Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 170: Rust and Arrogance

Chapter 170: Rust and Arrogance

The west wing had crumbled to rubble. Enemy forces now surged from both the north and south, encircling the royal palace, trapping the Royal Guards and King Valentin’s allies inside.

When he arrived, the scene was grim. Lisbeth was barely on her feet, her breath ragged, while her plump friend lay unconscious in the hallway.

"Father..." she whispered as King Valentin landed before her. Her voice trembled, and her eyes filled with tears that mixed with the black blood staining her face as they fell.

Her battered half-armor offered little protection now, torn and slashed in countless places. Her once radiant silver hair was matted with grime and blood, clinging to her bruised skin. Her face, covered with deep cuts, was a painful contrast to the fierce determination in her expression.

The crimson glow of Lisbeth’s eyes dulled to grey as her father, now in his human form, stepped forward. The sight of his broad, battle-hardened back gave her a fleeting sense of safety as if she could finally let go. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Not while the battle still raged.

"Step back," he commanded, his voice firm.

Lisbeth, trembling and barely able to stand, clenched her fists. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest, but she stood her ground. Swallowing the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, she shook her head.

"No. I will fight with you. I will defend the palace."

There was no time for debate. King Valentin knew he needed every ally, even if he still wished his daughter wouldn’t be foolish enough to remain in the battlefield. He hoped she would retreat to safety, but there was no time to persuade her.

"Your Majesty!"

The Royal Guards, battered and weary, found a flicker of hope in the king’s arrival. His presence alone rekindled their resolve. On the other side, the enemy army hesitated, taking instinctive steps back, cowed by the overwhelming aura of the mighty ruler.

However, as if already anticipating this, Elder Alfred appeared himself. Tension thickened as his figure cast a dark shadow across the battlefield.

It was as if history itself was repeating. Once again, King Valentin stood face-to-face with the elder. But this time, the elder’s aim wasn’t to end Riona’s life—it was to bring an end to the king himself.

"So, you’ve chosen the hard path, Your Excellency," King Valentin remarked, his voice edged with a cold, unyielding calm. "I thought, given your age, you’d prefer a more peaceful approach."

He was referring to the petition Elder Alfred had drafted to challenge the king’s rule. In truth, the elder had never desired outright war. He was old, and diplomacy suited him far better than bloodshed. The petition had been his first attempt at seizing power without violence.

But as events spiraled out of control, the petition had lost its value. Elder Alfred no longer had the patience to beg for the favor of lower-ranking aristocrats.

If it meant securing victory, he was willing to fight. He had lived far longer than King Valentin, and in his arrogance, he believed that experience alone would be enough to best the much younger king.

"You should learn to respect your elders, Your Majesty," Elder Alfred said with a sharp edge to his voice. "None of this would have happened if you had heeded the wisdom of the sages, instead of recklessly endangering the kingdom with your own immature decisions."

There was an unsettling confidence in the elder’s gaze. Despite his power, Elder Alfred had never once bested King Valentin. Their previous duel had ended in a stalemate, with neither emerging victorious. This would be the chance for them to settle the score and prove who was truly superior.

In his mind, however, there was no contest. He had never doubted his own strength, never felt the need to gauge it against another’s. He saw himself as vastly superior, far beyond what any king—especially one so young—could ever hope to be.

"Indeed, you have long held a seat among the sages," King Valentin said, his voice calm but laced with steel. "But perhaps I should remind you—sitting in one place for too long can dull even the sharpest judgment. The wisdom you were once revered for has rusted into arrogance."

Elder Alfred’s teeth clenched in fury. He despised the arrogance of young vampires, especially those who showed no respect for their elders.

"You will learn," he hissed, "that even rusted wisdom is still superior to the reckless judgment of a young, ungrateful king who lets his emotions guide him."

Ironically, it was Elder Alfred who had often been ruled by his emotions. He was prone to acting on impulse, and now, as his rage flared, he couldn’t even mask his anger at being insulted.

But in his mind, he was never the problem. His self-righteousness blinded him, and he was utterly convinced that overthrowing King Valentin, even through force, was in the kingdom’s best interest.

To him, it wasn’t a personal vendetta—it was a necessary act to save the nation.

"We will not allow you to destroy our beloved land," Elder Helena declared, stepping forward with an air of authority. "We have safeguarded this kingdom for far longer than you’ve walked this earth."

As her words echoed, more elders emerged from the shadows, their faces etched with the same fierce determination. Their glares were sharp and unyielding, each one ready to stand against the king with a ferocity born from centuries of loyalty—to the land, if not to him.

Determined to topple what he saw as a flawed and dangerous regime, Elder Alfred abandoned the path of honor and summoned other elders to join his cause.

Together, they would stand against King Valentin, not as a noble council, but as a force determined to reshape the kingdom, convinced that only their wisdom could save it from ruin.

At that moment, Margrave Nicholas arrived with his army, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight before him. A line of elders stood at the front, with an imposing army of noble loyalists stretching out behind them.

The weight of the coming battle settled heavily on his shoulders as he gritted his teeth, steeling himself for the inevitable clash.

Now, both sides stood face to face, each vampire resolved to see this through to the bitter end.

"Charge!"

The command rang out, and with a thunderous roar, both armies surged forward, charging headlong into the chaos of battle.