Vows and Bullets
Chapter 156 - 2nd week of September (Part 1)

Chapter 156: 2nd week of September (Part 1)

Please DON’T READ this Chapter yet. I will update this 2nd week of September!

Good news! My hands have healed now and I’m catching up on writing my missed Chapters. My apologies for all the delays. I will replace this Chapter with the real one soon, don’t worry, and upload a new one for the next day. I really apologize once again.

In the meantime, please enjoy the continuation of the story below titled "The King’s Beloved". This is the revised version I am planning to submit for paperback publication. Hopefully, I get a chance someday.

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(Part 19 - Continuation...)

Malum smirked and raised his eyebrow.

"Instead of you spouting nonsense over and over, why don’t you just do something about this dress we’re wearing?" she complained. "It’s like, duh! My hair is purple, and I’m wearing dark green? How eggplanty can I be? I definitely won’t be able to seduce the king at this rate," she said all that in a single breath.

Malum and the others laughed.

"It’s because you keep dyeing your hair," the other teased her.

Selena rolled her eyes. "I like purple, and it’s pretty. And it’s not my hair that needs to adjust—it should be the dress. Who the hell wears the same colored dress with the same design every effing day? Argh! What’s the use of getting my pink contacts if I’m gonna be in a moss green dress or ginger hair? It’s either I’m an eggplant or an evil witch with weird eyes."

"Your straightforwardness always amuses me, Selena," Malum replied with a smile on his face. "But of course, I prepared beautiful gowns for each of you! That is actually your present if you only had the sense to check it first before complaining. And don’t worry, it’s not a Pandora dress, so it won’t change when you wear it. You may find it in your rooms."

"Really?! Oh my gosh! For once, you’re useful, Malum. And do me a favor, can you make my hair permanently purple? I don’t want to keep dyeing it."

"Ha-ha-ha! I will if you perform great during the banquet."

"Of course, I will. Duh!"

"Wait a sec there—Aren’t we not allowed to dress differently aside from Pandora’s dress?" asked the curious one amongst them with an irritating accent.

"Oh darling, you’re not new here. We never follow orders anyway, so why bother?"

"Yeah, let’s just use this to our advantage," added the other.

"Alrighty. Just asking," the curious one shrugged.

"And what of our very own Odile?" Selena turned to Rania who was then sitting beside the large window, reading the golden book. She decided to call her that ever since her Pandora dress turned to black until most of them addressed her in the same manner.

Hearing her name called, Rania turned her head to face them. A moment of silence passed as the girls eagerly waited for her opinion. Too bad she wasn’t listening because she was too caught up on her reading—something the others thought she was busy planning someone’s demise. The girls from Pémptos always thought Rania was the most wicked one of them, so they became wary of her and never really tried to mess with her. Well, Rania really was dangerous before, but they didn’t know the recent happenings in her life.

Not knowing what to say, Rania simply answered, "Not interested."

With that remark, Malum was enthralled about what’s to come for tomorrow’s banquet.

Early in the morning of the next day, each palace did its best to prepare for the banquet. Everyone arranged their own gifts for the king since the banquet was to celebrate humanity’s utter failure in subduing their kind. The talented ladies of Trítos and kind ladies of Tétartos Palaces prepared rather reluctantly, knowing the reason for the banquet. The wise from Défteros and the most beautiful ones in Próta Palaces were also hesitant at the beginning, but their will to survive was greater, so they did their best in choosing their gifts. But woe to those in Pémptos who took delight in this event! With no kindness in their hearts, they cared not about what happened to their own planet, completely accustomed themselves to the world of Magi.

While preparing, it didn’t take that long for the evening to come and for the banquet to commence. The Grand Palace was decorated so extravagantly that night. The whole place was filled with red and gold all over. The floor was covered with clear white marble tiles and a golden carpet embroidered with silver roses and other flowers. The aisle was topped with red velvet carpet, and huge enchanting windows could be seen at all sides, covered with golden velvet drapes with silver embroidery at the seams.

And what were we to say about the chandeliers? They were simply magnificent and blindingly luminous, made of golden gems supported by white gold metal and very large in appearance, though the distance from the floor to the ceiling made it appear a little smaller. The marble tables and soft upholstered chairs were of very high quality as well. The table was set formally with all the cutlery, plates, and goblets, each looking like a masterpiece with its intricate engravings. There were also musicians ready at the top right corner of the hall.

The king’s throne could be seen at the farthest center, elevated amongst the rest. Behind it was a large, translucent crystal—too big that it reached the ceiling. It was the most extravagant area in the banquet hall where the red carpet led. One level below were four smaller thrones, two on each of his sides, for the king’s Judges, and another level below them were twelve other magnificent seats, six in each of his sides reserved for the Generals.

Judging by human standards, the whole palace decoration seemed like how a normal human would decorate the royal palace if it weren’t for those small floating orbs of light orbiting the white crystal behind the king’s throne. There were twelve of them, each radiating a different color—red, blue, green, yellow, turquoise, purple, pink, brown, light brown, orange, black, and lastly, pure white.