**Ch 351: Final Decision

Edgar then finalized. "Since all of our firstborn sons have failed their mission of keeping a peace treaty among the other planets. For everyone's punishment, you have all been demoted with Gaston. Therefore, we decree that the second-birthed offspring shall travel to these other worlds. Not only will you all work out another peace treaty, but everyone is to find out which Covens are responsible for the crime against Emily. We must stop them before they strike the Collin Coven."

"Fail again, and everybody will also be demoted as well," a Hunter Headmaster warned. "Now go."

"Yes, Headmasters!" chanted all the secondborns before they bowed. Afterward, Zen and whoever else had a family, had all kissed their wives and offspring goodbye, and then they vanished from the council room to travel through the gateways with their guardians and five advisers.

"Yet they weren't successful though," I concluded because I know two world wars took place, but what I didn't know is it happened in nearly every world.

As Vlad had gone silently thinking about what Mr. Collin's other punishments would be, Kai replied. "Things were doomed either way. Even this planet got divided between each other."

"Do you know who attacked Emily?" I inquired to know as much as I could since my curiosity kept growing.

Kai revealed. "Darlene's Coven was one of them. It was also the same Coven whose guardians tried to recently force themselves on you and Mia at the University. And three more Covens who are allies with Tyler's Coven, counting the Landlock Coven that want you dead."

"Perhaps I shouldn't have asked." I gulped upon my comment. Curiosity killed the cat, in this scenario, it shuddered my bones to shake.

Picking up on my fear, Kai soothed me. "To reach you, they have to first cross through me. You know I will protect you."

"I know, Kai," was all I could mumble since I trusted that he would, but it didn't take away the fact I was still afraid. I wasn't any match to take on a vampire or vampiress, for that matter.

Vlad took another inhale and exhale as he eased his tension. "Gaston, for the sinful adultery you've committed with Morticia. You will be repeatedly scourged until you can't heal. Afterward, you'll be denied to feed as you suffer my venom for Emily's suffering," he determined. 

"I accept, Father." Gaston bowed his head towards Morticia who was now sleeping in a detained rest. She looked like a beautiful porcelain doll with the way her eyes had sealed. Though the blood on her face and body was still there, however, it didn't change the fact that she looked beautifully innocent. Her skin was partly discolored and somber, but she didn't resemble a corpse. Instead, she looked gorgeous even for the traumatizing experience she had endured.

"Is that it?" Morbius was displeased as he knitted his brows. "What about the marriage arrangements?"

"I was just getting to that." Vlad clarified before he met Gaston's pleading gaze again. "After Griffin Nasberry's and Iris O'Donnell's wedding, you will also be wedded like your younger brothers without any objection. However, I've decided it won't be a bridge wedding—"

"I couldn't agree with you more, Vlad!" in his excitement, Morbius overvoiced him as he mocked Gaston with his baleful laughter.

Vlad sighed as he divulged. "Gaston will be getting married, but he won't be marrying Emily."

Crickets chirped between the Headmasters as everyone else in the room crossed eyes at each other. This wasn't predicted to be the final decision. The skin tone on Morbius altered as he became livid like a ravenous dog that got rabies. That heavy weight on Gaston's chest suddenly lessened when he exhaled in relief from hearing his father's final decision.

"How could you deny what we've been wanting?" Morbius searched for an answer.

"Any royal male has the right to decline an arranged marriage," Vlad reminded him.

"It shouldn't matter in this case because of the crimes held against Gaston. He's not vindicated!" Morbius spitefully snarls.

"He's not, but my son is right. Emily will only hurt more if you force them together, especially since he's marked Morticia, and she has marked him back. Emily needs to move on and heal." Vlad affirmed these validations as I was astonished, but Morbius was sickened.

"You would allow Gaston to marry that tramp? She deserves to suffer!" Morbius harangued when he pointed his stern finger at Morticia, who was still sleeping on top of Gaston's lap.

"My daughter had already suffered at the hands of your son and his friends! You wrongfully took it upon yourself to do that without first endorsing with the council's approval!" Vincent cracked his voice like lightning whenever he stepped aside, and he ghastly glared at Morbius.

"That's because I knew you'd allow her to get away with it!" Morbius snarled as he maligned Vincent in front of everyone as he faced him too.

"That is enough, Morbius!" Vlad countered as he stepped between them from fighting in front of everyone.

"Are you siding with him now?" Morbius scowled as he looked around Vlad to give Vincent the stink eye.

Vlad gave it to him straight. "Don't you go thinking that I haven't gathered that you knew who my son had mated with beforehand! You disregard the fact that Morticia very well carried my grandchild, yet you still harmed her!"

"That proclamation is not true!" Aurora snapped, defending her husband, Morbius.

"It is true!" Vlad growled. "Never once have you cared that Gaston cheated on Emily three times before this incident with Morticia. Now that you discovered that he cheated on Emily with Vincent's daughter. You just so happen to take an interest in doing something about it. Yet those other times Gaston cheated, you told me you weren't worried about it. You told me not to discipline him when I was ready to teach him a lesson about being faithful!"

Morbius bit the inside of his lip before he gnashed his teeth. "Emily didn't get hurt those other times! Gaston's cheating was excusable then!"

"Yet now, in this incident, it's no longer excusable whenever I never once thought it was tolerable." Vlad pointed this out as his voice was tranquil like a current.

Regardless of Vlad's calmer demeanor, Morbius raged in his gristly irritation.

"Are you honestly going to allow this to happen?" he asked on his last chance to change Vlad's mind.

Vlad justified. "You'll only harm your daughter more if we force them together. Allow Dwight to marry Emily. You know he's had his eyes on her for quite some time. Our wives are still having offspring, so we can try making a new arrangement instead."

"I agree with this decision, Father. Let Emily marry Dwight, not Gaston," Mason voiced his opinion from further back as he stood within the center with the rest of the other alphas while Morbius chewed on the inside of his cheek in frustration.