Chapter 127: Retaliation Of The Vines
When Ivan stepped forward with the doors shutting behind him, his piercing eyes drifted to Eamon who presently gazed back with unwavering eyes, but there was an exchange of unspoken authority between them. If Eamon wanted to be honest with himself, he’ll have to admit that it was difficult getting used to Ivan’s unusual chill presence, as he had never possessed one before, but after his impromptu return to the Palace, there was a lot of things that changed about him, both physically too, and that made him grow wary of his step-brother who was now standing two feet away from him.
The Ivan who always trembled under his scrutiny was presently the one scrutinizing him.
"Ivan–"
"Lord Ivan." He quipped, correcting his older brother with no trace of humor in his manner of approach. "I don’t think we have that building relationship that would lead us to act informal. For better understanding, I don’t intellectualize myself with half-witted vampires, that makes you a stranger, and an unworthy adversary on my path."
"A stranger? I can agree." Eamon didn’t deny, "but an unworthy adversary?" He lifted a questioning eyebrow as if to mock him, "do you understand the gravity of the situation you’re currently in? That servant came here with a false identity, Ivan, she was meant to die along with her Father during the first trial– the same man who assassinated our Father, the King. But what did you do out there? You’re saving a criminal, and a prince saving a criminal makes you nonetheless, or are you starting to forget the rules due to some silly infatuation?"
"Criminal or not, infatuation or not, you don’t seem to realize that I have very little to lose here." Ivan turned away from his brother as he shoved his hands into his pocket, his footsteps seemingly soundless on the marble floor. "If I end up losing the throne, I’m already labeled as a maniac, a lunatic, the dark vampire Lord, so you see, the people won’t hold that against me since it is the truth. But... the same can’t be said for you since you’ve chosen to be the perfect one, the people love you, they listen to you like hypnotized fools, but what will happen if your true personality is exposed to everyone? You have too many things to lose compared to me, so I consider having you monitor your tongue when you speak, who knows which walls are listening?"
He turned to look at his brother, a sadistic smile curving his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes that portrayed an even darker meaning to what his smile meant.
"Stop it Ivan." Carina intervened as she came to stand beside Eamon, breaking the glares that Ivan and her son presently shared, and she declared at the top of her voice. "My son has done absolutely nothing to you! What you are doing is merely out of your own jealousy for my son’s greatness. He is going to be the future King and the court of public opinion will announce him as the truly crowned King of EmptyHollow, everyone will bow to him, whereas you, being the unfilial son of your Father, you shall suffer for your own evil deeds."
"Wow! And I thought dogs barked the loudest." Mocked Ivan who stuck a finger into his left ear to safeguard his eardrums, other than that he was unaffected by the rubbish Carina kept spewing from her mouth.