Chapter 205: Double Merriments
When the grand doors to the main hall swung open, Ivan walked in with a nervous Samantha following alongside him, and her fingers squeezed against Ivan’s own for some assurance. Her eyes traveled amongst the guests who were having a good time mingling with other folks from the neighboring Kingdom, but upon sighting Ivan who made his way in, a deep silence ensued, and the music playing in the background could be heard faintly.
Abdiel’s eyes held a hint of relief to see Ivan was finally back, but what drew most of his attention was his fingers which were interlaced with that of the human girl. Agathe no longer smiled at the sight, and her face turned ashen when she locked gaze with Samantha.
She noticed, the earlier fear she had instilled in the human was no longer there; her green eyes were presently staring directly into her own before diverting elsewhere, as if nothing had happened between them. Agathe couldn’t help but feel subconsciously alert at the girl’s boast of confidence.
Ivan approached his uncle and Aunt, and Abdiel gave his shoulder an encouraging pat. "Good to see you back home again, I knew you had accomplished your goal when the guards returned with those village councils, and I can’t be more proud. Keep up the good work my boy."
"Thank you Uncle." He appreciated his uncle before glancing at Lady Agathe, something sinister flashed in his dark pupils, but it vanished instantly as he offered her a slight smile.
"We’re all happy to see you have returned." Agathe said to him as she lifted a hand to cup his cheeks tenderly. "Tonight we’re celebrating the victory of those who successfully made it to the third round of the event. As King, they will need your blessings before moving on to the next round. Come with me."
She tried to take Ivan away with her, but when she saw that his grip on Samantha’s hand hadn’t loosened, she bottled in her frustration and offered a considerate smile to Samantha who met her crimson eyes.
"Dear, this is something that a King must do without any form of companion. Can you wait behind and allow him to attend to the successors? That reminds me, your brother Maurice is amongst the contestants moving on to the third round. From the way I see it, he is likely to win the event since luck is bound to your family’s name." Agathe’s voice sounded innocently genuine, too honest to be considered deceiving, and if Samantha didn’t know better by now, she would have fallen face first to her sweet manipulation.
"If Maurice succeeded then as his older sister, I should have every right to bless him." Samantha wisely retorted, "if I’m not allowed to go with him then why is the situation different for you? I have no intention to be rude, His Majesty will not incur any interruptions on my path if I go with him, however, I must see my brother." Samantha had no intention to push the matter, and she noticed the contempt in Agathe’s irises. The vampiress was unable to drag the matter further since Samantha was more than right.