Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 255: The One Behind The Crystal

Chapter 255: The One Behind The Crystal

Before coming all the way to see his little lamb in Aragon, Ivan was forced to partake in one of the ceremonies which involved allowing the concubines to entertain him and his guests, as he would no longer be a single man in the coming two days. He was firmly against the idea, as he had no interest in watching other women fawn over him, but when everyone ganged up against him, using the tradition as their click bait! He eventually found himself here.

"The stress..." he sighed softly.

In one of the opulent Chambers situated at the second tower in his Palace, Ivan reclined against the ebony throne, his regal presence undeniable to all who was present to celebrate with him. He casted a glance at the setting sun outside, hoping for the day to grow dark soon so he can be with his little lamb, but as if the world was presently against his timing, Tobias had closed the window using the curtains, oblivious to the young vampire who kept gazing at it for some reassurance that the day will go by quicker.

Before him, in the seductive glow of the candlelight, a group of enchanting concubines swayed to a haunting melody. The concubines, a collection of alluring vampire women, moved with an otherworldly grace that made the court shiver with desire. Their gossamer garments clung to their lithe form as they moved, and their eyes, like molten gold, casted a spell on those who dared to look.

Not much to his surprise, the nobilities, and every other unmarried invitee, including his entourage, watched in rapt fascination. Ivan’s gaze was fixed on the mesmerizing performance, though his thoughts were far from the scene before him. He fiddled with his goblet, the deep crimson of the blood wine resembling the hue of his dark eyes.

"Your Majesty, do you need me to refill your goblet?" Asked one of the concubines who had seductively stirred herself away from her fellow women to drop at Ivan’s feet.

She held the exquisite jug in her dainty hands, her gaze low as she dared not look at Ivan without permission. When he did not complain regarding her advances, a slow smile tugged at her lips, and she refilled his goblet.

"His Majesty must be strained after today’s hassle, I am known for offering the best massage amongst my peers. If his Majesty would like then I can–"

"That won’t be needed." His dismissive tone came out firm and plain. It lacked warmth, whilst ruining the lady’s hope of becoming the luckiest one that he might choose to soothe him tonight. Refusing to give up, she tried to think of another excuse.

"Then what about warming your bed? Surely His Majesty would–"

"I have a wife who is going to fulfill that duty." He snapped quietly, and with a control he could muster, he flicked his wrist and said, "go, if I need someone I’ll call someone."

"As His Majesty wishes." With a polite bow, the lady stood up to join her peers. Of course, no one heard the discussion between them, but from his expression, they could see he had coldly declined the concubine’s offer. He seemed restless, yet no one could fathom the reason behind it.

Ivan on the other hand, felt like his mind was a jigsaw puzzle missing all the crucial pieces.

No matter how hard he tried, the being he chased down the woods did not leave his head. The memories of how it tried to touch his woman only made him feel a sense of growing unease, and that too in the middle of the night, taking full advantage of her sleep. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got with himself that he had not targeted the same hand it tried to use in touching his little lamb.

But who was he? What kind of being would possess blood as black as charcoal? Even for a vampire like himself, he didn’t like the sight of it.

"Are you thinking about going there tonight?" Alistair leaned in to speak with Ivan, his voice a low murmur as he discerned the vampire’s thoughts, "you were supposed to see her for a few hours, isn’t that what we agreed on? But of course, you don’t listen to anyone and so you decide to ignore all forms of punishment by showing up at daybreak."

Alistair scoffed and folded his arms, "I know people fall in love but you’re a psycho in love. Father would have caught us today if you didn’t appear at the nick of time."

"Well If you keep talking rubbish we’re definitely going to get caught." Ivan turned his head to look at Alistair, his nose scrunched irritably, "and keep your distance from me, you reek of alcohol. The scent coming from you is enough to drive a sane man drunk. Tsk!"

Shifting his gaze back to the dance before them, Ivan inadvertently noticed a lone vampire standing behind the entrance to the door. Already aware of why he was here, Ivan rose to his feet and politely excused himself before going to answer Duncan who held a crystal in hand. Unlike everyone who was eager to be a part of the celebration, Duncan avoided it like a plague, and Ivan had no idea how to drive the vampire out his shell.

"Did you get what I was looking for?" He immediately asked Duncan as they stepped into the privacy of the adjoining room, the silence, bringing a sense of comfort to Duncan’s heart.

"Yes, I got a name this time." He went straight to the point, handing the crystal back to Ivan with a cryptic facade creeping in. "The name is Marius, it sounds familiar, even for me. I can’t recall where I’ve heard the name but I’m sure you can find more information from the archive in Vesunard. They keep all the deepest family history there." He hinted.

"Marius?" Ivan’s pupils dilated slightly at the mention of the name. He could remember the letter Mr Dufort had written to Samantha, warning her about a man named Marius. A look of apprehension reflected on his visage as he asked,

"Did you say Marius? Are you sure?"

"I know what I heard." He affirmed his conclusion. "It was the only thing I heard."

"The only thing?" Ivan pondered, and from the looks Duncan gave him, he suspected a scheme. When the crystal dropped from the cloaked being, his attention had been side-tracked, giving the being a chance to escape. After getting hold of the crystal, he brought it back and gave it to Duncan, since the lone vampire had agreed to help him.

He had been waiting, hoping that this time, Duncan would be able to grasp something from the crystal, but never did he expect the owner of the crystal to be Marius. The same Demon Mr Dufort had warned his daughter about, the same Demon who was using these crystals to manipulate people’s weaknesses!! He had him at his grip and he let him get away!

He didn’t even see his face!

"Anger will not solve the problem." Said Duncan, who nearly shivered from Ivan’s building wrath, "he’s onto something, I suggest you ask Lord Viktor to help you with our family’s history, you might find something in there."

"I’ll do that tonight."

"Hold on, before you leave, what about my request?" Duncan asked Ivan who was about to take his leave, and he immediately remembered the help Duncan had seeked from him.

"Right, the exiled princess you told me about. Herbert is still on it," Ivan let him know, "you’ll get the necessary information before the night of my wedding."

"It was nice doing business with you." And Duncan exited the room first.

Ivan let out a soft sigh as he returned to the present. He looked at the woman who had finally fallen asleep, she was happy, her heart was peaceful, and he couldn’t imagine allowing anyone else to ruin the happiness she had longed for till this day. If she ever learns about Marius, he wondered if it’d be too much for her to take in.

Should he tell her?

"No." He shook his head, not yet. He won’t tell her about it just yet.