Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 233: Shadows in the Courtyard

Chapter 233: Shadows in the Courtyard

Lisbeth walked down the hallway of the west tower.

It was daylight, and the servants were all asleep. Only the guards patrolled around the royal palace, but the hallway was deserted. The curtain was all drawn to prevent the sun from burning the vampires.

The feeling of being followed still lingered. As she picked up her pace, she noticed something strange about her footsteps. With two legs, there should be one sound with each step. But there was another sound—one that didn’t match.

She stopped and listened, trying to catch it without looking back. It went silent. The extra sound only appeared when she moved. She continued walking, glancing over her shoulder at the empty hallway.

Then, she abruptly stopped and turned around. The hallway was still empty, and then she heard footsteps behind her. She spun around quickly but couldn’t catch whoever—or whatever—was behind her.

Shaken, Lisbeth went to find her mother. Lady Maris wasn’t in her chamber. Lisbeth searched for her in the king’s office, but he wasn’t there either. Even Margrave Boris was missing.

With everyone who knew the truth about Florian gone, Lisbeth had no choice but to face this alone. She headed back to the north tower to confront Florian.

She didn’t know if talking to him would help, but if there was any chance of reaching him or controlling the demon, she had to try.

Lisbeth ran, panting and desperate. When she entered Florian’s chamber, she found him asleep, curled up under the blanket. Just moments before, he had been awake, standing by the window when she brought his meal.

Now, the bowl was empty, and he was tucked in. Lisbeth paused, considering her next move. Should she wake him, or should she go back to the west tower and wait for her parents to return?

After a moment, she decided not to disturb Florian. Perhaps it was better that he was asleep, which meant the demon was likely contained for now. She picked up the empty bowl and left the chamber.

As she walked through the courtyard, she caught sight of a figure—a young boy. Squinting to get a better look, Lisbeth froze. It was Florian.

Confused, she glanced back at the chamber she had just left. Wasn’t he asleep?

Instinctively, she ran after the boy, abandoning the tray and bowl on the ground. The tray could wait, but catching Florian in the act was more important. She chased him, but he kept moving farther away.

Strangely, he paused every now and then, almost as if taunting her. When she was too far behind, he would stop, wait for her to catch up, and flash a playful smirk before running off again.

This continued until Lisbeth finally lost sight of him. There was no trace of Florian anywhere, and she had no choice but to give up the chase.

***

Nothing they tried seemed to be enough. Despite the dark magic and King Valentin’s own spell meant to protect the chamber, Florian had somehow managed to slip out of the royal palace.

"My love, perhaps we should consult with the witch," Lady Maris suggested.

Margrave Boris gasped at the suggestion but stayed silent. He had no better ideas.

Involving a human witch in this matter was extremely risky. If the High Temple or anyone from the Nightwarden learned of it, the Kingdom of Eira would be in grave danger.

King Valentin, however, was running out of options. If they allowed this to continue, more victims would appear, and soon, the kingdom would descend into chaos. Vampires would begin to distrust their neighbors, their friends, and even their own families. Civil war would be inevitable.

"Let’s meet with the witch," King Valentin decided firmly.

Margrave Boris opened his mouth, ready to protest, but hesitated and closed it again without saying a word.

The king noticed the margrave’s hesitation. He, too, had doubts about this course of action, but it was the only option left. He wasn’t sure when Sir Kai would return with any answers.

"I’ll take full responsibility if anything goes wrong," the king said. "Just say I ordered you to do it. No subordinate can defy the king."

"No, Your Majesty," Margrave Boris replied, his voice steady. "Despite the risks, I believe this is our only solution. I’ll be honest about my involvement, and I won’t place the burden solely on your shoulders."

He intended to confess his involvement truthfully should the matter come to light someday.

Together, the three of them—now sharing the weight of responsibility to contain the demon inside Florian, a dark legacy of the late queen’s desires—set out to meet the witch.

To avoid drawing attention, they chose to travel in the daylight hours, when most vampires were resting peacefully—or at least, attempting to—in the comfort of their coffins.

Lady Maris led the way, as she was the only one who knew where to find the witch.

Before Emmanuelle’s death—before the seal on Florian had been broken—the maid had shown Lady Maris the secret paths to find human witches. It had been a precaution, as Florian’s care in the royal palace had fallen directly to her.

When the carriage came to a stop, Lady Maris stepped out first. She wore a dark cape, the hood pulled low to obscure her face.

But the golden embroidery along its edges—an unmistakable symbol of wealth—undermined her attempt at anonymity.

Though no one here would recognize her as the king’s mistress, everyone in this part of town knew a noble when they saw one.

King Valentin and Margrave Boris followed closely behind. The king’s towering frame and broad shoulders were easily mistaken for that of an elite knight.

From behind windows and cracked doors, curious eyes watched them. They saw a wealthy noblewoman, flanked by her knights—nothing more, nothing less.

None of them could have guessed the truth: that the woman beneath the cloak was no more than a former commoner who had become the mistress of a king, nor that the ’knights’ accompanying her were the king himself and his trusted margrave.

Lady Maris approached the witch’s door and knocked firmly. It creaked open a moment later, revealing the same woman who had once stood in the royal palace, casting her dark spells upon Florian’s chamber.

The witch smiled—a knowing, unsettling grin, as though their arrival had been foretold.

"You’re later than I expected," the witch said.