112: Leave before anyone sees!

Leave before anyone sees!

Anastasia finally drew in a breath, which she had been holding until that moment, and when she looked at the floor nearby, her brown eyes fell on a trail of blood that had trickled close to her feet. She heard the echo of the receding footsteps of the only surviving assistant of the Elder minister who had entered earlier, now fleeing from the corridors and the palace. 

It wasn't just her who was shocked to the very core by the sight of the gore presented before them. Aziel's mouth opened and closed in disbelief before quickly waving his hand to the servants, who took less than a second to bolt from the scene without uttering a sound. 

"Fuck," the Mother Queen cursed. 

"Grandmother!" Emily scolded her in a whisper for her choice of words.

"I warned you not to provoke him, but Niyasa has made a grave mistake. I am not sure how to get her out of it," the Mother Queen whispered, her words carrying quite clearly to Dante's ears in the quiet corridor. 

"You are right about that," Dante said, his face turning to look at where Niyasa stood.

Princess Niyasa, still recovering from the shock, felt her body stiffen as she sensed Dante's red eyes and face turn in her direction. Blood had splattered on her too, but she couldn't comprehend what had just happened, and her lips moved, but not a word escaped her mouth. 

"My dear sister," Dante addressed Niyasa, who looked scared. "What have you done?" His tone carried a hint of reproach. 

"W—What did you do?" Niyasa stuttered, unable to fathom how it was possible. This brother of hers had no ability, yet he had done something no one here had ever seen or heard of before. 

"Your consistent displays of disrespect suggest that you need a lesson in manners, as letting it slide again will only fuel further misbehaviour," Dante stated, his eyes directed downward at her short figure. 

The Mother Queen, desperate to avoid losing any more family members, even if they were stupid and made foolish choices, pleaded by saying, "Do not kill her, Dante."

Dante turned his head to the side without looking at the people standing behind him and responded, "Don't worry, I won't kill her, as we share the same blood. But at the same time, that isn't entirely true."

"What is going on?! Did you kill Maxwell to obtain his abilities??" Niyasa panicked as Dante took a step towards her, prompting her to quickly take one backwards. 

"Take another step, and you will get to experience what you just witnessed," Dante warned her, and this was enough to cause Niyasa to halt in her tracks. He taunted her further, "You have been amassing tickets of disobedience as a member of the Blackthorn family. Perhaps the old Dante would have given you a pass, but unfortunately, starting today, a demon has joined our family. And rest assured, you have caused more damage than you'd ever wish you had."

Niyasa looked petrified, and she tried to glance behind Dante, but the tall man before her had broad shoulders that made it difficult for her to peek around him and seek help from anyone else. 

The blood now smeared on Dante, which belonged to the Elder minister, only made him even more intimidating, causing everyone to hesitate to approach him. They could sense the demon's thirst within him, and since Niyasa had triggered it, she was now subject to the demon's wrath. 

"I—I only wanted Mother to be allowed to see Brother once before the funeral," Niyasa stuttered, unable to keep still, and her eyes welled up with tears. 

Dante stared at the young girl, who may have been nineteen, but whose cunning mind belied her age. "Is that so?" he hummed, unbothered by her tears. Then he continued, "I don't think I heard you correctly earlier when you accused me in front of the dead minister. What did you say about my eyes?" 

Niyasa tried to shake her head in denial, but it felt like it was jammed, and she couldn't move it. She said, "I didn't know before, but please spare me—"

Dante clicked his tongue, causing her to quickly close her mouth. He then ordered, "Clean this corridor."

"Huh?" Niyasa responded, unable to process the words spoken to her. 

"This blood was spilt because of you, so you will be the one to clean it until it is spotless," Dante stated firmly, leaving no room for discussion as he issued his threat in a low voice, "Get to it now, before the stains become permanent."

Niyasa wanted to laugh and refuse Dante's directive, but his intense gaze made it hard for her to do so. She whispered, "I am a princess... I can't be expected to do something like mopping the floors." 

When Dante placed his hand on her shoulder, Niyasa felt a chill run down her spine, almost freezing her to the core. He said, "Maybe next time, you will remember not to cause a mess, won't you?" He released her shoulder and then said loudly, "If I find someone hindered our sister from becoming a better person, don't expect me to be understanding."

When Anastasia noticed Dante turning around to face her and the others, her heart almost stopped as he walked towards where she stood. She heard him ask, 

"Weren't you going to your room?" 

Anastasia nodded and offered a small bow. She walked away from there with wide eyes and a pounding heart, just like everyone else. How could one possess such powers? She didn't look back even once as she continued to walk. 

And with a snap of his fingers? Anastasia gulped, fearful of the possibility of anyone else meeting the same fate, their body bursting into a pool of blood. Was this how he planned to kill everyone who belonged to the forest? Goosebumps formed on her skin, and this time, it wasn't because of pleasure. 

Anastasia was so used to walking towards the servants' quarters that she didn't notice she was heading towards them. But by the time she realised that her room had been shifted to the floor with the princes and princesses, and she turned around to go back, someone from behind called out to her, 

"Anna!"

The voice belonged to Gabriel, who had caught sight of her as he carried logs of wood in one of his arms. Anastasia turned to face him, and upon noticing sprinkles of blood on her face and dress, he questioned, 

"Whose blood is this on you??" 

"T—The minister's," Anastasia responded, remembering how the man had turned from a solid state to liquid in a blink of an eye. She then hurriedly added, "I should return to my room."

"Wait, Anna," Gabriel said, stopping her in her tracks, "I ran into Theresa a few minutes ago, and she said you needed to talk to me." 

Anastasia nervously turned to look over her shoulder, and Gabriel followed her gaze, looking in the same direction. 

She heard Gabriel say to her, 

"I was going to come and visit you after hearing you were thrown into the sea on Queen Maya's orders, but then I found out that your room was being cleared. That you have become Prince Dante's concubine." 

Anastasia turned back to meet Gabriel's grey eyes, and she nodded, confirming, "Everything you have heard is true. You should go, Gabriel. I don't want you to die." 

Gabriel furrowed his brow and gently pulled her to the side before saying, "We haven't done anything that would put us in danger of dying. Why do you look scared? Anna?" 

After spending time with Dante, Anastasia found herself grappling with conflicting emotions. She had succumbed to the pleasure he had given her, and her thoughts had already started to drift in a different direction, realising that she was immensely attracted to the first prince. However, after seeing the blood-painted scene in front of the dining room, she became acutely aware of the threat looming over her head. 

"Now is not the time to talk. Theresa will pass on my message to you, so please don't be seen talking to me," Anastasia cautioned him, because she was no longer a maid or one of the common courtesans. She was Dante Blackthorn's concubine. 

But Gabriel was looking for answers, determined to uncover what had shaken Anastasia and what she was worried about. He observed her constantly looking over her shoulder, and she finally confided in a hushed tone, "Most of the nearby kingdoms are descended from demon bloodlines. The demon is awake now. So be careful, whatever you do, Gabriel. Because if you aren't, it will only result in death."

"I will get everything ready and let you know when all preparations are done," Gabriel stated, his gaze drawn to the blood spots on her face. 

Without lingering for another moment, Anastasia swiftly began to make her way towards the inner palace when she caught sight of a redhead who suddenly appeared in her way. It was none other than the Storm Prince, and she offered him a bow, and he graciously did the same. 

In a smooth and relaxed tone, Prince Raylen expressed, "My hookah has run out, and the servants seem to have scattered and are nowhere to be found. So, I thought of coming here to see if I could get it refilled."

Anastasia couldn't help but wonder if the prince had overheard her conversation with Gabriel. She felt stressed and replied, "I can ask one of the servants to assist you."

"That is very kind of you," Prince Raylen responded with a kind smile that made him appear approachable. He then looked behind her to catch sight of a young man and inquired, "Would he know how to refill it?" 

Anastasia's mind filled with concern for Gabriel's safety, but before she could look behind her or say anything, the Storm Prince called the servant man, instructing him, "Take this and refill it." 

Gabriel walked over to where they stood and took the curved hookah pot and the pipe before leaving to fulfil the prince's request. "It is a pity about your dress," the prince commented, "The stains, I mean." 

Without wasting any time, Anastasia promptly uttered, "Excuse me, Prince," and hurried away. 

Prince Raylen's smile fell from his lips, watching the woman leave without engaging in any small talk. His eyes then moved back to where his hookah pot had been taken. 

Anastasia closed her eyes, silently praying that Prince Raylen hadn't overheard anything. She hoped he hadn't, as he seemed interested only in refilling the hookah pot and wasn't anywhere near the dining room where the deaths had taken place. 

When she reached her room, Theresa was arranging flowers in the vases and exclaimed, "Oh, Anna, you are bac—Did you accidentally spill something on yourself?" 

Anastasia didn't respond and went directly to Theresa before wrapping her arms around the woman and closing her eyes. "I am worried, Auntie," she confessed.

"About what? Is it about King Maxwell's murder?" Theresa questioned, referring to the speculation that was circulating among the servants. 

Anastasia took a deep breath, composing herself before pulling away from the woman. She said, "About you. About Gabriel... I fear that even mere thoughts passing through my mind will be heard by Dante now."

Theresa was yet to hear about what had transpired a few minutes ago, and she attempted to reassure Anna, saying, "Don't worry about us. I haven't gotten in trouble all these years, and I don't intend to get into any major predicaments now, either. As for Gabriel, he is a grown man who knows better than to get caught with whatever he is planning. Did you meet with him?" 

"I did," Anastasia whispered, and Theresa wondered if Prince Dante had caught Gabriel looking the young woman's way. She said, 

"Let me draw you a bath. Your dress is a mess; I will have it sent to the laundry women," Theresa informed her as she walked towards the bathtub.

Once the tub was half filled, Anastasia undressed before stepping inside, immersing herself in the water. She cupped the warm water in her hands before splashing it on her face to remove the blood that had stained her face, as well as any other traces on her body. 

As Theresa helped Anastasia by pouring water on her hair and skin, the woman said in a hushed tone, "When I returned to the servants' quarters and the kitchen, all everyone could talk about was how the king had been murdered for the throne, and that the throne is cursed. They believe that anyone who sits on it will experience sorrow and meet an untimely death. Even King William's father died in a strange manner; they say he was devoured by a tiger or a leopard."2

"King Maxwell took his own life. Dante didn't look like he wanted to talk about it. It must have been sad..." Anastasia replied, surrounded by water, pausing for a moment to reflect on the past, and continued, "I used to wonder before, how Mary could have fallen in love with someone like King Maxwell. He wasn't kind to his family, but now..."

Theresa pursed her lips, as this was something that even she had contemplated. "Maybe he did love her until his soulmate appeared," she speculated.

And although Anastasia knew the truth, she chose not to reveal the information Dante had shared with her about Lady Evin not being Maxwell's soulmate. She heard Theresa say, 

"Some of the servant men who have been to the dungeon claim that they've heard Queen Maya's cries. Begging to see her son, and sometimes cursing... It must be horrible not to have the chance to see your child one last time. But then, I cannot forget that she was the one responsible for having you thrown into the sea."

Anastasia thought about it for a moment before finally expressing, "I think I would like to go see her."

Theresa raised her eyebrow in surprise and reasoned, "But she's in the dungeon, and there are guards." 

"With my current position in the palace, they won't stop me," Anastasia asserted confidently, and Theresa nodded in agreement, recognising that the young woman was now equal in status to the other influential women of the palace. Anna's gaze then shifted to the dress now lying on the ground, and she drew her knees closer to her chest. 

If the demon side of Dante had only just awakened, she wondered how things were in the past before he was cursed within this palace. Her mind questioned how many people must have died and how many places had been destroyed by his hands? Because the scale of devastation must have been immeasurable for the curse to have been placed upon him. 

During Anastasia's early days of serving Princess Emily and accompanying her to the library, she had stumbled upon a significant piece of information. 

Her search for any references to Hawkshead eventually led her to discover that she herself was a person of the forest. This revelation taught her that not every individual originating from the forest possessed the gift, as both Marianne and their mother lacked it. The presence of the gift wasn't guaranteed; in some, it would remain dormant, never to be awakened, and they would remain human, despite carrying the gene. 

After completing her second bath of the day, Anastasia dried her body and hair while walking over to the flowers that had been arranged for her. She picked up a flower and brought it to her nose, savouring its fragrance. 

"It smells sweet." 

'You smell fucking divine.' 

Anastasia felt her blood beginning to surge through her body. She quickly placed the flower back in the vase and asked, "What is the purpose of placing a curse?" 

"You usually curse someone if you don't like them," Theresa explained.

Was her ancestor a bad person? But Dante's demon didn't seem peaceful, not from what she had just witnessed. She wondered if there was more to the story; after all, they were dealing with demons. Perhaps she could seek answers from the Mother Queen, as she appeared to be a knowledgeable and resourceful person. 

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