Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67437 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67437 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Sadness filled his gaze. I am sorry that I locked you in my dungeon.
I gritted my teeth.
I am even more sorry that you were harmed in the most horrific ways. I will spend my life making that up to you.
My eyes watered.
And yes I did so for my queen. I took your blood and others,’ hoping to save her.
My bottom lip quivered. “And did you save her?”
In some ways. With constant blood from mages, I began to hear her louder and understand her better, but she has never been fully healed.
I drowned in confusion. His descriptions of Phinova never truly made sense. It seemed that she would be a puzzle, until I finally met her.
I swallowed. “And you want more of my blood to help her?”
I do. He tilted his head to the side. Now what would you want me to do to earn that blood?
“Earn it?”
You are my queen. If you have a price, I will spend my life paying it.
“Why not just take it? You already took it before without my permission.”
Because you are my queen and must be given respect. He inhaled me. What do you want in order for me to get some of your blood to give to Phinova?
I took a deep breath. “I want you to be a better king.”
This time it was his turn to blink. Slowly, his power slacked around me. Seconds later, I lowered to the ground.
His stern expression cracked. A better king?
“Yes.” I edged back. “That means no war. Instead, I want you to compromise with them and figure out a way that all of us can live on this planet in peace.”
They took my queen.
“I am sure you started it.”
I have seen your memories. He crossed his arms over his chest. The mages destroyed your family. Yet, you want the mages to live too?
“I want mages, vampires, humans, and elfkin to live in peace. I want no more enslavement. I even want vampire prince babies to be able to live.”
He hissed.
“I also want. . .other blood mages to be protected by you so that they could go off and live in their own villages without the fear of being destroyed.”
He watched me with a stern expression. Anything else?
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you really going to. . .give me everything I asked for?”
I was blind. Now I can see. For decades, only silence filled my head.
Those copper eyes watered.
Now your voice and blood sing to me. Birds chirp. Bugs buzz. Water trickles and it is all beautiful. This world was an agonizing gray place. A lost desert where I only felt loneliness and heart break. At times. . .
These strong emotions radiated from him and enveloped me in this consuming darkness.
At times even Phinova’s voice could not sooth me.
Tears spilled from his eyes.
I opened my mouth in shock. Never would I have guessed that the Quiet King could cry.
And now that you have healed me, this world. . .it is a place of color and sound. It is harmony. It is. . .
His copper eyes sparkled as more tears spilled from his lids.
It is love.
A delirious smile spread across his face.
Now I want to enjoy this world. Not bring it war. You are my queen, Seraphine. I will give you anything you want.
Stunned, I stepped closer to him and wiped the tears away. “Then, you will not go to war?”
Is that what you want?
“Yes.”
Then, once they give me back Phinova, the three of us will leave this land and focus on healing. And one by one, I will meet your demands of creating peace in this world.
Dear Ambi!! Could this. . .really happen?
I swallowed down the lump in my throat that had been threatening to choke me. The enormity of his words, the depth of his commitment left me breathless.
He closed the tiny distance between us.
I must warn you that Phinova will not be happy about this. She likes war and death, but I believe that her focus should be on healing and. . .
I widened my eyes. “And?”
Regardless of how she feels, you will take her place and rule by my side.
“Oh.” I raised my hands and waved them in front of me. “No. No. I just want to stop everyone from dying. I do not want to rule anything. She can be whatever she is.”
Phinova has ruled by my side for a century. Now it is your turn. Let us see what you will do for this world.
I stood there, speechless and unable to think through what had just happened. I was just one blood mage who had wanted to escape, yet somehow became imprisoned. And, the vampire before me was not a mere symbol of the other side of the war, he was the very embodiment of the war.
And now all of that could be over. Life could be what I had dreamed about for so long in those dungeons late at night.