14 Horror in the throne room

As Vlad walked into the throne room, the air grew thick with tension. His predatory movements were deliberate and slow as if he was savoring the fear that he was instilling in everyone present. His eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail and sizing up each person he laid eyes on.

King Roderick's face paled as he saw Vlad and his men entering the room.

Roderick tried to steady himself and hide his fear, but his hands shook slightly as he gripped his robe.

At first, Roderick wore an annoyed expression as he prepared to give an order. But as soon as he saw Vlad enter the room, his annoyance was quickly replaced with a hypocritical look of surprise and happiness. He rose from his throne and moved closer to Vlad, trying to appear as though he was delighted to see him.

Vlad's eyes lingered on Rhiannon for a moment, taking note of how she refused to meet his gaze. He couldn't help but be intrigued by her defiance, as most people would cower before him. He wondered what kind of woman she was to be so bold.

But then Vlad's gaze shifted to the young man who was tied up and bleeding. His eyebrows rose in surprise and he stopped in his tracks to take in the view. The man's head was bowed, and his breathing was labored. It was clear that he had been beaten.

Vlad turned his attention back to Roderick, his face impassive. "What is the meaning of this, Your Majesty?" he asked in a cold, menacing tone.

King Roderick began to explain that Rowan had committed treason by trying to have him killed. Vlad listened carefully, his eyes flicking briefly to Rhiannon and Rowan.

Just as Rhiannon could hear how engrossed her uncle was speaking to Vlad, she used the opportunity to move closer to Rowan. Vlad's eyes trailed after her, a hint of interest and curiosity flashing across his face before his expression hardened once more.

Rhiannon placed Rowan's bleeding face on her shoulder as her eyes began to sting painfully with tears. Rowan moved closer to her, sniffing her and trying to hold her, but it was impossible - his hands were tied up. Rowan whispered that he was sorry, and Rhiannon held his head tighter, telling him that it was okay and she was going to get him out of there.

Vlad's gaze remained fixed on Rhiannon and Rowan, his face unreadable, King Roderick who stopped talking on noticing Vlad wasn't listening but had his attention somewhere, traced his eyesight to Rhiannon who was crouching beside Rowan and his eyes slightly widened before he took a step. " Rhiannon, step away from this traitor, right now," he barked.

King Roderick, was displeased with her attitude. "You are ordered to show respect and courtesy in the presence of King Vlad, your future husband. You will stand and show your manners," he said sternly.

Rhiannon let out a frustrated sigh and reluctantly pushed herself up from the cold floor, shooting a glance at Rowan before turning to face Vlad. Her eyes widened with feigned shock as she gasped and curtsied in a hurry.

"Oh, my apologies, your highness. I didn't notice you earlier. I was so engrossed with the matter relating to my lover and I hadn't taken notice of you". She bowed.

As Rhiannon stood there, her heart racing, she could feel the tension in the room. The gasps from the courtiers only served to fuel her boldness, and she held her head high, determined not to show any weakness in front of the Devil king.

Vlad's smile faded as he heard Rhiannon's reference to the tied boy. His face grew cold, and a chill seemed to spread through the room. King Roderick, sensing Vlad's anger, quickly signaled for the jury to continue.

The jury's verdict echoed through the room, and the court members shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "Rowan, son of Mortello shall be beheaded," the jury pronounced, "and his body shall be fed to the wolves in the palace for treason, which would instill fear into anyone else who would try such"

Gasps and murmurs broke out amongst the courtiers as they looked on in shock. Some whispered amongst themselves, while others looked on in horror at the gruesome fate that awaited Rowan.

Rhiannon could barely hold back her tears as the reality of the situation hit her. She knew that Rowan was innocent, and the thought of him being killed and fed to the wolves was too much to bear.

And when the jury rolled back his scroll of the verdict, the entire courtroom held its breath in anticipation. The judge looked over the document, his expression unreadable before he finally cleared his throat and turned to face Rowan.

"Rowan," he said, his voice grave. "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Rowan's bruised face turned to Rhiannon, who gave him a nod of encouragement. He took a deep breath and began to speak, his voice firm and resolute.

"Axel gave me a letter saying it was from Princess Rhiannon," Rowan said, his eyes blazing with anger. "He asked me to meet her in the king's chamber by the usual route. I suspected it to be a trap, but I couldn't stand idly by while Princess Rhiannon was in danger. When I arrived, six armed guards were waiting for me. They attacked me, and I defended myself. I didn't know the king was there, and I certainly didn't mean to harm him at first..." Then he paused.

Rowan's eyes gleamed with a fierce light as he continued to speak.

"I only wish for the chance to face King Roderick in battle and prove my innocence," he said. "If it is the will of the heavens that I should die, then so be it. But I will not go down without a fight."

Everyone looked at Rowan as though he had grown ten horns. They couldn't believe he had the nerve to speak so boldly and dare a king to a fight, while he was been pleaded for his head.

Rhiannon's blood boiled as she realized what had transpired. Her relatives had dug a trap for Rowan, and he had fallen right into it. She turned to look at Ariadne and Lilith who had little smiles on their lips and an expression that says 'Told you I would deal with you'.

But before Rhiannon or King Roderick who was recovering from the shock of the statement being uttered by Rowan could speak, Ariadne spoke up, her pretentious sweet, and seductive gentle voice, ringing out loud in the room, drawing all attention to her.

Ariadne took permission from her father and that of the jury, as she came to stand in front of the kneeling Rowan, her eyes twinkling with mischief and the evil she was made of, while Rhiannon clenched her fists, wanting to pull the bitch away from Rowan.

Ariadne began with a question as she pointed at Rowan. "What gave you the nerve to paint the king as a liar?" she asked, her tone dripping with venom.

Rowan looked at her with disdain and replied, "I speak the truth, woman. And I have nothing to fear from you or anyone else. The king is a liar and a tyrant and so are you and your rotten mother, and I will not be silenced."

Ariadne's expression turned to one of anger and she raised her hand to strike Rowan, but Rhiannon stepped in front of her, her anger boiling over. "How dare you!" she yelled at Ariadne. "He is innocent and you dare to force him to own up to something he knows nothing of?".

Ariadne sneered. "Sister, I pity you. Your emotions for this lowly peasant would bring you nothing but grief and disappointment, step aside and let justice take its cause".

Rhiannon smirked coldly. "I dare you, Ariadne".

The tension began to grow in the room.

As Rhiannon continued to stand her ground, Vlad's eyes flickered between her and Ariadne, and he couldn't help but feel a growing admiration for the former. He had never met a princess like Rhiannon before - she was fiercely intelligent, unapologetically brave, and radiated an aura of strength that commanded respect from everyone around her.

Her defiance in the face of Ariadne's provocation only served to solidify Vlad's admiration. He had always believed that a good leader should have the ability to stand up for what they believe in, even in the face of opposition, and Rhiannon embodied that quality in every way.

Vlad's smile grew wider as he imagined what it would be like to have Rhiannon by his side as his queen. He could see her being a formidable ally in all aspects of his reign, from military strategy to political maneuvering

And perhaps most importantly, he could see her being the true partner - someone who was able to put off all unwanted attention on him.

And the only thing he could do to spice her up completely to his taste was to teach her how to be cruel and heartless. The girl lacked that.

But as much as he admired Rhiannon, Vlad knew that it would not be easy to win her over. She was a woman of principle, and he would have to prove himself to her before she would consider him as a potential partner. But the challenge only made him more determined - he was not one to back down from a challenge, especially when the prize was so enticing. He always chased and never missed.

"Your majesty, if I may? I have a witness to testify". The room fell silent as Ariadne's words echoed off the walls. Rhiannon turned to see the figure approaching and her eyes widened, she watched Axel closely as he made his way toward the center of the room. He looked nervous, his eyes darting back and forth as he approached.

Ariadne's smile only seemed to make Axel more uncomfortable. He hesitated for a moment before finally raising his head to look at the court.

"Tell us, Axel. The King assures you of his protection, speak".

"I saw Rowan do it," he said, his voice shaky. "He slit the king's wrist and threatened to kill him".

Rhiannon's eyes narrowed even further as Axel spoke. She could tell he was lying, but she couldn't quite figure out why. Why had he betrayed Rowan? Or was he being coerced into lying?

She could see the hurt look in Rowan's eyes who quickly looked away.

She watched as Ariadne nodded approvingly, seemingly buying into Axel's false testimony. Rhiannon gritted her teeth, feeling frustrated and angry at the injustice of it all.

"Is that all, Axel?" Ariadne asked, her voice dripping with honeyed sweetness.

Axel nodded quickly, his guilt-ridden expression quickly replaced with one of relief.

Rhiannon couldn't take it anymore. Her own emotions getting the better of her.

"That's a lie!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at Axel. "He's lying, Ariadne! Rowan would never do something like that!"

Ariadne's smile faded, replaced with a look of annoyance.

"Stay away, Rhiannon," she said sharply. "You're out of line." Ariadne's expression darkened, and just as quickly Ariadne's lips twisted into a sly smile.

"Very well," she said, her eyes glittering with malice. "If you're so convinced of Rowan's innocence, then perhaps you would like to take his place as the accused, sister?"

Rhiannon was startled but just as quickly with her heart pounding in her chest as she kneeled beside Rowan, feeling the cold stone floor beneath her knees. She looked up at Ariadne, her eyes burning with determination.

"I will take his place," she said firmly, her voice clear and steady despite the fear she felt inside. "Or you can kill us both."

Ariadne's eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, she seemed unsure of what to do.

Rhiannon turned her head to look at Rowan, who was staring at her with a mixture of gratitude and horror. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered to him, although she wasn't sure if she believed her own words.

Then, she let go of his hand and turned her attention back to the executioner. She lifted her chin defiantly and signaled to him to begin.

The rest of the course was stunned by Rhiannon's bold move. They had expected her to beg for mercy, or to at least continue to protest Rowan's innocence. But instead, she was willing to face the same punishment as him.

Even Vlad, who had been watching the proceedings with a grim expression, was taken aback by Rhiannon's bravery. His eyes grew cold, and a low snarl erupted from his throat.

The sound alerted both Draven and Alastair, who had been standing beside Vlad. Draven began to make mental notes of how he was going to put off the growing rage in Vlad before he blew their cover.

Vlad's possessiveness had been triggered by Rhiannon's display of bravery, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her, he didn't know why. He didn't care about the accusations against Rowan, or about the truth. All he knew was that Rhiannon was his, and he didn't like to share...

Ever!.

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