Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 91: The Queen’s Persuasion

Chapter 91: The Queen’s Persuasion

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"What is this Ivan? Please don’t tell me everything you said out there was the truth!" Ivy, who had had it to her limits after seeing them together like that in his chamber, demanded from Ivan when they stepped out of his room to talk, and nothing about the subject still made accurate sense to her.

"A servant?! You really couldn’t find anyone else to make your bride but that girl? Think about this Ivan, she was once a slave, a servant, she has no formidable reputation, goodness knows where she’s from or who her family are! I thought you were better than this Ivan, how can you settle for an outcast?"

"First of all she’s not an outcast, and you don’t get to talk about my future bride in that tone, believe me when I say I won’t take it lightly with you regardless of our relationship." His warning tone dripped with malignity, completely overlooking every other thing she had said. "If you aren’t here to support my decision, then I see no use in me having this baseless conversation with you." He was about to walk away when Ivy stood in his path, and he could see that she was hurt from the way he had spoken to her, but he didn’t regret it, because he only spoke to her in that manner due to her own obnoxious attitude.

"I came all the way here to see you and you treat me like this?" She asked, obviously pained by it, but then the door to Ivan’s chamber suddenly opened, interrupting her, and Samantha stepped out of the room. Her presence only made Ivy’s brown eyes darken as the maid turned to look at Ivan before saying.

"I am going to see..."

"You can go." He gave her permission, and Samantha, who was still uncomfortable and indecisive about her decision of being his bride, bowed her head in appreciation before turning around to take her leave.

Ivan returned his gaze to Ivy who kept glowering at his little lamb’s retreating figure. "Don’t stare at her like that." He admonished with a scowl, whilst Ivy returned her attention back to him.

This was why he didn’t want her to reveal where she was going to, cause he was sure once he dismissed Ivy, she could go after her, but what he failed to understand is why she would be bothered about his choice, he couldn’t say she had feelings for him since she had turned down his proposal when he asked her, but he also knew Ivy wasn’t the type who cared much about status.

"You’re seeing me now, aren’t you? I’m fit as a fiddle, unharmed, so it will be best if you return to your kingdom, your presence might give off the wrong information, and your Father might get worried if you don’t return soon. I’ll send the guards to escort you like last time, but presently, I need to change and see Abdiel, and this discussion is only wasting my precious time."

Already irked, Ivan walked past her and went back into his room before he eventually said something hurtful, thus, leaving Ivy to stand outside as she could hardly bring herself to believe it. She let out a harsh breath as if her system had forgotten how to breathe, and her hands made their way to her chest side where her heart drummed painfully.

Samantha, who had successfully made it to the Maid’s quarters, could hear the faint hum of laughter and lively chattering of other servants emanating from within. She had greeted some of them along the way before arriving at Lucy’s doorstep. She knocked on the wooden door, and to her relief, the door opened, revealing Lucy who was also surprised to see her, whilst she immediately made way for Samantha to step into her room before closing the door.

"You’re back!" Lucy was finally able to exclaim her surprise as she hugged her friend. "I was so worried Lord Ivan would not find you, it is good to see you’re well and fine."

"You told Lord Ivan where I was?" Samantha asked Lucy who shook her head. "I only told him what I knew, and he said he knew where he’d find you, but I am so happy to see you’re back, I thought those hunters would come for you, come."

Both maidens took their seat on the soft surface of the worn but cozy rug. "Is everything alright? You do not look fine. Are you ill?" Lucy, who noticed her friend’s pensive mood, had asked. The way her lips had turned into a frown and her eyebrows creasing pessimistically as if she was worried about something, made it an easy guess, but Samantha shook her head before letting out a glum sigh.

"I couldn’t find my brother." She told Lucy, "when I got there, the establishment was...no more. They said it had caught on fire, there was no one to give me the details on how it happened, and there were no survivors after the incident, so I’m struggling to face the reality that I might never see my brother again. I don’t think I’ll be able to stand the sight of his corpse if I eventually find it. I was...too late."

"I’m so sorry." Lucy, who was genuinely shocked by the news, offered solace to her friend, and she said, "you were having it rough, so don’t blame yourself for any of it. I don’t think you should lose hope yet, if you haven’t found his body, there’s still a chance he could be out there somewhere, okay?"

Samantha heaved a deep breath as she felt tears starting to prick her eyes all over again, but she blinked it back as this wasn’t the right time for her to even start grieving. "You are right, but we can discuss that another day. Right now, I’m here because I need something from you." She proceeded to reveal her second reason for coming over.

"What is it?"

"I’d like to know." Samantha sat straight before choosing her words carefully. "I’d like to know, has Lord Ivan ever had... I mean, has he shown any romantic interest to any princesses in the past? Is there a woman he admires? Or used to admire?" Samantha’s unexpected question had Lucy blinking for a few baffled seconds before she shook her head.

"Not any that I know of, Lord Ivan was more aromantic in the past, he was always ... focused on the Kingdom to bother about such things. There were different rumors circulating within the Palace that he despised relationships, but I assumed he never got the chance to experience such feelings."

"I see." Samantha muttered before saying out to Lucy, "do you have any books? Any romantic books that you could lend me."

"What type?"

"Hmm.... more romance, angst.... erotic?" She hinted at Lucy who smiled at the mention of those tags. "Give me a minute!"

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In one of the majestic Chambers belonging to King Muzan, Queen Carina had made herself feel more at home as she sat by the window, drinking the usual blood wine that was a familiar drink to all vampires, but when one looked closer at the face of Carina, it was easy to make out the fury behind her hazel eyes that switched to a scarlet.

It was one of her special abilities to have different varieties of eye color, and she had put them into good use in the Kingdom of Vesunard.

Recalling Ivan mention a lowly servant as his bride was making her blood boil within, and she was so upset that the glass in her hand shattered to pieces, but the wounds were quick to heal. The fact he had gone for a servant clearly shows how much he wanted to soil the reputation of the Kingdom, and Carina couldn’t help but blame her late husband for bringing this mistake of a son into their lives.

The door to her room suddenly opened, snapping her back to reality, and she wasn’t surprised when the person who walked in turned out to be her daughter, Claire. The young Vampiress approached where her Mother sat by the window and asked worriedly.

"What are we going to do, Mother? If uncle agrees to Ivan and that ... .that maid’s union, it’ll ruin everything."

"Abdiel isn’t that soft-hearted my dear, I know he favors Ivan most of the time, but he’s not stupid. Be calm." Carina assured her daughter before her eyes narrowed into space. "What is the name of that servant? The one Ivan chooses to get married to?"

"I don’t know, I think.... Samantha? Yes! Samantha is her name."

"Where did Ivan pick her from?"

"She’s a slave, Mother, a slave who got sold to the Courtesan house. See Mother? She has no background, she’s classless and unwanted, whatsoever, I hate her so much." Her lips twisted in disdain at the thought of the maid, remembering how she had used her charms on prince Nichole.

"Is that all?" Carina asked, unsure of why she was not satisfied with this answer, but Claire rolled her eyes in irritation.

"Why are you concerning yourself with someone like her, Mother? We should be worried about Ivan and how to convince Uncle to stop their union from ever happening."

"The decision will be made in the royal court tomorrow." Carina said to her daughter before her red lips curled into a malicious smirk. "The favor will be on our side, just you wait my dear."

"I really hope so."

"Forget that for now, come have a seat." Carina gestured for her daughter to take the empty space beside her, which she did, and then Carina turned to look at her daughter before saying. "Back in Vesunard, I found someone fit for a husband for you my dear. He’s a powerful vampire who has the trust of the higher-ups, you will like him alot." She informed Claire who didn’t seem amazed anymore now that her marriage with a stranger had been brought up, but she didn’t dare go against her Mother’s wishes.

"Who...is he?"