Chapter 163: Chapter 163

KAIST:

Upon learning that our guest have regained consciousness, Dahlia and I went back inside Sir Morland’s abode to hear his story.

I remember Sir Casior Willfrey from when I was young. He was always part of the peace talk council that met with my father.

To think that he was someone very close to Livia, that he had known my sister and brother all along while I remained ignorant of their existence for the past nineteen years made my heart even sadder.

When we got there, Sir Casior was being propped by Sir Morland into a semi-sitting position. He was sweating a lot. He didn’t seem to look like the haughty and elegant knight that he was from the my memory.

“I greet the sun of Talandor, Prince Kaist,” he said, bowing down formally at me.

“Sir Casior, I don’t know if you are already aware, but Prince Kaist is Livia’s twin brother. He is worried about her and our mother… Can you also tell them what you have just told me,” Tristan said.

Sir Caisor only nodded weakly in agreement.

“Livia – how is she? And my mother, are they together,” I anxiously asked. The last bit of news I had about my sister and mother was that the vampires took them. Count Jeteris also mentioned that my mother is already part of the Vampire Clan. My father and I wanted to intercept them at Laudicia, but my father had passed away.

Now, I am worried to death about my sister and mother whom I pray that the Goddess above have kept safe all these days.

“I can’t tell you whether the queen is doing alright. King Helion is keeping her away from all of us, just as he had done before... As for Lady Livia, I was in the verge of running away with her from Apricus when this accident had happened. We were caught. Lady Livia was taken away, and I was left almost dead by the woods…”

“Why is Livia unwell? What happened to her?”

“Just like you, Lady Livia is a Shadow Rune wolf… She possesses a spirit stone, which is a prized relic. King Helion, the leader of Apricus, had always been obsessed with spirit stones. Although Queen Merlissa had brought Lady Livia with her and had instructed everyone never to harm her, the king was still determined to get his hands on her spirit stone…”

“Recently, I caught news of how the king plans to extract Livia’s spirit stone from her body by forcing her to become one of us. Hence, I decided to take Livia away two nights ago, but I failed…”

I understood Sir Casior’s words. I can see that he deeply cares for Livia, but I still had a lot of questions for him.

“You mentioned my mother’s name… So she’s the queen of Apricus now?”

Sir Casior sighed. “Yes, your majesty… We were sworn into secrecy and cannot tell anyone about it. King Helion has taken your mother and saved her from being buried after she died from childbirth. She had been the queen of Apricus for the past nineteen years…”

So that was what happened then… Every peace council, the masked king and queen of Apricus would appear alongside with us in the podium… To think that I was with my actual mother all those times!

I shook my head. Now was not the time to feel bittersweet. “And those wounds at your back… Are they made with a blessed relic?”

Blessed relics are weapons sanctified by the Moon Goddess. They are kept well at Talandor’s temple, so it was highly impossible for vampires from the Apricus Kingdom to take possession of them.

The vampire before us nodded. “The men who wounded me were not vampires, your majesty… They are werewolves working under Count Jeteris.”

“Count Jeteris? You mean that b*stard has been working with King Helion?”

“Indeed. He plans to usurp the throne by killing you and using help from the king.”

I wasn’t surprised at all to hear that. Count Jeteris was really a snake from the very start. My father was a fool to trust such a man!

“Prince Kaist, the reason why Lady Livia and I ran away was not just because of the threat in her life… There is still a greater threat looming against you and Talandor,” Sir Casior proclaimed.

“What is it?”

“Count Jeteris has learned of your whereabouts. He knows you are near the vicinity. He probably knows you are in Camdress now... He also knows that you have the one who stole the red ruby.”

As he said this, Sir Casior’s eyes shifted to Dahlia, who still bore Samalah’s face. I instinctively shielded her away from his view.

“What is it that he plans to do then? Is he going to attack?”

“Yes, but more importantly, he and his men left me in the forest knowing that you will find my body with a message,” Sir Casior answered breathlessly.

“And what message is that?”

“He and King Helion only wanted the red ruby… If you gave him the red ruby or the person bearing it, he will spare the town, and let you escape unscathed… In exchange for the red ruby, they are also willing to release Lady Livia… They will wait for you three days from now at the hills of Laudicia with the stone.”

So that was the real reason Sir Casior was left to live when they could have easily killed him with the blessed relic. That blasted count wants me to become a coward and give up the throne in shame. He also wants Dahlia!

I looked at Sir Casior’s pleading eyes. I know how much Livia must have meant to him… Perhaps it is in the same intensity by which I value Dahlia.

Thus, it took me a long time to answer him as I had to choose my words carefully.

“Sir Casior, that could never happen -”

Before I could even complete my sentence, Sir Casior, despite his unhealed injuries, went on his knees to beg.

“Prince Kaist, please don’t say that… Lady Livia – they are going to kill her, I know! King Helion never backs down on his word… He will really take her life away. I beg you, please reconsider. If we could give them the red ruby, then we can avoid a war!”

I understood every word that Sir Casior uttered. I understand the perspective of a person who loves someone deeply. Moreover, I was causing the life of my own sister to be in peril if I don’t give in to their demands…

My eyes drifted towards Dahlia. Despite changing her appearance, my heart still raced for her.

In the cave before, she had told me how the red ruby spirit stone had chosen her when she was still a baby… If I give them Dahlia, I am sending her and her unborn child to their deaths.

This was one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my entire life…

However, the answer has always been crystal clear.

“Sir Casior, I am sorry. I won’t give them the red ruby. Rather, we will fight. Even if we give in to their demands now, there is no telling that they will fulfill their promise. Therefore, war is inevitable…”

I turned to Thesla and Sir Morland who were present in the room. “Prepare the council heads. We will have an emergency meeting. We have to prepare ourselves for battle.”