their King.



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Thanks for reading! Please do check out The Rules of the Game. It's on my profile and is updated on Fridays. I really love writing this one. Haha. It's more of a funny contemporary romance with a heavy dose of reality and sarcasm.

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