SWNOVELS Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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ANDREAS
“You almost messed up,” Aiden said,the moment I walked into the dining. He was already sipping on his tea as he was in the middle of breakfast.
I sat down and remembered what happened last night. What I almost did. The memory of her lips too close to mine. I remembered the air cra ck ling with tension as her lips hovered inches from mine, a heartbeat away from a kiss that could change everything.
Aiden poured my cup some tea and I could see how he looked at me. I know what he was thinking and I’d rather not want him to tease me. A throbbing headache pulsed through my temples, each sip of tea a balm to the alcohol-induced fire raging in my skull. I only had a few drinks.
“Did you kiss her?” Aiden asked and I almost choked.
“That’s not something a coachman can ask.”
He tipped his head back and laughed. “I am not your coachman now so, you can tell me.”
I sighed as I took another sip from the tea, relishing the warmth. Now, I was certain there was indeed something. in that alcohol.
“No, I did not. I almost did, but I did not.”
He chuckled, tossing a grape inside his mouth. “Aiden chuckled, tossing a grape into his mouth. ‘For years I was with you,
this was the first time you did not kiss a woman when you had the chance,’ he said, studying my expression. “Let me guess, sho
stopped you. And now, you messed everything up. She will cancel the engagement and you’re back to the border,”
I clenched my jaw as I placed my cup on the table. I have no complaints going back to the border. It’s just that I can’t leave the capital just yet. Not when there are vampires like the one I captured the last time swarming around. I do not trust anyone in the capital to be able to handle them, especially now that they’re starting to get
creative.
“She won’t cancel the engagement,” I said, rubbing my temples, “I know she wouldn’t because she showed me something very important last night.”
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Aiden raised his brow as he looked at me. “You did not kiss but she showed you something important? I wonder what it could be.” A teasing glint shone in his eyes and I could not help but grimace while looking at him.
“It’s not what you think.”
“I was not even thinking of anything, Lord Andreas.”
I flung my finger in his direction, causing him to tip his head back and laugh. As Aiden chuckled at the mention of the engagement, my thoughts drifted to a more pressing matter-the vampire prisoner in their custody.
“How’s our prisoner?” I asked, changing the topic. Aiden’s facial expression changed.
“He’s enduring pretty well. It hasn’t been days, anyway. Soon, he’ll start to weaken and we will get our answers once that happens,” I said and he nodded.
“What of your father? He’ll ask you to hand over the one responsible for the death of that woman.”
“We get someone from the catacombs.”
Aiden gave me a tentative look. He knows what this means to me. “Are you
sure?”
I nodded gravely. “Yes. He’ll just ask me to dispose of it and I will just return it.”
“And what if he doesn’t ask you that?”
“Then I can’t do anything, can I? I need that live prisoner. I have some questions to ask.”
Aiden sighed and stood, placing a piece of paper in front of me. The sweet smell instantly filled the whole room, making me give him a questioning look.
He jerked his head towards the letter. “Your fiance misses you already. She wants to see you.”
I picked the letter up and it was indeed from Henrietta. Aiden just chuckled and walked out to do what I asked him, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
It was not something I enjoyed doing but I didn’t have a choice. The vampires in the catacombs were captives when the War happened before. With the help of the witches, the wolves took their victory and tormented the vampires they captured, sealing them in the catacombs, and starving them until the captives weakened and eventually died of hunger. Or that’s what they believed.
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The only way to kill a vampire is a stake through the heart. However, when they held the vampires captive, they could not kill them one by one. They had to get in the prison and stab them through the heart. As no one wanted to risk it, they settled on imprisoning them and weakening them. In other words, the vampires in the catacombs are sleeping, just in need of blood to get revived once again.
The catacombs, a hidden labyrinth beneath Veridia, whispered ancient secrets of a war fought between vampires and wolves, a history buried deeper than the roots of the kingdom above. I don’t know if the wolves in the Kingdom even knew about this fact–that underneath the ground they were stepping on were sleeping vampires.
The catacombs were not a common knowledge. The one who taught me combat, Master Amien, was the one who told me about them. He told me about the details during the War that could not be found in any records in the Palace. When Master Amien died, the knowledge stuck with me. I realized there were hundreds of vampires inside that catacomb that had been deprived of blood for centuries.
Thinking about their fate made me shudder. Vampires and wolves have always been neck on neck. When it comes to strength, vampires are way stronger. The only advantage the werewolves have is their bite. Their bite is poisonous for the vampires. During the war, I know many vampires died because of this. One thing that puzzled me was why they did not bite the vampires instead. Why did they decide to imprison them and risk them getting back to life again rather than just killing them all with a bite?
I feel like that man I captured knows a lot of things.
We rise from the ashes. I remember that man’s words. It has been playing inside my head.
These are the words of the vampires when they were imprisoned. I want to ask how he knew about it.
I took another sip of my tea and opened the letter. The delicate and elegant handwriting greeted me first. Nothing in the letter indicated that she missed me but she did want to see me. Giving her an apology for what almost happened last night seemed like a daunting task, but I knew I had to do it. My marriage with this woman only a front to cover my goals. Like she said, I will just be using her just as how she will use me to exact her revenge. I can easily replace her. But for some reason, it’s hard to let her go. I feel like she can be a very important piece in the long run.
Sighing, I got up and immediately went outside. I stayed in the capital for the night and her manor is a few
distance away.
However, as I walked down the streets, I saw her walking with her maidservant. Her dress flowed behind her and she walked with grace and confidence that put even the flowers to shame. I found myself pinned on the spot and
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just staring at her ethereal beauty. The memory of our almost kiss played in my mind once again and I immediately shook the thought away.
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I picked a bundle of flowers from a stall and walked in her direction. She did not seem to notice me approaching and it was when I was already standing in front of her that she stopped and almost yelped in surprise.
I resisted the urge to laugh as she glared in my direction.
“I did not appreciate that,” she said and I handed her the flowers I was holding.
“I appreciate you looking lovely but you should be more mindful of your surroundings. What if I was a bad man? You did not even notice my presence until I was in front of you.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re already the most notorious man in this Kingdom, Andreas. I fear no one.”
I grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Extending my hand, she accepted it gracefully. With a subtle nod to her maidservant, she dismissed her, and the girl bowed before retreating to the manor.
“I received your letter,” I began, giving her a sidelong glance. “Did you summon me to continue what nearly transpired last night?”
She halted, and her eyes widened as she stared at me. A flush colored her cheeks, drawing my attention to her lips-a tempting shade of red.
“How can you say such things when we’re in public?” she whispered, shooting me a disapproving glare.
I couldn’t resist smirking. Teasing her seemed too enjoyable. “So you wouldn’t mind if we were indoors?”
The blush deepened, and she started to pull her hand away, but I tightened my grip.
“As you said, I am the most notorious man. I could kiss you right here if you desire. Just say the word, Lady Henrietta,”
She shot me an incredulous look, glancing nervously around, wary of eavesdroppers. Without a word, she tugged me towards the nearest alleyway, pressing me against the wall. Her breathing quickened, tickling my neck, and I clenched my hand. I had been the one doing the provocation before; it was unexpected to find myself on the receiving end.
Peering down at her, I noticed how flushed her face had become.
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“What can I do to make you stop teasing me like that?” she asked.
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Before I could ask what she meant, her hands grasped the lapel of my coat, yanking me down until our faces were mere inches apart. Surprise registered on my face, but a grin formed on my lips as I saw the determination. She could be someone competitive when she needed to be.
Her eyes focused on my mouth, and before I could utter a word, her lips met mine.
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