The Vampire's King Pet-Chapter 45: The other palace.

Derick frowned. What did she mean by the life she lived? What kind of life had she lived? he asked himself.

Faith noticed his silence and smiled. "Are you curious? I can tell you if you want," she said.

Derick shook his head. He wasn’t interested in knowing about her past life.

"You can turn around now. It feels awkward with your back facing me," she said, but he didn’t turn around. Faith had always been cunning; he wasn’t going to take her words seriously.

Faith scoffed. She walked to his front, spreading her hands wide to show him her dress. "See, I am fully dressed. Did you think I would show you my naked body?" she asked.

"Let’s go," Derick said. He moved to the side and walked out of her room.

Faith scoffed before walking out too. He loves ignoring one’s words.

___

After Alexander left Serena, he took another carriage and went straight to the place he wanted to go. It was another palace—big and beautiful. It looked almost similar to his but less depressing but to him, this palace was more depressing than his. He walked into the palace without an ounce of care, his presence commanding respect.

The guards bowed as he walked past them. Alexander wasn’t here for any pleasantries. He wondered why he had been called here. This palace harbored memories he had buried and didn’t even want to think about, yet here he was.

Alexander opened the door leading to the courtroom, where a man was seated on the throne. On his thigh was a woman. They were both talking to each other when Alexander walked in.

His eyes moved between them. "You called me here?" Alexander said, his voice cold and distant. He wasn’t pleased to be here, and he showed it.

The woman stood up from his lap and sat down on the chair beside him. The man’s eyes moved to Alexander, his dark gaze locking with Alexander’s. Their auras were similar. The man seated on the throne looked almost like Alexander; there were features that were unmistakably alike.

The man was old, but it didn’t show much on his face. He was a vampire after all, and they aged far slower than normal people. Their eyes remained locked before a smile appeared on the older man’s face—he was the former King Xenor, who was said to be Alexander’s father.

"You haven’t changed one bit," he said, his deep voice echoing around the room. "You just barged into the room, showed no respect to your father and mother. Isn’t that too rude?" he asked. The displeasure in his voice couldn’t go unnoticed, but Alexander couldn’t care less.

"Why did you summon me here?" Alexander asked again, his voice leaving no room for anything except a proper answer.

The woman seated beside the king sighed. She was the queen, beautiful and elegant. "Oh dear, Alexander, what’s the rush? At least reply to your father. It’s been so long since he last saw you. Try to loosen up a bit," she said with a smile.

He stared blankly at her, as though she were speaking a foreign language. He knew his father wouldn’t summon him here without a reason. He needed to find out what that reason was and return to his own palace.

"The queen is right. Let’s not get down to business yet. Take a look around. It has been a long time since you came here. Nothing has changed," Xenor said, gesturing to the surroundings.

Alexander closed his eyes, trying to suppress the rage bubbling inside him. His father had chosen the wrong time to provoke him, and he didn’t have patience for this. "I grew up here, and I am very much aware of my surroundings, so there is no need for me to look around. As you know, I am a busy man and don’t have time to waste," he said, laying emphasis on the last words.

Xenor chuckled. Though he smiled, his eyes did not. "You’ve been ruling Noct for years now, and yes, it is doing very well under your reign. You’ve done well. But you cannot keep this discussion pending. Noct needs a queen, and you need to get one—right now," his father announced.

Alexander felt disgust crawl down his spine. He had honestly thought his father would say something meaningful, but a bride? That was the least of his concerns. "I understand your concern, but I refuse," he said.

"This is not a matter in which you get to refuse, Alexander. You were given time to choose a bride of your choice, but you wasted it. Now you do not have a choice. I know the human king’s daughter has taken an interest in you—continue with the wedding process," Xenor commanded.

He made a signal, and a maid walked in with a tray. On it was a golden cup filled with red liquid. He took the cup and sipped from it.

"I cannot marry the princess of Greenville, nor will I take anyone as my bride. I don’t have the luxury to do that," Alexander replied. He wasn’t in the mood to argue with his father. For the longest time, they hadn’t had a proper relationship, and he was already dealing with too much.

"Marriage is something simple, a gift from the gods. You do not intend to stay alone all your life. Getting a queen not just for yourself but for the people is a blessing to Noct," Xenor said.

Alexander sighed. "I appreciate the concern, but—"

He wasn’t able to finish his sentence before his father threw the cup, missing him by barely an inch. The sound of glass shattering on the floor echoed through the room. Alexander stood there, unflinching.

"Honey!" the queen exclaimed, her hand flying to her chest in shock, but the king didn’t take his eyes off Alexander.

"Why can’t you ever listen like a normal son? How long do you plan to keep up this rebellious act?" his father barked, his voice echoing through the courtroom.

"Noct is facing a danger we haven’t encountered before. I am trying my best to stop it before it escalates into something bigger that could harm the people of Noct—and you’re telling me to get a bride?" Alexander said. His voice wasn’t raised, but its depth matched his father’s fury.

"You may have a point, but do you think the people see your efforts? As long as the threat exists, they will continue to blame you," Xenor said, the anger in his voice rising.

Alexander narrowed his eyes. "So you know about the threat Noct is facing, and you call me here not to discuss it, but to tell me to get married. Is that important?" he asked irritably.

Xenor stood up from his throne. "The rogues have attacked a city. Sooner or later, the news will reach the people. How do you plan to handle it? A wedding is a distraction—to take the people’s minds off the situation in Noct," he said, sitting back down.

The queen then spoke. "Alexander, you should listen to your father. All you do is work, work, and it’s not healthy. You’ve been alone in your palace for years. How long do you plan to live like that?" she asked.

A scoff escaped his lips. "I’ll handle my situation myself, so you don’t have to pretend as if you care about me," he said.

Xenor was about to speak, but Alexander cut him off. "Since you don’t have anything important to say, I’ll take my leave," he said. He offered a curt bow before turning around and walking away.

"I heard you brought a girl to your palace. She’s neither a servant nor a courtesan. You keep her close, and you plan to take her with you to Luminae," Xenor said, causing Alexander to stop in his tracks.

He turned his head slightly. "Did you plant a spy in my palace?" he asked.

Xenor didn’t answer the question. "A gift will be sent to your palace. Make sure to deliver it to the fae queen and extend our greetings," he said.

Alexander didn’t reply. Instead, he walked out of the palace.

He stopped in front of the carriage, turning back to look at the palace. It felt as though there was a missing piece in a puzzle he hadn’t yet found. He let out a sigh and climbed into the carriage. His father had successfully ruined his mood.

"Darling, I told you not to bring up that topic again. Alexander wouldn’t listen to you. He’s been like that since he was a child, he makes his own decisions," the queen said, her hand caressing his.

"He’s changed. His demeanor shifted when I mentioned the girl. Could it be?" Xenor asked.

The queen laughed softly. "You can’t possibly think he’s fallen for the girl, do you? This is Alexander we’re talking about. He must be keeping her close for a reason. For over a thousand years, he’s refused to be with anyone. Why do you think he’d change over a mere lady?"

Xenor fell silent, letting her words sink in. Even after all this time, he still found it hard to read Alexander. He had taken after his mother.