The Veil of Darkness
Chapter 336: Meeting the Seelies (Part One)

Chapter 336: Meeting the Seelies (Part One)

The next morning dawned under a heavy blanket of freshly fallen snow, casting an eerie quietness over the castle. The morning breakfast was over within an hour and everyone left to do their work.

Annalise and the Dark Lords gathered in the living room after breakfast as the four of them had their own plan for the day. The anticipation hung in the air as they discussed about what and how they were going to handle the mission.

With determined expressions, they climbed the grand staircase that led to the upper floor, their footsteps echoing in the vast hallway. Finally, they reached the ornate door that concealed the entrance to the Secret Realm. They stood before it, uncertain of how to proceed.

Though they all knew that it was Annalise who could make the castle allow the Dark Lords entrance into the Secret Realm, neither the Dark Lords nor Annalise herself had any clue how to do that.

After several moments of long and very uncomfortable silence, Valerius was the first one who stepped forward. His icy-blue eyes held a hint of motivation as he spoke, "Annalise, you should try to connect with the castle. Tell it what you desire and see if it responds."

Kenric and Damien also nodded their heads in agreement with their brother’s suggestion. "That does sound like a pretty nice idea to me. What’s better than just connecting with the castle and trying to communicate?"

Annalise nodded, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and anxiety. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to become one with the ancient structure. She whispered softly in her mind as if speaking to an old friend, ’Everyone believes that you will listen to me. While I’m not sure if that’s true or not, I do feel that you have treated me with nothing but warmth, and care from the very day I arrived here. I hope that you will trust me enough to fulfill my request today.’

The response was immediate. The very air around them seemed to shift and warm. Vines that covered the castle’s walls trembled with newfound energy as if awakening from a deep slumber. Annalise felt an unmistakable connection as if the castle recognized her and her request.

Still unsure of what to expect, she decided to be direct - ’I seek passage for the Dark Lords into the Secret Realm of the Castle. Please allow permission.’

As she opened her eyes, the scene before her appeared unchanged. Except for the initial shift around them, there was no other shift either in the castle or the ward protecting the entrance of the door leading inside the Secret Realm.

"What exactly are we expecting to happen though?" She questioned her husbands as confusion dawned over her after scanning the area.

"Not really sure... " - was the response she got from Kenric which made her at h her eyebrows high in question as she turned to look at the AutumnPrince.

Yet, Damien, the boldest among all of them, decided to take the first step. He stepped toward the shimmering ward that guarded the Secret Realm’s entrance. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the ward enveloped him, and in an instant, he vanished from their sight.

A gasp escaped Annalise’s lips, and she exchanged an anxious glance with Valerius and Kenric, While the former looked slightly stunned by Damien’s sudden action of stepping through the ward, the latter appeared almost proud.

However, there was no turning back now. Since Damien had already crossed the ward, they all needed to follow him. With unwavering resolve, they stepped forward, one after another, through the ward. All three of them felt the sizzling energy of the ward washing over them before they were standing on the other side, the Secret Realm.

It was a breathtaking place, unlike anything they had ever seen before. Colors danced in the air, and an otherworldly serenity surrounded them. Damien stood there, waiting, a triumphant smile on his face.

Annalise, Valerius, and Kenric exchanged looks of astonishment and relief. The castle had listened to Annalise’s plea and granted them entry into the Secret Realm.

"This place is beautiful," Damien spoke as he came to stand next to the three of them. Him calling something else beautiful other than Annalise sounded almost weird to everyone.

"It just makes me wonder exactly how beautiful the actual Seelie Realm should have been. That place had been known as the paradise of nature’s beauty. I wish I could have seen it at least once with my eyes." Valerius added as his eyes took in the vibrant colors surrounding them.

They all stood in silence as Annalise let her husbands take in the positive energy and vibes of the Secret Realm. She had been just as awestruck as them when she first entered this place but after visiting the place every other day for the past several months, she ahd almost gotten used to its beauty.

"Where exactly are we going though?" Kenric asked after a while, his attention turning toward Annalise.

"Esmeray has called a meeting of the leaders of all the Seelie Clans residing here in the Secret Realm. So, we will be meeting them at his house." She informed her husbands who nodded their heads in understanding before all four of them set out for Esmeray’s house.

-

Annalise, accompanied by Valerius, Damien, and Kenric, followed Ascher through the lush, ethereal gardens that surrounded Esmeray’s grand house. The scent of blooming flowers and the soft glow of fireflies added to the magical atmosphere of the place that had been brightened up through certain spells.

Despite the chilly weather of mid-winter and the heavy snowfall that had been ongoing for the past several days, Esmeray’s house appeared like a place built in the heart of spring.

Esmeray met them at the entrance, his gaze sweeping over the three Dark Lords before coming to rest on Annalise whom he greeted with a warm smile.

"You are slightly late but I will forgive you today considering we have more important matters to handle compared to me teaching you the necessity of punctuality. Let’s head inside, everyone’s waiting."

Esmeray totally ignored the Dark Lords and headed deeper into his house without passing a second glance in their direction.

Annalise hurriedly followed behind Esmeray, knowing fully well that her husbands had probably built a not-so-positive image of Esmeray in their minds, not like they liked him initially.

Esmeray led them to an inner grand hall where dozens of people were gathered, all sitting around comfortably in the chairs arranged around round wooden tables that had trays of snacks, wine, and warm tea sitting on top.

Annalise’s eyes scanned every single person one by one and there was no hiding the immense power they all held. She almost started having second thoughts about her plan. Exactly how was she going to convince these people to step out of their current comfortable lives to save their disastrous future?

But despite her insecurities, she didn’t actually have the luxury of stepping back from the plan. She needed to find a way to convince the Seelies, she didnt have another choice.

Esmeray stepped forward and raised his hand for attention. "My dear Leaders," he began, "I am grateful that you all accepted my invitation and came here to my house on my request. And I’m also honored to introduce Princess Annalise of the Seelie Empire and her husbands, the Princes of the Midnight Realm."

The leaders turned their attention toward the newcomers, curiosity gleaming in their eyes. Annalise smiled warmly, acknowledging their presence. She was good at pretending to be calm and confident no matter what sort of turmoil would be happening inside her, that much she knew about herself.

Esmeray then gestured toward the assembled leaders as he spoke to Annalise and the Princes, "And now, allow me to introduce you to the leaders of the Seelie Clans who have gathered here today."

One by one, the leaders stood up from their seats as Esmeray introduced them, exchanging nods and greetings with Annalise and the Dark Lords.

Among the dignitaries, Annalise couldn’t help but notice the regal presence of the King of the Summer Court and the Crown Princess of the Dawn Court, a sight that surprised her. She had no idea that the Summer and Dawn Courts’ royal lineage was still present and had not ended ten thousand years ago.

After the introductions were complete, Esmeray began to address the council. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered here today to discuss a grave matter. For the past ten thousand years, you all have been living with your clans here in seclusion from the outside world. Back then, you late light queen did everything in her power to save your lives and keep the Seelie race from getting completely destroyed... which caused us the loss of our beloved Seelie Realm and... the light Queen."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.