The Crown's Seduction
Chapter 193: A Vigilant Watch

Chapter 193: A Vigilant Watch

Mineah had a great night and for the first time in her life, she found herself enjoying the effects of alcohol. She and Nikolai were back inside the Corvus Palace and were walking under the cold night of snow holding hands.

"You’re swaying," Nikolai muttered and she laughed when he suddenly scooped her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around Nikolai’s neck as she basked his handsome face which looked tempting under the moonlight.

"You look like you’re going to eat me anytime now. Why walk when I can just teleport us inside our bedchamber in a snap?" Nikolai teased.

Mineah pouted, protesting, "But I love this cold weather. Why are you always in a rush? I want to sober up first and walking outside like this will help. Ah, I wonder how Lord Fritz and Laura are doing right now. Should I give him a heads-up? Laura can hold her liquor well, she hardly gets drunk. But she likes to put on a show and act wild when she’s had a few too many..."

Nikolai chuckled and said, "Don’t worry. Fritz is a very capable vampire, Mine. You’ll be surprised at how well he could read people. He’ll handle Laura just fine."

Drawing her closer, Nikolai planted soft kisses on her forehead, his warm breath mingling with the chill. "Concentrate on sobering up, my love. I prefer you sober when you’re screaming my name."

A blush spread across Mineah’s cheeks, and she pressed her lips together, choosing not to respond verbally. She nestled her face against his chest, savoring the closeness.

"Lai, please don’t despise me too much if you find out more secrets I’m keeping from you. Don’t think that the reason I’m not telling you is because I don’t trust you enough. My love for you is boundless, but..." Her words dissolved into sobs.

She was having a really hard time.

"Shhh, it’s alright," Nikolai’s soothing whisper reached her ears. Mineah closed her eyes, hoping Nikolai was right and that everything would be fine in the end.

Mineah let out a soft chuckle and firmly stated, "Ah, even if everything isn’t alright, Lai... Even if you end up resenting me, I’ll still be by your side. I won’t let go even if you shoo me away."

"That won’t happen, Mine. Tell me and unburden yourself from everything," Nikolai coaxed but Mineah could only bite her lower lip while her eyelids grew heavier. She didn’t even notice herself dozing off while sobbing.

****

Meanwhile, Nikolai’s brow furrowed as he moved through the corridors, heading towards their bedchamber. Something was bugging his wife that she was unable to tell him. His wife’s turmoil weighed heavily on his mind.

He gently laid her down on the bed observing her peaceful, steady breathing. It was clear that the events of the day had taken a toll on her. Carefully cradling her, he tried not to disturb her slumber. He felt like she needed this much rest after everything she went through.

"I should let her rest a bit more," he decided as he gently stroked Mineah’s hair. He looked at her face and gently wiped away lingering tears from her cheeks.

He knew that something was deeply bothering her, something she felt she couldn’t share. The thought of her carrying this burden alone tore at his heart. She made it sound like it was something that could make him mad at her. But didn’t realize there was no way he would ever get mad at her...

[Brother...]

Nikolai was interrupted from his stupor by Ezme’s calling. She must have something important to say as she rarely contacted him unless it was crucial.

[The dragon has reappeared, brother. It’s moving once again, heading towards Helion’s troops stationed in the northern part of Ebodia. Shouldn’t we do something already? I don’t get why you are stalling like this. We should avenge Father’s death while the monster is here! It’s been years of trying to penetrate the Forbidden Forest to hunt Vulcan’s soul, and now that the beast is here, you’re hesitating?]

Nikolai’s face dimmed as he replied, [Let Vulcan be for now. As long as he’s not harming the innocent, don’t bother him, Ezme. Keep a vigilant watch though. I believe the dragon will attack Helion’s troop so let it be...]

[Yes, but-]

[Do as I say then and stay put. Let’s use Vulcan to our advantage for now. How many times do I have to repeat my words to you Ezme? Our revenge can wait, for now, let that damn beast attack our enemies! I promise you, in due time, I will kill it with my own hands and deliver its head to our father’s tomb.] Nikolai firmly remarked.

He heard Ezme’s annoyed sighs through the bond.

[And Ezekiel? How is he?] he asked next. [Check on him in his tent, assess his condition right now. Do that and then get back to me.] He instructed with a frown. With the dragon in motion, Nikolai could only hope that Ezekiel was still within the safety of his tent.

[He’s here with the Seer and Queen Dana. He’s still unconscious, Brother. Well, given he’s a human who fought a powerful warlock like Zoran, this is expected. It will be a miracle if he wakes up soon.] Ezme reported.

Nikolai released a sigh of relief, upon hearing that news. He even chuckled because of how silly he was to even think of Ezekiel as Vulcan’s medium. There was no way it could happen so he was really glad that Ezekiel was present in his tent. This only meant that he was not Vulcan’s host so now the question is who or what kind of being managed to provide Vulcan’s spirit a good and compatible host to use.

He then looked at his wife and gently removed the strands of hair covering her face. What secret are you holding, my love?" he pondered aloud, his lips curving into a fond smile before he placed a tender kiss on her lips.

"What could it be?" Nikolai muttered. It was undoubtedly significant, but he was okay to wait for Mineah to reveal it in her own time when she was comfortable and ready to do so.