Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 172: Lady Maris’s Resolve

Chapter 172: Lady Maris’s Resolve

Since King Valentin had been the first to unleash his full power, the enemy elders no longer held back. Their combined might surged as they launched a large-scale assault. The air crackled with energy.

Distracted by the glinting earring in his palm, the king’s focus wavered at the worst possible moment.

The attack struck him with crushing force. He crumpled beneath a cascade of bricks and rubble from the shattered palace walls. With their advantage growing, the enemy surged deeper into the palace, swiftly seizing control of the entire west wing.

A dense mist swirled around King Valentin’s body, rendering him powerless to control his enemies.

His brute strength alone wasn’t enough to free him from the crushing debris—not with Elder Alfred relentlessly adding more rubble to the pile, ensuring the king’s entrapment.

Not far away, the knights from Lumi’s house were losing ground, their backs against the wall—both literally and figuratively.

They fought with wild desperation, shielding their unconscious young master, Lumi, and her friend, Cielo. One of them focused on the defense, forming a shield around the girls while deflecting attacks. The other focused on the offense.

Burdened by the need to protect the girls, the knights’ movements were slow and vulnerable as they stayed close to the girls’s fragile bodies.

"Your Majesty! Are you all right?" someone’s voice cut through the chaos, but panic laced every word.

King Valentin could barely discern who was calling out, his world muffled beneath the crushing weight.

He forced himself to respond, his voice a growl of determination that echoed through the collapsing halls. "Don’t... let them reach the inner palace!"

But the enemy was already pressing dangerously close. If they breached the inner palace, the entire northern, eastern, and southern wings would fall under grave threat, endangering everything and everyone within.

Time was slipping through their fingers. And the enemy was relentless.

They were vastly outnumbered. A single misstep in the opening move had cost the Royal Guard dearly, leaving a trail of fallen soldiers in its wake.

"Cut off the head!" Lady Tanith bellowed, her voice slicing through the chaos.

Elder Alfred’s strategy was brutal in its simplicity—relentless, unyielding attack. Wave after wave of assaults rained down on the king’s forces. Against any lesser foe, it would have been overwhelming. But King Valentin and his royal troops were no ordinary opponents; their might was legendary.

Fortunately for the enemy, Lady Tanith was there to shift the tide. Her plan was far more calculated. Eliminate King Valentin—that was her first and only priority.

Without their leader, the morale of the royal army would collapse. Once their defenses faltered, she would strike deep into the heart of the palace, seizing control from within.

"No more bloodshed," she murmured. "Enough lives have been lost tonight. All we need is their surrender... nothing more."

But even as her mind clung to the hope of a peaceful end, her gaze remained locked on the battlefield, where blood still flowed like water, and the will to resist burned fiercely in the eyes of the king’s loyalists.

"What are you doing?! Attack!" Elder Alfred shouted though the enemy troops were already pushing themselves to the brink.

It wasn’t just King Valentin’s side that was weary; Elder Alfred’s forces were equally drained. They were battered and bruised, injuries marking their bodies like badges of honor, yet they were compelled to press on.

Each step was a struggle, but the adrenaline of the fight spurred them forward, even as fatigue gnawed at their resolve.

***

Margrave Nicholas led his troops in a strategic circle around the palace, preparing to attack from behind the enemy’s lines.

As he and his men climbed the treacherous hill behind the west gate, he was met with familiar faces. They were soldiers from neutral noble families, their presence both a surprise and a source of concern.

He didn’t have time to question why they were there; the only pressing question was, "Which side are you on?"

Four high nobles, each mounted on horseback, commanded the small army that followed them. Though their numbers were limited, their connections to powerful noble houses could provide invaluable support—if they were on the king’s side.

But the voice that broke the tension wasn’t one of the high nobles. Instead, a petite woman stepped forward, her face strikingly familiar to Margrave Nicholas.

"Lady Maris," he said, bowing respectfully.

"They will help His Majesty," she replied, her voice taut with frustration. "I tried to rally more support, but those cowards wouldn’t even answer my call, despite pledging allegiance to me." Her words came out through gritted teeth.

Margrave Nicholas turned his gaze toward the battlefield in the distance. Flames roared high into the sky, crackling ominously as a chaotic blend of magical energies filled the air.

"The western wing has collapsed. I advise you to seek shelter, My Lady. We need to ensure His Majesty’s peace of mind so he can focus on the battle," the margrave urged.

Lady Maris stepped closer and removed the lone earring from her left ear. "He will be shocked when he finds my other earring, which fell when I rushed out of my chamber. Take this as proof that I am unharmed. Tell him I’ll be waiting for his safe return."

Margrave Nicholas opened his palm, where Lady Maris put her earring on, and clasped his hand. "Yes, My Lady. I will deliver your message."

Before seeing Lady Maris leave, Margrave Nicholas assigned two of his knights to accompany and protect her, in addition to her own private Royal Guards.

She would take shelter at a friend’s house, alongside other noble ladies whose husbands were fighting in the battle. The mounted nobles welcomed the extra knights, knowing that their presence would ensure the safety of their wives.

As Lady Maris climbed into the carriage and it galloped away, Margrave Nicholas turned his attention back to the battlefield.

He rallied his troops, now bolstered by the new forces, and prepared to launch a surprise attack on the enemy’s rear formation. With a fierce battle cry, they charged forward, their voices rising in unison to bolster confidence and morale as they surged into the fray.

Little did they realize that King Valentin wouldn’t be the only one poised to receive reinforcements.