Enthroned (Bloodline, #3)

Chapter 4

04 : A New Faction

The tension between Alexei and I immediately dissipated as soon as he knelt before me. His once raged eyes were now glinting with determination and hope.

"I swear my allegiance to you, Your Royal Highness," he declared. "I, Alexei of House Revali shall be your loyal vassal until my demise."

Although nobles would occasionally swear fealty, they had never knelt nor bowed down to the royal family as they were also part of the aristocracy. Only the middle and lower classes would do such acts as a testament to their loyalty, hence Alexei doing it came as a surprise. To lower his head in front of me meant he had already accepted his fate as my future betrothed and vassal.

"Lift your head, Alexei," I ordered, to which he obliged. "As a consort candidate, this shall be the last time you bend your knee in the presence of my retainers."

He heeded my word and gracefully stood up. "As you wish, Your Royal Highness."

Now that Alexei and I were in agreement, I only needed Alastor's full support to get the queen on my side. The nobles who were ones neutral would follow suit if I proved that I was a better sovereign than the king.

"Escort me to Alastor," I said. "He must be waiting."

He led the way to the main drawing room while my retainers followed behind. Fortunately, Sigrid and Kei had calmed down once Alexei pledged his fealty. Their unwavering loyalty was commendable, but sometimes, it could be a nuisance.

"Father is waiting inside," Alexei said as he gestured to the door guarded by masked trackers.

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"I must prepare the host, Your Royal Highness," he replied. "It is crucial to find an appropriate human for the youngling, and I want to ensure that everything is of best quality."

I stared at him for a moment. His attention had already shifted to the future of the youngling who had yet to be conceived, but I guess that was better than him getting revenge by himself as it could get in the way of my plans.

"Alright. I'll leave that matter to you."

He nodded in return. "As you command, Your Royal Highness."

As if on cue, the door creaked open after Alexei walked away, and Alaster immediately ushered me in.

Donned in velvet surcoat and black mantle, Alastor looked quite intimidating, a stark contrast from his usual relaxed demeanor. His gentle smile was nowhere to be found; his cerulean eyes gleamed with foreboding.

"Your Royal Highness."

I lightly nodded before sitting right across him. "It's been a while, Alastor."

The last time I saw him was during the court meeting where I announced my desire to covet the throne, and perhaps, that had changed his perception of me. After all, I would be destabilizing the royal house, and that could affect the entirety of Vrivarya.

"Certainly, you already know why I am here," I said.

He regarded me with a cold gaze. "Is this necessary, Your Royal Highness? His Majesty will relinquish the throne once his bloodline ability completely vanished. You need not to seize it from him."

"You have served the king for centuries, yet you seem unaware of his greed," I retorted. "Do you think my father would willingly give up the throne when he could still dominate everyone just with his strength alone?"