Chapter 27: Senerp
"Your Majesty, the number of insane Bloodcursed beasts has increased by 50% since yesterday. It has become even more of an issue," an elder spoke in a worried tone as he stood in the meeting hall of the castle.
Ariana sat beside the king, silent in the main row of seats, watching as he quietly moved his pen, scribbling on the paper. Her presence wasn’t just by chance—Zavren had told her to attend for reasons unknown to her. But she knew clearly this was no joke meeting, as it determined the wellbeing of kingdoms and future plans.
Even other kingdoms were not supposed to know of it; the people attending were limited. Meaning if any news leaked to another kingdom, all members who attended would die. That was how brutal it was. Yet there she sat by his side, intimidating and cold. Though she had no real explanation for what was happening with the werewolves, something felt wrong about what the man had said.
Another elder stood. "Your Majesty, I must also add—many children and women have died in the past few days. These beasts... it’s as though they’ve been poisoned or injected, driven mad to crave blood. Our blood."
Ariana stiffened, her body trembling slightly with horror and surprise, her head dropping slightly at how horrible it was. What had happened to the werewolves? Why were they turning into monsters? Her mind swirled with questions, but she couldn’t speak. She remained rooted in her seat, catching the surprised looks of a few elders who noticed she had entered with His Majesty—and not just for anything, but for a special council meeting with the king himself.
Of course, no one dared to question Zavren’s choice. No one was planning to die today.
Another man spoke up. "It seems the vampires are planning the war seriously this time, as they are giving us more warning than they should be. I say we must gather all possible alliances—combine our strengths to fight back. They’re doing everything in their power to sow chaos in our kingdom."
Zavren remained silent, still scribbling with practiced precision. Ariana shifted her gaze, watching the calculated movements of his pen. It was almost like their words were just passing thoughts to him—until someone else stood.
The man had gray hair, wrinkles all over his face which spoke volumes about his age, his eyes briefly flickered to Ariana before turning to Zavren in respect.
"Your Majesty... I believe an heir is urgently needed. That is why we strongly suggest a marriage alliance—with Princess Sophia."
Zavren’s lips curled into a slow, chilling smile.