100: Driven by Bloodlust

Driven by Bloodlust

This chapter is dedicated to nancal42, one of the lovely, kind and a sweet reader who isn't with us anymore. Let us pray that she is in peace <3

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[Music Recommendation: Tetrachord- War and Fate: Nicholas Britell]

Warm blood dripped from Dante's hand, trickling down the length of his long, slender fingers before eventually falling to the ground. He brought his bloody hand to his lips before licking the blood off one of his fingers. 

Despite the sun's rays touching the ground where they gathered, a chill of fear ran through everyone's body as they witnessed the gory scene before them. The onlookers looked terrified, not understanding what was happening, and this included the Vizier, who grew more visibly tense with every passing second. 

The frown on King Maxwell's face deepened as he continued to watch the unfolding scene below from the balcony of his room. He tightly gripped the railing on which his hand was resting. As his mother had said, something was wrong with Dante, and one could sense it by observing the man's demeanour. The atmosphere grew heavy, permeated by a palpable sense of dread. 

When Dante dropped the dead guard's body to the ground and started walking towards the other guard, the rest of the onlookers warily attempted to step away without drawing attention to themselves. The second guard, visibly shaken and frightened, stammered in terror, 

"P—Prince Dante, I—I didn't do anything, anything. I only walk—ed away from there and wasn't the o—one to throw her in." The guard took a fearful step back, but Dante had already closed the distance, standing in front of him. 

"Do you still think you did nothing?" Dante questioned, his eyes growing hollow with the scent of blood filling the air. His hand shot up to the guard's neck, curling around it firmly, and he remarked, "You seem useless. You watched the palace's courtesan drowning, and instead of helping her, you left her to die. There's no need for you to work here any longer." 

With those words, Dante drew out his dagger and forcefully rammed its tip into the guard's head, which made a distinct cracking sound as the metal vanished into the man's skull. 

"Now, the third one at the back there," Dante turned to look at the last guard, whose heart raced faster than the rest, causing his breath to be uneven. "Are you going to spit out who ordered you to throw her in the sea, or would you prefer I kill you?" With a tilt of his head and one eyebrow raised in question, Dante awaited the guard's response. 

The last guard had been the one who had carried and thrown the courtesan into the sea. Initially, he had stayed calm, not displaying any sign of fear, believing that there was no way for anyone to discover the truth. But seeing the two guards lying in pools of their own blood, he began to tremble. The guard didn't know if he should confess, because any side he took would lead to inevitable punishment. 

"There's no reason to be shy now," Dante coaxed the guard, though this only intensified his fear. 

When Dante took a step towards the trembling guard, he finally managed to speak, stammering, "It was—was—We did on—It was the—"

"Brother Dante, it is Zion!"

It was Aiden, who, after learning that the guards and the other men were being interrogated at the front of the palace, had finally arrived at the scene, huffing for air. The others turned their attention towards him, startled by what the third prince had exclaimed. 

"—the Vizier who ordered us to do it."

And despite the guard revealing the truth, it didn't save the man from the wrath of Dante's dagger. Swiftly, the blade sliced through the guard's throat, causing him to cough up blood while writhing in a desperate struggle for his life on the ground. 

Upon hearing his name mentioned by the guard and Prince Aiden, Zion swiftly turned on his heel and began to run as fast as he could. Before gathering the guards for questioning, he had arranged a horse to aid his escape. But he only managed to cover a short distance before he felt a dagger thrust into one of his legs, soon followed by two more piercing his back, causing his pace to slow and eventually making him fall forward to the ground. 

"I saw him dismissing the guard carrying the gunny sacks, and the quantity seemed peculiar. Zion was the one who dismissed the guards!" Aiden informed Dante, coming to stand beside him. 

King Maxwell's eyes narrowed at this detail and disclosure of who attempted to kill the courtesan. He quickly left his balcony to make his way towards the others. Meanwhile, Dante walked over to where the Vizier was attempting to stand up to flee, but his efforts were in vain. 

"Don't think I missed your vital points, Zion, because killing you is not my intention. We have much to discuss why you did what you did," Dante remarked, his footsteps on the ground firm and deliberate. He halted when he reached the Vizier's side and inquired, "How does it feel? The feeling of pain that you have usually avoided by having someone else take the fall?" 

Seating himself on his heel, Dante opted not to pull out the dagger from the Vizier's leg. Instead, he twisted it as if it were a key, causing the minister to cry out in pain,

"AHHH!!"

"Like it?" Dante asked him calmly. "How about now?" With a forceful motion, he pulled the dagger to one side, slicing through the leg muscle, and Zion yelped in agony, 

"AHHHHHHHH!!!"

Dante stared at the minister with cold, dark red eyes that thirsted for blood. A strange sense of peace washed over him at the sight of the minister writhing in pain, and his cries seemed to bring a soothing calmness that eased his turmoil-ridden soul at that moment. 

He remembered when he was first taken into battle when he was young and unprepared. The Vizier had been there with him. The memory was deeply buried among the multitude of experiences he had endured because of the absence of his Crux. He was dragged to the battlefield to make himself useful, as he was deemed unnecessary in the palace. 

Amidst the chaos of the war, a young Dante was left unprotected and at the mercy of the enemy soldiers, facing the grim prospect of being shredded and buried alongside the others who had already fallen in battle. 

As the soldiers fought, one of them, a young man who had joined their ranks to combat the neighbouring kingdom, shouted while running to Zion, 'We are outnumbered!' Desperation in his voice, he exclaimed, 'What do we do?'

While the soldiers engaged in battle, shedding their blood and sweat, the Vizier, who had only recently been appointed to the court, had joined to participate in the conflict. And though well-versed in the art of sword fighting, he remained passive, seated on his horse at a safe distance, merely observing the battle without lifting a finger. 

Zion turned to the soldier, whose face was smeared with blood and dirt. He instructed, 'Gather the men who are still in the tent.'

'But, Sire, they are still recovering from the injuries they received in t—'

'Don't you know how important the victory of this battle is? Bring every single one from there, and also take Prince Dante with you,' Zion commanded. 'I will join the battlefield once I take a look at something.' 

A young Dante, around the age of thirteen, turned to look at Zion. 

'The prince?' the soldier gawked in disbelief, uncertain about the idea of the young prince joining the battle. 

'This is precisely why his father sent him here. To learn about war, and it is time for him to witness it firsthand. He will be useful on the battlefield,' Zion said, waving his hand and smiling at the young prince. 'I will see you soon, Prince Dante.'

Before long, the young prince arrived at the war-torn area with the other soldiers, which was filled with the pervasive stench of death. The young boy tried to defend himself and fight, but he had never taken a life before. In the midst of the chaos, one of the men ruthlessly drove their horse into his, causing him to be thrown off the horse he was riding. 

Swiftly, he found himself surrounded by men who engaged him in fierce combat, showing no mercy despite his young age. Behind him, a man's voice rumbled with laughter, questioning, 

'Versailles must have lost its mind to send a boy to fight us?' Young Dante turned to catch sight of a bulky, bearded man who raised his sword and brought it down upon him. 

Despite the boy's attempt to jump away from the man, the sword came too close, inflicting a cut on the side of his eyebrow. Not a moment later, blood began to trickle down the side of his face. 

He fell to the ground, desperately trying to scramble backwards while being trampled by the other men and chased by the one who had set his sight on him. It didn't take long for the boy to understand the only way to come out alive was to defeat these people, and that meant resorting to killing. He had no choice but to do whatever it took to stay alive, ensuring that he could be there for his mother. 

So when a fleeting chance presented itself before the young boy, with the buff man becoming momentarily distracted by another soldier's attack, he seized the opportunity. Pushing himself off the ground, he flung himself at the man, grasping his dagger tightly. He leapt onto the man's back, determinedly holding on even as the man attempted to shake him off. Refusing to let go, the boy grabbed the man's hair and swiftly slit his throat with the dagger. 

After the battle was won, Zion clapped for the young prince and exclaimed, 'Bravo, Prince Dante! Bravo! You have done well!' However, even at a young age, Dante could sense the condescending tone in the man's praise. 

In the present, Dante remarked, "You disappoint me, Zion. For an advisor, one would expect you to be smarter than this. And to think the fruit will not just fall but be placed right into my hand. Foolishness must run deep in your mind." With a cold and calculated motion, he pulled one of the daggers out of Zion's back, making the man cry out in even more pain. 

"Move!" King Maxwell's arrival prompted the crowd gathered around the scene to quickly disperse and make way. "Pick him up!" he commanded, and two guards quickly forced Zion to his feet. 

Zion couldn't believe his ill luck, as he had hoped that Prince Aiden would never suspect him. He had taken a leap of faith, which would now cost him his life. Suddenly, King Maxwell punched the Vizier directly in his stomach, making him cough out blood from the injuries he had received. 

"Why did you do it?!" King Maxwell questioned impatiently, glaring at him. "What did she do to make you attempt to end her life?" 

The question burned in everyone's mind, leaving them wondering why the Vizier would try to kill a courtesan. Dante pressed on, demanding, "Was it you who orchestrated this, or were you following someone else's orders?" 

Zion knew that any answer he provided would result in his death. The palace considered the lives of the courtesans and the concubines to be precious, even though the women's fate was forced upon them. He spoke up, 

"It was my own doing, My King."

But this only led to the minister being mercilessly beaten by Dante, who had stepped forward, grabbing the front of the man's shirt. Glaring down at the minister, he stated, 

"I didn't notice it at first, but something appears to be hindering me from noticing you. You are working for someone, so tell the truth about why you did it. Or death won't come easily for you."

When the minister chuckled, Dante swiftly grabbed the man's hand and twisted it, inflicting intense pain that shot up Zion's shoulder. 

"I will tear off one limb at a time, and you will wish you answered sooner," Dante threatened Zion in a low, menacing voice. The minister lifted his gaze to meet the prince's, his face battered, and Zion commented, 

"Look at what they have done to you, Prince. The woman was going to get in the way, so I was instructed to… get rid of her."

Dante's patience was wearing thin, and he pulled out the other dagger from Zion's back to hear him groan in pain, and he questioned, "Who ordered you to do this?" 

Gritting his teeth due to the wounds he received, Zion finally revealed, "It was Queen Maya."

Everyone looked taken aback by the Vizier's reply, and Dante narrowed his eyes as he turned to look at Maxwell before stating, 

"And I wonder why she gave such an order."

Maxwell's hands went cold, and the anger that was present in his eyes was replaced by shock. He shook his head and whispered, "That can't be true… Mother wouldn't do that."

"I have no reason to lie, King Maxwell," Zion answered, adding, "I know death is what awaits me."

Maxwell's jaw clenched, and he ordered the guards, "Capture her and put her in the dungeon! I will question her personally! Now!" 

Upon Maxwell's command, the guards promptly departed while the Vizier remained held up by the other two guards. Dante ordered, "Keep him alive in the dungeon. I will deal with him." Maxwell watched his elder brother from the corner of his eyes. 

"Yes, Prince Dante!" The guards forcibly dragged the Vizier through the other door, leading him to the dungeon. 

Before heading to the dungeon, Dante turned, his red eyes locking with Maxwell's blue ones, which were filled with distrust and confusion. He pulled out a scroll from his coat and thrust it at Maxwell, stating, 

"I hope this will serve you as well as it did for me." With that, he turned and walked away. 

Aiden, uncertain about whether to stay or leave, glanced at Maxwell, who was unrolling the scroll. Fully aware of its contents, he decided to return inside the palace to where Emily was. Upon entering the room, he was surprised to find his sister wasn't sitting there alone. With her sat his grandmother, Lady Noor, and Prince Victor. 

"How are things unfolding out there?" the Mother Queen inquired while sitting on the other side of the bed, next to Anastasia. 

"Queen Maya will be imprisoned, and the Vizier was the one who threw Anna into the sea on her orders," Aiden informed them, and the room fell silent for a moment before Lady Noor questioned with concern, 

"Why would Queen Maya want to throw this poor girl into the sea?" 

"I think it is glaringly obvious," the Mother Queen murmured, and then continued, "She killed the concubine who was with William that day because she posed a threat to Maxwell's reign, and she's now targeting this one because the threat has returned. However, this will mark the end of her rule as queen."

Lady Noor, who was out of the loop, didn't understand what the Mother Queen was talking about and frowned in confusion. She expressed her disbelief, stating, "I cannot believe that she would have someone throw Anna into the water, especially when she has been the head of the concubines and courtesans."

The Mother Queen shrugged off her concern, replying, "What can I say? Those who are unfit to rule tend to act foolishly. Nothing to be alarmed about." She then rose from her seat and added, "All of you look after her. I will go visit the dungeon." 

"Would you like me to accompany you, Mother Queen?" Lady Noor asked, but the older woman dismissed the suggestion with a wave of her hand. 

"I will be fine on my own. I need to see if Aziel has died, as he has not returned," the Mother Queen replied before making her way out of the room, passing by the guards still stationed at the entrance. 

As hours passed, Anastasia continued to remain unconscious, completely unaware of the changes that were taking place while she rested peacefully, with people being killed, dragged into the dungeon, and confined for questioning. 

And behind her closed eyes, she drifted into a familiar scene, one she had always carried with her. In this dream, she was transported back to the time when she desperately flailed her limbs in the water, but unlike reality, she was able to swim and reached the safety of the shore. 

As she wrung out the skirt of her dress, Anastasia heard Marianne's voice say, 

'Anna, you made it!' Anastasia turned to look at her sister with surprise. Her sister tried to usher her along, saying, 'Hurry, before they catch you.'

Anastasia didn't go to follow her sister and said, 'The last time you took me somewhere, I ended up being thrown in the sea.'

Marianne frowned and asked, 'I did? That is something we can discuss later. Come, we need to get you out of here before you are killed. Things are going to be difficult.' The look in her eyes turned sad, and she said, 'If it weren't for me, we would have been somewhere else, and you wouldn't have gone through…'

'Who wants to kill me, Mary?' Anastasia interrupted, pressing her sister for an answer. 

But her sister ran towards the high walls of the kingdom, and Anastasia ran right behind her. She called her sister's name and told her to wait, and when she was just about to catch her sister, she woke up with her hand stretched forward, grabbing at the air. 

A sudden pain sparked on the back of her head, and Anastasia felt her head sway as if it was heavy. But soon a warm hand came to cradle the back of her head, and she heard Dante's voice, 

"Careful there. Your head was hit pretty hard." Once she was stabilised, he pulled his hand away from the back of her head. 

Anastasia's gaze steadied along with her weak body, and her brown eyes moved to meet Dante's red ones. She noticed him sitting on the bed next to where she was, as if he had been watching over her all these hours. She asked him, 

"Did you… pull me out of the water?" 

"Who else would, if not me?" Dante questioned her back. Though the credit was to go to his habit of riding through the streets in the mornings, which is why he was there to save her. His eyes narrowed, and he said, "I thought I saw you to the tower before I left, and didn't I tell you not to wander in the night?"

Anastasia's mind was still fuzzy, but she tried to remember what happened last night. She whispered, "My sister led me…"

"Your sister?" Dante frowned, and Anastasia nodded. "You mean her ghost?" 

"Mm… I am sure I am not imagining things! I have seen her two times. Because I know I saw her and she took me to where… the Vizier was talking. He was the one who intercepted Lady Sophia's letter about your mother," Anastasia explained, and Dante's calm demeanour began to change into a menacing one. "I didn't see who was talking to the Vizier and after that I found myself in the shed… and then being thrown into the water." 

The thought of the sea terrified Anastasia, as she still remembered the experience of drowning in the water. 

Dante noticed Anastasia tremble, and he placed his hand on hers. Out of nervousness and avoiding his eyes, she joked, "You must agree that the palace is unsafe for me, and I would be better off somewhere else."

"Next to me," Dante responded in seriousness. "You will be safer next to me than anywhere else."

Anastasia felt her heart skip a beat from his words. Her eyes widened, and she immediately met Dante's eyes, which had never stopped looking at her. She asked him curiously, 

"Where is the Vizier?" 

"Resting in the dungeon now," Dante responded, and Anastasia looked surprised. "He was the one to have you thrown in the sea. Did you think he wouldn't be caught?" 

Anastasia murmured, "I thought he would be caught after I died." She expressed her gratitude toward him, saying, "Thank you for rescuing me… again."

When she went to bow out of habit, Dante placed his palm on her forehead and said, 

"There's no need for you to bow to me."

"But you are a prince," Anastasia pointed out, and Dante's lips twitched as his hand moved away from her forehead, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. 

[Music Recommendation: Deep End- Ruelle]

"Is that why you bow to me? Because I am a prince?" Dante questioned her, with a hint of mirth playing in his voice. He still hadn't let go of the piece of her hair between his fingers. 

Anastasia quickly shook her head. "It is because you have helped me in my time of need! It is to thank you…" her voice trailed at the end. 

"You don't have to do that anymore. There's no need for any formalities between us," Dante stated, staring into her brown eyes. He asked her, "Did they hurt you anywhere else apart from your head and hands?" 

Anastasia looked down at her hands and noticed the rope marks around her wrists. She had used too much force when using the dagger to cut the bonds. She replied, "That is all." She saw him look at her hands and then check the bump on her head, and she felt like a little butterfly was trying to flap its wings in her stomach. 

She wondered how long he had been sitting here, watching over her, as it didn't seem like he had been doing anything else. She said, 

"You shouldn't worry about me as I am awake now. You should get some rest."

"I was," Dante responded, his eyes coolly looking at her. "You are going to have tough luck trying to chase me away."

"That wasn't my intention. I was only worried that you might not have rested," Anastasia replied. 

"If you are worried, shouldn't you kiss the worries away?" Dante asked her. He added, "There's no reason to be shy, as it has happened twice already."

"Twice?" When was the second time? Anastasia asked herself. 

As if reading the thoughts that were visibly passing over her face, Dante replied, "It was when I pulled you out of the water. Lips so cold and pale." His eyes shifted to look at her now pink lips. "I thought I lost you when I found you in the water."

Anastasia would have joked to divert the subject, as she could feel Dante invading her space and emotions little by little, but she found it hard to speak with him looking at her with such intensity. 

"I hear so many heartbeats, and yours is the one I like to listen to the most," Dante confessed with a thoughtful expression, and his eyes moved back to look at Anastasia's eyes, while the back of his fingers gently brushed her cheek. "Still worried, or shall I take the lead?" 

But it wasn't a question, as the next second Dante moved into Anastasia's space, and he whispered above her lips, "Part your lips, little rabbit."

Dante's breath was enough to have Anastasia part her lips, and as if to secure her position, he placed his hand on her hand that was resting on the bed. 

The next moment, Dante captured Anastasia's lips, and the kiss was nothing like the one she remembered, which had been a brush against her lips. This one felt different, and the butterfly that had tried to flap its wings in her stomach began to create a storm when he took her bottom lip between his teeth to suck on it. 

Anastasia didn't know how something so simple could evoke such emotions, and she felt her toes involuntarily beginning to curl as Dante continued to suck and nibble on her lips. Her back began to arch, her body beginning to awake.

She felt Dante's hand curl on the side of her neck, feeling him angle her face for the kiss with the help of his thumb. His lips were sensual and soft, taking their time to touch and feel, learning what made her heart stutter as he continued to taste her lips.  0

All her reasoning now began to fade away, while Dante invited her to see the world he wanted to offer her. When he nipped on her lips, she gasped, and her eyes that had closed opened to see him watching her. He licked her lips languidly, imprinting every emotion she felt now with him. There was something very raw about the way he watched her now, and his hand didn't delay in entangling itself in her hair.

When Dante pulled away from her lips to watch the rare art he had created, he noticed her dilated eyes, her quickened breathing, and her heart rapidly beating against her ribcage. 

Anastasia whispered, "We should stop before someone enters the room." This was not in her plan! But at the same time, the sensation was intoxicating, making her feel torn. 

"I made sure to lock the door," Dante replied against her lips, saying, "You taste too sweet to stop here and now."

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