A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 92: Stranded

"We need to get out of here," Gabriel said as he led Elena towards the stables. Knights were everywhere searching for them but thanks to their guises, they blended in.

"My brother... He’s our only chance," Elena said as they took a corner around the hallway.

"Trust me, talking with a vampire is the last thing on your brother’s wishlist," Gabriel said. "Shit!" He cursed when he saw a ton of knights guarding the horses. Andrian had instructed them to keep everyone inside until Gabriel and Vathin were found.

"He’ll listen if you speak to him," she implored.

Gabriel scoffed, now leading her to another hallway in the palace. "He was willing to marry you against your will and you think he’ll listen to me? What makes you think he can give me his human army?"

"Because you’re both fighting a common enemy. He wants the vampires dead as much as you want the throne to yourself."

"Even if, through some mysterious miracle, he accepted, he’d kill me the next moment. I’m still a vampire to him." They found more knights on the end of the hallway and were forced to go back to the throne hallway.

"I’ll stop him if he tries," Elena said with conviction.

Gabriel wanted to protest but... "The moment Andrian finds out that I’m missing, he’ll turn the whole capital upside down looking for me and this time he’ll not throw you in a cell. He’ll kill you!" The dread was clear in her voice.

Gabriel knew it was true though a part of him, pride, refused to acknowledge that he could be killed by a human. Elena’s suggestions, though insane, seemed to have pros and cons. What if Andrian married her off to that pirate in a heartbeat?

"What about Charles? He’ll still want to get married to you," he reasoned.

"Charles has his motives were we to get married. He wants revenge."

Gabriel creased a brow. "Revenge on what?"

"Charles and I were childhood friends, back then when my parents were still alive. One day while we were playing in the garden, I pushed him and he fell on the ground hurting his elbow. Overcame by his range, he pushed me too and I fell on my stomach. My brother witnessed this and walked to my defense. Andrian was older than Charles that time, but Charles was stubborn." She sighed.

"He bit Andrian on the hand when he was slapped. Rian grabbed whatever his hands could get; a stick. He swung it across Charles’ face creating a line of blood running from his cheek all the way to the bottom of his eye. How his eye survived is still a mystery."

"What an imbecile!" Gabriel cursed. Who would want to marry to take revenge for eternity? That was the coldest thing a brother could do to his sister! Marrying her off to someone he knew held a grudge against them, all because of power!?

"Your brother and my mother are similar in some aspects," he said, smiling bitterly.

Elena threw a furtive glance at him. He rarely talked about his mother! She wondered what she was like.

"I thought she was dead, while all this time she was always close to me," he said, his voice a raspy whisper of emotions. Elena frowned in confusion but she didn’t implore. If he wanted, he could open up to her.

They walked in the throne hall where everyone was gathered. Andrian stood at the raised platform whispering indistinctively to some knights who reported.

The double doors were closed and so were those on the sides. The murmurs slowly died down until silence reigned the once vibrant hall. Andrian stepped forward, his facade serious.

"Lords and Ladies. I’m certain you’re concerned about your confinement in the throne hall during a royal pre-wedding." He took in a shaky breath, his eyes scanning through the crowd.

"King Magnus of Althenia has been found dead, butchered in cold blood in one of the guest rooms."

Prince Charles rose from his seat in horror and disbelief. "That can’t be true!" He refuted. "My father was here a few minutes ago."

Andrian was in no mood to argue. Signalling to a knight by the door, he instructed, "Take him to the body!"

Prince Charles followed the knight outside before the doors were closed.

"The murderer however is still in our midst!" He said to stir the Lords and Ladies present. The murmurs died as soon as they began when he raised his hand.

"Beware, for this is not your day to day murderer. Disguised as Lady Leana of the Wastelands, and her surprisingly healthy father, Lord Brumfort were none other than Gabriel Sinclair of Mysthaven and his demon companion! We’ve searched the whole palace for these two but they’ve probably dropped their guises and assumed new ones. Let it be known that no one is to leave this hall until these two are found."

A knight walked closer to where Andrian stood and whispered something indistinctively. Andrian’s face grew a shade darker, his eyes venomous!

"Gabriel Sinclair stole the bride despite cancelling the truce between us and the filthy creatures!" His lips trembled in disgust now.

"Who killed Magnus?" Elena asked, turning to face Gabriel. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Vathin," he said, his eyes narrowing at a knight standing by the door to the left side of the hall. It was him, he could tell from his eyes.

’Take her and let get out of here, now!’ Vathin said telepathically. Gabriel thought his brain was playing tricks on him at first. But when he stared at Vathin’s eyes, he felt connected to him by an unphysical spectrum.

’Did you do it?’ He asked, his eyes narrowed at the knight.

Vathin rolled his eyes inwardly but impatiently. ’We don’t have time for this,’ he reasoned, but Gabriel was persistent.

’Fine, I did it,’ He gave in. ’He deserved it though.’

"Who’s he?" Elena asked, following Gabriel’s line of sight. She had noticed him look at the knight for a while now, as if they were communicating with their eyes.

"My mother!" Gabriel replied, biting his traitorous lip between his teeth.