Sebastian

Chapter Fifty-Five

This chapter has 1197 words in it. I apologize for any spelling errors :) SEBASTIAN. HAS. REACHED. OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND READS, AND OVER FIVE THOUSAND VOTES! I AM SO, SOOO HAPPY! I can't even find a way to thank you properly for this. I love you all to the point of insane giddiness, and I can't imagine where I'd be if I didn't start writing this book as an outlet. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

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The king was dressed just as casually as we were. He wore a white button-up shirt that was untucked, with a pair of black slacks and white socks. The crown wasn't on his head, and his auburn hair was unruly. He smiled at us.

"Welcome, I have a bunch of food for you guys," He said excitedly. His face was bright. Isaac and I glanced at each other before we stepped inside.

I thought my room was extravagant.

His room was all crystal and diamond and marble, with a chandelier hanging over a large, aged-looking dining table. Obviously an antique. Shiny goblets and crystal plates sat on top of it, with intricate silverware beside them. The room dazzled me.

"Come sit," The king said eagerly, patting one of the chairs. I obeyed and sat, and Isaac followed my lead and sat beside me.

"Your majesty-" He began.

"Derrick."

"Derrick," Isaac said. "Why are we here? If you wanted to tell us what Sebastian was up to while he was gone, it would've been easier to just say it when nobody was around. Not schedule an entire dinner in your room."

Derrick's gaze flickered to mine for a second, before meeting Isaac's again.

"Can I tell you both something in confidence?" He asked, folding his hands under his chin, a gesture that reminded me of Sebastian. The memory hit me hard, and I coughed to hide the gasp that escaped. Isaac's eyes narrowed in suspicion at Derrick's question. Derrick watched him until he nodded.

"I'm not allowed to befriend anyone. In fact, the only person I know anything about personally is my advisor, Ramone. So when I was told that there were two people, people my age, that had to be observed and questioned, I let Ramone know that I'd be the one questioning you."

"Because you're lonely." Isaac mumbled sarcastically. Derrick smiled and nodded, not picking up Isaac's sarcasm.

A door on the left of the room opened, and a line of people carrying silver platters filed in. One by one, they placed them on the table in front of us. Something told me I shouldn't dive into the food before it was all on the table, so I kept my hands to myself until they were done. Each platter had a different smell, and they all blended together perfectly. After we were alone in his room again, a flash of confidence shot through me and I looked at Derrick. He met my gaze, still smiling.

"You have a kitchen. Adjoined to your room." The question fell flat at the end, making it sound more like a statement. Derrick nodded, confused, as if he didn't understand why anyone wouldn't have entire kitchens at their disposal. I decided to let it go.

"Eat, please," Derrick urged. Isaac stared at him, not moving. After a long moment, Derrick's eyes lit up in understanding.

"You think I poisoned it." He said. He was amused, and he picked up a fork. Isaac helped him get all of the silver covers off of the platters, and Derrick filled his plate with each portion of food. He took a bite of each thing, and Isaac relaxed a little.

"I don't blame you, you know." Derrick reassured. Isaac snorted.

"I don't really care if you blame me for that." He said. I looked at him sharply.

Derrick laughed.

"No worries, Elizabeth, no worries," He chortled. He made me uneasy.

After urging us to eat a few more times, I grabbed the serving spoon for the stew. By the time I got through each thing, I had two bowls and two plates filled to the brim with food. Isaac had twice as much, and Derrick watched us eat with a curious glint in his eye. He let us stuff our faces for a moment before he spoke.

"So neither of you know where Sebastian went after he led you both to the house?" He asked. We had food in our mouths, and we nodded at the same time. Derrick leaned back in his chair and evaluated us.

"And you don't know why he led you out of your previous town in the first place?"

Isaac swallowed his food and cleared his throat.

"I'm the alpha of the pack that lives in that town," He said, and I didn't miss the old pride in his voice. "The town started to make me suspicious for various reasons, and I wanted to get out and survey other possible areas for my pack and I to live. Sebastian found me out of nowhere and asked me if I wanted to leave. I don't know how he knew, but he made me agree to bring Elizabeth if I wanted his help."

Derrick's gaze was unflinching as he watched Isaac talk. When he was finished, Derrick nodded, his gaze thoughtful.

"What did he do?" I asked him quietly. His gaze flickered to me, and he smiled.

"Sebastian bombed nearly all of my cities along the lake that divides my land and the ginormous woods. He made several attempts on my life. He somehow got into the palace, found my very elderly mother, and is currently doing who knows what with her. My father is dead, which makes her the last queen for the time being, until I find a wife. She is pretty important, you see." He explained.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up a hand.

"I'm not finished," He said lightly. "Sebastian, after kidnapping my mother, killed more than a few of my guards. A lot of them had children, families. Surely, you can see why I'm a little upset with him."

Isaac's hand was in a tight fist on his lap, and he stared at the table. I was speechless, so I only nodded. Derrick sighed, shaking his head a little.

"The thing is, I'm willing to give him the minimum kind of punishment for his numerous transgressions, as long as my mother is returned to me alive. However, if he murdered her like he murdered many others, I'm afraid I'll have to kill him myself." His voice held no remorse as he said the last part, and my heart stuttered in my chest.

"What 'minimum punishment' are we talking about?" Isaac asked lowly. Derrick thought about it for a moment.

"Well, even if he didn't have my mother as a hostage, his crimes are more than enough to warrant a death sentence." He said. "But, if my mother is returned in decent health, I can put him in jail for a few years. A few years to a vampire is nothing. Especially compared to death."

Isaac shook his head, his face stony.

"Something better." He demanded. I looked at him, confused. Did he know something about Sebastian's location? Derrick looked at him too, intrigued.

"Better?" He asked. Isaac nodded, and he laughed.

"Alright," Derrick said. "If my mother comes home alive and Sebastian has some way to pay the city back for the damage he caused, I can pardon him completely."

Isaac continued to glare at the table.

"Sebastian is at his old territory." He muttered. "The one with the wall that got destroyed."