Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 141: Can You Let Me Go?

Chapter 141: Can You Let Me Go?

There were no words that could express Ivan’s astonishment the minute his name was mentioned. As crazy as it was, he was starting to have a second guess on who else might be bearing the same name as his, but apparently, he was the only Ivan that everyone had their eyes on in the throne room, and most of all, when they bowed their heads in unison, he was lost for words as if his tongue had been severed from his mouth.

Eamon, who heard Lord Viktor make his momentous announcement, could feel the lunatic smile on his lips dissipate when he repeated what was on the parchment for everyone to hear. This time around, he made no mistakes so the dumb ones won’t have to tell him to repeat his statements for the third time.

"As I once said, the new King of EmptyHollow, the one who has been unanimously chosen by the citizens after much deliberation, to guide them into the future is no one else but Lord Ivan." The authority in Viktor’s voice was unmistakable as he glanced at the stupefied Vampire Lord. Stretching his hand forth for Ivan to receive, for the first time, Ivan noticed the way Lord Viktor gazed at him with purpose, and it was one that deemed his respect.

"Congratulations!" He commended Ivan, whilst waiting for him to receive his outstretched hand. Although his mind was disoriented, Ivan subconsciously accepted his hand, shaking it firmly, and all of a sudden, the crowd’s applause snapped him out of his stilled-daze, their cheers echoing within the premises as not only them, but even his little lamb was clapping her hands in applause, her eyes crinkling with contentment and glee, and as they held gazes, he felt an internal warmth within himself.

"Lord Ivan, or should I say King Ivan." Tobias simply acknowledged his cousin with a bow, and everyone followed in unison, including the Courtiers and Ministers of the court. Ivan tried to keep himself composed at the unprecedented honor, but surprisingly, he was finding it difficult to do that.

"No! Stop! All of you!!" Eamon shook his head in refusal, his angry roar surpassing the cheers that had everyone automatically stopping in their praises. He gritted his teeth as he backed away, even went as far as snatching the parchment from Lord Viktor’s grip and tearing it in pieces, only to throw them away. "These votes are false! They do not count! There has to be a mistake somewhere.. there has to be a mistake! I should be the King! My name should have been on the parchment, not this back-stabbing Vampire! Someone has tampered with the votes!" He announced, as if he had proof to state his claims, but even the crowds were not happy at his offensive display of action.

"I beg to differ." A feminine voice interrupted Eamon, and when everyone glanced at the entrance, Queen Lucinda and Abdiel were making their way into the throne room. At her majestic presence, the people of EmptyHollow lowered their heads in a deep respectable bow as she approached the platform where Eamon chose to reveal his madness, and with the icy aura of a Queen, Lucinda stepped onto the platform only to deliver a resounding slap across Eamon’s face, shutting him up, and the whole crowd fell into a hushed awe. Even the servants who had been watching from the opened door, eventually stepped inside to stand at the back of the crowds, and all sorts of gasping sounds could be heard.

Eamon, who hadn’t expected the slap, was thrown off-guard when his ears rang momentarily, followed by the dull pain that came with Lucinda’s slap. Not only was everyone stupefied, but Ivan, who hadn’t yet digested his Aunt’s presence, was mind-blown when she delivered a hot slap to Eamon’s face, the sound echoing against the throne room, and he could still very much hear it in his head.

When Eamon’s raging pupils met the eyes of Queen Lucinda, he nearly cowered under her gaze, but to avoid facing the humiliation he was presently up against, his fangs retracted forward as his fury steamed within.

"You dare hit the son of King Muzan in the face?! Have you no respect?!!"

"You are lucky it was only a hit, compared to what you did to my nephew this was a miniscule reward." Queen Lucinda stated without flinching or averting her cold stare. Pausing for a moment as she sized him up with complete disappointment, she asserted firmly. "I think your days of manipulating these innocent subjects are over. You should have stayed at Vesunard, permanently, but look where your foolishness has brought you. I won’t be surprised, the thief eventually gets caught on the last day."

"You cannot talk to me–"

"I will talk to you as I see fit." Queen Lucinda interjected with an assertive stare before he could complete what he wanted to say to her. "You do not deserve my deference so I shall speak to you the way animals like your type deserve to be spoken to. But one thing is for sure, you cannot rule over EmptyHollow."

"It is enough," it was Abdiel’s turn to glare at Eamon. "Do not use your Father’s name when you have no respect for his wishes and his properties. It is okay to want the throne but what you’ve done to Ivan and the traumas inflicted on him. It has all been figured out, your plans to end Ivan during the hunting ground was also revealed to us. You will have to face the judgments concerning all of them."

"You turned your brother into a demon, on purpose." Viktor revealed, causing Eamon’s expression to blanche as he wondered how they knew. "You painted him black and made yourself the deceiving light, all to gain the throne. I’m afraid the charges on your head are enough to send you to exile, or you could be punished by beheading. Since the kingdom has a new King, it is not in our court to decide your fate. We can only give suggestions, but it is up to Ivan to decide how he wants to handle you."

Emeric and Hadrian who planned on sneaking their way out of this were stopped by Alistair and Tobias who blocked their path. "Going somewhere? But the event is just starting." The two vampire brothers pushed Hadrian and Emeric back on the platform so they could join their brother who was facing trial in front of the people and the court, and Eamon, who was presently going insane, had not expected his reign to end like this.

The handcuffs which Ivan had destroyed earlier caught Damien’s intention. With an amused glint, the vampire Lord stretched his hand forth and used his powers to lift the handcuffs from the floor where it laid. Before the eyes of everyone, the handcuffs were immediately modified, and before they could guess Lord Damien’s intention, he closed his palm with concentration, and in the blink of an eye, the cuffs magically disappeared and appeared on Eamon’s wrist, subduing his powers.

Eamon could feel his system weaken instantly, as if he had lost something vital within himself. The cuffs were indescribably compelling, and he wondered how Ivan was able to bear wearing this for how many days, only to break it.

"What punishment do you intend to serve the three brothers?" Viktor asked Ivan who was still mentally trying to put two to two together. His eyes scanned the crowds and everyone present as they waited for him to make his first decision as King, and after finding his voice, he turned his gaze to Eamon and his brothers that were on their knees before him.

For a moment he remained quiet, and then his eyes gleamed as though he just thought of a better punishment.

In a matter of minutes, the three Princes were thrown into the Orb room by Herbert and the other guards, immediately locking them in. They were all tied-up, their mouths were gagged as they banged on the door, demanding the guards release them, but then, everything else ceased when they heard a sharp snarl behind them. The shadow of something bigger than them covered their frame, the doors reflecting the shadow of what could be behind them, and as the three of them slowly turned around to see what was behind them with unhidden trepidation, the sharp teeths of what seemed to have come from a plant descended on them.

Their agonizing shrieks were heard by Ivan who stood outside the door. Samantha, who had made her way through the courtyard and down this path, came to stand beside Ivan while also listening to the deafening screams coming from inside. It gave her skin goosebumps until there was silence. Ivan, whose gaze drifted to the young woman standing beside him, could feel warmth return to his eyes when she turned her head to look at him, and Samantha immediately bowed her head politely.

"I- I wanted to wish you congratulations on your new reign." She uttered meekly, her heart drumming once again for no particular reason at all.

"Why so formal?" He inquired with a slight tilt of his head, and Samantha regained her posture, but she didn’t dare meet his eyes.

"You are a King now, so I–!!" Samantha immediately lost her voice when he pulled her into his embrace. He held her close, so much that she could feel the steady heartbeat of his chest drumming against her ear. Due to their height difference, her head was resting on his chest as he just held her with no attempt of letting her go, an action that made her heart swell, and her cheeks bloomed.

"I told you I was going to come for you." He said, his silky voice still laced with worry as he was reminded of how he had felt when she came here unannounced, and Samantha gently pulled back from his embrace to meet his concerned eyes.

"But I came for you instead." She answered before inquiring innocently. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No." He shook his head before taking a deep breath and smiling at her with twinkling eyes, "for the first time in a long time, I feel...happy. It was a strange feeling, but I didn’t feel alone today."

"You were never alone." Samantha reminded him, "you just needed to realize that, and I am happy to see you happy again...but Lord- I mean King Ivan."

"Just Ivan will do the trick." He corrected, but he noticed the way she hesitated before saying.

"Can I ask for a favor from you?"

"Anything you ask I shall do for you, what is it?"

"Can you.. let me go so I can find my brother?"