"Then we should consider prince Anthony's position as crown prince." The prime minister suddenly gave a proposal that was approved by several other nobles.
"Impossible!" Alexander defiantly made the atmosphere instantly quiet.
"Why?"
Everyone turned to the sound, seen Anthony stepping in a shirt covered in blood. He looks very chaotic and angry.
"What's wrong with your clothes prince Anthony?" Asked Arthur who was so surprised to see Anthony looking like a vampire who had just been hunting humans.
"He certainly can't resist hunting and endangering our kingdom now. The lunar eclipse hasn't passed yet but you've gone hunting and put us all at risk now." Alexander said it appears that some nobles were affected by what Alexander said, but Anthony did not answer, instead of throwing a badge commonly used by vampire nobles, a badge covered in Airin's blood into the middle of the altar.
"I will kill whoever has obliterated my beloved," Anthony said, the aura of black seen out from inside Anthony today makes the whole nobleman tremble with fear.
"Your lover?" Arthur is so surprised to hear Anthony say that he has a lover because one year if Anthony is just busy fighting all this time.
"Princess Airin, the goddess of the moon, the great witch is my lover!" Anthony's confession shocked all the vampires in this room including Arthur, but not Alexander who had known it before.
"The romance between vampires and witches is a forbidden one," Arthur said he rarely showed his anger, but this time it was clear that Artur did not like the fact that his son was related to a witch.
Arthur's reaction certainly made Alexander even more pleased.
"Forbidden relationships?" Anthony suddenly laughs to make the whole vampire even more confused, he then steps up to pick up the badge he threw before.
"So did you who killed her because our relationship was forbidden?" Ask Anthony, his eyes move upwards, without hesitation staring at Arthur.
"Are you crazy! Why did Daddy have to get his hands dirty just to kill a lowly witch?" Alexander said he was angry, but Anthony didn't respond. Slowly Anthony again stood up straight and with the blink of an eye, he threw the badge at Alexander until his shoulder was scratched and bleeding.
Even Anthony's throw was too strong to keep the badge going and ended up stuck in a large pillar right behind Alexander.
"Anthony! What are you doing?!" Arthur rises from his throne to be so surprised at Anthony's unwillingness to hurt Alexander right before his eyes and the nobles.
"I don't care, whoever killed Airin, I'm going to kill him and all his descendants with my own hands."
"What are you saying? You want to kill your people just for the sake of a witch?" Alexander said again, it seems that he does not hesitate to continue to provoke anger Anthony, the goal is to make Anthony's image worse in front of the nobles so that no one will support Anthony to become a crown prince in his place.
And it looks like the plan worked, only that he didn't expect that Anthony would strangle him and get his body lifted. Alexander was in so much pain, he couldn't breathe and he wasn't strong enough to make Anthony let go of his grip.
"Anthony, let go of your brother!" Arthur yelled, but Anthony just turned around. "I did everything you said including looking after your beloved son, BUT WHY CAN'T YOU STOP SOMEONE WHO HAS KILLED MY LOVER!" Shouting Anthony, he was very angry and did not hesitate to blow Alexander's body right into the steps of Arthur's throne and make him destroyed so alexander was unconscious.
"Even if it were you, then I would not hesitate to kill you, your highness."
Anthony then leaves Arthur and the other nobles out of fear while Alexander slowly wakes up and tries to get up.
"You'll be gone if you go after him," Arthur said when Alexander with his anger would follow Anthony made Alexander stop his move.
"This is what I'm afraid, Anthony could finish us all off, so I never agreed if he became king. He was controlled by his strength and anger in his heart."
Alexander still does not accept that Anthony has humiliated him, but at least he knows that after this all the nobles will side with him and he will become the next king of Etona and it turns out that his father has been on his side.
***
Anthony locked himself in his room, he stared at the full moon from behind his bedroom window.
His shirt was still covered in Airin's blood, even as Anthony raised his hands covered in Airin's dried blood.
"I shouldn't have followed what you said in that letter. I should have kept looking for you and taking you with me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry Airin... I can't do anything to protect you." Anthony fell limp, he cried while covering his face with both hands.
Anthony feels that his power as a special vampire is completely useless.
"Crying won't make you find the murder of your lover."
Anthony lowered his hands from his face and turned toward the sound.
The prime minister is next to him now, leaning against the edge of the window looking up at the moon.
"She returned to the moon very quickly and painfully." The prime minister said again, his face looked sad and slowly he touched Anthony's shoulder and asked him to stand up
"You must not be weak or you will never find the murder of the great witch, Airin."
What the prime minister said was true, if he drowned in his pain because of Airin's departure then he wouldn't be able to find Airin's killer.
"When I was a warlord, I lost my wife so I know how you feel. It's like living a nightmare, that's how I feel right now." The prime minister said, he hugged Anthony warmly.
"It's too soon, I know if this is just a nightmare."
The prime minister then let go of his arms, he touched Anthony's hands and rubbed them gently.
"Although the king loved you very much, Alexander was always the first of his own. My heart breaks to see you like this, but the king doesn't like witches so much, he won't help you find your lover's killer, he'll probably get in your way."
The sadness in Anthony's eyes slowly turned to anger. "I don't care, even if I have to defy my father. I'll still find the killer." Anthony said he was determined.
"Then be king."
Anthony raised his gaze and looked into both eyes of the prime minister as if in disbelief at what he heard.
"Nothing will stand in your way if you become king, you will rule the kingdom of Etona completely and the murderer will be easy to find."
"But, Alexander..."
"I will always be on your side, I'm Darius will make you the next king of Etona. Let your darkness be your new power."
***