107: Demon taking over

Demon taking over

Theresa hurriedly guided Anastasia away from the inner side of the palace until they came to a stop in the middle of a deserted corridor. She turned to look at the young woman and asked in a panic, 

"W—what in God's name happened there?! Was it the devil??" 

Still reeling from shock, Anastasia distantly registered Theresa's bewildered exclamation, 

"I have never seen or heard of such a thing before! Those horns—"

"Demon," Anastasia whispered, her eyes staring into space, her hands cold from the shock of seeing Dante's transformation. She shifted her gaze to meet Theresa's eyes and repeated, "Demon blood… that is what flows through the veins of the Blackthorn family." 

"I have heard rumours about it, but what we saw back there has never been spoken of before," Theresa said as she paced back and forth, wringing her hands. 

Anastasia couldn't shake off the chill she had felt earlier from merely looking at Dante's intimidating demeanour when he was in his demon form, and when he had walked towards them, she had felt her stomach drop in fear. She knew they were living among demons, but this was a different situation! However, relief washed over her when those red eyes didn't fall on her. She asked, 

"Do you know where I can find Gabriel?" It was only a matter of time, before word would soon spread in the palace about the demon that had made its appearance. 

Theresa quickly glanced left and right to ensure their conversation wasn't being overheard before asking, "Do you plan to leave?" 

Anastasia's lips tightened, and her eyebrows furrowed in concern. She stated firmly, "This palace is unsafe, Auntie; I want to ask you to come with me and Gabriel… We have no idea what other things might happen here in the future." Not to mention, her body responded to the man, stirring up unfamiliar emotions. 

"It isn't as easy as you think, Anna," Theresa remarked, having grown older during her time in the palace, lacking the same spirit of youthful bravery as Anastasia. "No wonder people have called him the cursed prince," she murmured as she shook her head in worry. After witnessing what Anastasia had seen, Theresa didn't blame the young woman for wanting to pack her bags and run. 

"I am not proposing for us to recklessly escape, but if the right opportunity arises, we should take the chance. Because I have this feeling that, at the moment, people won't be keeping a close eye on us, especially on me," Anastasia explained, as the first prince felt different with the darker air surrounding him. "He called us 'Earthlings'… and I have never heard him say that before. It is almost as if his memory is gone."

"It is?" Theresa asked with her eyebrows raised. 

"The only reason I was made an exclusive concubine, by his words, was to avoid sleeping with men. With the king gone, and Dante's memory gone, it seems like now is a good time to flee from here," Anastasia whispered. When she heard the echo of distant footsteps, she quickly pulled Theresa away from the corridor and into a garden where they could find some seclusion. 

"I cannot believe that King Maxwell is dead… and is it true that he took his own life?" Theresa asked, walking a step behind Anastasia as they were out in an open space. 

"Mm," Anastasia hummed in response. 

"Are they absolutely sure it was suicide? What if there's some conspiracy at play…? Do you think it might involve the first prince?" Theresa whispered anxiously, glancing around in fear that someone would catch them even though no one was nearby. 

"Dante loves his siblings too dearly to intentionally bring harm on them for any reason," Anastasia answered, but Theresa persisted, saying, 

"But the king and his mother caused him pain, didn't they? Especially with how Lady Lucretia was mistreated until her death."

"King Maxwell possessed the ability to transform his hands into metal, like daggers and swords," Anastasia explained, recalling the sight of them when he had fought Dante. She said, "I don't think anyone could have coerced him to transform his hand to stab himself. It wouldn't make sense." 

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Far from the garden, in the royal courtroom, the ministers appeared offended by seeing a former courtesan's son, and one lacking a Crux at that, sitting on the throne. Some who always favoured and supported him didn't raise any objections, while the ones who had diligently believed in the power of the Crux voiced their disapproval. 

"Prince Dante, that seat is meant for a man with a Crux, and it rightfully belongs to King Maxwell. By sitting on it now, you are disrespecting everything it stands for," the minister proclaimed, his dissent evident in his words.

"Minister Weston is correct. It would be prudent for you to assume your position beside the throne, as that is your designated seat," remarked another minister, sporting a thin moustache that curled upwards at the ends. 

Another minister who served Queen Maya and King Maxwell questioned with concern, "What happened to your hands? Whose blood is that?" 

Amidst the relentless barrage of questions, Dante calmly observed the men of the court, whose incessant buzzing continued echoing through the vast room. As the chatter continued, the Mother Queen, Aziel, and the Storm Prince ascended the side balcony of the courtroom, entering through the back door. The woman wore a solemn expression, her gaze fixated upon her first grandson. 

Dante placed his hands on the edge of the chair's armrests, and with a deliberate movement, he pushed himself up to stand. The voices of the ministers abruptly died down, and an eerie silence rapidly enveloped the room. He began to speak, his voice resonating with an ominous tone, 

"Regrettably, King Maxwell is no longer with us, as he breathed his last breath before the break of dawn this morning." And, before the ministers could raise their voices like a cacophony of squawking birds, Dante raised a blood-smeared hand and continued, "When our father, King William, passed away, most of us struggled to bear the weight of his loss. The void he left behind was too vast for anyone to fill, and during those difficult times, my brother Maxwell took on the mantle of the throne. However, it appears he was deeply afflicted by our father's passing and sought solace in alcohol, which ultimately has led to his untimely demise."

The Mother Queen's eyebrows drew together in concern upon Dante's speech. At the same time, the ministers silently exchanged glances, quietly questioning whether Dante had killed the king himself, their eyes fixated on his bloodied hands. 

Dante read the ministers' suspicions and addressed them directly, "You must be wondering whose blood this is. It is my brother's, the king's blood."

In an instant, the courtroom erupted with raised voices demanding answers from Dante, who stood before them. 

"M—Mother Queen, Prince Dante will face dire consequences for this!" Aziel exclaimed in panic, observing the escalating unrest among the people in the royal courtroom. "Why did he lie about King Maxwell drinking himself to death??" he whispered in bewilderment. 

"Don't be surprised, Minister," Prince Raylen remarked as he watched the floor below with a faint smile gracing his lips. "We demons aren't angels, and we are called demons because our origins lie in the underworld. Else we would have been called angels, wouldn't we? One of the many demonic abilities that have dulled down over the generations is our adeptness at stringing along and deceiving the person before us."

The Mother Queen turned to look at the Storm Prince and stated, "I don't know if I can or cannot trust you."

"You needn't feel obligated to trust me if you don't want to," Prince Raylen said as he offered her a polite smile. "I am only here solely to ensure things don't go awry. I have enjoyed my peace for far too long for it to be disturbed now. Anyways, looks like he has his hands full," he remarked as he stepped away. 

"This is treason! Prince Dante has murdered our king to usurp his throne," one of the ministers, who had previously favoured the first prince, exclaimed with evident discomfort. 

Dante responded with a tinge of bitterness in his voice, 

"Earthlings are worse than demons. One moment you side with me, and in the next instant, you turn your backs in a blink of an eye. It has happened before, and it is happening again." The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "Even though you don't know anything. Ignorant fools."

"Prince Dante, it would be wise for you to hand yourself in to the Elder ministers, who will determine the appropriate course of action if you are indeed responsible for King Maxwell's death," another minister declared haughtily, ordering Dante to submit to their judgement. 

Unfazed, Dante stood his ground, looking at them with his fiery red eyes. He said, "Notify the Elder ministers about King Maxwell's death and inform them that there will be a new king ascending the throne."

"Prince Dante, Prince Aiden and Prince Victor are deemed unsuitable to rule Versailles, and as you lack a Crux, the Elder ministers have the authority to select any capable man they deem fit, subject to our votes," said another minister there. 

"The throne has been in the possession of the Blackthorn family, and it shall continue under my rule just as it has through the ages," Dante asserted, insinuating that he would be assuming the rule of Versailles, and some of the ministers, who deemed the cursed prince unfit for the role, expressed their dissent, 

"By doing so, you will be challenging the authority of the Elders, Prince Dante."

Another minister inquired, "Are you feeling well, Prince Dante? You seem different."

"I thought I was the only one who noticed the change," another minister attempted to whisper, though Dante caught his words loud and clear. "There's something wrong with him, as if he's possessed!"

"The prince we knew adhered to the rules and never broke them," pointed out the minister seated beside the one who had spoken earlier. He continued, "Prince Dante would never take a seat on the throne; he would stand there and obediently listen without questioning—"

Dante's laughter abruptly cut through the minister's words, leaving a sense of foreboding in the air. He interjected with a sinister, yet calm tone,

"Listen without questioning, you say? You seem to have an issue with me speaking freely, Minister Weston." He questioned, his voice laced with a challenge, "Is it because you want to suppress me, or are you struggling to accept that someone who never stood in your way might ascend to the throne?"

The Mother Queen continued to stare at Dante and the ministers, with Aziel standing faithfully behind her. Over the years, the boy had grown up within the confines of this very courtroom; she had witnessed the transition from him sitting on his father's lap and receiving praise from the ministers, to being relegated to a distant corner of the room, with the ministers disregarding his existence. 

The few dissenting ministers clenched their jaws in frustration. Among them were also individuals who harboured ambitions of overthrowing the Blackthorns' rule and establishing their own dominions. One of them protested with reluctance, 

"I had hoped to avoid saying this, but you leave me no choice, Prince Dante. You are an undesirable candidate to occupy the throne. Devoid of a Crux, and descending from a former courtesan, which I don't think I even need to mention." His final words were laced with disdain. 

However, Dante found no amusement in the man's words, and his gaze fixed intently on the offending minister. Determination filled his eyes as he declared, "Let us test whether this so-called undesirable person can bring you to your knees, shall we?" Without a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand, pointing at the minister, before curling his fingers. 

"ARGH!" The minister clutched his chest with his hand in distress, and his lips trembled in fear, "W—what are you doing?" The others in the room hurriedly stepped back with horror in their eyes, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. Had the prince finally received his Crux? 

"Don't be deceived by my appearance, for I am far older than you can fathom and if you think you can use cheap tricks against me, think again. Do you know people say that revenge is best served cold?" Dante calmly asked the minister, who took only a second to fall to his knees. "But I think it is best served with blood." And when he moved his fingers, the minister began coughing up blood, feeling his heart being squeezed from within. 

The Mother Queen's frown grew even deeper as she watched Dante using his seemingly dangerous ability. On the other hand, Aziel's eyes darted back and forth between her and the prince, as if he couldn't wait to discuss this development, but for now, he chose to remain quiet. 

As more blood was coughed up by the minister, Dante questioned, "Are these the abilities you have been looking for? You are in luck." His lips twisted into a cruel smile as he stared at the weakling before him, who had relied solely on his position before releasing his grip on the man's heart. 

The ministers who had spoken earlier fell silent, not wanting to die at the hands of the cursed prince, who seemed to be acting out of character! This development would surely not escape the attention of the Elder ministers, a few of them speculated in their minds. 

"Where is the Vizier? Where is Queen Maya?" one of them asked, because as the king's mother, she was next in line to rule. 

"Both of them are in the dungeon," the Mother Queen replied, and the ministers directed their gazes towards her, not knowing she had been there all this time. "They are being held in contempt for attempting to kill an exclusive concubine of the prince."

"How do we know this isn't a ploy?" Queen Maya's minister demanded an explanation. 

"The witnesses are the townspeople, who saw the woman drowning before she was pulled from the sea. Feel free to verify the information with them," the Mother Queen replied.2

"If the Vizier's position is now vacant, doesn't it mean that it must be filled?" one of the ministers inquired, avoiding any mention of the position of the king, as it appeared to have already been taken. 

"If the Vizier is innocent, then it will only be a temporary replacement," added another minister.

"He will not be allowed to step foot in here again," Dante stated loud enough to silence the crowd before they could react. He continued, "The Vizier's position will be filled by Mother Queen Ginger Blackthorn. I believe everyone is in favour of this decision?" 

"That is a wonderful choice!"

"Yes, yes! She is the perfect fit for the role!"

And the ones used to raising their voices to object remained silent, stricken with fear. 

Dante then announced, "King Maxwell's funeral will be held tomorrow, and I expect everyone to attend. The court is now dismissed." He walked down the three stairs before heading to the door, which was opened by the guards, and stepped out. As soon as he had left and the doors had closed behind him, the ministers broke out in a fervent discussion. 

The Mother Queen and Aziel didn't stay behind either and left the court, as the chatter of the ministers didn't interest her when her deceased grandson lay alone in his room. 

In the dungeon, Princess Niyasa was denied entry to the cell where her mother was being held, and Queen Maya had come to stand at the door, talking to her daughter through the bars.

"There's no way Maxwell would kill himself! This is a conspiracy against us! First, they put me behind bars, and now they have orchestrated his death. This is treason!" Queen Maya exclaimed in frustration, her eyelashes wet from the news of her son's demise. "You need to get me out of here, Niyasa," she said to her daughter. 

"I asked, but Grandmother denied my request instantly," Princess Niyasa frowned, tears spilling from her eyes. "What are we going to do, Mother? What if they kill us too?" 

"You must write a letter to Elder Minister Esteban, explaining our current predicament and exposing the treason that has been committed. Ensure the letter reaches the right hands and trust no one here," Queen Maya advised her daughter. "And tell the Mother Queen I want to talk to her. Bring her here. They cannot deny me the right to see my dead son's face! I need to see Maxwell!" 

"I will go speak to Grandmother and inform you if I hear anything more," Princess Niyasa promised with a nod before hurrying away. 

After a few minutes had passed, the sound of echoing footsteps reached Queen Maya's ears, leaving her wondering if her daughter had returned with the Mother Queen, whom she sought to appease to plead her case. She begged, 

"Mother Queen, you cannot take away my right—"

But her words were cut short when she saw it was the first prince who had appeared in front of the door. 

"You… How could you kill him?!" Queen Maya shouted in rage. "He was your brother, and you killed him! Let me out so that I can see him!"

Dante stared at the woman, who tightly clutched the narrow iron rods. He looked at the woman, his eyes void of emotion, before saying in a hollow tone, 

"You have to agree that we all played a part in his death. But your role was far more significant. Do you truly believe you are free of blame and that your actions carry no consequences?" 

Queen Maya could sense the danger emanating from Dante, but her mind was overwhelmed by the devastating news of her son's death. Through gritted teeth, she retorted, "I killed him? I was right here, imprisoned because you and the others framed me! Release me immediately so that I can see Maxwell." 

"No," came Dante's cold and firm refusal, and Queen Maya's face turned pale with shock. 

"What do you mean, no?! I am his mother, and I deserve to see him!" Dante watched the woman's eyes ignite with fury as she locked her gaze on him. "Are you unable to under—"

"There's no need to shout. I can hear you perfectly well," Dante said, and his composure only seemed to fuel the woman's frustration. He tilted his head and inquired, "Have you ever considered that you are paying the price for your sins?" 

Queen Maya's eyes widened at his words, and she stuttered, "D—Don't tell me that you are going to deny him the right to be buried in the mausoleum?! He's the king—"

"Was," Dante corrected her firmly. 

"You cannot do that to him, Prince Dante! It wasn't him, but I, who initially spoke of not granting your mother burial space, but I changed my mind, didn't I!? Please, don't do this!" Queen Maya began to sob out of desperation. 

Dante turned as if ready to leave, and she pleaded, "Prince Dante, I am innocent! I didn't do anything!" A chuckle escaped his lips, as though the woman had cracked a joke, and he walked away. 

Out in the palace garden, Anastasia and Theresa spent their time talking about the events of this morning before deciding to head back inside. Theresa asked her, 

"Where are we going now?" 

"To the king's chambers," Anastasia replied in a low voice, not wanting to attract any attention. They came across servants who continued to whisper amongst themselves, and she realised that they had been talking about the king and not about her when she had stepped out of her room earlier. Anastasia said, "Princess Emily and Prince Aiden might be there." If she could gain information about what was happening in the palace, she could prepare herself in advance.

"They will place the king in a glass case soon," Theresa said, nodding.

As Anastasia took the next corridor with Theresa, she heard the sound of sharp footsteps echoing ahead. At the opposite end of the corridor, Dante and Aziel walked together, engaged in a discussion about something. 

As Anastasia observed Dante's commanding demeanour, she couldn't help but notice how he owned every step he took. He appeared to be instructing the minister with a serious expression, while the minister attentively acknowledged his order, jotting down mental notes. 

And as they walked, Anastasia noticed how he had not once glanced in her direction. She still couldn't shake off the lingering chill she had experienced earlier. As they approached each other, she quickly lowered her eyes and walked past him. 

She heard the minister say, "I will instruct the men to commence the work right away and have it ready by tomorrow." 

"Anastasia."

She froze at the mention of her name, and though she wanted to keep walking forward, she turned to look back and met Dante's red, slitted eyes. Was it just her, or was his demeanour becoming more intimidating by the minute?

"You can leave us," Dante ordered the other two, who didn't hesitate to quickly follow his command. With just the two of them in the corridor, he walked over to where she stood with his eyes narrowed and questioned, "Do you think I have amnesia?" 

Anastasia had hoped for it! Amusement filled his eyes before he stated, "I haven't forgotten about your existence."

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