Chapter 76

The bill passed sooner than most would have thought. The aristocratic's did ask for a few other conditions which were thoroughly reviewed, but other than that things sailed smoothly.

All there was left was for Alastair to finalise a contract with a recovering Shane. And so he was invited to the palace. Something no vampire had ever had the displeasure of. He looked to every corner of the palace in caution, expecting an assassination any moment. Of course, nothing happened.

Alexis personally escorted him to Alastair, she wasn't sure why but Hector said to protect him in case of random attacks. He seemed to have someone in mind when he said this, but he didn't elaborate. Adam also followed, shooting Shane looks of curiosity.

There was, however, one attack Alexis had forgotten to take into consideration. And it was only when the head of cotton candy hair appeared and stared at the Vampire with such a charmed look that she realised just who she was supposed to protect him from.

She stood in front of the weirded-out vampire, protecting him from the leering of the intruder.

"Stand back Joshua. This is a guest". She warned with narrowed eyes.

"I see". Joshua cunningly replied, stroking his invisible beard, "Why don't "I" escort the guest and you can sit down somewhere. You look tired".

"No. He's my guest. I will escort him".

"Nonsense. I also want to welcome our guest".

"He's not "our" guest. He's the kings "guest",".

Shane had never been fought over like this. Ever. He least thought it would ever be between two eccentrics.

The strangely comical situation made him laugh. Not a laugh of irony, but a normal laugh.

It made Alexis jolt as she turned back to him with a double take.

'He can laugh…' she thought, but glared at Joshua quickly when she caught movement.

"Fine". Joshua gave in with an exaggerated "hmph" and then looking at her with calculating eyes he smiled, "well, I can make up for it with other tests and examinations. Maybe that one you dread so much".

Alexis' face paled as he turned away, leaving with an evil laugh.

"Oh god no!" She shouted and then collecting her shaking mess of a body she sighed, "why must I be tortured like this…"

She looked so life-less that Shane feared for her, despite not knowing the situation.

Alastair's office's door was left ajar, a door holder made of gold, worth the value of a whole city, held it back with ease. Shane gave it no more than second glance and Alexis just frowned at the tacky thing, unaware of its true value.

"Alastair. I've bought him" she said, standing outside in a respectful way. She was playing the role of his Mage.

"Let him in. Leave us alone", came his strangely cold voice.

"Eh?- but- ok".

Shane wasn't keen on entering alone, but he did anyway, knowing he should be able to escape if things go wrong.

In a chamber deeper than the deepest chamber. So deep their was no real entrance and only a magic spell could get you through its walls. In this chamber sat two men, in separate cells.

Two princes, who sat in confinement.

Dexter knew his brother wasn't in his right mind after everything. He was so out of it that he had to be contained right after the Emperors birthday party. He didn't accept Darrons death no matter how much Dexter told him there was no hope.

"That stupid bitch. It's all her fault! If she hadn't betrayed me none of this would've happened!" He hit the metal bars with black and blue knuckles. A crack sounded out on impact, but he didn't react to it. He grabbed the bars. Shaking at them in frustration.

Dexter watched him, irritation seeping over him, "brother. If you had been a bit clever you wouldn't have trusted her". He glared at his brother.

"Bu- But- nobody ever betrays me? I'm the crown prince! Everyone likes me! I can have everything!.... so- so what went wrong?" He started spitting nonsense which only irritated his younger brother more.

The curses Dexter held back had made blood drip down his chin. His teeth sinking into his lip as Dwayne continued to complain.

"Her! She was wrong! Why couldn't she like me too?! She's from another world! That's why! She's different! She's wrong!" He started laugh manically as he convinced himself that he had solved it.

Dexter frowned at his brothers words, 'he's really lost it'.

"I'm going to humiliate her. I'll stick her in this cell and destroy her!" He shouted. "When I get out of here, when father comes to save me!"

"He won't brother! He's dead!" Dexter shot back, anger filling his veins.

Just as the words left Dexters mouth somebody entered. Their meek figure was instantly recognised by Dexter.

"Mother!" He jumped at the beautiful red head approaching figure.

"My son. My dear Dexter!" She ran over to him grasping his outstretched hand with a tear stricken face.

"Don't tell he's going to stick you in here because of me!" Dexter felt his heart ache at the thought of his actions condemning his mother.

His mother reached forward, cupping his face in a gentle manner as she smiled.

"He said we can be free".

"Eh?" Dexter knit his brows in a look of confusion.

"We don't have to stay here in this palace anymore. We can go to town, eat out, go shopping and most of all we don't have to be tied here anymore", she laughed.

"Y-You mean?- he won't keep us here until we die…?" Dexter couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true.

"You'll be stripped of your title as an heir, but we have a lot of compensation money. We can buy a house faraway, get a few servants and live freely".

A guard appeared behind his mother, the chiming of keys hitting each other followed him, he picked up jingling metals and unlocked the door, holding them widely open as Dexter stumbled out into the arms of his mother.

"W-What about me?! Open my door too!" Dwayne suddenly started shouting, breaking away the touching reunion.

"As we have come across evidence to suggest your involvement in the recent treason case, we shall be keeping you here for further imprisonment", the soldier suddenly spoke. The large scar on his eye glowed in the darkness, giving his eye a satanic glow.

"That's a lie! I did nothing!"

The soldier ignored his cries, gesturing for the mother and sun to follow him.

"Don't just ignore me! I'm the crown prince!"-

They disappeared out of sight just like that, leaving Dwaynes cries in darkness and behind thick sound-proof walls.

Alexis had waited diligently outside, her ear pressed against the door, trying to hear something besides muffled voices.

Adam had frowned at her, for the first few minutes anyway, before he joined her in her attempt. Their duo then became a trio when Joshua came along with a grumpy face.

They heard nothing.

Only muffled voices met their ears for a half hour, but they continued earnestly. Trying to figure out where they could easily hear from.

They didn't notice Hector who disapprovingly eyed them, "that door has a sound-proofing spell on it".

His voice made them all jump back in fright, turning to him guilty expressions.

Adam spoke first, pointing to Alexis, his supposed "superior", "she did it first!".

A gasp of betrayal left her lips just as the door to Alastair's office opened and Shane walked out. A fresh suspicious bruise that nobody questioned lay on his cheek, his face was still ridiculously handsome and next to Alastair's it was clear to see that genetics were really unfair.

'How could two people be so beautiful?' Everyone besides the two, who frowned at the crowd before them, thought.

"Well from this point on I will be residing in the Empire as a normal citizen" he said, walking past them briskly. He stopped for a moment and turned to Alexis, "as crazy as you are I have to thank you. So live a good life Alexis Marine".

A cloud of smoke wrapped around him, swallowing his body and then spreading in the air to reveal an empty hall.

"I will".

Alexis sighed.

She had thought about it.

She knew what she was going to.