Divorce The Duke, Marry The King!
Chapter 41: Future Queen

Chapter 41: Future Queen

Chuckling, the vampire leader glanced at his companions and quipped, "My men and I decided to enjoy a little fun in your kingdom. After all, we have heard so much about its legendary hospitality." His remark drew laughter from the rest of his men, their amusement echoing in the room.

Quinn stood silent, observing the interaction with a calm intensity. He was curious to see how Hezekiah would handle these fools, who were utterly ignorant of the King’s true nature. This was their first direct encounter with Hezekiah, and they were clearly underestimating him.

For years, Quinn had been the one tasked with handling threats that could endanger the King’s life, a vow he made to the late King before his passing. While Hezekiah lacked Quinn’s ruthlessness and skill with a blade, his sharp tongue and unmatched wit were more than enough to bring his enemies to their knees. The former King had dismissed such talents as trivial, which was why he entrusted Quinn with being the sword and shield for his successor.

"It’s amusing to hear of this ’great hospitality’ in my kingdom for the first time," Hezekiah remarked, his tone light but laced with mockery. "I must thank you for enlightening me."

The vampire leader cleared his throat, his confidence wavering under the weight of Hezekiah’s words. "You are welcome, Your Majesty. Now, shall we proceed with the truce?" He suggested, hastily changing the subject.

"By all means. What are your King’s terms?" Hezekiah replied.

A scroll was produced, which one of Hezekiah’s guards retrieved and handed to him. Unfolding it, Hezekiah scanned the contents. He scoffed audibly at the first line, his expression growing more amusing as he read further.

The vampires watched him closely, unable to determine whether his reaction was one of astonishment or disdain. At first, they had been surprised to learn Hezekiah would attend the truce personally. They dismissed it as a formality, but now it was clear the King had no intention of conceding to their demands.

"We don’t even make such absurd demands of our enemies. Your King must be quite the visionary," Hezekiah quipped, handing the scroll back to his guard. His gaze shifted to the vampire leader, his voice dropping to a steely calm.

"I came here to sign a truce, not to sell out my kingdom," he declared, pausing just long enough to let his words settle. "Sell our criminals to you? The audacity is truly remarkable," he added, leaning back in his chair with a smirk.

"Your Majesty, rather than pardoning criminals, we thought it more fitting to empower them, enlist them into the army and let them fight for our people. Surely you see the logic in that," the vampire leader argued, his tone laced with false persuasion.

Hezekiah’s lips curved into a sardonic smile. "Perhaps I should have left this ’dirty work’ to my favored general instead. It seems we will need to reschedule this discussion until your King is prepared to approach the truce with reasonable terms." He rose from his seat, and Belle instinctively followed, mirroring his movements.

The vampire leader, sensing his authority slipping, called out brazenly, "Then why not give us this beautiful woman in exchange? Our King is also seeking a wife."

That was the last straw. Without hesitation, Hezekiah’s temper snapped, and he hurled a punch across the vampire’s face, sending him sprawling to the ground. The room fell silent, stunned by the sudden explosion of violence.

"If you dare lust after my woman again, a punch will be the least of your worries," Hezekiah warned, his voice sharp and dangerous.

The vampire leader, undeterred, burst into mocking laughter. "Your dog is allowed to lust after her and touch her, but not our King? Spare me the..." His taunt was abruptly silenced as a sword pierced through his chest, leaving him wide-eyed and gasping.

"You see, I hate wasting time." Quinn stepped forward, casually running a hand through his hair, his smirk cold and predatory. His actions sent a clear message, and the tension exploded into chaos.

"You bastard! Kill him!" The vampire leader’s second-in-command bellowed, and the room erupted into battle.

"Hold my hand tightly!" Hezekiah commanded Belle as his personal guard fought to shield them. Trembling, she obeyed, clinging to him as the chaos unfolded around them. Maddie and Mia had been right, this was no place for her. She couldn’t even imagine wielding a sword, let alone defending herself. How could she survive this life as his Queen with no strength to protect herself?

"Your Majesty, your safety comes first. We need to leave without my lady," the personal guard urged, fighting off attackers with one arm.

"No! I am not leaving without her. Escort us both!" Hezekiah barked, his grip on Belle tightening protectively.

"It’s far too dangerous for her to remain. They will use her against you, and we can’t allow that. Besides, the leader of the Imperial Guard will protect her and no harm will come to her," the guard reasoned, glancing toward Quinn, who was in the thick of the fight, his blade cutting down enemies with brutal precision.

Hezekiah hesitated, his eyes flickering toward the bloodied Quinn. How could he entrust Belle’s life to a man currently lost in a killing frenzy?

"Your Majesty, I will be fine. Do as he says, it’s safer for both of us this way," Belle urged, her voice trembling. Before he could object, she broke free from his grasp and darted toward Quinn, who was momentarily distracted by her approach.

The distraction cost him, and a blade grazed his back, leaving a deep cut.

"Hmm!" Quinn grunted in pain but quickly pulled Belle into his arms, shielding her from further attacks.

"Are you okay?!" She gasped, her voice filled with fear and concern.

"Belle!" Hezekiah’s desperate voice called out from across the room, but his guard restrained him, dragging him out of the restaurant despite his protests.

Quinn’s gaze remained fixed on Belle, his smirk returning despite the chaos. "I guess it’s game over for today. Such a pity. We leave on the count of three,

don’t look back," he instructed, grabbing her hand.

Her grip on his tightened instinctively, and he chuckled.

"One, two, three..." he counted, and they ran. Belle’s eyes squeezed shut as they fled the carnage behind them.

"It’s going to be a very uncomfortable ride, so bear with me, future Queen," Quinn teased as they reached a waiting horse, his tone dripping with mockery.

She rolled her eyes at his pettiness, though her heart was still racing.

Effortlessly, Quinn mounted the horse and extended a hand to help her up. Once she was seated securely in front of him, he kicked the horse into motion.

"Ahh!" Quinn groaned as an arrow struck his back, but he didn’t falter. Instead, he kicked the horse to move faster, his focus unwavering.

"Quinn!" Belle exclaimed, panic in her voice, but he only smirked, his resolve unshaken.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.