CHAPTER 67: DESPERATE MEASURE

I dropped to one knee and picked Eloise up gently. She was so cold.

"Your Highness, what are you saying? How could you do such a thing? Have you forgotten Lady Eloise has a secret relationship with Prince Damon? She’s an adulterer!"

"What did you say?" I asked in a cadaverous tone, dragging my gaze to Sloane.

Sloane’s eyes pinned on me, a sad expression morphing. "I saw them in the garden. That cannot be the only time they have met, too. Lady Eloise was making the initiative, and our prince—" She couldn’t finish because of the lethal gaze I pinned her with.

Silence lingered between us. She grew nervous about it, but I wasn’t.

Does she think I was some kind of fool? Mother might take on her nonsense, but I won’t.

"And who else saw this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your words are based only on your testimony. Can you call this a trial?"

"I...I—"

"You’ve brought harm to my wife because of some absurd claim."

"I saw them!"

"Shut your mouth!" I growled.

In fear, she took a step back because I had not only yelled but also released my command. The lights from the chandelier had dimmed, a pressure twisting in the air.

There are many reasons to smear this pristine floor with blood. That is all I could think, and that was all I needed.

But Diana’s gaze, piercing my side profile, was a silent message of endurance.

But that wasn’t enough to convince me otherwise. I thought of Eloise and the trouble of getting blood on my hands, so I resorted to a simple measure to deal with this rubbish.

"For the sake of the times we knew each other, although I have not the faintest memory of it," I began.

"Drevon," Sloane said softly, tears sliding down her face.

"You’re banished from the castle grounds." I didn’t wait for her to say anything as I veered my gaze to Mother. "For harming the royal body of my wife. You’ll be confined, Mother, in your chambers until I say otherwise."

"Drevon, how can you—"

"Escort the Dowager away; she must be tired."

Knights came at my command and led her out, as well as Sloane.

"The court that claims to support their monarch," I said without sparing a look behind the crowd. "I have decided to dissolve all of you."

"What?"

"My liege, we beg you!"

"Please reconsider your words."

"Please, my liege."

"Don’t do this!"

"We have supported this crown long before your father!"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" I questioned, throwing a look over my shoulder, they dispersed in a hurry to escape my wrath.

I wanted none of them to walk out of here alive. But I can’t afford to do anything with Eloise in my arms.

"You shouldn’t have done that. Now you have no allies!"

"I spent years in war, Diana. My armies are far more allies than they could ever be."

I walked to the door. "I won’t be advised by a court that does not have my wife’s best interest at heart."

~•~

At nightfall, Eloise’s condition worsened.

With arms folded, I paced, waiting for Garrick to get something.

"You’re taking too much time. How is she?" I asked, already getting impatient even though it had been five minutes.

"I still can’t read her pulse," Garrick replied.

"Is that normal?" Diana asked.

I narrowed my eyes. "I thought you couldn’t that day because she was down with a cold."

"I thought so too, but this seems strange. I can’t get a feel of it," Garrick muttered in perplexity. "I could feel Talia’s even though she’s human."

"It could be her ailment," I said.

"Ailment? What ailment?" Diana questioned.

"She has a frail body," I replied.

"Don’t all humans?" she reasoned.

"No, some can overcome illness and other diseases, but Eloise cannot. She had a weak immune system."

"Oh," she said in a downhearted tone.

I wondered why my sister was suddenly all about my wife. She hasn’t left this room since I brought Eloise in, and I could tell she was concerned about her.

What happened during the two days I was away?

"We can try to heal her with Moonblood. It’s the only way we can deal with her internal injuries," Garrick offered, but he seemed hesitant. "But it’s risky."

"Her handmaid, did the healing process work?" I asked.

I recalled when he mentioned using Moonblood on Talia.

"It worked to an extent, but there’s only so much the human body can handle. Your Grace is frail. The process might be life-threatening."

I took one look at Eloise’s expression and a sharpened pain pierced my chest. I ground my teeth hard. I never should have left, and I’m never leaving her side again.

"Is there any other way to heal her aside from that?" Diana requested.

"I can try the human ways of treating wounds, but I have little knowledge, and even that won’t be proven effective given her situation."

Eloise was in pain. It screamed at her face, and by the passing minutes, it got worse. I can’t bear to see her like this. I won’t let her suffer anymore.

"There is no other choice," I voiced with restraint. "I’ll use my Moonblood."

Our blood was strong and could heal even our kin. But using it on humans has never happened. Aside from Garrick, who had tried with Talia to lessen her condition, but that alone was a gamble.

"Brother!"

"This is the only way," I said, sitting beside Eloise and holding her hand. "Leave."

There was a pause from Garrick, but he answered eventually. "As you wish, my liege." I heard his retreating footsteps.

But Diana stayed. "The handmaiden case was different, as Garrick said, and it wasn’t a complete success. You said Eloise is frail, you could kill her!"

"Leave, Diana."

"But—"

"Now!"

I heard her footsteps followed by the door slamming shut.

I stroked my thumb on Eloise’s hand, and they were soft under my touch.

"I know you’re under a lot of pain," I said softly.

She was sweating profusely now, her hand clenching on her chest, with her head tossing back and forth. Just breathing must be painful for her, and my heart couldn’t bear to watch this anymore.

I hated this, everything. My time in war has made me hunger for nothing but blood and destruction. But Eloise was the one true thing I ever really wanted.

War, blood, destruction, those were my father’s dreams, and I made them come true. It’s time to make mine come true, having her olive green eyes on me again.

"Don’t worry, I’ll make it go away." I dropped her hand.

My nails stretched in an instant, darkening. I used it to tear open my wrist.