New Chapter For the Highest Tier (May 2021)

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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"No. They only recommended me their royal witch doctors" Apollyon's hand on Luna's leg tightened in a gentle squeeze as if in reassurance or perhaps, he wanted to touch her there.

Her lips curved upward in amusement as she stared at the questionable hand.

Apollyon can either be bold and possessive sometimes. "—and even if a Spring Monarch offered to heal my wife, I wouldn't let them touch a single hair in her head."

Princess Ourania recoiled at Apollyon's words and shuddered.

Luna was about to ask what was wrong with her, but she already spoke, "That last statement made me nauseous, child, paired with that familiar face of yours." Her voice shook along with her hands as she brought them close to her chest.

Empress Ourania didn't dare remove her gaze from Apollyon.

Her Prussian Blue eyes were wide marbles taking over her face, and she looked like she had seen a ghost. "That voice. That expression when you said it. You sound like your father." One hand stroked her throat as a way to comfort me. "I remember how he used to tell me that nobody would touch a single hair of my head and he took that literally. I only went out of Scleranthus every full moon. To provide him an heir."

Luna didn't know what to say to that.

Based on these conversations and snippets of gossip here and there, Apollyon's father seemed to be a ruthless King and a horrible husband.

There was no need to tell her about this fact because she already got a hunch from the way Apollyon acted at the beginning of the relationship.

He was raised by a chauvinist who only saw women as an object for pleasure.

The Kings in the Vampire Realm owned a Harem ever since the Kingdom rose to power.

Luna couldn't blame the Blood Beast for taking charge when he was all out having fun, draining blood and eating souls of females and when the problem already existed before that.

Lilith cursing Apollyon by attaching an Archdemon to his vessel only made matters worse in the Vampire Realm.

"I am not like King Gwythyr, Princess Ourania." Apollyon said darkly. "Don't lump me in with my father just because I was his son. You must have seen him in my face since you look spooked."

Perhaps, her husband hit the nail right on its head because now, Empress Ourania was fingering her necklace like it was her personal tic.

Watching her act like this made Luna's stomach quiver.

Apollyon's mother wasn't herself in the span of a few minutes as her blank stare recalled disturbing memories only she can see. "No need to be scared that I would hurt you because we are different people with different experience. No two people can be exactly the same."

Grimacing, she pressed a hand on her stomach. "You look like him and you sound like him. This is why I didn't want to see you."

"What changed your mind?"

"I want to be brave. I want to face my fears." Empress Ourania's voice broke as she leaned back to her chair.

When she looked at Apollyon, her eyes appeared cold, dead and flat.

It was enough of an indication that his mother wasn't pleased with this reunion after all.

One shouldn't one's expectations too high.

Disappointment will feel like the world was crashing down on one's feet.

"The tension had escalated between you and the Spring Courts. That's why I thought it would be better if I sent Sapphire to tell you the truth so that I can meet you. It's now or never."

Apollyon snorted. "This meeting is clearly made me an experiment to test your inner power, Princess, and we are the same. Did I traumatize you?"

Sometimes, Luna liked to pinch Apollyon's forearm hard, urging him to be more compassionate?

Luna's heart reached out to his mother.

What had she experienced in her arranged marriage with King Gwythr which made her react like this?

His mother's behaviour was clearly distressed, and Apollyon still had the nerve to jest about something sensitive?

She shook her head.

Perhaps, Apollyon didn't know how to read the atmosphere properly!

"Don't be like him. You are too possessive that you might clip out your wife's wings and place her in cage, strangling the freedom out of her." Princess Ourania warned, and her Prussian blues trembled when she glanced at Luna as if she was watching her death right in front of her eyes.

"It's alright, Princess Ourania. Your concern about us is much appreciated." Luna spoke in a quiet, gentle voice, praying that would assuage the unhealed wounds in her mind and heart inflicted by King Gwythyr.

May Luna's words be a healing balm to soothe the agony and pain she had endured before she figured out how to break their blood bond. "The Vampire King did that before and I gave him a piece of my mind."

"Oh." She prolonged the 'o' as she shot her a glance. "Did he? That wasn't news to me, Empress Luna." Her jaw was set, and she swore that her voice raised a bit, "After all, an apple didn't fall far from the tree."

Tilting her head to the side, Luna wondered if there was a veiled jibe in her words as she observed her.

They said that eyes were the windows to the soul, but… why can she feel the hostility in her gaze? Luna tried to ignore it, but she couldn't help but assess if Princess Ourania was on their side.

What was her personal agenda in meeting with her son now when she had so many chances to do so when Apollyon announced to the Realms that he got rid of the Blood Beast?

"Every time I recalled the memories I have whenever those situation comes up, it amused me now instead of being angry all over again. Those moments where I feel like we were bulls locking horns fighting each other head to head. Apollyon was stubborn but I was more stubborn than him." Luna said.