The king and queen were surprised when they learned that their son, Rouen, had issued a royal order for the arrest of two Silver Bloods an hour after he left with Sorian to go to the Crystal Manor in a rush. The palace was in disarray after they had received the sudden order from the crown prince himself because he didn't explain himself any further, just that they needed to take hold of both Thalicia Kleist and Felicity Elfenbrehm before midnight. Those he had ordered to do what needed to be done after what happened in Cohen's manor at the edge of Laudicea immediately followed his instructions without questioning why. The dukes of House Edelweiss and Rosenthal, Armand and Damon, along with a few of the sentinels they had chosen to accompany them, instantly acted according to Rouen's authoritative command.
Some dukes may have been surprised at the sudden summons that came knocking on their door on that peaceful night by order of the crown prince whom they were not even aware was already back in the kingdom after having been gone for such a long time, but they were left with no other choice. They have to follow the orders given to them even if it didn't come directly from the king because the crown prince had the authority to summon them whenever necessary. There are three people who can summon them to the court no matter what reasons there are, which they, as dukes of houses and members of the vampire council are obliged to follow - the king, the queen and the crown prince. But the crown prince never actually used his authority over them this way. In fact, he never showed any interest in political strifes, so they were left asking as to what reason they were being summoned not long after he had just gotten back to the kingdom.
Armand Edelweiss and the sentinels who are with him are able to get hold of Thalicia Kleist without any much resistance from the fallen house because they handed her to them immediately upon their arrival in the Kleist Duchy. Thalicia had pleaded with her family to help her but they didn't even bat an eye and instead of resisting, her own family let her be arrested while sending a cold shoulder on her way, because she had just added another reason for the royal family to despise their family's existence. In fact, it was her own family that had her restrained when they caught her in the act of using her ability which they themselves had forbidden her to use as they waited for the sentinels to arrive.
"You have our utmost gratitude that you took it upon yourself to keep Lady Thalicia from escaping," Armand told the present duke of the House of Kleist, Igor because Thalicia is after all, his daughter.
Igor glanced at his daughter whose hands were binded with a cuff embued with magic to keep her from using her ability as a born Silver Blood vampire. It pains him to see her suffer, but Thalicia must pay the price of what she did.
"Thalicia was aware of the consequences before doing what she did."
"She's going to be sentenced to death," Armand told him through telepathy.
The duke of Kleist Duchy remained tight-lipped. That is a truth even Igor is aware of and though it pains him to watch his daughter fall, he had to grit his teeth and watch it. Their house fell under the leadership of their former family head who had chosen to betray the king but was not able to dethrone him because Mikhail had the majority of the council on his side. After that incident, they have been removed from those who received the grace of his majesty, the king. That was the reason why they are among the families with limited freedom to do everything they wanted. They have long been being monitored by the monarchy and the council after all these years and Thalicia just had to do something like this without informing them, so she must suffer the consequences of what she did alone. Her victim may have been one of the naturals who is not covered by the protection of their laws, but she is the crown prince's friend and, under Cohen Lohengrin's protection - her being one of the members of the family that served him as blood donors and that itself changes the clause regarding a natural's protection from their kind.
Armand sighed before telling the duke that his presence is needed during the trial. The duke is cooperating with them thus he didn't see the need to open the scroll from the palace ordering him to attend to his own daughter's and her accomplice's trial that will take place at midnight.
"Father?" Thalicia called out to Igor for the last time but the latter only turned his back to her because he didn't want to see his own daughter's broken form. She then pursed her lips and looked down on the ground, resigned. "I'm sorry," she whipered before she let herself be taken by the sentinels who came to arrest her.
Felicity Elfenbrehm's arrest is another story because her father still holds a seat at the vampire council. Damon Rosenthal and his team could not easily restrain Felicity because of her father's interference. He did not even welcome them inside, so they all ended up in the front yard of Elfenbrehm Duchy's mansion. If matter comes to worse, they will be force to exert their authority and render all members of the duchy powerless before them and it is something Damon doesn't want to happen because it will only bring shame to the House of Elfenbrehm.
Simon Elfenbrehm had chosen to take his daughter's side without considering the full extent as to why the sentinels were there in front of the Elfenbrehm mansion at that time of the night. He didn't believe anything about the reasons for his daughter's immediate arrest, especially when she had just visited the palace that morning to greet the prince. Felicity came back alive and well though she was a little bit disheartened. He knew the prince always treated her with a cold shoulder as he did with the rest of the women who get near him but no matter how hurt she felt about it, no matter how mucht he prince made her feel embarassed, she never acted irrationally because she knew the prince would then hate her more if she did. Felicity knew the consequences if she angered the prince, so she would never do the things the sentinels said she did.
He had doubts about the sudden order and about the crown prince who ordered it because it was him who left all his responsibilities as crown prince to Duke Sorian Aldestine before he went into hiding. And now that he is back, he just had to issue an order for his daughter's immediate arrest? What, because of a natural?
Felicity used her father's love to escape from what life had in store for her at that moment and the sentinels were left without any other choice but to wait for them to cooperate, because they didn't want to manhandle her inside their estate. They respected the Duke of the Elfenbrehm Duchy and that was the sole reason as to why they did not impose their authority over the family, yet. She is still a lady of the Elfenbrehm House and the only sibling of the sentinels' Knight Commander. But the second Damon give them an order to exert their authority, a privilege which only they as sentinels have in the entire kingdom, they will do so immediately.
While they all stood in front of the mansion that night, Felicity clung to her father like her life depended on him while she cried like she is one of the victims.
"You don't have any right to be arresting my daughter this way without any valid proof that she has been involved with Lady Thalicia Kleist in the torture of the daughter of Cohen Lohengrin's blood donor!"
Simon was fuming and glared at his fellow duke, Damon, while he held his daughter close to him. How can they just be blindly following the words of the crown prince?
"How dare you enter the Elfenbrehm Duchy without my permission bringing forth with you the false accusations against my daughter? This is against the law!"
Damon was about to say something but he stopped when one of the sentinels walked towards the front. As he walked forward, his clothes, which at first seemed like those of regular sentinels, changed into that of his real position among the knights of the kingdom. Simon and Felicity's eyes widened because they themselves personally knew who he was. Silver Blood, Mihai Alexandru Elfenbrehm. Simon's first born, the heir of Elfenbrehm Duchy and Felicity's older brother - the sentinel's Knight Commander who works directly under Damon Rosenthal's command.
How come they did not notice him earlier? Did he just conceal his presence from them? If he had used his ability, then maybe he did it for them to not notice that he was there to arrest his own blood, his one and only younger sister. He was holding a scroll which obviously came from the palace considering the golden thread which was wrapped around it and his face remained passive as he faced the members of his family who are looking at him like they couldn't believe he was there. He can sympathize with them a little because, after being away from the Duchy for so long because of his job as a sentinel, he returned now only to arrest one of his family members.
When Felicity noticed what her brother was holding in his hand, she freaked out and her heart beat erratically even with their father standing beside her taking her side because she knew what that scroll meant.
"Mihai, what are you doing?"
The two of them have never been close with each other because of the way they chose to live their never-ending life. While Felicity lived her life in the luxury of being the daughter of one of the vampire council members, Mihai joined the sentinels and served the kingdom as a knight despite him being an heir to the Elfenbrehm Duchy. Mihai had never once given her any attention because Felicity had always been childish and foolish despite her age. Their father, who had been too lenient with her, had always been ready to overlook her baseless decisions or what she did wrong while covering them using their family's name but not him. He had once lectured her about how she lived her life like she owned the world just because she was born a Silver Blood, but she just brushed it off without a care because she always had their father backing her up in everything she did.
Felicity wished Mihai would never interfere in the situation at hand because she knew that if he would, their father wouldn't be able to keep her safe from the clutches of the prince whom she was sure was waiting for her at the palace. She had hoped that, as his sister, he would take her side even only this time, because it was him she needed to be by her side at that moment. But deep within her, she knew Mihai would never take her side because her brother knew her to the extent that he knew her secrets that should have put her in prison even before if only their father had not interfered. As the leader of the sentinels, he always does what his job requires him to do, which he took with an oath to follow for the sake of their kingdom's order.
Mihai glared at her and she flinched back towards their father. "Keep silent, Felicity," he said in a very calm voice, but it made her feel fear even more than she should. "I really did not want to do this but you left me with no other choice. You know what you did wrong, but instead of feeling regret and asking for the prince to spare your life, you just have to get the Duke of Elfenbrehm to be involved in it like you always did in the past. If only you had come with us without any resistance, then we wouldn't have come to this point."
Mihai opened the scroll in front of them, which made all the dukes, sentinels, Elfenbrehm family members and servants of the house kneel with one of their knees at once with their heads bowed down. At that moment, silence settled between them all and Mihai, who held the opened scroll, was the only one left standing.
"The leader and duke of the House of Elfenbrehm, Simon Elfenbrehm, will obey my order to surrender his daughter, Felicity Elfenbrehm, who worked with the daughter of the fallen House of Kleist, Thalicia Kleist, to torture the natural Eona Amethyst Lorentz who is under the protection of Cohen Lohengrin, Duke of the House of Lohengrin."
Simon gritted his teeth as he glanced at his daughter Felicity beside him who was now trembling in fear. At that moment, she looked like she had just been caught. Just what is going on? Is she guilty after all? Is that why her older brother is acting so indifferent towards her? He was aware how cold Mihai treated her, but tonight, the atmosphere between the siblings was unusually freezing. They wouldn't have received such an order this way if it was just a simple matter like he thought it was. What did Felicity really do this time that even the prince cannot simply overlook?
"I, Rouen Silver Einzbern, crown prince of the kingdom of Aceldama, do hereby command you to present yourself before me at the vampire court as the Duke of the House of Elfenbrehm and uphold your position as a member of the vampire council. The trial for the crime committed by the said ladies of both houses will commence tonight at midnight. Act accordingly."
"Understood," Simon answered.
Felicity sobbed beside him because she already knew what awaited her in the palace. Her hate and jealousy of what happened this morning clouded her rationality, which made her do such things. She can tolerate Rouen treating her coldly but to treat her that way because of another girl, a human at that, didn't settle well with her. Her pride as a vampire didn't want to accept the fact that Rouen let that girl close to him in ways that they couldn't. It is what drove her to make contact with Thalicia, whom she knew was a night walker. It was her who wanted to harm the girl and she instructed Thalicia to do it in her sleep.
Everything has been well planned. They thought it would be well executed with the help of a witch whom Thalicia knew. What they did not expect was for the crown prince himself to intervene with what they had in store for the hateful human being. How was he even able to tell that she was in danger when they were miles away from each other? If only she had just died.
Mihai stared down at his sister. "You know I can read your mind, right?" He asked her and she flinched but didn't say anything. "Don't add any more misdeeds on the list that I have right now because it won't certainly lessen the sins that you have committed against the prince."
"But she is a mere human being!"
"Do you really think the crown prince will issue an order like this just because you endangered a natural under Cohen Lohengrin's protection through the pact he made with the Lorentz? The prince doesn't care which race the people around him belong to. He doesn't look at people through their blood because he is someone who divides people into two groups alone: the one he cares about and the one he doesn't give a damn. The natural you victimized just so happened to belong in the first one while you are in the second. I thought you had learned your lesson when he told you to never cross the line when we were young. I guess you did not."
Felicity bit her lip.
When Mihai closed the scroll he was holding, the sentinels immediately restrained Felicity who tried to get away from them but wasn't able to because sentinels have been blessed with the power to restrain a vampire, even the ones possessing blood higher than them for them to be able to do what their job as knights of the kingdom requires of them.
"Father!"
Simon turned his back to her. He had been restrained and Rouen's order gave him an ultimatum which left him being unable to do anything but to follow.
"See you at court this midnight, father," Mihai then told him before they all left the Duchy with Felicity.
***
Upon Rouen's arrival at the palace from the manor with Sorian and Cohen, both excused themselves because they needed to appear right before the king that instant to report what had taken place and what pushed Rouen to issue an order using his authority as the crown prince. Afterwards, he was immediately informed that both Felicity and Thalicia have already been restrained and are presently being detained in the underground prison cells in the palace.
After Rouen ordered a sentinel to take him down there, he found himself standing in front of the cell where both Thalicia and Felicity had been chained to the wall. The cuffs that bind their hands and feet have a restraining power which makes their abilities as Silver-born useless. Right now, they are vampires with strength like that of a normal human being. The bloodlust that came off him that instant while facing the two cannot be compared to anything like before. The sentinels felt chills in their bones and both Felicity and Thalicia screamed as if they were being suffocated by his mere presence in the room.
"Your highness! Please stop!" Thalicia begged as blood ran down her nose.
"Stop? But did you stop when she begged you to?"
Both women screamed again when they felt pain they had never felt before residing deep within them, as if their veins were about to burst at any moment. Felicity knew they were going to die, whether right now or after the trial. She had lost the support of her father and her brother didn't care about her, so what is the use of begging the prince who treated them like dirt from the very beginning? Her eyes glistened dangerously, a sign that she was ready to fight, as she looked directly at the prince whose eyes were glistening in fury.
"I would have loved it if the hateful human had died," she whispered.
Thalicia glanced at her with widened eyes. How can she ruffle Rouen's feather when he is already this angered by what they did?
Rouen grinned. Right, they should fight. He will have a fun time torturing them if they do. "You're deranged…" he told Felicity before he swung his fingers on her cheek down to her chest.
He may have only wounded Felicity, but Thalicia also felt the pain of his nails wounding her flesh deeply like he did the same to her even though he only striked at the woman in front of him.
"Did you feel that, too, Thalicia?"
"I…"
"I will make you both experience hell before your trial."
Screams and cries of both Thalicia and Felicity echoed in the halls of the underground prison and the smell of their blood covered the place like a storm. The sentinels were left gulping in their positions as they restrained themselves from getting lost in the scent of their blood. When was the last time the underground prisons smelt like this? They couldn't remember because it was way too long.
When Sin and Mihai went down themselves to call Rouen, they were left speechless with the scene that greeted them. Rouen has an evil smile while his eyes are glistening in happiness, as if his own rationality has left him completely while the devil in him took over to do what it wants to be done. His fangs are elongated, his sharp nails are bloody and he looks like he bathed himself with his victims' blood, but the demon that is him still looks unsatisfied. They knew he wouldn't rest until he saw Thalicia and Felicity dead.
"Ah, Mihai. I'm sorry your sister had to end up this way. But then again, she expected it."
Mihai remained tight-lipped. He knew the prince was not a bit sorry for what he did because of the satisfied smile etched on his bloody lips. He still has a remaining affection towards his sister, but it is not enough for him to want to save her from her impending death. If only she had not crossed the line, if only she heeded his warnings and listened to him. Their wounds inflicted by none other than Rouen are starting to close, but rather slowly because of the chains that bind them on the wall. Rouen must have stopped torturing them a few minutes before they arrived. Sin tried not to breathe because even he was being swayed by the strong scent of blood.
"What are you doing here?"
"The witch has been found. What do you want to do?"
"Where is she?"
"In the plaza."
Rouen glanced at the women who were both crying silently as they suffered in pain. Nothing, not even their family, can save them from him after what they did.
"Mihai, I'm leaving you here. Sin, come with me."
When both Rouen and Sin are gone, Mihai used his ability to erase all the traces of blood covering the place as if it had not been spilled, but he was only able to do just that. The wounds inflicted by the prince on them are still bleeding as they slowly heal and their torn dress remained torn. Even without the blood, they still look messy to look at.
Thalicia remained silent as she bowed her head in surrender while tears freely escaped her eyes. She never thought she would experience first hand how cruel the prince could be. He used his ability to them while he is smiling in glee. He wounded Felicity but made her feel the pain twice as much as Felicity did and he did so, vice versa. He had a fun time playing with them, making them scream and cry and he didn't even hide the happiness that glistened in his eyes as he basked himself with their blood. No matter how much Thalicia begged, Felicity pushed him to the edge with her words and he accepted it all while making them suffer in return. Why did she even follow Felicity's words? Now even her family had turned their backs on her.
Felicity, on the other hand, has already recovered from the horror she just went through. The man whom she had loved with all her heart from when she was a child tortured her without any remorse nor regret and it made her heart turn even darker. She smiled before she started to laugh, which made her brother frown.
"I may not have been able to kill her tonight, but someday, someone will kill her in my stead!" She shouted in hate. "And I will celebrate at my grave once that day happens! You should have chosen me, your highness, instead of that foolish human being! I would have been more useful to you than she ever will be!"
"You really have gone nuts," Mihai said as he stared at his sister who didn't show any ounce of regret. "Do you really think he heard you? Have you forgotten that I can even conceal voices when I am around?"
She glared at her brother. He is using his ability on her, his own blood? "Damn you, Mihai! How could you let me experience this… this kind of thing?!"
"You did something knowing that you'd end up here, Felicity. You should blame only yourself. The protection you got from the Elfenbrehm Duchy from childhood would no longer be able to protect you after what you did. Take a rest and prepare yourself because the prince will have the sun hall open by morning."
Thalicia and Felicity's eyes grew wide. They are hoping Mihai is just scaring them, but by the way he looks at them with pity, they can tell that he is not.
"No, that is not true!"
Mihai sighed. "Were you expecting you'd be spared after you decided to hurt the human being standing by his side? Have you never thought for once that she is able to stand beside him because the prince himself let her?"
"Mihai, help me!"
"You are not going to plead for Lady Thalicia's life? She helped you, didn't she?"
"I am your sister!"
Mihai smiled sadly, his eyes full of regret. Because their father had been too lenient with her after they lost their mother upon Felicity's birth, she grew up to be this way. "You are not going to change, are you?" He asked her before he turned his back, ignoring the pleas of his sister who shouted his name in anger, in regret but then cursed his name in the end. "I will send flowers on your grave annually. That is all I can promise you as your brother," he whispered, without looking back at her, and with the way Felicity cried, he knew she had heard him say those words in the air.
They said regret comes later after all is done. Well, whoever said it must be right.
When Mihai went back to the plaza, what he witnessed made him stop in his tracks. Rouen, who did not bother to wash the blood of Thalicia and Felicity off of his body, has another scent of blood covering him. When he glanced down on the floor, he saw the body of the witch whose head rolled off a few meters away from it. Mihai glanced over to Sin who noticed his arrival, but restrained himself to ask what happened through telepathy because he knew Rouen would be able to hear him.
Sin too looked surprised at what his own friend did. For centuries, the prince tried to stay away from everyone. He isolated himself because of the threats his blood as a Gold-born possesses towards them. It may not have been the first time Sin saw him killing, but it was the first time he saw him killing cruelly, as if he couldn't find it in him to spare their lives after what they did. Silence settled in between them all as the gentle breeze blew in their way. The scent of flowers permeating the air has been tainted by the rusty smell of blood. No one dared to talk, no one dared to say anything. Deep within them, they are afraid of the prince who is breathing heavily as he tries to reign in his anger.
"Assemble everyone in the court."
All sentinels raised their fisted right hand towards their left chest as they slightly bowed in respect and surrender.
"Yes, your highness."
Mihai was silent as he watched everyone inside the court. Everyone is restless. Questions regarding the sudden order of arrest of both Thalicia and Felicity echoed like a wave and the sudden death of a witch in front of the palace is also among the words said. All Dukes are present, even those from the fallen houses. So do the king and queen themselves. The prince made it sure that everyone would witness what he was about to do. Mihai knew that what was about to happen was a warning to those who were planning to oppose him. He wanted them to see what happened once they angered him.
When he looked towards his father's direction, he knew he was torn. Simon Elfenbrehm was already expecting the worst because he now knew about the crimes his daughter committed. Everyone had just settled down when Rouen's presence graced them - all of the traces of blood that covered him a while ago now gone.
"Is everyone in attendance?"
"Yes, your highness."
"Then we are now going to begin the trial. Bring in both Lady Thalicia Kleist and Lady Felicity Elfenbrehm."