Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 24: Night’s Nemesis

Chapter 24: Night’s Nemesis

Zane and Puck exchanged glances, silently communicating their confusion and concern. They had no idea where Thorin was steering this conversation or what he hoped to achieve by provoking the king.

"Excuse me?" King Valentin’s face tensed up. His surprise and growing anger were unfiltered. Clearly, he had not heard about this before.

Thorin leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm with zero care in the world. "Oh, my apologies. You didn’t know? Princess Lisbeth tampered with the results of the Trials."

"That’s preposterous! How dare you spout baseless accusations against royal blood? My Lord, I know you’re fearless, but you’re in the land of vampires, and we can finish you off in a flash," a council member fumed.

"Oh, yeah? Kill me, and the alliance goes down the drain. I mean, if you can," Thorin taunted with a rebellious glint in his eye.

King Valentin shot the council member a look, and he quickly took his seat, obedient and subdued.

"Anyway, seems there’s some bad blood between her and Riona. Understandable, really. Losing to a mere servant wouldn’t sit well, would it?" The Alpha werewolf chuckled with a mocking tone.

"It is only natural that children that age have discord with their peers. It is how they learn to hone their social skills, and some children just wouldn’t grow up. I’m talking about Fangless–I mean, Riona, of course."

"It is only natural for children of that age to have discord with their peers. It’s how they learn to hone their social skills. Some children just don’t grow up," a council member interjected, attempting to downplay the situation. "I’m talking about Fangless—I mean, Riona, of course."

Thorin smirked. "Ah, yes, because tampering with the Trials is just a bit of childish squabbling, right? If Riona’s so insignificant, why did Princess Lisbeth feel the need to cheat to beat her?"

"You should not concern yourself about her, My Lord. She’s not important. Just a servant," another council member interjected, making the atmosphere even more tense.

"That ’servant’ of yours aced every test. Speed—she nailed it. Stealth—she moved like a ghost. Strength—effortless. She even won the duels, despite your princess’s sabotage," Thorin countered.

He laughed before continuing, "I’m sure your princess was disappointed she couldn’t stop Riona. And what did she do? Added a ridiculous new test to stack the odds against her rival."

"You seem pretty sure about that, Alpha. Do you have proof?" King Valentin asked. His voice was low and gruff, clearly alert.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I wouldn’t dare say anything without solid evidence," Thorin replied confidently.

Thorin signaled to Puck, who rummaged through his pocket and pulled out several scrolls. He opened them and spread them out on the table.

The scrolls contained documentation of the test results. Some had different handwriting, clearly showing evidence of tampering and copying.

"This..."

The council members were at a loss for words.

"How many of your people can read and write, Your Majesty? How many could create an exact copy of the Nightwarden’s document, tweaking just enough to avoid suspicion?" Thorin traced his fingertips over the questionable sections, emphasizing the discrepancies.

After discovering Princess Lisbeth’s sabotage, Thorin alerted the Nightwatch by pointing out his suspicions. The Nightwatch reported it to Sir Kai, who seemed to be the only one who cared about justice and the truth.

Thorin worried that Princess Lisbeth would cover it up too well and that this sin would go unnoticed. So, he ordered Puck to obtain the evidence before the princess could destroy it.

The council members shifted uncomfortably, exchanging nervous glances. "Princess Lisbeth acted within her rights to challenge a potential threat. Riona was getting out of line," one of them argued.

Thorin raised an eyebrow, his smile widening. "So, cheating is now considered ’acting within her rights’? Fascinating. Tell me, what other rights does your princess have? The right to rewrite the rules whenever she feels like it?"

"No, that’s..."

The council members fell silent, and King Valentin’s jaw tensed. His glare was sharp and intimidating, like a laser beam. His breath was low, and despite his efforts to hide it, his chest rose rapidly.

"I have no doubts that your princess is highly regarded in the Kingdom of Eira. As you said, Your Majesty, she possesses outstanding beauty, and I’m sure she’s smart and strong as well," Thorin began.

This had all been part of his plan. If Princess Lisbeth hadn’t cheated, Thorin needed to find another way to steer the negotiation to his advantage.

But luck was on his side, and Princess Lisbeth had succumbed to envy and rage.

"However, I believe Princess Lisbeth and I may have different principles, which could make marriage difficult," he continued.

Thorin gestured to Puck, who began rolling up the scrolls and stashing them in his pocket.

"Do you have someone else in mind?" King Valentin finally asked the question Thorin had been wanting to hear.

"As a matter of fact, I do, Your Majesty."

Thorin wore a confident expression as if he had been waiting for this moment for years.

The council members were perplexed. Thorin had only been in the kingdom for a short time, so how could he already have someone else in mind besides the princess?

Puck and Zane exchanged worried glances, fearing Thorin might once again act impulsively. They knew Thorin had been interested in a particular lady for some time now.

"I’d like to marry Riona," Thorin announced.

Gasps filled the room. King Valentin clenched his fist. While Thorin’s defense of her had hinted at his feelings, hearing her name outright still left them stunned.

"My Lord, she doesn’t deserve you. She is fangless!"

"That’s right! My Lord, she is just a servant."

"Not to mention, her manners and temper leave much to be desired. She wouldn’t make a suitable wife."

The council members united in highlighting Riona’s shortcomings, but Thorin found it all the more amusing.

"But, Your Majesty, Riona isn’t just any servant, is she? She’s the true heir to the throne, isn’t she?" Thorin observed the fire in King Valentin’s eyes. "Ah, my apologies. Was that supposed to be a secret?"