I'm Just a Nameless Side Character in a Vampire Romance Novel

Chapter 31 - The Imperial Palace

Eclis stood in the middle of an ornately decorated room. The ceiling was two stories high, held up by carved agate pillars. Various mythical beasts, heroes, and hunters adorned each pillar telling a different races fable or legend from the base all the way to the roof. The walls on either side of the grand hall were adorned with massive floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows, each depicting different points of the founding of the Empire. Some were dedicated to a hero of each kingdom. The largest stained glass window sat above the throne. It depicted the fable of Eclis, the hero who drove back the humans and liberated the free peoples. He smirked at the sight of the Emperor sitting beneath his legacy. Had Eclis been a different man in the past, their positions would be switched right now. He had no plans to repeat his mistakes.

"And what of the matter of your mysterious new Rose? How does she play into all this? Who is she?" Instead of a hero's welcome like he was due, Eclis had been ordered to teleport directly into the Imperial palace. He was marched to the grand hall to be interrogated. Only the Emperor, the advisor and the knight commander were present. If they had allowed the other nobles to be present, they would've protested this spectacle the Emperor was trying to pull. Throughout the interrogation, Emperor Donner Regis hadn't spoken, instead letting his advisor ask every question. He had changed greatly compared to what Eclis remembered of him. Gone was his neat humble attire and easy-going demeanor. Gone were his shining golden eyes and warm way of speaking. In their place sat an Emperor with sharp cold eyes calculating Eclis' every move and word. His burgundy hair which was once left to do as it pleased was now perfectly styled back, not a single strand out of place. He wore purple and gold symbolizing his status and crowning his shoulders was the tail of a sphynx, its stinger dangling like an amulet above his heart.

It was apparent by Donner's expression that he had hoped Eclis would lose his temper or reveal something that could be used against him. The entire interrogation was set up in a way that would have set off Eclis if he were the same person as his past self. Public sentiment was still in Eclis' favor, preventing Donner from taking direct action against him. Contrary to Donner's expectations, before him stood the picture of a perfect subject. A man completely free of madness and in complete control of his own faculties.

"Jasmine Lancaster. She just happened upon my cell." He seemed bored talking about her, "She's a fallen noble who took on the crime of her family most likely."

"And for what crime was she interred?" Eclis' expression nearly faltered. In his mind he calculated every step he'd need to dispatch both the knight commander and advisor, before ripping through the Emperors throat with his fangs. The scene played out beautifully in his mind; both from the potential counters the knight commander and donner would try, down to exactly where he'd drop each of their bodies. Not a single muscle moved, however. He gave no indication of just how blood thirsty he was.

"I don't know. Didn't care to ask." Eclis spoke in a monotone voice. He knew just how infamous he was for his apathy towards his past roses. The only person Eclis couldn't protect Jazz from was the Emperor and Eclis was no stranger to Donner's grudge against him. The only safety he could give her now was to make everyone think of her as a tool to connect themselves to him with, rather than a weakness they could use against him. At least until the time he'd gained enough influence that he could ensure her safety completely.

"Heartless, even for the woman who granted you your freedom." Donner Regis finally spoke, not bothering to hide his disgust. A thousand years sitting beneath Eclis' shadow had hollowed out any semblance of the brother-ship they once shared. He rose from the throne clearly agitated. Unspoken between them was the ghost of the Rose that betrayed Eclis. It was on Donner's orders that she acted, yet after a thousand years he had deluded himself into blaming her death on Eclis. "Welcome back Duke Dumont." It was clear there was nothing else he could do. Without the backing of the Empire's nobility, Donner could not overpower Eclis and have him killed here. The mere sight of him standing so confidently coupled with the fact that Donners very palace was built with Eclis' legacy enshrined made his blood boil. He took a deep breath calming the rage building within.