The vampire king was deep in thought. The high-backed chair was turned away from the door, so no one would know what kind of expression he made right now.
The council members stood before his desk, exchanging anxious glances. They had become adept at interpreting King Valentin's silent commands, but this time was different; the king's intentions were unusually ambiguous.
Predicting King Valentin's political moves was manageable, as they had worked together for years. However, even with all that experience, deciphering his personal relationships remained a challenge.
King Valentin was a fickle vampire, rarely displaying his true emotions and feelings towards others. The only clear relationship was with Lady Maris, with whom he was famously enamored.
The trickiest connections were with the children; Lisbeth, Riona, and Florian.
