The Royal Revenge
Chapter 177: Another Place To Bite

Chapter 177: Another Place To Bite

"Was there anything that happened while I was asleep?" Aleksander asked Elys during her dinner.

The vampire king was swirling a glass of wine that was specially concocted to taste like blood. It was thicker than what Elys would have considered as wine, as if it was imitating the likeness of blood too aside from its taste.

"The ladies and I have spoken of the nobles while you were asleep," she said as she sliced through the thick meat on her plate. "It seemed like there were activities we haven’t heard of lately."

Aleksander raised his brow and said, "And that is?"

"That the vampire clergy has had a hand into some illegal importation of products from other kingdoms," Elys said with a scowl on her face. "The ladies don’t know much of who exactly are involved, but whispers point out a handful of suspects."

The young king stopped swirling his glass of wine. He stared at the tiny vortex in his cup, the aroma of the nearly black liquid rising towards his nose. Slowly, he lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip.

Elys ate while Aleksander was silent. She only lifted her eyes towards her husband when he finally made a comment.

"Interesting," Aleksander hummed.

"You would be livid to know who is one of the suspects," Elys said.

"Let me guess, High Priestess Naya?" Aleksander speculated.

Elys shook her head and said, "No, I don’t think the High Priestess would be that careless to involve herself in such trades."

"Then who? Do I know this person?" he asked, his head tilted in confusion.

The young queen took a gulp of her own brand of wine and then turned her eyes towards her husband, "The priest we met this morning, Priest Mora."

Aleksander’s grip on the wine glass tightened. A vein popped out of his forehead and his silver eyes instantly switched to its golden hues.

"That priest who disrespected me with his sarcastic replies?!" the vampire burst out in anger.

The wind glass exploded in his hand, the dark liquid spreading into the pristine marbled table. Pieces of broken glass dug into his palm, but the pain did not seem to be a concern to him at all.

His fangs dragged out, a guttural growl rising from his throat. Elys remained calm and popped a piece of potato in her mouth, "Ohh... I might say, this dish is quite delightful. And yes, that priest is one of those corrupt ones the ladies mentioned back when you were asleep."

"Is that all? Have they mentioned anything else?" Aleksander said.

Elys sliced another piece of meat, paired it with a baby potato and then spread a bit of sauce on it. Aleksander’s eyes were enraged, but he held out his anger and waited for her to finish a bite.

Elys hid a smile inside her.

’Aleksander has truly changed for the better,’ she said to herself.

The vampire noticed his wife’s eyes were somewhat amused. He was confused why, when he was actually enraged by the information he had learned. What was she thinking?

"Why do you smile, my queen?" Aleksander asked. "Have I said something funny? Is there something on my face?"

The young king frantically searched his face. Was it a splash of wine on his cheeks? Perhaps on his forehead or nose? He didn’t notice anything out of the usual, and he then turned his attention to his shirt.

Aside from a few spills from the dripping liquid on his side of the table, Aleksander didn’t think that the stain on his pants could have been the reason for Elys to smile.

"Oh, don’t think too much of it, husband," Elys said as she casted her gaze back to the last of her food. "There is nothing wrong with you."

"But I saw you smile?" Aleksander pointed out, "Is it something I did?"

Elys shook her head and put her cutlery down. She looked at Aleksander straight in the eyes, her rubies to his golden pairs. Aleksander’s face was of pure confusion, the anger slowly giving way to a less serious look.

The corners of her mouth lifted into a soft smile and then she let out a tiny giggle.

Her husband didn’t think his concern was funny at all.

"Now you laugh at me," Aleksander slumped in his seat. "Are you plotting against me, my queen, and you dare not to speak to me what you are thinking at the moment?"

Elys stopped laughing and then tilted her head to the side. She propped her elbow on the table and then leaned her chin on her open palm.

"It’s nothing, Aleksander," she said, stifling another bout of laughter, "It’s just I noticed you have improved your manners so much from when we first met. Also, I am sorry to say this, but I did find you funny."

Aleksander frowned at Elys’ words, "So you did laugh at something I did. Why deny, wife?"

"My bad," Elys said, "I just thought you looked quite a bit endearing when you were full of rage but still trying to hold yourself back. It was like watching a volcano hold off its lava from erupting."

The young king turned his face away from Elys, a bit embarrassed by what she said. It felt kind of weird to hear her say those words when all she ever said to him before was to discourage him of falling in love with her.

But what she was doing at the moment made it even harder for him.

"Why are you being like this, wife?" he whispered.

Elys raised a brow at his question and then answered, "Can I not speak of you that way then?"

The vampire shook his head, his dark raven locks swaying in front of him. He looked like a child when he acted like that, and Elys suddenly became curious.

"How old are you exactly, Aleksander?" she suddenly asked out of nowhere.

"I am just at the beginning," he vaguely responded.

"So about in your early twenties?"

"Close enough," he added.

Elys squinted her eyes and said, "Something tells me you are bluffing."

Aleksander blushed at Elys’ words, and she was quick enough to notice. Elys knew it was a chance she couldn’t pass her by, and she stood up from her seat right away.

The sound of her chair dragging from the floor jerked Aleksander’s attention. He watched her come closer to him, her dress swaying with the curves of her body.

She looked enticing in her gown. Despite its simplicity, it had perfectly fit into her built and complimented her lithe movements.

His wife reached his side of the long table they shared. Elys stood straight and then Aleksander fired back at her the same question she asked him, "How old are you, my queen? Answer me truthfully."

Elys put her hands to her waist and then answered, "Twenty-seven the other day."

She leaned forward, her hand lifting his head up and said, "How old are you exactly, my king?" she asked again, this time around emphasizing the right word to coax him into telling her the truth.

The young king held Elys’ probing gaze and wondered how the situation shifted from discussing corrupt vampire clergy priests to his wife practically a breath’s distance away from him. Her gaze bore into Aleksander, and in the end, she won.

"Nearly a hundred and thirty," Aleksander sighed.

"Not as old as I imagined, but not quite young in human years too," Elys noted.

"We should get you another one of this, but maybe in a different color," Aleksander suddenly whispered in a raspy voice.

Elys’ eyes widened with what she heard and then laughed, "You are being distracted, Aleksander."

He slumped on his seat and then said, "And was it not because of you, my queen?"

There was a bit of laughter shared between the two of them, when all of a sudden the young queen heard a rumbling sound. It came from Aleksander’s side, and she turned her eyes towards him as he sheepishly turned his eyes away.

"Ah, since I am already by your side, would you want to have dinner now, my king?" Elys asked him.

Aleksander raised his eyes towards her and then said, "If I may."

The young queen smirked and then offered her arm for Aleksander to feed, "Drink, King Aleksander. For after this is you will face yet another battle."

Aleksander received his wife’s arm as if it was a gift from the heavens. But then he frowned after he saw the condition of her skin.

"Why? What is the matter?" Elys asked him.

"I don’t think that drinking from your arm right now would do you good," he said.

"And why is that?" Elys asked.

Aleksander pressed at the part where he usually bit her. Although the skin has healed well, he could see a thin mark from his previous bites. He took a look at the other arm, and it was the same.

"I think I already bit too much from these parts," he told her. "But I know where it is better."