Chapter 257: Suspended.

Silence ensued in Donovan’s office, both of them staring back at one another.

"Very well then," Martha said at last, clutching tightly onto the parchment. "I will bring evidence to you to clear my name. However," she paused, her gaze stern.

"Whoever is behind this will pay dearly."

"One more thing." Donovan halted the churchwoman from leaving. "As protocol is required, you are suspended until you bring evidence to clear your name. You may hand in your pending works to either Churchman Theodore, Churchman Welsh, or Churchwoman Aurora."

And she turned and left the office.

Outside the office, Martha saw Theodore resting his back against the wall of the corridor. He smiled on seeing her.

"Don’t burn your office down this time," he said, a loopsided smile stretched on his lips.

Martha ignored him, walking past with her face scrunched in distaste. As if the encounter with Vetis wasn’t enough, Donovan had also decided it was time to breathe down her shoulders. And who the hell was it that submitted this to him?! Martha internally groaned at the mess she found herself in.

Theodore watched the retreating back of Martha, the smile vanishing from his face. He straightened and headed in the direction of Donovan’s office.

He knocked twice on the door and heard Donovan’s voice ushering him in.

The pureblooded vampire walked in, but instead of taking the chair as offered by Donovan, he went to stand by the window, his eyes gazing past the gates of the building to the far end surrounded by trees.

"You let her go." He stated without turning to look at the head church member.

"Yes." Donovan replied and glanced at Theodore, who kept mute. Taking the quill to write on the open parchment, he asked the pureblooded vampire. "Why didn’t you bring this evidence earlier? Why today?"

"Because I figured the more one delayed to uproot a weed, the more it turns into a thorn. One that would be hard to pull."

Donovan didn’t immediately respond. He took his time writing on the parchment. When he was done, he placed it at the far end of the table to dry.

"What is your plan?" He asked, proceeding to take another parchment. Doing the paperwork of the Blackfang death proved harder than he thought it would be. It shocked him when he received the king’s message earlier today about the cause of death being uncovered.

Sthena Acheron. Donovan said the vampire king’s name in his mind. He shook his head and exhaled.

Theodore turned away from the window. "Pull the roots of the weed, enough to make it wither and little to let it live."

At his words, Donovan’s hand paused mid-writing. He stared at the man whose gaze gave an expression he couldn’t make out what he had in mind.

"I see." Donovan muttered, saying no more. He folded the first parchment he left to dry, and at the back, he stamped it with his seal. "Have this delivered to the king before the end of the day."

Theodore regarded the head church member. He asked, "Why me? The delivery boy is just down the stairs."

Donovan raised his head to look at Theodore, who raised his hand in the air and took the parchment.

"I shall take my leave then." Theodore turned to leave the office. At the door, he paused in his steps to say, "Do not worry; I will send your regards to the king. I know you are shy about it that’s why you have turned me into a delivery person."

A nerve pricked inside of Donovan, his eyes squinting themselves in utter speechlessness. How to get rid of this man without anyone’s notice?

"Get rid of me and everyone will come at you," Theodore chuckled, reading through the expression on Donovan’s face. He finally turned to leave the office, but it opened before he could touch the handle.

"Churchman Theodore," Churchman Welsh inclined his head in greeting on seeing the vampire. He walked inside the office, bowing at Donovan. "Headchurch Donovan."

"What brings you here, Churchman Welsh?" Donovan acknowledged the man, his gaze meeting his.

Churchman Welsh cleared his throat. He stretched his hand forward with a parchment in his hand, which Donovan took from him. "This came from Minister Pristine directed against His Majesty."

"Written in there is the evidence Minister Pristine claims that exposes how the king had murdered his son. Also, he petitioned and accused the king of unlawfully holding people hostage in the castle’s dungeon." The Churchman explained the content of the parchment.

Donovan read through the content of the parchment while he listened to the words of Churchman Welsh.

"When was this delivered?" Donovan asked, putting the parchment aside. Outside the door, he heard the reseeding footsteps that undoubtedly belonged to Theodore. He shook his head, returning his attention back to Welsh.

"It was delivered earlier today."

"And you are just bringing it to my notice?" Donovan gave Welsh a questioning look.

Churchman Welsh clarified, "It was delivered right before the king’s report came. We had rushed out, and I didn’t have the time to bring it to you."

Donovan exhaled. He pinched his brows, feeling an ache slowly build up in his head. He then instructed, "Have Minister Pristine summoned. I need to speak with him before going ahead with this investigation." This was the king in question after all. Even if he exerted a certain amount of power in the kingdom as the head of the church, it would not be enough to save his neck from ending up on the scaffold if he made the slightest mistake.

"Right away, Headchurch Donovan." Churchman Welsh bowed and turned to carry out the order.

"Minister Pristine," Donovan said the name out loud. It has been long since the minister had been pointing accusing fingers at the king for the death of his son. Now, he has presented evidence against the king, and there would be no way for this case to be swept under the carpet.

And the accusation about the king unlawfully holding people hostage was another case on its own. It was enough to bear speculation in mind but to accuse the king? Minister Pristine should hope he holds plausible evidence to back up his accusation.

Donovan sighed once more. He stood from the chair, taking his coat with him to step out for some air before another person came bearing another piece of evidence against the kingdom this time.