The Tyrant's Pet

Meanwhile...

"You'll see her there." Ismael smiled at Roman, who was inside his chancery and just standing in front of the window. He studied the armor the seventh prince was still wearing from the desk where Ismael was leaning.

Ismael folded his arms under his chest. "It's funny how you hadn't asked where I relocated her, nor did you ask about anything in particular. Actually, where were you all this time? You just come and go whenever you want to say something, but I can't seem to find you anywhere when I need you."

"You don't have anything important to tell me. Why look for me?"

"Tsk. Can you loosen up a bit, Rome?" Ismael snapped his tongue, looking at Roman from head to toe in disbelief. His brother was still just as cold as ever, even though everything quieted down already. "How can you seduce Violet if you're always so uptight?"

Roman didn't speak as expected, keeping his eyes in a particular direction through the visor of his metal helm as if he could see through the thick darkness of the night. He had been wearing full armor for years, even in the imperial palace, so everyone was already used to him wearing it.

Ismael sighed after a minute of not getting any reaction from him. "Seriously... nevermind." He huffed, giving up on having a casual conversation with him.

"So you're leaving?" asked Ismael solemnly, eyes still fixed on Roman's side. "Once I get crowned, I can still give you a title and land. You can take Violet and her children there instead of staying in another land."

But to no avail. Ismael felt like talking to a wall because Roman wouldn't budge.

'To be honest? He and Violet suit each other,' Ismael thought upon recalling one of Violet's words during their last meeting. 'It's still a mystery to me how the hell Violet put up with that Carlos. I don't want to talk about the dead. But... is he seriously leaving Maganti for Haimirich?'

When the thought crossed Ismael's head, his eyes slowly dilated at the sudden realization. He held his breath as his heart thudded against his ribcage, swallowing down a mouthful of air.

"Rome, you..."

"Yes." Roman replied after his long silence. His eyes underneath his visor flickered with bitterness as his jaw tightened. "I am, Your Majesty. I am no longer Roman Imperial, but a no name creature of the night."

"What...?"

"I can stay or run away as far away as possible," Roman continued without ever casting Ismael a look. "But that is impossible when my blood yearned to be by his side. How can I? When the only path I would want to take now is to stand on his back and be part of his greatness?"

Silence befell their shoulders after Roman's remarks. Ismael's lips were drawn in a thin line, feeling this desire in Roman's voice with a tinge of bitterness. Perhaps it was the new blood running through Roman's veins or something he was still in denial off. Either way, Ismael understood vampires were different from human — not much, but they were different.

Roman took a deep breath and faced Ismael. "I still believe you will rule this country well, Your Majesty. I really do."

The two of them stared at each other silently before Roman faced the window once again. The latter approached it and opened it, making Ismael's brows to furrow. Without a word or giving the third prince a look, Roman jumped out of it.

"Oy! Don't kill yourse —"

Ismael immediately sprung up in surprised, sprinting towards the open window. But when he looked over, his brows creased. There was no sign of Roman anywhere.

"Wow…" he mumbled, blinking countless times as he scanned the ground from this level. "… surely, vampires are different. Did he land or what? He could've at least given his brother a farewell hug or something. Morro even gave me a hug — tsk. Why am I being so emotional?"

Ismael laughed and shook his head, wiping his eyes with the back of his fist. When he managed to stop himself from shedding a tear, Ismael inhaled the night breeze and closed his eyes. A subtle smile dominated his face the second he reopened his eyes ever so tenderly.

"It was an unpredictable months…" he whispered, looking up at the night sky with a smile. "I had lost a lot during those times and nearly lost my mind, but… it was worth it."

At the end of the day, Ismael learned a lot from the visitors that turned this rotten empire upside down. And he would surely carry the things he learned from the past several months to his deathbed.

"Rome… you are in good hands. That man might be a little too much… but his people were proof your gut feeling is correct," he added under his breath. "I don't think it's just the new blood in your veins, but your heart as a knight to serve someone as great as him. May we all have great lives ahead."

<strong>******</strong>

Violet was standing on the balcony of the estate Ismael bought for her. At this point, it was almost like she became Ismael's mistress, but Violet didn't mind what other people would think about her. For as long as her children and her people were safe, that was all that mattered.

"So they… succeeded, huh?" she whispered, smiling while looking up at the moon. She hugged herself under the shawl around her.

Just an hour ago, she received a letter from Ismael telling her about the general details of the revolt and how it turned out. But what truly relieved her was that Ismael was kind enough to reassure her Roman was safe.

"I bet they were all busy," she breathed out, inhaling the night breeze with a smile. "And I guess we won't have to stay here for long."

Violet looked down and chuckled, knowing they were now free of fear. Joaquin had fallen, so there were no more people coming after her. She and her children could now start anew, just as planned.

'I should start packing,' she told herself, turning on her heel to return to her room. However, just as she held on the knob, Violet stopped upon hearing this faint thud from behind her. Her eyes fell on her feet and caught a shadow stretching to her.