The Vampire King's Possession
Chapter 708. More Votes

Chapter 708: 708. More Votes

Mauve lay on her bed with Mill standing right in front of her. She had dozed off and didn’t wake up until Mill appeared. "It’s time for the second meal," Mill announced.

"Oh," Mauve rubbed her eyes and slowly moved to a sitting position.

"Are you alright?" Mill asked, looking at Mauve with concern.

"Yes," she answered and tried to get out of bed but fell back into it.

Mill immediately looked concerned. "Let me help," she said, and before Mauve could respond that she was fine, Mill was already helping her out of bed.

"Thank you," Mauve said instead as she stood to her feet.

The bruises were less prominent now, but that was irrelevant as they had served their purpose. For the second meal, Mauve opted for a different hairdo. She wore her hair down. With that, she was ready to face the second meal and the meeting.

"My lady," Mill’s voice broke through her thoughts, stopping her in her tracks.

"Yes, Mill," Mauve replied, turning around.

Mill hesitated, but then she lifted her chin as if gaining confidence. "I will be attending the meeting too."

Mauve’s eyes widened as she stood rooted to the spot. She knew how much Mill avoided anything that referred to her roots. Though a lady, she would rather clean up the dishes than admit she shared the same blood with the man who wanted her and her brother dead.

"Why?" Mauve asked, unable to help herself.

"I figured if it’s more votes you needed, mine surely counts. Regardless of how things turned out, I am still a noble."

"You don’t have to do something you absolutely despise for me," Mauve replied.

"This isn’t just for you. I am still my father’s daughter. Even if we both would prefer it otherwise, it won’t change the blood that flows through my veins. The faster I accept it, the better. It doesn’t mean I accept my father; rather, I accept myself."

Mauve blinked, and her feet started moving on their own. She wrapped her arms around Mill, who in turn hugged her back. "Thank you," Mauve whispered in her ear before pulling away.

She doubted it was by voting, but the more people she had on her side at the meeting, the better it would be. The fact that Mill was willing to do something like this for her made her so happy she could cry. She wiped at her eyes, making sure no tears spilled before slowly making her way to the door.

The guard assigned to her was right outside, and he escorted her all the way to the dining hall. Mauve wondered why he hadn’t been standing at his post when Seraphino arrived, but there was barely any time to think about it right now. She had far more important things to focus on.

The second meal was tense. Everyone knew what would happen after it was over, and it was pretty clear their thoughts were occupied with it. Mauve watched the lords closely as they ate, trying to figure out which one would be more willing to conclude in her favor.

It was hard to say with the Levatons, especially with Lady Jevera, but she noticed the Lord did not put up much of a fight after his conversation with Jael. Another important family was the Garths. Mauve wasn’t sure if Sabrina had managed to convince her father. If not, the only person she was sure of was Sabrina.

The Drusiles were a completely different matter. Mauve knew nothing about Erick’s family. His brother had given her a dark look many times. She was sure they were not on her side, as were the Phelans. Lady Francine was a close friend of Lady Marceline; it was clear from how often the ladies interacted. However, Lady Francine had neither spoken to her nor looked at her.

Mauve tried not to sigh at the dinner table. Her situation looked bleak. The only ones on her side could be counted on one hand. Still, she didn’t plan to give up. She would pull every trick in the book, including underhanded tactics.

Jael was confident it would end in her favor, as there was nothing the lords could do about the fact that she had been marked. However, Mauve didn’t want a reluctant agreement. The chances of another incident like Seraphino’s were very high, and she wanted nothing more than to avoid such a scenario.

She turned to Jael, and he looked at her with longing and pleading in his eyes. Mauve smiled at him. It was a genuine smile. She saw him falter, and then relief showed on his features. He stretched out his hand, and Mauve took it. He didn’t let go immediately, and she didn’t pull her hand away. After a long time, he slowly let go of her hand, but only because she needed to eat.

Mauve couldn’t help the warmth that tickled her stomach. It truly was uncomfortable to be at odds with her husband. She knew how much she loved him—she could feel it with every breath she took—and even the betrayal, didn’t change that. They still had a lot to talk about, but right now, it just felt important to reassure him and herself that this was something they could pull through.

When the time for the meeting came, Mauve was seated right next to Jael with her hand in his. He refused to let go of her. They had walked into the room holding hands and were currently seated, still holding hands. The space was filled with lords. The only ones missing were Otis and Seraphino. Everyone’s eyes were on Jael and Mauve as they faced them.

"The meeting may commence," Jael announced, interlocking fingers with Mauve under the table.

Lord Phelan stood to his feet immediately, tumbling his chair and almost flipping his table over. He went straight to the point. "We do not accept the mate you have chosen. A human?" Lord Phelan spat into the corner. "Unacceptable. Marked or not, no Primus mate would be a human."