Hell’s Consort

New Chapter for the Highest Tier (June 2021)

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Vampire King Apollyon

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It was just a few minutes when Apollyon had taken his eyes off Luna on the other side of the carpet to watch his mother gloating over the fact that she will marry another man—one that, curiously, wasn't Princess Sapphire's father. 

Apollyon clenched and unclenched his fists.

His breathing was harsh, and his nostrils flared from all the hatred in his heart, pouring all his grudges in one intense scrutiny similar to how he filled the rim of his goblet with the White Stag at the Will O' Wisp on the day Luna told him about the secret.

At the moment, the hurt he felt when he found out about Luna having sexual congress with an Archdemon who pretended to be him was similar to the pain he felt as he saw his impulsive shell of a mother marrying someone without even telling him this morning that tonight would be his mother's engagement party.

Not even Queen Titania and King Oberon.

Not even Princess Sapphire, who was there with them drinking tea, hadn't told him about it.

He thought she had the potential to be an ally that he could trust in the Summer Courts—

Did his mother even inform Sapphire about this Sir Tristan when nobody in the audience had seen this Knight before in real life?

  Earlier, Apollyon had condemned the presence of the aristocrats with Luna for their destructive habit of spreading rumors.

As he was surrounded by the same crowd he had sworn to hate for their flash judgment, Apollyon couldn't help himself but catch the latest gossip they had over this Sir Tristan.

His ears perked up from the information.

One, Sir Tristan was an unknown Knight from the Fall Courts.

Second, nobody knew how he looked underneath that panoply of his. 

When he observed the Summer Queen on her throne, Apollyon saw her wear a grim expression.

Her light blue eyes were cold and hard as she stared at the knight's hand holding her daughter's fingers as they walked down the aisle as if she was thinking,  'How dare she brought this stranger into the family regardless of their poor background?'

King Oberon wore his golden helm so Apollyon couldn't figure out what's on his mind. 

Did his mother tell Queen Titania and King Oberon about this abrupt engagement party beforehand?

If his grandparents knew about the engagement, one of them could have opened the awkward topic and said, 'Hey, you son of a bitch—bastard, whatever. Your estranged mother is getting engaged with a lowly Knight from the Fall Courts no aristocrats had ever known. By the way, it's up to you if you would attend or not. Your presence wouldn't matter. It wouldn't stop the event nor, would it change the outcome. But we would absolutely prefer if you don't interfere.'

It wasn't like he wanted to interfere.

'Really?' The devilish side of Apollyon asked him. 'Why were you wistful when these two creatures walked down the red carpet on their way to sit on their throne with the Summer King and Queen?

'Well, I just preferred to be informed.' He mused. 'It wasn't like I was interested in my mother's love life.'

Baring his teeth in anger, Apollyon's hand flew to his chest, clawing at his tunic to get rid of the similar ache he felt in his heart when she saw how his mother had drastically changed.

From the earliest memory Apollyon had of his mother's love—visiting his room, embracing him, and singing him to sleep even if they just fought with his father, Princess Ourania was completely unrecognizable.

People change.

His mother did that a couple of times, sneaking into his room to visit after his father, King Gwythyr, called her to come out from the Empress Palace to meet with him at the secluded lair of the Vampire King opposite to the Scleranthus.

Apollyon had no idea if his mother and father talked about him every time they shared their official bedchamber. 

Millenia had passed.

The strong bond of a mother and child when Apollyon was young wasn't there anymore.

There was zero love and even the slightest care.

Not even as universal emotion such as empathy. 

It can't even be compared to air because at least air can be felt. 

Apollyon just felt somehow betrayed that no one in the Summer Monarchs bothered to tell him about it after claiming that 'all-of-us-are-family-here' bullshit.

At first, Princess Ourania claimed that he was her son at the Fairy Tea Party. 

Out of spite, he told her that he didn't want to do anything with her anymore.

The woman respected his request gladly, and he was grateful for it.

As he glanced around at the aristocrats surrounding them, he searched for Princess Sapphire or Xerxes to see if the two attended Princess Ourania's engagement party.

Unfortunately, both were nowhere to be found, but Apollyon could scent Princess Sapphire's presence in this Ball Room.

She must be around here somewhere.

Well, even if Apollyon did find her, he wouldn't have anything to say to her step-sister either.

He would bet his immortality on the line that Princess Sapphire wasn't notified about any of this.

That rebellious royal spy of a sister might have a violent reaction to the news and create a ruckus. 

Sapphire will strongly oppose the marriage if she found out her mother married someone other than her father, whom she hadn't even met yet.

His step-sister hadn't even met her birth father face-to-face.

She couldn't even find out if her unique wings were a genetic malformation from her father!

Apollyon wouldn't be surprised if someone told him right now that this Sir Tristan wasn't introduced to his sibling. 

He pitied his pretty kid sister for being born in this world without knowing who spawned her.

At least, Apollyon knew who his father was, even if he didn't do a great job being one, and King Gwythyr tried his best to raise him alone when Princess Ourania began to isolate herself in Scleranthus.