My Most Precious Human novel Chapter 82

I could understand why it was such a big thing to move into the Royal Palace. It was a place far beyond my imagination. A slightly modern interpretation of Bavarian Neuschwanstein combined with India's Amber Fortress, all surrounded by magnificent gardens; the romantic style of the nineteenth century sprinkled with the mystic aura of the southern Asian style.

"Wow…" was the only word that could slip through my lips.

The palace had a remarkable main building, reserved for the King and those closest to him. The eastern part of the palace was supposed to be a harem. It was connected to the main building by several secret passages. Certainly, only the King was allowed to use them. The western part was the place for the important guests and their families. The servants and the military men lived in two separate grand buildings a bit further away from the castle. The area was huge. Only after seeing this did I realize the power of the vampire king.

We arrived at the main building's entrance. There was a long red carpet on the steps leading to the large, covered with golden ornaments, door. Around forty to fifty people were standing on both sides of the carpet, ready to greet the new king. They were the palace officials, military commanders, and palace servants.

Sariel opened, got out of the car, and waited for one of the servants to open the door on my side and help me get out. Then he walked towards me to take my hand. He entered the castle with me by his side, bluntly claiming that I was chosen by him to share the throne. I climbed the stairs, ignoring the disdainful gazes and annoying remarks pointed at me. I knew that I had to get used to them because it was merely the beginning. I clenched my teeth, and as soon as I told myself that I was dealing with all the stress just fine, something unexpected came to me...

"I would like to personally welcome King Sariel to his new estate, the Royal Castle," Elora called out, standing on top of the stairs. "Long live the King!" she shouted.

"Long live the King!" the gathered crowd repeated.

The Princess was wearing a long, beautiful black dress with a high collar and a deep neckline. I would say that it was a luxurious mourning dress if it wasn't so damn sexy. Certainly, my pearl white dress with simple lace ornaments couldn't match her elegance. Elora's gaze was on Sariel alone. It was typical for her to ignore me, but this time it was more irritating than ever. She looked like she was seducing Sariel right in front of my eyes.

"Thank you, Princess," Sariel tossed, rolling eyes at her nonchalant ceremonial, then leaned over her and lowered his voice, "Now step aside because you are no longer in charge of this place."

She flinched and stepped away from the entrance, faking her smile. Sariel smirked coldly at her and nodded to the gatekeepers to open the door. Once they did, he grabbed my hand tighter, and we walked inside, followed by everyone else. I found the whole procession awkward, but I guess the same must have happened over a thousand years ago when King Mael took over the throne, and no one thought of this procession as awkward then…

Sariel and I were walking with guards on both sides. The Princess walked two steps behind us. I glimpsed at her at one point, and our eyes met. Strangely, I found a cunning smile on her face. I was expecting her to be fuming mad and I didn't like that smirk of hers at all. It could only mean trouble was coming soon.

We entered a long and grand throne hall. While we were walking along, Sariel leaned over me.

"I will sit on the throne, and you will stand on the right side behind me. Keep quiet no matter what happens," he whispered commandingly.

I nodded nervously in response. Truthfully, I was terrified of what might happen during the coronation. My only solace was knowing that I had the most powerful vampire on my side, as well as Leo and Patrick, just in case.

I looked around the hall. The guards were standing everywhere, securing each corner of the room. Sariel walked straight to the podium where the impressive, over-ten-foot tall throne was standing. He sat on it and nodded at me to stand where he told me to. I smiled faintly and stepped to his right side, staying a bit behind the throne. To my surprise, Elora also stepped up to the podium and stood at Sariel's left side. When she did, Sariel clicked his tongue and turned his gaze away, but he did nothing to make her step down…

I took a deep breath as I watched the hall filling with various people. I found a little comfort seeing Leo and Patrick walking inside and standing on the right side of the hall, near the podium. Patrick smiled at me, giving me the courage to stand there. I was grateful for that. I could focus on his kindness and ignore the fact of how badly I was unwelcomed in that place. Among the spiteful stares, I found someone who seemed to be looking at me with curiosity. He stood on the left side of the hall, quite near the podium. He was tall, with brown hair and bright blue eyes, and was wearing a well-tailored suit. His features were soft, almost feminine, making his face unmatch his quite well-built body, with broad shoulders and a chest barely fitting the tight shirt underneath his jacket. I had noticed him giving the Princess vicious glimpses now and then. It made me wonder who he was.

Once the hall on both sides had been filled with people, three officials marched down the middle of the room and stopped right in front of Sariel's throne. They all bowed down, waiting for Sariel's permission.

"You may rise," he tossed, waving his hand

They stood up straight. They were wearing the same-looking suit-like uniforms. The one who stood in the middle carried a sealed envelope. He stretched his hands forward, holding it for everyone to see.

"This is King Mael's last will," he began, "As the late king's counselor, it is my obligation to hand the dying king's final wishes, and by the custom, the wishes should be respected by the new king mandatory." I saw him glimpsing at Elora, and she gave the counselor a meaningful nod.

"I wasn't informed of any additional requests when I visited the dying king." Sariel seemed annoyed, as if it was something he hadn't predicted.

"I shall now read the will." The counselor decided to carry on his duties without further permission.

He broke the seal and opened the envelope, taking out the will. The room stood silent, waiting to hear its content. Sariel clenched his fists. Someone dared to challenge his authority, forcing him to respect some tradition that had come from who knows how many centuries ago.

"I here announce that I declare Duke Sariel Calvet, son of Lamar Calvet, to be my heir. I wish he would grant my children the respect they should have, and I wish for the future king to grant them land and accommodation worthy of their status…" The counselor called out the King's last words but suddenly paused to glance at the Princess.

A vicious smile formed on her face in response to the counselor's gaze. Then she gave me a brief smirk, shoving her superiority in my face. I clenched my teeth. I felt that I was about to hear the bad news…

"I wish for my half-blood son to be allowed to live in the west part of the castle. I will grant the future king leadership over my personal army of fifty thousand but under one condition… King Sariel Calvet shall marry my daughter, Elora Grimoard, as his queen. Otherwise, the army shall remain under her leadership." The counselor closed the document, painting a satisfied expression all over his face.

The commotion spread throughout the hall. I nervously gazed at Sariel, hoping that he would say something like, "The hell with the army!" But that didn't happen. He angrily clenched his teeth, slowly turning them into a cold and spiteful smile. He burst out laughing. Its sound was haunting and vicious. Unknowingly, I cringed upon hearing it and stepped back away from the throne.

I wasn't the only one who flinched under the sound of the king's laughter; the whole crowd turned silent. The counselor cleared his throat while lowering his gaze.

"You… you need to respect the late King's wishes," he mumbled, terrified as everyone else.

Sariel looked at his left side, gesturing for Elora to step forward. She did it with a calm smirk on her face.

"Well played, Princess," Sariel chuckled coldly, "You knew that taking over the King's army meant the actual authority and power in the vampire kingdom. The army was never an issue that was discussed with King Mael since it was supposed to come naturally with the crown."

Elora bowed elegantly, then said, "As King Sariel pointed out, an army has never been an issue discussed with my father. It was something my father built over the centuries of his reign, and he decided to leave it to me right before he died." Her explanation made the hall nod supportively.

My heart pounded widely, and my breath became shallow. I started rubbing my hands together, trying to wipe off the nervous sweat while staring at the back of Sariel's head. I was terrified of the words I was already expecting to hear.

Sariel stood up and looked around the hall. Princess Elora lowered her gaze, pretending to respect the king whom she had just tried to intimidate. Then Sariel directed his gaze at me. His eyes were filled with cold and indifference, as if he had wiped all of his emotions away. That look stabbed my heart. It felt as if someone had crushed my ribcage and squeezed my lungs. I couldn't breathe. Tears filled my eyes as my mouth opened in a silent "No!" that I was unable to voice.

"I am here to announce..." Sariel turned his face towards the crowd and took Elora's hand. "I shall marry Princess Elora, and she will become my Queen."