A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 59: Darion’s Fate

Queen Jessica was seated on her large bed reading a book when the door turned open. Her eyes landed on a familiar figure, dread instantly befalling her. Her eyes run through his length as if she had mistook him for someone else.

Throwing the book to the side, she walked over to where he stood, his eyes stoically staring at her approaching figure.

"Brandon?" She called, cupping his cheeks with her hands. He looked all bloody but not a single scratch was on his skin. "What happened to you?"

At that moment, Brandon felt like crying. His hands held hers before he drowned in her embrace, unable to speak any words!

Jessica softly stroked his back, her eyes filled with horror. But she needed answers to the train of questions racing through her mind right now? She broke from the hug, holding Brandon by his shoulders. Her eyes frantically searched for anyone behind him.

"Where are the knights?" She asked, finding his eyes.

Brandon swallowed hard at the question. Their screams were still fresh in his mind. "They’re all dead!" His reply was hoarse and drawn into a whisper as if saying it out loud would make it lesser of a reality than it already was.

"Dead?" Jessica asked with a frown. They were so many, probably more than the rogues. "How?"

"Gabriel killed them," he replied.

Jessica’s heart skipped a beat. "And Gabriel? Is he dead?" She asked, hoping for a positive answer.

Brandon however stared at her for a fleeting couple of seconds before he replied. "He would have killed me but he chose not to. Gabriel is not bad as you think he is."

Jessica was dumbstruck. Brandon Sinclair, pinning praise on Gabriel! This was ridiculous! "You don’t understand, do you? Gabriel will be named crown prince because you let him live..."

"It is you who doesn’t understand mother!" Brandon spoke, raising his voice at her for once. "I should have been dead by now. We shouldn’t be having this conversation if Gabriel didn’t let me live! Do you understand the weight of the situation!?"

Jessica swallowed. But her resolve was hard to break. She grabbed Brandon by his hand and pulled him inside, forcing him to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Don’t you ask yourself why Gabriel let you live? He wants you to witness as he takes everything you’ve struggled to build. Do you think he’ll spare either of us once he becomes king?"

"He spared me when he had the chance to kill me. He’ll do it again."

"And you think he’ll just forgive you because you gave up on the throne?" She asked, making Brandon frown. "Gabriel had a reason for what he did. His father would have never named him crown prince if he found out you were dead, and your blood was on his hands. Don’t be stupid, open your eyes!"

She slapped her forehead in frustration. Why was he so naive in the workings of the world? Her eyes settled on his face and he appeared to be considering what she had said.

Maybe it was true, Brandon thought. Otherwise, why would Gabriel leave him alive yet he had every right to kill him.

"While you were gone, I didn’t just sit idly waiting for you."

Brandon’s brows creased in suspicion, a smile lighting on Jessica’s face. "Follow me," she instructed. They followed a hallway that led to a widing path into the ruins of the temple. The earliest of vampires used to worship here, the ruins a testament of lost civilization.

Jessica led him to a room that was still intact, not a stone out of place. She knocked softly on the metallic door and Bracken opened, his shirt painted scarlet.

Brandon followed his mother inside. She gestured towards a man tied up on a chair. His head was lowered, blood dripping from his nostrils.

Jessica bent over, her warm breath fanning against Darion’s skin. "Someone is here to see you," she whispered in his ear and walked to the back.

Brandon walked closer, trying to make out his face. He held Darion by his chin, forcing him to look him in the eye. "This thief!" He said, looking at his mother. "What use could he have for us?"

"He’s not only a thief but also a knight in Gabriel’s kingsguard," Jessica added, massaging Darion’s shoulders.

"He stole my horse. He should be executed!"

Jessica’s face lit in amusement. She didn’t have a reason to kill Darion before, but now she did! She could already imagine the look on Elena’s face when her Knight’s head was severed from his body.

"Brace yourself boy. We’re changing your location," she whispered in his ear and nodded at Bracken. The massive vampire approached Darion. His eyes traveled his length, and when they settled on his eyes, he immediately cursed. A blow landed on his face sending him unconscious.

When he later came to, Darion was no longer confined in a chair. He felt his arm. There were no shackles on them. He looked around and noticed he was in the familiar cells of the castle. Those confined here were people waiting for a trial or an execution.

His eyes landed on a cup of water and a piece of bread placed a few inches from the rails. His throat burned, as he instinctively crawled to get the cup of salvation. He had even lost memory of how water tasted.

His hand grabbed the handle only for a boot to press down on his hand. He looked up to meet with the eyes of a palace guard. His was a stern face, one you wouldn’t want to look at for a second longer without spatting in disgust. But spatting in itself was a difficult task for a thirsty man.

"Thought you would just drink water for free, didn’t you? Here, you earn your food and water!" He said, his boot pressing hard on Darion’s hand until he let go of the cup’s handle. The guard knocked down the cup with his left leg, spilling the contents on the ground. Only then did he release Darion’s hand.

"Enjoy your breakfast!" He said, a smirk playing on his ugly face before he left.