Bab 19: Spell

Alice took a deep breath. Knowing that she won't gain anything by hiding, maybe it was her last chance to be cautious around vampires.

Straightly looking at her father, she opened her mouth to say, "I went to have a conversation with Princess Flora last night. When I was coming back to my chamber, I felt someone was nearby as if... someone was trying to scare me off.."

"At last, I concluded that it must be vampire's trick. I followed that person and ended up in that passage where there were no lamps. Although I did have a lantern in my hand but it was of no use since it was so dark.."

While narrating her incident, Alice dug her nails into her flesh to not let her face turn pale. The trembling was harder to control as she much anticipated it to be.

King Vilas nodded his head at her speech, "Afterwards?"

"Afterwards… I reached the stairs. There were some noises which I was constantly hearing. A noise was coming from downstairs so I went into the basement to find it completely dark."

At this point, Alice lowered her eyes while reciting all the events. The burnt face constantly haunted her memory, where she could easily sense that the monster would come alive again… to eat her.

Her fingers were intermingled with others while her gaze started to wander. She looked down at her own hand, with the look of ache. The moisture started to appear in her eyes but keeping herself stronger, Alice started to tell ahead.

"I went down.. in the basement and came across a man.. wearing an armor. I felt he was a vampire but.. he wasn't. He was a monster, a burnt monster with no beating heart."

It was the turn of King Vilas to get shocked. His eyes were wide in horror and surprise started to travel his heart. "A.. monster?"

"Yes, a monster. Those red eyes and.. burnt face. He wasn't a vampire but a monster, father." Alice answered and then immediately she closed her eyes and kept her head against the solid back behind her.

The only aim she looked forward was to not let those tears fall which were on the edge. She can't appear weak, no, not anymore.

While she was absorbed in the traumatized feelings of hers, trying to get her strength out, King Vilas had another dilemma to deal with.

'She saw a monster. But how!? Is the spell breaking?' He wasn't sure, but the lines of his forehead started to get deeper and deeper. Over time, his heart started to beat at an unstable rate on the realization of what got up with the entire messy and unsettled situation.

"Anything else? Did that monster attack you anywhere?" Concern was clear in his voice when all Alice did was to shake her head. "He tried. But then, out of the blue, a light appeared which made the man be converted into ashes while... my lantern broke."

Still keeping her eyes closed, she didn't even try to speak to her father. Unknown to her, King Vilas had another worry in his mind. 'Maybe I will need to consider talking with those saints once again after we return.'

This was the only solution he found at this point when he heard everything about the incident that had almost made her lose her consciousness.

At the same time, King Vilas turned his head to peek at his maids around him. Staring at Mary, he slightly narrowed his eyes to say, "I hope…"

"You don't have to say anything, His Highness. We know this is confidential and will reside within the four walls of this chamber." Mary assured quickly before the King could have uttered a word to them.

Getting the right assurance from Mary also made King Vilas smile. Then, he looked back at Alice to find her frown, "You don't have to think about it anymore."

"I'm trying. It will take time but gradually, I will forget about it.." or at least it will stop making me feel threatened. But Alice kept the second half in her throat, not letting them slip.

King Vilas's lips were formed into a straight line when he was too in the uncertainty.

However, this uncertainty needs to be converted into a certain precaution very soon.

There was a dense and thick air around them, each one absorbed in their own very thoughts. But then, a lighter-filled voice pulled them out of their dazes to look at her entrance.

"Oh my. I'm seeing father already in Alice's room before I could have come? What magic this is." Prince Dominic spoke from behind when his words made a giggle pass from Alice's mouth.

"It isn't our mistake that you are already late brother," Alice replied with a faint smile when Dominic entered and stood by her side. "Hmm. Now that you are having fun, I don't need to ask about your health anymore."

"Why?" Alice asked in the flow to receive the most honest answer by his side. "Probably because you are still… making the fun out of me, you must be already good. Otherwise, you, making fun of me? In the worst part, you would have asked me to just go away from your place!"

Alice pretended to roll her eyes at his sentence. But deep down, this was the brutal reality that she might have prohibited him from entering her chamber if she was in any bad condition.

While Alice was staring at her brother with the sudden glow in her eyes, King Vilas's eyes never tear from her face even for a minor second.

'Oh God, please don't let that glow fade away from her eyes.. she needs that very much.' Remembering from where she got that glow, his heart became heavy at the mere thought of his old and late queen.

But soon, he was pulled out of his dreamland when Dominic called his name, "Father.."

"Hmm?"

"The council head has arrived. I was here to inform you… Your presence is required there." Dominic added.

In return, King Vilas nodded his head and then looked at Alice with a faint smile, "I have to leave my dear."

But she had questions to ask, not letting her father leave so easily. A frown curved on her forehead when she asked with doubts. "Why is the council head here!? Why are they getting involved in this?"

...

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