The Vampire's King Pet-Chapter 30: Cranky witch

Arthur climbed onto his horse and ventured into the night. The darkness didn’t hinder him—not when his vampire senses allowed him to see as clearly as if the moonlight itself were daylight. The forest stretched endlessly ahead, shadows twisting like living things, but he urged his horse forward without hesitation.

He followed the direction Zelda had given him earlier. The journey was long, he had left the city and was winding deeper into the woods than he had expected, he didn’t see any traces of a home or something. The trees here were older, thicker, and the air colder, as if this part of the forest had been forgotten by time. As he rode, his mind drifted back to the woman he was searching for.

Why is she living in hiding so far from everyone? he wondered. The thought lingered uneasily. Is she hiding from someone? Or something?

He shook the thoughts away as he finally came across a clearing. At its center stood an old house—if it could even be called that. The wood was faded, warped by years of abandonment, and the roof sagged slightly on one side. It looked eerie, strange... and absolutely unfit for anyone to call home.

Arthur jumped down from his horse and tied the rope around a sturdy tree branch. His instincts sharpened immediately. The air here was too still.

He approached the house cautiously. Every creak of his boots seemed to echo in the silence. When he reached the door, he knocked—firmly.

Silence.

He waited a moment and knocked again, louder this time.

Again, silence.

A strange feeling crawled up his spine. Something wasn’t right.

Arthur took a chance and pushed the door. To his surprise, it creaked open slowly, revealing the dimly lit interior. The lights were on—but the place looked like chaos had torn through it.

Broken chairs, shattered tables, scattered books and glass shards littered the floor. The interior did look better than the outside... but the destruction was undeniable. It looked like someone had fought for their life in here.

Arthur stepped inside, scanning the room.

What happened here?

He moved across the living room and climbed the small set of stairs, checking each room one by one. Everything was empty—no sign of the witch. No sign of life.

Kitchen. Empty.

Bedroom. Empty.

Storage room. Empty.

He returned to the living room, frustration building. Just as he was about to leave, his boot landed on something wet. He froze and slowly looked down.

His eyes widened.

Blood.

An unhealthy amount of it pooled near the entrance, dark and fresh.

"Fuck," Arthur breathed, his heart kicking into a faster rhythm.

He rushed out of the house, untied his horse in one quick motion, and mounted. He kicked off immediately, racing through the woods as he followed the blood trail splattered across the ground. Judging from the state of the house and the amount of blood... she had been attacked. And she had fled.

Whoever is after her... they’re close.

The blood was still fresh—meaning he still had a chance to reach her before her attacker did.

Arthur urged his horse faster.

The trail continued for several long minutes before it suddenly stopped.

He slowed to a halt and dismounted. The forest here was dense, trees towering above him, their branches twisted like claws. Arthur narrowed his eyes and began checking behind each tree, listening intently to every rustle of leaves, every shift in the wind. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Then—

A figure emerged silently behind him, knife in hand. She moved with surprising stealth for someone injured. She crept up behind Arthur, raising the blade, aiming straight for his back.

But Arthur’s instincts were faster.

He spun around just in time, dodging the strike by mere inches. His hand shot out, grabbing the attacker’s wrist. He twisted sharply.

A sharp cry escaped her as the knife dropped from her hand. She attempted to punch him with her free hand, but he caught that too—twisting both arms behind her back and pushing her firmly against a tree. He pinned her easily despite her struggles.

"Are you the witch that helps Zelda?" Arthur demanded, his voice low, controlled, but edged with urgency.

"Let me go or I’ll kill you!" she spat through gritted teeth, her voice filled with fury.

"I’m not letting you go until you answer my question. Are you the one?" he replied, tightening his hold but not right enough to hurt her.

She let out a shaky breath. Her red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness—eerie, dangerous. Suddenly, a stick lying on the ground beside them floated upward, controlled by her magic. It shot toward Arthur at high speed.

He subconsciously released her to dodge it.

She didn’t waste the opportunity. She bolted, limping heavily, her blood staining the ground. But her injured leg slowed her down. Arthur caught up easily, blocking her path.

He ran a hand through his messy hair, irritation flickering in his expression. He hated games of cat and mouse.

"Listen," Arthur said, his voice calmer now, "I’m not here to hurt you. We need your help, and it’s urgent."

She glared at him fiercely, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths. "Why should I help you?" she snapped.

"Because you have the power to help and from the looks of it, I’m not the only one who needs help." Arthur folded his arms. "You’re bleeding badly. How long do you think you’ll last before they catch up with you?"

Her eyes flicked to her injured leg, then back at him. She hesitated. As much as she wanted to refuse him, she needed help—immediately.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if you go back on your word, I’ll kill you," she threatened, limping forward.

Arthur placed his hands on his waist. "My horse is this way."

She turned sharply toward him, glaring again before following. As they were walking towards the direction of Arthur’s horse, He suddenly stopped and the witch stopped to.

"What? Did you loose your horse?" she asked, her eyes scanning the man in front of her. He placed a finger on his lips telling her to hush, she was about to say something when a man jumped out from the trees, he turned to them.

"There you are you cumming witch." He snarled, his eyes moved to Arthur, he looked at him from up to down.

"Who’s this?" he asked.

"I should ask you the same question, who are you guys and what the fuck do you want with me! " The witch snapped in anger.

"If you’re so curious why don’t you follow me." he said stepping closer but Arthur stepped in front of her. "Sorry to ruin your discussion but she’s coming with me so move." he said calmly.

The man placed both hands in a fist, he lauched forward to attack Arthur who let out a sigh, he hated fighting especially when he’s exhausted.

Arthur caught the man’s fist mid air twisting it backwards, the sound of a cracked bone was heard, the silent night making it louder. He let out a painfully scream wanting to attack with the other hand but Arthur landed a sold punch on his face knocking him out instantly. He fell backwards landing on the floor with a thud.

Arthur fixes his jacket and turned to her. "Let’s go before more of them show up." He said wasking past the unconscious man. Utterly shocked, she just tailed behind him.

They reached the horse.

"Get on," Arthur said. "It’s going to be a long journey. Hopefully, we’ll reach the palace by dawn."

She scoffed. "How do you expect me to sleep when you brought a horse?"

Arthur glanced at her, patience thinning. "Are you always this cranky?"

She rolled her eyes but didn’t answer.

He sighed. He didn’t have time for this. "The palace guards are stationed outside the forest with a carriage. So don’t worry."

He helped her climb onto the horse, then mounted behind her. They rode in silence through the dark forest, moonlight flickering between the trees.

---

At the Palace Gates

The carriage came to a halt in front of the palace gate. Derick, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately approached. He opened the door, allowing Arthur to step down.

"Lord Arthur," Derick greeted.

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaustion weighing heavily on him. "How’s the Lady?" he asked.

"Not good. You should come see her yourself," Derick replied gravely. "The witch?"

Arthur gestured toward the carriage. "Help me wake her up. She’s... something else."

Derick nodded and walked to the carriage door. Inside, the witch was fast asleep, her head bent at an awkward angle, mouth open slightly.

Derick tapped her shoulder. "Miss. Miss."

She stirred, shifting before lifting her head slowly. Her red eyes opened—and met Derick’s brown ones. She held his gaze with a striking intensity.

"Get off," Derick said firmly, stepping aside. "The king is waiting."

She climbed out, taking in the palace surroundings. The Vampire King’s castle—towering, silent, and ominous, looked exactly like she had heard in stories.

They walked together into the vast castle halls, Derick following closely behind. Their footsteps echoed through the marble corridors. Finally, they entered the courtroom.

Alexander sat on his throne, one arm resting on the armrest, the other holding documents. His eyes moved across the papers, lips set in a hard line.