The Princess's Dangerous Vampire Mate-Chapter 410: A gift- I

<Anastasia, the former queen of Astria>

I hate the smell of the poor and the irony of my life was that I was living like them, with them.

In my life, I had never received the unfortunate opportunity to live like the poor. My father, a wealthy merchant, and a close minister to the king, was quite well off.

How well off was he? Enough to put me in front of the eyes of king Arthur; Terrence’s father.

The common misconception people had about kings was that they were intelligent enough to rule the kingdom to the best of their abilities. Well some might be, but our service was not. He would rather go into the jungle and have an affair with the village woman and spawn a bastard rather than taking care of his kingdom.

I hate that man for that. He was supposed to have mistresses and concubines and affairs that I could have tolerated. But the village woman in comparison to a queen? to his wife who had been at the receiving end of the finest upbringing, anyone had to receive ever? It was an absolute shame to me.

However, it was only sometime later that I realized how it could have worked in my favor.

It was an unwanted opportunity that had landed in my lap that I had not suspected until sometime. It had been my brother Christopher who had mentioned it just in the passing. Aurther’s absence had given me the opportunity to captivate the interest of everyone in the palace, ministers, and generals together, to see me as the queen. A queen that could function well without the king, who could take care of the kingdom, without the presence of the king to command it.

I had achieved my goal to a great extent. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Everyone trusted me. No one wanted to challenge my claim to the throne, because I had already proved my capability to everyone in the palace. My only regret was that I could not have done it soon enough for my father to see what I and his son had achieved together.

He was the chief commander of the army of the country, and I was the queen who sat on the throne as was right, and not just as a regent.

Yes, despite all of my achievements, I was standing in the slums of the country I had planned to take over once.

Melenmore.

I was sure the slums in Astria were better.

"Madam," Ezekiel came to stand behind me, stopping one step in between us as his man disappeared behind him. "I have news."

I sighed.

This was my plight, what I was facing at the moment. Standing in the middle of slums, smelling the dug of the cow and the sweat of people while receiving news that I did not want to hear. The news I did want to hear, however, was taking too long.

I sighed. "Is it true what I want to hear? If not, then you can go to Christopher."

"Sir Christopher sent me here."

I frowned and looked at him before turning to look ahead. Christopher sent him? That meant my brother was outside the palace, but if he was, why had he not come to visit me? It had been days since he had come back to the house we were living in.

"Where is your Sir Christopher? Has he found a room at the palace to stay in?" I had grown bitter, but the circumstances would do this to anyone.

A woman looked at me, our eyes mad, and she smiled, showing me her rotten teeth.

Disgusting. Absolutely, disgusting.

"We have a gift coming in the evening for you. Our riders have ridden a very long journey, day and night to make ends meet. They will be here by—"

"By the evening, obviously." I completed it for him. "What is the surprise gift you talk about?"

I had not heard anything about it. No one other than Christopher was authorized enough to do this. Why had my brother hidden this from me?

What was it?

"What is it?"

"The general has asked us not to tell you until he will end. He will return before the gift arrives."

How kind was Ezekiel? My brother would never use the word he would tell them simply, to do it.

My eyes narrowed. What was it that my brother had asked him to hide from me? Why? Christopher would never hide anything from me. Even if it was a surprise gift, he would hand out what it was, giving me a picture of what I should prepare myself with. Then what had he hidden?

"Is it something that is going to make me truly happy, Ezekiel? Because if it is not, then I do not want it." I was above temporary happiness at this point. I had been living in slums, traveling like gypsy and nomad, I wanted stability. The power I had once achieved myself, I wanted it back.

"Yes, what we have found is going to help you achieve what we all want. It is not very conventional but those who know about it, know that you love it." He was suppressing his smile as he said it which only confirmed his back. It was going to be nice.

I nodded. Whatever it was, if everyone knew that it was going to be good and help us achieve what I wanted, then I would believe in them. So far, I only had a few people who were ready to be with me for my cause. The army had betrayed me. Well, most of them had been slayed. The rest had been idiots.

My eyes burned as I continued to look at the flag high up in the air. It had been only lower for one day, when the prince had passed away. One day.

After that, the queen had taken over.

I should have been that Queen, not that little girl.

I will be taking over from her, very soon and there would be no one to stop me.