Doubt

"It took you long enough to come back?" Draco stood at the entrance of the Spider Lily Palace waiting for Zavaikal's arrival.

He returned back into his human form from being a raven.

"What about those shadows?" He asked him ignoring his words of greeting.

"They have had valuable information you might like." He licked his lips.

"I asked my beloved wife about her. But she remained silent or denied it by throwing a tantrum. Women become a handful when you plant a seed inside them." He shrugged and shook his head.

He always had straight platinum blonde hair tied in high ponytail. Being the highest ranking vampire only second to the emperor he was envied by countless nobles. But he was an illegitimate son of the previous Grand Duke who he killed to claim the rights of succession.

"Your woman is one of a kind." Zavaikal grinned.

"Don't go lusting after her now. She's mine to begin with."

"I don't have to." He reassured him.

-"I have found one for myself...the crowned princess of Amanécer. Luciana Mircea de Amanécer. She was not how I imagined her to be. Those traits were completely opposite. But he called her that. I had sensed that power before. The Amanécer imperial family's traits. That golden ring that seldom shows itself above their heads. It was there the whole time I was with her protecting her from my sorcery." He had been keeping tabs on the imperial family and have been researching them. But he still was unable to figure out why the first princess came to Wahrheit instead of the second. Only those with the golden eyes and hair can bear the seal.

He was sure to write the letter asking for the second princess.

The letter for marriage proposal he sent went through several stages of confirmation.

"It would be impossible that it could've been altered." He muttered under his breath.

"You said something?" Draco asked him ruining the thought.

"None of your business." He rebuked him irritated.

"Whatever you say." He said and said no more.

-"I need to look more into this matter. A month almost passed by with no results. I'm behind my schedule all thanks to that lowlife hound." He cursed him silently thinking about him holding her in a way to express how dear she was to him.

-" He's going to throw a fit." Draco recognized the sour look on his face. The look he had only Erebus could force on his face.

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The stygian fortress...

The servant's and been running back and forth to attend to their master and mistress.

Jafar had to cover up Erebus's duties and look after them once in a while. It had been two days since both were unconscious. Derran had to remain by their side to keep their condition in check. Mina was nearly in tears.

"What did our master and lady do? Why do they deserve to be treated so cruelly?" She wailed and kept repeating the same question over and over again. She would not let Nemesis stay for more than an hour despite knowing that he wept his eyes dry.

"Young Master, the lord and the lady are fine. They are your parents after all. They'll be back with us soon." She would comfort him from time to time. Jafar made sure that she stayed by his side all the time.

The night had fallen when Luciana regained her consciousness. She heard Mina comfort Nemesis.

She groaned while feeling a pain in her abdomen.

-"I...where am I?" She recalled herself in the underground dungeon with a servant.

Erebus had caught her the last thing she remembered.

"Milady!" Mina rushed to her side.

"Oh thank the Lord! You're safe. Do you remember what happened?" She asked her.

"This... Where?" She managed to ask.

"Your bedchambers milady." She reassured that she was safe.

Derran came up beside her to reassure her that the baby inside of her was safe and sound.

She exhaled in relief.

"Erebus... My Lord husband...where is he?" She asked.

Derran hung his head and spoke up.

"He's beside you my lady." He pointed at where Erebus lay unconscious.

Luciana saw the marks on his face. His dishevelled hair and the sweat on his bronze ski was enough to prove the pain he suffered.

She stared at him in disbelief.

"I managed to subdue his fever. Honestly the way he was when he came in holding you back. I thought it was surely his time was near. He was able to rid of the perpetrator that had been among us. But for now... I can't say if he'll make it out safely." He shook his head.

-" I am the cause of this mess... Had I only done what he asked me to." She trembled fearfully.

"D-don't go saying things when the lady is suffering just as much. Or I'll sue your mouth old man." Mina blurted out to reduce the tension in the air.

Luciana struggled to sit up with Mina's help.

Nemesis tearfully looked at them.

She gestured him to come to her which he readily accepted.

He looked at her and then at Erebus.

"Papa will wake up soon." She carassed his head, combing his hair sideways.

They heard a knock on the door. Mina hurried to answer and opened the door. Jafar came in and saw Luciana awake.

He narrowed his eyes when he saw no improvement in his master's condition.

"My lady... I would like to have word in private." He bowed.

Luciana could sense hostility in his voice. But she couldn't refute his request.

She asked both Mina and Derran to leave.

Nemesis threw a tantrum that she allowed him to be by her side.

"Please take care of daddy for me,sweetling." She kissed him on the forehead. Mina and Derran hesitantly left he chambers without further protest.

"Now then, what is it that you'd desire to talk about?"