Kairos followed Anya to the throne room, their journey accompanied by an uncomfortable silence. Anya wanted to initiate a conversation but couldn't muster the courage to speak to him normally. She felt like a young girl trying to seek attention from her crush, who was ignoring her.
After a few minutes of walking, they reached the doors of the throne room. Two guards were stationed outside, and upon seeing Anya, they quickly opened the gates. Anya and Kairos entered the hall, where they found only servants and guards, along with two individuals seated on thrones at the center.
On the largest throne sat a middle-aged man with blonde hair and black eyes. Beside him, on a smaller throne, sat a beautiful blonde-haired girl, 17 or 18 years old, with blue eyes. Both wore attire befitting royalty.
Kairos was taken aback by the girl's presence for a moment. He recalled that she was the same girl he had spent his birthday with the day before. A playful smile formed on his lips, but it quickly vanished, allowing no one to notice.
He greeted the royal pair first, "It's nice to see you again, Your Majesty." He used the noble form of greeting instead of the traditional bow.
The king replied, "No need to be so formal, young man! I called you here for two reasons: first, to let you meet my daughter, as she wanted to thank you; and second, I have some questions that I hope you'll answer truthfully." The king's tone was joking for the first half of the sentence but became expressionless for the second half.
Kairos decided to play along with the king's games. He greeted Amaya properly, as if they were meeting for the first time. "Greetings! It's my pleasure to meet Her Highness."
Amaya blushed at his formal tone, but she also decided to play along. "Well, I wanted to thank you for saving our people." This was a general thanks, as Kairos' timely arrival had prevented the beast from wreaking havoc on the capital.
Kairos felt a pang of guilt seeing Amaya's expression, but he quickly shook it off and replied, "There's no need for your thanks, Your Highness." Saying that, Kairos turned his head towards the king, indicating that he was ready for the interrogation.
The king, understanding the cue, ordered all the guards and servants to leave the room. Now, only four people remained in the room.
The king asked, "So, before I begin questioning you, I want to know: who are you, and what brings you to my kingdom?" The king had realized, after conducting an investigation, that the young man was not a native of his country.
Hearing this question, Kairos decided to answer truthfully. "As you already know, my name is Kairos. I am an ex-worker of the Great Arcadia Tunnel project. I worked there for almost five years. And, as you've guessed, I am not a native of this continent. I came here from the central continent."
The king was shocked by this revelation, as he had not expected Kairos to come from the Kingdom of Vampires. Even Anya was surprised by this admission.
The king asked, "So, are you a vampire?"
Kairos replied plainly, "No!" He couldn't believe they would think him a vampire, as he didn't have the characteristic horns and red eyes.
The king was relieved by this answer, but then he remembered an incident from eight years ago, in which he had been threatened. He quickly asked his next question, "So, boy, are you somehow the human boy whom she was searching for years ago?" King Arcadia awaited the answer patiently.
However, the response he received made his lips twitch. "Who are you talking about, Your Majesty?" Kairos decided to feign ignorance.
The king's expression turned stern. "Don't play dumb, boy! I know you perfectly understand who I am talking about. But, for your sake, I will ask again: Do you somehow happen to be the boy whom THE VAMPIRE QUEEN was searching for before?" King Arcadia's tone was laced with anger.
This matter was sensitive for him. Both Anya and Amaya, who were present in the room, were stunned by the mention of the Vampire Queen. They turned their attention to Kairos.
Kairos decided to be truthful. "Well, yes. I am the one she was searching for before."
King Arcadia's heart nearly skipped a beat upon hearing this. If there was one person on the planet he feared, it would undoubtedly be the Vampire Queen.
The king asked, "Then why was she searching for you? I mean, from the warning I received from her, I could tell she simply cares a lot about you."