The Damned Demon

538  A Compromised House

Arthur winced as he replied with a tired sigh, “He is being quite hard on me but for a good reason I suppose. I have been messing up things ever since I officially became a Hunter. I just can’t seem to do anything right and-“

“I am going to stop you right there,” Anna interjected sharply, her voice firm yet caring, “Who told you such nonsense and made you feel like that? If it’s the Combat Advisor, I would like to personally have a word with him or two and teach him a lesson for trying to bully my man,” Saying so, she puffed up her chest and placed her fists on her hips.

Arthur’s eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly gestured with his hands, trying to dismiss her concerns, “No, no. Don’t do that. He didn’t do anything wrong but only advised me all along.”

Anna chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes, “You silly, why are you getting so scared? It’s not like I am going to fight him or anything using my crutches. But more like a verbal lesson to be gentle to you since you are a very kind-hearted and sincere man and you don’t deserve to get treated rudely.”

Arthur offered a wry smile, appreciating her protective nature, “It’s not necessary, and I think he must have been through a lot, getting crippled after reaching the peak. It must have been a very huge blow. I can’t even imagine if I can recover if something like that happened to me. So maybe he is being hard on me because he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to me.”

Anna nodded thoughtfully, her expression softening, “That could be one reason for him being rough with you like that. But nothing bad will happen to you anyway. You are the strongest man I know.”

“And you are the strongest woman I know,” Arthur replied, his eyes warm with admiration.

“Silly, you are making me feel shy now,” Anna responded with a blush, her voice a gentle tease. She then scooped up a spoonful of food from the cooking pan and held it up to his mouth, “Ahh… open your mouth and tell me if this tastes better than before. It’s hot, but you won’t die.”

Arthur chuckled, complying with her playful demand. He opened his mouth and tasted the food, the rich flavors bursting across his taste buds, “Delicious as always,” he affirmed, his smile genuine, reflecting the comfort and affection that filled the small kitchen.

—

In the dark, harsh realm of Zalthor, the winds of rumor whipped through every land with the same biting urgency. Whispers hissed like serpents in every corner of the kingdoms, clans, and tribes—the Bloodburn King, Asher Drake, had unleashed an assault on the human world without going through a quest, shattering the rules and beliefs they knew.

Everyone was in a state of disbelief since it should be impossible for any of them to attack the human world like that. Without a quest, nobody can attack the humans directly.

If they could do that then they could have turned the tide and suppressed the humans finally.

As murmurs of this audacious strike spread like wildfire, the leaders of each land convened in hushed urgency. The possibility of finally suppressing the Hunters hung tantalizingly within reach. Yet, what gnawed at their minds most was the nature of the secret method the Bloodburn King had used. Such knowledge could reshape the entire landscape of their power struggles.

Yet, for all their craving and scheming, a simple truth remained—none dared move against the Bloodburn Kingdom.

The Bloodburn Kingdom was no feeble territory to be trifled with; it was a fortress of nightmares, guarded fiercely by dragons and shrouded in a newly formed, mysterious barrier that even the aggressive Draconian Kingdom hesitated to challenge. The tales of the Bloodburn King, who had nearly vanquished the draconian ruler himself, was enough to instill fear and respect in all who dared utter his name.

Thus, any thoughts of seizing this secret through force were quickly quelled, leaving a collective sigh of disappointment among the curious and power-hungry.

However, inside the towering, foreboding walls of Dreadthorne Castle, the atmosphere was charged with a volatile energy. The great hall, usually a place of dark majesty, now trembled under the weight of its lord’s cold fury.

“How dare you!” The voice of Thorin Thorne boomed like thunder, a sound so powerful it seemed to shake the very stones of the castle. *SLAP!*

The sharp sound sliced through the silence, a stark echo that seemed to linger in the chilly air. Esther, once the picture of poised nobility, now lay crumpled on the polished floor. Her cheek was flushed a bright red from the impact, yet her expression remained eerily composed.

But as her trembling fingers brushed her reddened cheek, a slight shake in her gaze betrayed her shock.

“I never thought you would be the one to betray our House like this,” Thorin said in a low yet chilling voice, pointing an accusing finger at her, “You allowed one of our most guarded secrets to reach the hands of a man who has no qualms in seeing our House destroyed. He took our Kraken, gave away some of our lands to our enemies, compromised our House’s future and now he compromised the very foundations of our House by using you.”

Esther’s mind flashed back to her childhood, to the only other time Thorin had struck her. That slap hadn’t brought pain or any feelings but a lesson she’d carried through the years—never to do anything that could harm the House again. But now, aside from the mild sting on her cheek, there was an unfamiliar ache deep within her chest, a bitter feeling and shock she couldn’t quite comprehend.

A few feet away, behind a large pillar, Jarius Thorne stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief at the sight of his mother on the floor, his father looming above her. The unity and harmony he had always seen between his parents were shattered in an instant, leaving him grappling with the surrealness of the moment.

They always worked together perfectly and was of one mind in every decision. So how did this happen?

He also had never seen his usually calm and cold father being this angry, though he did hear that his father could imitate anger to use it as a weapon to teach or strike fear in someone.

Still…just what kind of shit did Asher do to enrage his father like this? Were all his suspicions really true??

But before he could process the scene further, a cold hand clamped over his mouth, making his eyes widen in panic.

He then felt a chilling breath against his ear, “Shhh, little brother,” Sabina whispered, her voice a mix of amusement and caution, “It’s not good to peep when our parents are having a very serious discussion,” she said, her lips curling into a smile.

‘Serious discussion? When did getting slapped become part of a discussion?’ Jarius couldn’t help but think, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear as he slowly turned to face his sister, her grin chilling him more than the stone walls around them.

But then her eyes suddenly shifted, “Oh…looks like something came up. I will be back soon,” Sabina whispered as she swiftly disappeared while Jarius didn’t know if he should risk staying here alone.

Esther slowly gathered her composure, her movements deliberate as she shifted into a kneeling position on the cold stone floor of the grand hall. Her voice was devoid of emotion, a stark contrast to the turmoil undoubtedly churning within, “I know I have betrayed your trust and compromised our House. I accept I wasn’t careful enough and let myself get trapped. But everything I did, I did to ensure a better future for our House and…our children. I would never willingly compromise our House.”

Thorin, towering above her, his pale red eyes piercing through the dim light, responded with a chilling aloofnes, “It doesn’t matter whether you made mistakes or not. You broke the most important law our ancestors laid down and betrayed their faith. The moment any outsider or our enemies get their hands on any one of our secrets, we might fall. Our House has never been weaker in history.”

Esther’s head softly shook, her voice a whisper, “He won’t reveal that secret art to anybody else. He can’t. I made sure to include that in the blood contract. The secret will die with him and we—”

“You dare say the same if he gets captured by our enemies or worse, the humans? It’s not like we can kill him to secure the secret art. We can’t bring this matter before the queen since you were the one who gave it away. How and when did you get so incompetent as the Lady of this House?” Thorin’s voice seethed with icy reprimand.

A brief quiver passed over Esther’s chin, her stoic mask almost faltering. But she then regained her composure, her face returning to an impassive expression.

“You are no longer worthy to lead this House and now you will pay the price for your mistake. We will do everything we can to make him give back everything that is ours even if it means blood will be shed. If he doesn’t and tries to go against us, then you will lay down your life if a civil war breaks out. We won’t keep bending our backs until it is broken,” Thorin declared, his tone as cold as the stone around them.

Esther nodded, her expression hollow, life seemingly drained from her at his decree. Suddenly, from the shadows, a voice rang out, carrying with it a weight of urgency.

“Father. May I?”

“Not now, Sabina,” Thorin dismissed curtly, not bothering to turn towards the source of the interruption.

“Father, this is from His Majesty. He says he wants to meet you and that you would want to hear what he has to say,” Sabina persisted, stepping forward into the light, a missive in her hand.

Thorin and Esther slowly turned their necks to regard her. Esther’s mind raced, wondering what maneuvers were being played beyond her sight. What could that cunning alien be planning after putting her in this situation and making her lose her prestige.

Who feels bad for Lady Thorne? :/

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