NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Prince Regan left for his room feeling satisfied as if he had achieved something great in his life for once.

He proceeded to drink and have merry in his room. Each glass he drank left a happy yet bitter feeling in his mouth, and his eyes stung with unspoken grief in his heart.

What was so good about being a Prince? He was just as useless as any other village man.

Always confined and restricted? Always following the orders and not having an order of my own? He wanted to feel accomplished, yet he felt useless. What was there giving orders and meting out punishments when there...

He hiccupped and gulped down yet another glass and continued his lamentations.

There was no joy in it. What was his work in the kingdom as a prince he was? Or was it all in the names? Maybe next time, he will try beheading someone to see how it feels.

Hah! Regan laughed and continued drinking his sorrow and joy into the wine not knowing that the hand of trouble was about to knock on his door.

Sthena Acheron arrived in the castle a few minutes ago after Regan ordered Perdita to be locked up. He stepped out of the carriage in his always refined attire and demeanor that spoke volumes of who he was and the position he held in the Kingdom.

The guards bowed their heads as they opened the door which they closed after he walked in.

Sthena did not immediately go to his chamber as his feet walked along the hallways that led to the courtroom where he knew the ministers awaited his return.

Nearing the double doors of the courtroom, the guards announced his arrival and he entered inside.

Inside the courtroom, the ministers twenty-four in number stood twelve persons on each side of the courtroom with their heads bowed to the king.

Sthena continued towards the throne and sat down. ”Sit,” He waved his left hand gesturing for them to sit.

The ministers constituted of old and middle-aged men eased themselves onto the seats designated to them according to their ranks and the position they held in the kingdom.

The large furnished courtroom fell into silence once everyone settled down and Sthena stared at each of them in the eyes one at a time before going to the next person.

He had told Daemon his chief advisor to cancel all the meetings he had today but somehow he knew that these pests of ministers will insist on meeting him.

He wondered which of their stupid matters they wanted to see him for.

Sthena losing his patience stared at the head of the ministers who was still reciting how to begin his speech.

”I didn’t come here to waste my time and stare at you all dressed up in your ministers’ attire,” Sthena spoke. His voice calm and relaxed held an underlying meaning that he would leave if they didn’t say what they came to the castle for.

The ministers shifted uncomfortably in their seats. They didn’t like the gaze of the king on them. He was young and they were the elder, yet he commanded so much unsettling respect and order that none will refuse to acknowledge.

The head of the ministers, Elliot Callisto, an elderly vampire stood up and bowed. His gray hair covered most of his black hair. One could see the wisdom behind his red eyes that had lost their youthful shine over the years of his experience on earth.

He raised his bowed head and began with his speech, ”Your Majesty, my fellow ministers and I have come to you about what has been going on in the kingdom.”

”And what could that be, prime minister Elliot?” The king questioned, staring back at the prime minister with his youthful intelligent dark red eyes.

Elliot didn’t look unfazed by the aura the king exuded that would appear daunting to others. He was sure the king knew what he was talking about.

”Your Majesty, I am talking about the recent abduction that has been going on in one of the villages in the kingdom. Are you aware of this, Your Majesty?”

”I am aware, Prime Minister Elliot,” Sthena replied.

”We want to know what the king has to about this, Your Majesty.” Prime Minister Elliot asked turning to look at his fellow ministers to see them nod their heads in approval.

”Nothing,” Sthena calmly replied. ”I have nothing to say about it.” He further deadpanned.

The ministers all had shocked looks on their faces. They had not expected the king to say such a thing in a situation like this one.

The news about humans being abducted in the village of Woodbridge had reached the ears of some humans belonging to the high society and the news did not sit well with them as they feel and complain that they are no longer safe.

So hearing the king speak this way left an unsettling feeling in the hearts of the ministers. Some started to think that the king was perhaps doing this to start chaos in the kingdom.

Prime Minister Elliot lowered his head in thought and after some time he raised his head and asked, ”Could the King tell us the reason behind his words?”

Sthena crossed his right leg over the other and responded, ”I have nothing to say because the church is into the case and I haven’t gotten the report of their investigations.”

”Once I get their response on the case, I’ll let you all know what my decision will be.”

Prime Minister Elliot nodded his head in understanding. ”Thank you for your response, Your Majesty. I’ll surely relay your message to the troubled hearts of the people.” He bowed after speaking and sat down.

”If there’s nothing more that needs my attention, I’d like to be excused,” Sthena spoke waiting for the ministers to continue.

One of the ministers raised his hand and stood up. He bowed making his shoulder-length blonde hair fall over his shoulders. He said, ”Your Majesty, may I ask you a question?”

”Go ahead, minister Pristine.” Sthena urged.

”Thank you,” Minister Pristine bowed again and began to speak, ”Your Majesty, I wanted to know the circumstance on which this abduction took place.”

”When you say circumstance, minister Pristine, are you asking the reason behind their abduction?” Sthena tilted his head in question.

”Yes,” Minister Pristine answered.

”Well...” Sthena began with a grin plastered on his face, ”...You can ask the abductors the reason why they’re abducting humans.” The smile on his face was now fully displayed for the ministers.

Minister Pristine clenched his jaw as he stared at the king. This was not what he was asking the king. He was deviating from the question.

”Why do you ask such a question in the first place, minister Pristine?” Sthena further asked with the smug smile still on his face.

He continued, ”Let me guess, you are asking because of the circumstance behind your son’s death.” It was not a question but a statement to Minister Pristine, and he got the message the king wanted to pass through.

As Sthena expected, Pristine balled his hands into fists showing the anger he felt within him. The rage in his black human eyes simmering unspoken words that were silently being passed to the king as they stared at each other made Sthena’s lips stretch into a wide smile.

Sthena chuckled enjoying poking the wound of Pristine. The death of his son, Markus was caused by him but the minister didn’t have enough proof to pin the blame on him.

The death of Markus had been an unfortunate event that happened so suddenly that he wasn’t able to control or stop it on time.

The day Markus found the dead body of Ms. Laila sitting on his lap was the day he should have started counting the number of days he would be alive.

He hadn’t planned to kill Markus, but the man like his father, Minister Pristine, thought he could outsmart him and expose the one little secret that would have been between them. He had been stupid enough to try to report him to the church and he had also been smart enough to kill him.

Though the church had questioned him and done some investigations, nothing could point at him that he was the killer of both Ms. Laila and Markus.

In compensation, he had conducted a benefitting burial for both of them and his name as a good king had risen to some point even though people called him evil. It was like killing two birds with a stone.

Just like how nothing could be hidden forever, one way or the other Minister Pristine got to know he was the one who killed his son, and the man since then had been looking for evidence against him.

He understood Minister Pristine well and why he was also having doubts about the abduction going on in the village of Woodbridge. He must suspect him, not that he never did even if the abduction could have been someone else.

The air in the courtroom suddenly felt heavy for one to breathe. Some of the ministers who knew bits and pieces of Minister Pristine’s son’s death couldn’t help but feel sorry for the middle-aged man.

It was not easy to be remembered the death of one’s child and not just by anyone, but to be reminded of the same person suspected to be the killer.

Minister Pristine didn’t speak more. The anger and anguish made him take a step back before retiring to his seat.

Sthena didn’t mind what his words did to the older man. They should have known his way of doing things, and the rule was simple.

No one meddles in what he got his eyes on else the person received the punishment which wouldn’t be anything less than a snake’s venom being spit into their eyes.