Unbeknownst to Malachi and Tristan, King Vladimir's guards stood behind the door, their ears tuned to the men's conversation.
The King's orders to call Malachi to the palace were completely forgotten as the guards rushed back to the palace, while trying to make sure that they didn't alert the two vampires that were inside the room.
In no time, they got to the palace, their footsteps echoing through the corridors.
When they got into the dinning room, the King was already having his breakfast.
The king's dining hall was abuzz with the aroma of exotic spices and roasted meats. Before him lay a feast fit for royalty, spread across a table that shone like polished gold.
At the center, a majestic roasted boar gleamed, its crispy skin glistening with a honey-brown glaze. Surrounding it were an array of delicacies - Golden-crusted bread, freshly baked and fragrant.
"Why aren't you here with Malachi?" The King asked when he didn't see the guards with whom he had sent them to summon.
"We were already on his door, your Majesty, but we stopped when we heard him discussing something with his friend, Tristan,"
King Vladimir's brows creased into confusion. "And what is that?"
One of the guards stepped forward and whispered something in King Vladimir's ears. There were other servants with King Vladimir, who were serving the king, so they didn't want them to hear it. The servants were humans.
"Your Majesty, we overheard Malachi telling his friend about his plans to become human," He said to the King.
King Vladimir's face contorted with rage as the guard recounted Malachi's words to him. The guard had to step back a little, to avoid getting on the King's nerves. It was never a good thing whenever the King was angry and whoever happens to be in his line of view always ends up getting the King's wrath. He doesn't want that right now.
"Bring him to me," the King growled.
~•~•~
The two guards from earlier arrived at Malachi's home just as he prepared to leave for Chase's house.
"Greetings, Malachi. The King requests your presence at the palace right away," The guards informed Malachi.
A frown crept its way to Malachi's face. "What does he want from me?" He asked, but the guards shook his head, telling him that they have no idea.
"Tell him that I'm busy. I'll come whenever I'm less busy,"
Malachi's reluctance was evident. He didn't want to set his eyes on King Vladimir. He despises him after what he did to him that fateful day. That was something he could never forget. Not even in the next fifty years to come.
"Please you have to come with us, Malachi," The guards pleaded. They didn't want to incur the King's wrath on themselves, hence the reason why they were pleading with him.
"Are you deaf? I said I'm busy. Tell your king that I'll come whenever I'm less busy," Malachi hissed, but Tristan's urging persuaded him to accompany the guards. He glared at the guards before walking away with them.
The guards were happy with Tristan for intervening on their behalf. They didn't fail to thank him, because they knew that if it wasn't for him, Malachi wouldn't have come with them and they would be punished by the King.
★★★
Malachi's eyes narrowed as he stood before King Vladimir in his chambers, the grandeur of the palace lost on him.
The scent of old books and polished wood filled his nostrils, but his mind was elsewhere.
Chase's house.
He could feel the weight of the King's displeasure, the air thick with tension.
King Vladimir's face reddened with anger, his voice thundering through the chamber. "Won't you bow before me?" He asked, but Malachi only scoffed.
"I would have bowed before you if I regarded you as my King, but you are not a King to me," Malachi retorted, but he stopped talking when he felt a smack on his head.
"Behave, man," Tristan warned but Malachi's gaze remained steady, his jaw clenched. He had never feared the King, and he wouldn't start now. The memories of his transformation, of the life forced upon him, fueled his resolve. His heart pounded, but his expression remained impassive.
"Anyways, I didn't call you here to demand any respect from you. You are stubborn, so I won't start now in demanding it. The reason I called you is because earlier today, I sent some guards to your house to call you and they overheard your discussion with Tristan. They overheard you telling him that you want to become a human. How true is that?"
Malachi didn't reply. He just continued to stare at the man who transformed his life, the man who made him the vampire that he is today. The man who took his life away from him and forced this life on him.
If it weren't for this King sitting on the throne, his mother and sisters would have been alive. He wouldn't have to be scared of going close to Sabrina. He wouldn't be scared of getting killed by her if she ever discovered his identity as a vampire. He wouldn't have to drink bitter potions just to mask his scent from her or her family members.
He wouldn't have to hide away from the sun during the day. He wouldn't have to drink blood to survive.
If it wasn't for King Vladimir, he wouldn't be here living in a far away land, far away from the earth. The hatred he had harbored for the King began to grow as he continued staring at him. That's how it has been for the past ten years, yet his anger didn't dissipate. Instead it continued to grow.
"What do you have to say about that, Malachi?" The King expected a response from him, but Malachi just shrugged, without saying anything.
"I'll take your response as the truth and I'll believe that it was just a mistake on your path….."
"It's no mistake, Vladimir. That's what I want and I'm gonna achieve that. I'll take my life back from you. I'll become a human again,"
"You are mistaken, Malachi. This is your life now. This is who you are. An immortal that doesn't age, that can't die, that..."
"That can't go after the woman he loves just because he is afraid of getting killed?" Malachi cut the King off with a scoff.
"Oh, it is because of a mortal. You are trying to give everything off because of a mortal, huh?"
"I owe you no explanation, Vladimir," He said through gritted teeth.
"You won't dare to become a human. You won't defy my governance by doing that. If it is because of a woman, there are many beautiful women here, women who can't age. Women who are powerful and strong. Your best shot should be my daughter. She is still pure….."
"But she is nothing compared to Sabrina. She can't be like Sabrina no matter how much you try" Malachi hissed. He didn't care that he just insulted the King's daughter before the King. He didn't care at all.
"I won't take any form of disrespect to my daughter. Be warned because I won't hesitate to drag my sword into your chest,"
"Maybe you should go ahead and kill me. After all, you've killed me already. Because of you, my mother and sisters are dead. If you hadn't killed me, they would still be alive today," Malachi snapped. He was deliberately making it clear to the King that he wasn't scared of him in any way.
"This is your family now. We are your family,"
"Keep dreaming," Malachi hissed under his breath.
"Now, I'm giving you an ultimatum. End whatever relationship you have with that mortal. Don't even go close to her anymore,"
"I will not be swayed," Malachi said, his voice firm. "I'll do whatever it takes to be with Sabrina. I'll do whatever it takes to become human again and you or anyone won't be able to stop me, Vladimir"
The King's eyes flashed with anger, his fists clenched. "You'll reconsider, or face the consequences."
Malachi's laughter was low, mocking. "You can control whoever you want to control over here, Vladimir, but trust me, I won't be held captive by your whims. I won't let you rule my life. You have done more than enough by taking my life away from me."
The King's face darkened, his voice dripping with malice. "You'll regret defying me, Malachi. I'll make sure of it."
Malachi's eyes locked onto the King's, a challenge burning within them. "I'm not afraid of you. I think you should have come to that conclusion by now," he said, his voice steady.
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the King's commands hanging in the air. The sound of his boots echoing through the chamber was a declaration of war.