Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 103: Visits Of the Higher-ups

Chapter 103: Visits Of the Higher-ups

"W-what are you doing?!" Samantha, who glanced alarmingly at the faces of the servants before returning it back to Ivan, spoke through her teeths as she made an attempt to stand up, but Ivan’s arm already slithered around her waist as he grabbed it firmly, securely keeping her in place, and the young maiden could only glare as he raised a sexy, but questioning eyebrow at her.

"Am I not allowed to hold my future wife?" He taunted, but that also led him into revealing the news of his future bride to the servants who immediately went stiff like they had been doused with cold water. Before Samantha could refute his words since she knew he did it on purpose, the next thing she heard was the shocking gasps that circulated within the servants as their eyes snapped wide in disbelief.

"F-future wife? Sam’s his bride?" Hush murmuring soon filled the air, but not everyone was willing to believe it despite hearing it from the horse’s mouth. When Samantha noticed the dubious looks that was casted upon her, there was a silent threat that was held within them, and since the only person who can keep her safe for now was Ivan, Samantha decided to carry along with his well-thought out plan as she made herself more comfortable against him, thus, surprising Ivan who could feel his chest throb when she rested her head upon it.

"That is not the case, My Lord." She murmured softly, and she could feel Ivan’s well-defined chest underneath the surface of the soft fabric of his shirt.

Everything that was happening presently would have been a complete shock to Samantha, but Lucy had told her about all the illicit rumors that had been spreading considering her and Herbert. She wouldn’t have minded it much if it were her alone, she had gotten used to being in the bad picture, but painting Herbert with a different light when he was only saving her had clicked on her angry button. The fatigue hadn’t left her system yet, and she felt a dull pain in her head, but since she didn’t want to stay in bed as she had slept for far too long, she requested from Lucy to take her to the hall.

Getting there, what she was welcomed with wasn’t the sight she had imagined. All the servants were lined in a corner, close to the stained glass windows, but in the middle of the room, she saw four servants badly bruised and clawed as if they had been beaten. Strangely, the guards incharge of overlooking any punishment weren’t here either.

When a particular servant she remembered to be Gwen suddenly spat out blood as she was on all fours on the ground, Samantha had to look away, and that’s when she met the gaze of Ivan who was staring right back at her. She had been meaning to bow her head and offer her greetings, but she wasn’t given the chance to do any of that when Ivan suddenly beckoned her over.

"Come." She heard him say.

Samantha had the slightest idea that he might be playing tricks on her, but when she glanced at Lucy who signaled for her to answer the vampire Lord, she took a deep breath and simply went to hold his outstretched hand, but before she knew it, she was sitting on his lap with her hands that had inadvertently wrapped themselves around his neck, and now, she was resting upon him as if they were an actual couple.

She didn’t detest the feeling.

"Little Lamb, are you shy?" He asked when he noticed she had suddenly blacked out, and when Samantha met his eyes that glimmered with mischief, she immediately tried to compose herself and shook her head silently. She wasn’t smiling, and Ivan could guess she had switched to one of her usual foul moods again that only revealed itself each time she was upset, whilst he knew the reason for it.

The look in his eyes changed when they returned to the four servants.

"Are you satisfied with their results? Or should they keep going?" Ivan had asked his little lamb who was now looking at the four trembling servants. "I told them I’d let them go if you showed up here to save them. I didn’t think you’d be here, I was slowly planning on how to dispose of their bodies if they eventually died, but since you are here, should I let them go, or do you have a specific punishment that you want each of them to receive?"

At Ivan’s question, Samantha met his eyes yet again, but when she still said nothing, he proceeded to assure her. "Haven’t you ever been tempted to taste power?" Taking a strand of her golden-blonde hair in his finger, Ivan teasingly played with it. "I’m giving you that opportunity, if it is fear of what will happen when you make your choice, then I must tell you the gravity of their rumors, and then you let me know which is more fearsome to you."

"The rumors state I was having an affair with your bodyguard, and that my sudden illness was because I had gotten pregnant for him." Samantha uttered herself, and she could hardly believe how the minds of her fellow servants work in the Palace. "If it had reached the supreme Court, there’s a chance you would have detained Herbert, that is if he survives your brutality alive, and I would be a victim to people’s profanities.... a scapegoat?"

"The royalty system is more severe than it looks, little lamb." His lips twitched at her response. "That is nothing compared to what you would have faced after that, the humiliation would have left a painful engraving to your heart, so what do you want to do with them? Herbert made it clear to me that he has no business with what I intend to do with them, so I need you to conclude quickly, and show no mercy - else, I’ll handle the matter myself. Be sincere, and I shall carry your sins for you."

Samantha glanced at Ivan who assured her to speak with no fear. Moving her green eyes to the four maidens who would have tarnished the little dignity she had left of her name, she came to a decision that would shut their lying mouths forever.

"I want their tongues to be cut off."

—--

At the front of the Palace, about four fancy carriages filled with passengers had stopped at the cobblestoned front yard. When the Coachman quickly stepped down from his seat to open the door, Abdiel was the first to get down, and from the remaining three carriages, the four important higher-up vampires from Vesunard, known as the most powerful royal vampire council, stepped down from their carriages at the same time.

Their crimson eyes scrutinized the Palace before glancing at Abdiel who politely led them in. Walking past the vestibules, the higher-ups took notice of no servants waiting to welcome them, or servants waiting to serve them the usual ceremony blood wine.

"The Palace hasn’t changed much since our last visit, did someone die?" One of the higher-ups pridefully questioned as he sensed something rather sinister in the air. In the end, the butler eventually arrived to receive all four higher-ups, but before he could speak, the higher-ups raised their fingers, silencing him.

"Where is Ivan?"