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VAMPIRE KING APOLLYON

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"I'm sure Prince Aspen had told you the reason."

"My son had told me, and I apologize. My memory had failed me a while ago." Flipping her flaxen curls, Queen Gloriana murmured as she glanced down at Luna with pity, "What happened to your Empress? Isn't she unconscious?"

Queen Gloriana lifted a hand to touch his Empress' face, and his hackles rose.

When her fingernails touched her cheek, he swatted her filthy hand away, not caring that he was a mere guest in the Spring Courts.

Hell, they could strike him down on where he stood for his insolence.

An awkward silence settled inside the Spring Halls, but the pixies weren't able to read the atmosphere and kept on showering them with dandelions over their heads.

The Spring Queen clenched her fists as she narrowed her eyes at him, and before she could reprimand him, Apollyon bowed his head and apologized. "I'm sorry for that, Your Highness. As you said, my wife and I had been solitary for years that I'm not used to someone else touching her with familiarity. "

I'm also here to find a cure to her ailment," Apollyon said as he caressed his trembling hands on Luna's face. "If you could refer a witch doctor to help my wife—"

Nodding as if she understood, her face softened, "I could, but I just couldn't believe what my son had told me about your Empress and seeing it with my own two eyes."

"Yes. One day she suddenly decided not to wake up." Apollyon straightened his shoulders and placed his hands behind his back to instill confidence in himself to get his Empress back. "She wasn't dead, but her soul was held, hostage."

"Like, astral traveling, yes." King Nuada wore a quiet mask of uncertainty. "Some Faes were gifted by ascending through Realms and crossing dimensions with their minds."

"These Faes who had strong psychic abilities can travel to other dimensions, worlds, and realms with their eyes wide open." King Nuada said in a low voice, and the faeries around them strained to hear his words. "Clairvoyance is also a projection of your consciousness to the future, but astral travel shouldn't last for years like what your Empress had done."

There was an icy breeze on his neck, which sent chills down his spine.

"Are you sure she isn't dead yet?" Queen Gloriana asked again. "You shouldn't have brought her here, or else you might put her in danger."

She gave him a look of disapproval, but she hid it by covering her face with a silk fan. "It would have been safer to send our best witch doctors to your Kingdom instead of bringing her here."

"No, I find it more convenient to bring my Empress in the Fae Realm, Queen Gloriana." Clenching his fists, Apollyon forced himself to take a breath. "If your hand-selected witch doctors couldn't help my Empress, I could ask for assistance from the other Courts and meet up with them in case they were interested in being an ally to the Vampire Kingdom."

"As your Queen Aunt, Apollyon, I'm only looking out for you." When her small smile shifted into a frown, Apollyon knew that he had triggered her with that barb, and he took that as a small victory.

She continued, "Faes would think that you are married to a doll if you are carrying your Empress around like unnecessary baggage."

Darkness swept over him, and he was close to slapping Queen Gloriana with her insensitivity disguised as concern.

"Queen Mother! Stop this." Clenching his jaw, Prince Aspen whispered, "The Vampire King is our ally."

"I am only speaking what's on my mind." Queen Gloriana curtsied, but that didn't mean she was forgiven, "I apologize if you are insulted, King Apollyon."

"I wouldn't stay long in your Castle, King Nuada. Queen Gloriana." Apollyon gripped his own wrists as he held his hands behind his back. "You are well aware of why I am here."

"King Zephyr, Prince Aspen, and I--" He said with a clenched jaw, "--we had a mystery to solve."

+++

King Zephyr was there at the celebration with his wife, who wore a golden crown molded into a wreath of spring's first flowers, crafted with emeralds, sapphires, and amethyst.

The woman he had brought with him at the Spring Courts wore a white strapless dress that fit her snugly from head to toe while the Shadow King wore all black.

Both of them were contented at standing at the corner in a loose embrace, whispering and staring at each other, oblivious of the other guests.

Apollyon can't help but flick his gaze on the new couple with envy.

He couldn't enjoy the celebration without his Empress to entertain him, like how King Zephyr's wife had distracted him from the crowd of onlookers.

Apollyon had specifically requested Prince Aspen to invite King Zephyr to the Spring Courts to aid them with the investigation.

He had secretly hoped that the Shadow King would have the Fae's attention.

He was the one who had the infamous reputation of tricking the Faerie Kings and Queens into letting him create a whole new realm for the Shadow Masters, not Apollyon.

The Spring Faeries knew how to celebrate life by these exciting parties for their amusement.

Music continued to fill the Spring Court Halls as the sweet tones of unique voices harmonize together to form one sound.

A few fairies and couples have reacted to the symphonies by swaying gracefully in their positions while others continued to chatter.

Nevertheless, it still spoke to them in some manner as it slowly in the background.

If he weren't careful to ground himself to the present, then he would be sucked into the celebration and lose his awareness.

He wondered why Queen Gloriana and King Nuada allowed King Zephyr into the Spring Castle without so much of a fuss?

Was there a way to divert their attention away from him and his Empress?

Would the Shadow King mind if Apollyon called him and his wife over to join the circle, or should he leave them alone?

After the singers performed a couple of relaxing sonatas, the musicians had played a lively tempo, and it lifted his spirits, somehow, despite his annoyance with Queen Gloriana.

Apollyon wondered if faeries could read an atmosphere or not.

Mayhap, he hadn't expressed the vexation in his face enough—that he refused to talk about arranged marriage and the status of his Empress--but the Queen kept pushing it.

How could Prince Aspen deal with this kind of intrusive mother every single day?

Apollyon was glad that he was an ancient vampire who didn't need his parent's supervision.

He didn't want them to be so involved with his life—asking this and asking that.

They were better off as dead because they didn't love him like how Luna did.

Nevertheless, Apollyon didn't want to insult the Spring Queen, so he kept his mouth shut every time his rage threatened to burst outwards.

If Queen Gloriana aimed to make a Prince from the Summer Court to flip out in front of the crowd and ruin his reputation in the High Faerie Courts, then he wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

He had a mission to fulfil.