The woman smiled pleasantly, though her smile was full of fangs.
"I prefer Cynosure of Blood. Though the term 'vampire' is the common term people like to use when referring to my race, Vampirite is the proper terminology," corrected the woman, with a hint of amusement in her voice.
Zenyph just nodded politely, he wasn't really paying attention to what she said, he was too distracted by her beauty. He thought about how Lynette would always tell him that vampires were naturally beautiful and would easily attract the opposite gender. Zenyph couldn't deny this, she was definitely gorgeous. But her aura felt dangerous, too dangerous, so much so that Zenyph couldn't help but think that she might be as strong as Luciana. He felt that she was hiding something behind those crimson eyes.
He couldn't let her intimidate him. So he steeled his nerves and finally spoke once again, "Ms. Bloodthorne it is great to meet you. However, what am I doing here in the first place?"
Serene shook her head with a small smile tugging at her lips, "Don't address me formally, you may call me Serene," she explained kindly, "Now then let's cut straight to the point. I summoned you and Asura here to talk about your Soul bond. Would you rather talk about that or about the magic you used back on Genesis?"
Zenyph flinched, involuntarily at the mention of magic, before recovering quickly enough to play off the momentary lapse as nothing more than nervousness.
"What magic do you mean?" Zenyph asked innocently.
Serene rolled her eyes and smirked wryly. She snapped her fingers and images of Zenyph using chaos magic back when he saved Alice. She could easily recognize Chaos but was more curious on how he managed to learn it. She waited patiently for Zenyph to answer honestly, even though she could read his mind.
"Uh, yeah...I did use magic back then." Zenyph admitted hesitantly, choosing to give vague answers rather than admit something he wasn't ready to.
Serene frowned slightly, narrowing her eyes. "Really? Because judging from the video footage you're using chaos magic and yet you barely understand how to channel energy." She countered, clearly irritated at Zenyph's evasiveness.
"Wait, wait, wait, what are you saying? What the hell does Chaos Magic even mean? Isn't it just fancy Light or Dark Magic?" Zenyph protested defensively, raising his hands up in surrender. He knew that the best defense is to play dumb, that way, he'd be able to gather information without revealing too much.
Serene sighed heavily and leaned back into her seat, staring blankly at the ceiling above her.
"Zenyph boy, I can read your mind." said Serene with a deadpan tone.
Zenyph grimaced internally, feeling incredibly embarrassed and ashamed. He realized that she had probably known exactly what he was planning since the beginning. Which meant she could've easily manipulated his thoughts and forced him to reveal everything about himself, regardless of how hard he fought against her influence.
"Why did you ask me then? Why didn't you just force me to answer?" Zenyph grumbled grumpily, scowling at her.
Serene shrugged carelessly. "Because I wanted to gauge your reaction. I must say I'm curious as to how you managed to go from a worthless prince to a somewhat decent one." said Serene as she once again tried to read his mind but this time it was blank.
"Interesting indeed." chuckled Serene as she waved her hand causing blood to fly out of her sleeve and into the other chair that was next to Zenyph.
"Anyways let's get on with the Soul bond."
The blood slowly turned purple and a gate between space was opened. Asura appeared in the chair with a pissed off face, ready to punch someone's teeth out.
"Hello Asura dear, why don't you come join me in this discussion about your relationship," said Serene sweetly. Her voice sounded so warm, so inviting. She made no effort to hide her happiness at seeing her beloved granddaughter.
"Grandma Serene, I'm assuming you dragged us here because of our Soul Bond, right?" asked Asura in a frosty tone, as she glared at Zenyph in contempt. She crossed her arms angrily, refusing to move a muscle. She hated not being in control, but she trusted her grandmother enough to know she would never intentionally harm them.
"Yes, what the fuck were you thinking?" demanded Serene as she glared icily at Asura, making her flinch instinctively.
Zenyph on the other hand remained unfazed by Serene's words, instead choosing to smirk smugly at Asura. Asura scowled and ignored him, opting instead to return her attention to her grandmother.
"Excuse me Grandma, but what do you mean? Zenyph saved my life, how else was I supposed to thank him?" said Asura defensively, attempting to defend herself, albeit unsuccessfully.
"You didn't need to thank him with a Soul bond. Or have you already forgotten about your fiancée?" asked Serene curious, hoping her granddaughter hadn't done something so stupid. She didn't want to punish Asura but she would do so if need be.
Asura's face immediately darkened, and her shoulders tensed up. Her body language radiated hostility. She clenched her fists tightly and grit her teeth angrily.
"I am not your puppet. Nor mother's. If I see Ragnar I will kill him even if it means starting a war between vampires and beastkins. So, I don't regret the bond and would gladly do it again," answered Asura adamantly, her tone conveying absolute confidence. She felt determined to follow through with her statement no matter the cost.
"Okay fine, then let's discuss why you have chosen Zenyph." Serene asked with a slight sigh, leaning forward in her seat to give Asura her undivided attention.
"Hmm? Is that truly so important? What difference does it make whether or not I chose him? Can't we just ignore the whole issue and move on with our lives?" inquired Asura skeptically, refusing to budge in the slightest.
"Asura, dear, you're my beloved granddaughter, and I love you. You should realize that we share similar opinions on these sorts of matters, correct? So please humor me." said Serene as she cast a quick spell to compel Asura to speak honestly.
Asura blinked, her eyes widening slightly at her grandmother's sudden action. But she quickly recovered and composed herself again.
"Zenyph is kind and strong, he is extremely handsome," muttered Asura bashfully, a blush creeping onto her face.
She looked away, biting her lip nervously. Her mind raced through countless scenarios as she struggled to understand the true reason behind her feelings towards Zenyph.
Zenyph smiled. He wasn't lying when he said he cared about Asura.
"That's it? Kind and strong? Didn't you hate him for ignoring you since you last saw him at the Everglen's Royal Party?"
"Yeah, I thought he hated me but I recently learned that it was because he was sick," said Asura with her cheeks heating up.
Zenyph had a confused look on his face but it instantly cleared when he remembered he had to lie about why he didn't have his memories. Of course this slight change in expression didn't escape Serene's eye.
"Sick what kind of illness? It's rare for dragons to get ill. He's obviously lying," exclaimed Serene in disbelief, slightly insulted at Zenyph's poor excuse.
Zenyph gulped and gave her a fake smile, not knowing what to say.
"It's not an illness but a curse. A pseudo-god cursed him." replied Asura, which surprised even Serene. Not because it was rare for Pseudo-gods to curse someone out of spite but the fact that Asura lied to her even knowing she could read minds. Serene was torn between finding the truth or reading her granddaughter's mind. It was a line she vowed to never cross. Her family is off limits to mind reading. But Zenyph losing his memory, Chaos magic and his ability that prevented her from reading deeper into his past, all of this weighed down on her.
"Is that so," said Serene with a neutral expression.
"Zenyph, I need to speak with Asura privately. But I do have a final question for you."
Zenyph looked at her warily, wary of any tricks she might have in store. But he felt confident enough in his capabilities to withstand any trick she attempted to pull on him. So he answered, "Alright, sure."
"Good," replied Serene, satisfied. She clasped her hands together, then spoke once more, "Tell me, what exactly is your goal, Zenyph Drakonhart? What do you desire?"
Zenyph considered the question carefully, not wanting to give away too much of his plans. Finally, he replied, "Nothing complicated. Just survival and power. The stronger I become, the safer I can feel. Besides, strength and prestige are synonymous with wealth and prestige in the modern age, especially within the Imperial Court. Who knows? If I reach a certain level of power, I might even become emperor myself someday."
"Perhaps. But keep in mind, becoming emperor requires more than just strength and ambition. You need cunning, determination, patience, and intelligence too. If you fail to obtain all those qualities, then you'll never succeed," warned Serene with a frown on her face.
"Oh and the fact that you're now bonded to Asura means you'll help her become the new vampire Queen. Right?" said Serene with a smile that would scare the devil away.
"If that is what Asura wants, then I'll do whatever I can to make that happen, of course," responded Zenyph instantly. He spoke in such a casual tone that he might've been discussing the weather instead of Asura's future political aspirations.
Asura smiled genuinely. She's glad that Zenyph is truly reciprocating her feelings. After years of stalking him from afar. Her mind drifted to a life with little Zenyph's and Asura's.
"You'll also be killing Ragnar Nocturne." stated Serene casually, as if she hadn't just told Zenyph to start a war.