NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”Yes, I am the king,” Sthena answered and waited for the next reaction of Perdita though he dreaded what it will be.

Perdita heard what Sthena said but didn’t immediately speak. She stayed quiet looking at the man in front of her who just confirmed he was the King.

The King, as in the king of Vamlone kingdom. The feared and respected King, who not only did he command respect from the people, but also created terror in them.

The king, the rumored heartless man he was called. The uncaring vampire whom nobody wanted to meet face to face even though they all suck up to him for power and wealth.

Sthena was the king. The king that held all these rumors. The man she had known for some months now, who was the first to discover that she and Marco were vampires and not humans as they posed to be.

The man who had rendered his help to them several times without asking for anything in return. He was the same who saved them from the church. The man she viewed as a kind man and had come to slowly respect.

Sthena was this man, and this man was the King.

All this time, they had been taking the benefit of an unknown man. Yes, that was what he was. An unknown man. She didn’t know who he was yet she had trusted and taken his help without question and now this same unknown was someone she had known for almost four months now.

Perdita didn’t speak but with her body language, Sthena knew what she was thinking and how she felt. She felt betrayed. She was deceived and lied to. Even if it was him, he would be angry, so he understood her feelings well.

”Perdita,” Sthena gently called and took her hand in his. ”I deeply apologize for...”

Before he could finish what he was saying, Perdita withdrew her hand from his and abruptly stood up as if she was touched by hot coal.

Perdita bowed deeply at Sthena and spoke, ”You don’t have to apologize to me, Your Majesty. A King shouldn’t apologize to a lowly woman like me.”

Sthena frowned and stood up too, ”What are you saying, Perdita?” He took a step forward and demanded, ”Raise your head, Perdita, and do not call me by title. I am still Sthena to you.”

”No, Your Majesty. I am speaking the truth, Your Majesty.” Perdita spoke against Sthena’s command. She continued, ”It is disrespectful of me to not bow and it is also a great offense to call the king by his name. This is the reason why I got this punishment today. I have learned my lesson.”

Sthena’s jaw clenched and unclenched as a deep frown now marred his face. He was already annoyed by what Lady Rosamonda did and being reminded that it was because of his mistake that she got injured made him want to shake sense into Perdita to make her see that she was never a lowly woman in his eyes.

He knew that this was going be the outcome if one day she got to know the truth. What he was not expecting was the sudden distance she was creating between them. He would never allow the distance.

Sthena took another step towards Perdita and she took a step back too. This action of Perdita ticked Sthena off and he bellowed,

”Stop moving back, Perdita.” This caught Perdita off guard as Sthena had never used that tone on her before so she couldn’t help but take another step back.

”I said to stop moving back. You obey the words of your king.” Were the next words that left Sthena’s lips which he regretted immediately. He didn’t want to use his title as the king to intimidate her, but she wouldn’t listen and there was no other way to make her stop.

Now was the time when her stubbornness made him annoyed. He walked closer to Perdita and this time, she didn’t move back though he saw she wanted to or if possible, fly and run far away from him.

Before Sthena could say another word, a knock on the door interrupted him. He turned and glared at the door and whoever it was that was interrupting him.

He exhaled to cool his nerves before going to see who it was.

Opening the door, Sthena saw Daemon outside. His brows slightly rose in surprise and he questioned, ”What are you doing here, Dae? I thought I asked to find Serena or did you see her already?”

Daemon shook his head negatively and answered, ”Not yet, Milord. It’s a long story.”

”Hmm,” Sthena hummed in understanding knowing something must have happened. He waited for Daemon to continue seeing he was still standing there.

”The church members are here, Milord, and they are requesting your presence,” Daemon announced and bowed his head.

The damn church members. Sthena cursed in his head. If he knew that today would be like this, he would have settled with the church members the day before than to postpone the meeting to today.

Sthena turned to look over his shoulders and at the green-eyed Lady who still had her head bowed. ”We’re not done yet, I’ll be back.” He told her and went out of the room.

Daemon had an obvious surprised look on his face when he saw it was Perdita who was in the room but he didn’t say anything. He turned on his heels and followed the king to the courtroom where the church members were waiting for the king.

Perdita slowly sat on the couch with mixed feelings, her head and her heart burning and churning in pain, anxiety, helplessness, and all the bad feelings she could feel.

She was confused and at the same time helpless. What did she to deserve this? She questioned herself not knowing if she should cry or laugh at her miserable self.

She was used to people lying and deceiving her and she had thought he would be different, but alas, not only did he deceive her too, he was the king himself. The sly and wicked king which he proved to her now today. The greatest shock that she had ever experienced.

Now everything made sense. Starting from when she first met him until now. The aura he exuded and the respect he commanded from people even without speaking now made sense.

The reason why after abducting Mr. Perkin and was not questioned also made sense now, and she had been a fool to tell him all her secrets thinking he wouldn’t tell the king after he promised not to. But now, he was the king she had been afraid of.

She had even gone as far as to speak ill about him, in his front. She spoke and exchanged words with him like any other village man she would speak with. Going as far as to challenge him and sometimes call him names and she even threatened him sometimes.

Hah! Perdita felt like laughing at her current miserable state but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to laugh. She wanted to feel all the pain so it would harden her heart. She felt useless and deceived while the man had fun at the expense of her ignorance.

Perdita exhaled and stood up. She went to the window and opened it to welcome the cold breeze of the snow. Letting it cool her head because no matter how she thought about all that had transpired between her and Sthena, there was nothing she could change.

He was the King, and the truth was slowly sinking in. All these explained why the maids had been so respectful to him and he had lied to her saying he was a very good friend of the king which she foolishly believed.

The realization and truth that she had no choice but to accept. The lies and deceptions together started to fuel the anger that was slowly brewing in her heart.

All the pent-up emotion came rushing like hot steam preparing for the hot volcano to erupt.

Never again would she be the gullible Perdita. Never again would she be deceived and played with. She will leave this place. Far from everyone she knew and everyone who knew her.

Staying in the castle was never and had never been an option and she knew she would eventually leave. But it broke her heart. Perhaps she had put all her trust and hope in the man. Too late she was realizing it now.

Perdita stayed in the guest room with her emotions on a rollercoaster. She didn’t want to go to her brother’s room. He was still sick and didn’t want to make him worried. It made her wonder what he would do when he also found out.

Perdita stayed there in the cold blowing on her pale skin and she didn’t care if it made her health worse. She wanted the cold to freeze her with the soft heart that made Sthena once call her a dimwit.

Perdita stayed there until Sthena came back from the meeting with the church members.

She stayed there unmoving even when Sthena spoke to her. It was as if her mind traveled miles away and had left her flesh in the room.

”Perdita,” Sthena called with a frown but the Lady didn’t answer him nor did she move from her standing position.

He had made the meeting with the church members as brief as he could so he could get back to her. He didn’t expect her to be standing like a statue near the window and the freezing cold entering her body. She was still sick. She was only pretending to be strong because of her brother.

Sthena raised his hand and touched Perdita’s face which was now cold as ice and still, he did not receive any response from her.

Before he knew it, he saw Perdita’s cold green eyes which were devoid of any emotion slowly close and her legs gave in before she collapsed into his arms.