Chapter 27
Just when the skies were covered in the tenebrous sheets of night, Garran returned to the castle. He had long taken off his hoodie and was now wearing his normal clothes. The events of the day were replaying in his mind, he kept wondering about what Dr. Rex wanted to tell him before he died–truly this time.
"Where have you been? I've been looking all over the palace for you! Didn't I say not to move while you're still healing?" Sera asked in quick succession, rushing to the door the minute the butler informed her of her brother's arrival.
Garran smiled gently—not like the sadistic smile he had shown before, but a whole new one. It was as if someone had flipped a switch within him.
'You cannot let her see this side of you.' A sweet voice whispered in his head, he couldn't tell if it was his own twisted voice or was as a result of the guilt he was feeling.
"I went out for a ride and decided to check on Drelgarde before I returned," Garran said, trying to comfort her. "I'm okay now; my wounds have healed."
Sera didn't believe him and still helped him to his room.
"I'll be going to the temple tomorrow morning. I heard the Archbishop has gotten a revelation," Sera stated.
Garran shook his head and glanced at her.
"You still believe in those things? I thought you said you had grown up."
Sera twisted her lips into a small, sideways smile.
"I'm not going there for the revelation. I just need to pray. It's been ages since I last prayed."
Garran nodded, and after wishing him a blissful sleep, Sera exited his room, but before that, her eyes squinted in suspicion. She could smell metal around him and some other pungent smell.
He stared hard at the door after she left. He knew what his sister's prayers were, and though his mind refused to let go of the venomous seeds planted by the damning Steward, he knew in his heart that she only meant him well.
'Did she really mean you well? Or does she just want to steal your throne?'
Garran shook his head to clean the voice in his head.
"My Lord, all evidence has been cleaned up," a voice echoed beside him as his subordinate appeared. Garran nodded and began to take off his shirt.
"Let your men search the entire kingdom for the research centre, and I want you to personally monitor the High Steward," Garran ordered, his expression hard. He couldn't help but feel suspicious of the High Steward. The doctor had mentioned that he was the one doing the commands.
If there was one thing he had learned after his ploy with Carrissa, it was that Minos was dangerous—because he was witty and played the physical game with mental willpower. Losing half of his power had taught him a lot. And though he was not the conspiracy type, he knew he had to protect the throne and his sister.
The subordinate stiffened when he heard the command.
"My Lord, forgive my intrusion, but… I wanted to ask why you're deceiving her."
Garran paused, towel in hand, halfway around his waist. He frowned subtly, why didn't he want his sister to see his other self? What was the reason? Or was it because of…
"I want her to keep thinking I'm the protective younger brother she knew as a child. She reminds me of my sister, and I would never want her to know that her brother is someone who kills without thought."
He said it in a single breath, then left his subordinate behind and headed into the bathroom. The subordinate sighed.
"Forgive me, my Lord," he whispered and disappeared into the darkness, melting into the night.
He appeared again—this time in the eastern wing of the palace—bowing before Minos.
"General, he wants me to conduct a search on the research base and also… monitor you."
Minos whirled his chair to face the subordinate, surprise littering his countenance, but then it gave way to a smile.
"It seems Reggie's attack has made him smarter. I was half expecting him to barge in here and suffocate me for an answer," Minos laughed.
He looked at the stack of letters on the table, and a smile lit up his face.
"The succubus told me what you did today. You did well by killing them. Even though they wouldn't have affected us, I wouldn't want to leave any loose ends for my future partner."
Minos tossed a pouch jingling with coins to the floor. The subordinate slowly picked it up.
"Thank you, my Lord."
Minos smiled down at the man, then waved him off. He always knew saving that creature was a good idea—and today, he had proved his worth.
After years of feeding Garran what he wanted him to hear, he had a feeling the prince was finally ready. Now all he needed was a justification.
"Evelina, I will be by your side soon."
Just then, a knock echoed at the door. Before Minos could respond, Garran entered. His second entry into the office was calm, unlike the previous one.
Minos smirked.
"Oh my, see who decided to pay a visit."
Garran paid him no heed and took a seat before him. He was tense but knew the only way forward was through this unreliable man—and because this was not his usual way.
"Aren't you going to talk, or did you just come to stare at me?" Minos questioned, eyeing the young prince. Already knowing what the Prince was here for.
Honestly, even though he had half expected this, he didn't expect the brute of a prince to come here diplomatically. He had been expecting a full-on attack.
"I thought of what you said the last time I came here, and I've made a decision. I'm not someone who likes settling things through talk, so I'll make this brief," Garran intoned, staring at Minos with a calm expression, though his eyes burned with hatred. He didn't know why he was here but something told him that it's for the best.
"If you're half as competent as you claim to be, I want the throne of Eldoria."
Minos paused for a moment, pretending to be shocked, then a small chuckle escaped his lips. He nodded and looked down at his table.
"That was quick, however I understand. But if we're playing this game, we'll go by my rules."
He was no longer smiling. His eyes glowed with something Garran couldn't place—something that hovered between hatred and something far more perverse.
For the first time, Garran really studied him. Minos seemed… different, as though he held the world in his palm. Garran frowned.
"What are these rules?" he demanded, his tone low. Something told him he wasn't going to like what was about to come out of Minos's mouth—and of course, he didn't.
"The Princess must be taken care of," Minos repeated his words from that night. The same reaction followed. Garran's aura flared, though weaker this time, and he showed signs of pain—probably from using too much power today. He looked down at his wrist and saw yellow lines running through it.
"I told you not to—"
"Shut up! How are you going to protect her if she's still in this mess after you succeed?" Minos snapped, slamming his hands against the table.
Suddenly, he could feel a cold soothing feeling wash over him and his aura flickered and vanished completely. He was calmed.
"What, you think she's going to be happy and marry the Devrane boy and live happily ever after? No. She'll still get herself in this mess—because you're weak, and she wants to save you!"
Garran gulped and looked away. He couldn't stand being called weak, but this time he realised Minos was speaking sense. The Devranes might not take care of his sister, and even though it would hurt her, he knew it had to be done.
The political world was too dirty for someone as innocent as her. He didn't want her to end up becoming like him.
Without responding, Garran quietly left the room.
Once outside, he exhaled deeply, trying to shake off the weight of the meeting—but it was futile. His thoughts drifted to what the doctor had told him before dying.
"T-Thalebrook… royal… king…"
He frowned as he stood in the hallway, staring at the portrait. The candles flickered softly, and coupled with the moonlight, the hall seemed brighter.
"The Thalebrooks were exterminated five decades ago. So why did he mention their name?" Garran muttered. His brows furrowed. He had a feeling his father's sudden decline in health wasn't spontaneous—that it had been triggered by several hidden factors. Someone on the inside had to be involved.
His eyes gleamed coldly as he looked down at his hand. Blue flame danced on his fingertips, licking like a tongue of fire.
He knew that today's meeting had sealed Sera's fate. Though he had promised her he would stop meddling in her life, he knew it was for her own good. Though he still couldn't let go of the feeling, he felt it was for her good. Though he suspected Minos, he was the only capable of helping him, he was the only one who let out a helping hand.
"This is for your own good, Sera. I love you and wouldn't want you to get hurt."
Just as Minos had said: one way to control the masses is to convince them that you have connections to the unknown. Every human fears the unknown—and thus, fear becomes power.
The morning in Eldoria rippled with information. The entire kingdom—millions of citizens—was held in fear as the news spread across town. Newspaper stands overflowed with eager readers, and within a week, the Leoric scandal was wiped away.
Why all the fuss?
Well, the Archbishop had received a dreadful revelation about the Caelharrows.