Chapter 35

The flickering flames in the grand hearth cast dancing shadows across the drawing-room walls of Baroness Meredith's opulent manor in the West. Seated in a plush armchair, the Baroness herself was a picture of stoicism, her face etched with worry as her gaze remained fixed on the crackling fire. Her thoughts, however, were far from the warmth of the flames.

Her mind was a swirling vortex of worry and trepidation, centered entirely on her niece, Aurelia

A clenched fist slammed onto the armrest of her chair, a gesture that spoke volumes of her inner turmoil. Her steely gaze, usually reserved for unruly subjects, was fixed on the crackling fire, its warmth failing to penetrate the icy resolve in her eyes.

Suddenly, the silence in the room was broken by a low voice, cutting through her thoughts like a well-honed blade. "Baroness Meredith."

Meredith turned her head, her gaze flickering from the hypnotic dance of the flames to the impassive face of her guard- Gaius. He stood stiffly at attention, his dark eyes unwavering. A frown creased her brow. "Yes, Gaius?" she inquired curtly.

"Forgive my intrusion, Baroness," he began, his voice a low rumble, "but I happened to overhear a… conversation earlier today."

Meredith's frown deepened. Eavesdropping was not a quality she particularly appreciated, even from someone as loyal as Gaius. "And what, precisely, did you overhear?" she demanded, her voice laced with a hint of suspicion.

Gaius remained unfazed by her disapproval. "It concerned Lady Aurelia," he replied simply. "Specifically, a conversation between yourself and Lady Isabelle."

A jolt of surprise shot through Meredith. Lady Isabelle, a woman with a known history of plotting against the King, had been a recent visitor. They had spoken, yes, but the details of their conversation were confidential.

"It is not appropriate to eavesdrop on private discussions, Gaius," Meredith said sharply, though a flicker of unease flickered in her eyes.

Gaius inclined his head in a shallow bow. "With all due respect, Baroness," he countered, his voice devoid of emotion, "it involved Lady Aurelia's safety. I could not, in good conscience, turn a blind ear."

Gaius' voice hardened, a flicker of disapproval crossing his stoic features. "You truly believe Lady Aurelia should be the instrument of this...vengeance, Baroness?" he asked, his tone laced with a quiet challenge. "Have you considered the cost to her soul? To become a murderer, even for a cause she believes in, is a dark path."

Meredith met his gaze unflinchingly. "She is already a murderer. She failed once," she conceded, her voice cold and steely. "But she won't fail again. The King took her parents from her. He deserves to pay the ultimate price."

Gaius shook his head, a silent plea in his dark eyes. "There are other ways, Baroness. Surely, there must be another path to justice."

"Justice?" Meredith scoffed, the bitterness in her voice palpable. "The King's courts are a mockery of justice! He rules with an iron fist, crushing any who dare oppose him. No, Aurelia is our only hope. She is in the King's inner circle now, closer than anyone. This is her chance to strike him down where he least expects it."

A glint of something akin to fear flickered in Gaius' eyes. "But what if she's discovered, Baroness? The King's wrath is swift and merciless. He wouldn't hesitate to…" His voice trailed off, the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air.

"The kingdom needs a better leader," Meredith interrupted, her voice firm. "A just ruler, not a tyrant. Lord Archibald possesses the qualities we need – wisdom, compassion, and a strong sense of justice."

"And you do believe Lord Archibald," Gaius inquired, his voice laced with skepticism, "would be a better leader? A man known for his own ruthless ambition?"

A flicker of a smirk played on Meredith's lips. "Perhaps," she conceded. "But at least he is not driven by the same insatiable thirst for power as the King. He possesses a cunning mind and a strategic brilliance that could restore stability to this fractured kingdom."

Gaius' silence stretched for a tense moment, broken only by the crackling fire. Then, he tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes fixed on the Baroness. "Forgive me, Baroness," he began, his voice barely a whisper, "but who was the King before King Samael?"

Meredith's frown deepened. It was a question that had never crossed her mind, nor anyone else's for that matter. The king had simply appeared on the throne, a powerful and enigmatic figure who had ruled for what seemed like an eternity, she'd known this when she was little. And yet, he remained youthful in appearance, defying the passage of time. No one dared question him, his authority absolute.

"I… I don't know," Meredith stammered, a flicker of unease creeping into her voice. "No one does."

Gaius nodded curtly. "Precisely," he said, his voice low and almost conspiratorial. "The King cultivates a facade, Baroness. A mask that hides the truth of who he truly is."

He took a step closer, his gaze intense. "No one questions the fate of the Kings before him. No one ponders the unnatural length of King Samael's reign. They simply accept his rule as an unalterable fact."

Meredith's frown deepened. Gaius' words were striking a chord deep within her. He was making a horrifying sort of sense.

He took a step closer, his dark eyes holding hers with an intensity that sent a shiver down the Baroness's spine. "No one questions the lack of a previous king," he continued, his voice barely a whisper. "No one questions the years King Samael has seemingly defied the natural order. He is the first and the ruling, it seems. And if Aurelia fails… he might be the last."

Meredith's frown deepened, a furrow creasing her brow. "What are you proposing then, Gaius?" she asked.

Gaius remained silent for a moment, his dark eyes flickering with an uncharacteristic intensity. Finally, he spoke, his voice laced with a cryptic certainty. "No mortal man lives for that long, Baroness," he said simply.

Meredith stilled, a gasp escaping her lips. The implication hung heavy in the air, a seed of doubt planted in her mind. Could Gaius be right? Was the king not entirely human? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

"You think… the King is immortal?" she stammered, the word tasting foreign on her tongue.

Gaius shook his head, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "I wouldn't say immortal, Baroness," he countered. "There's simply… more to him than meets the eye. A darkness that lingers beneath the surface."

He sighed, a heavy sound that echoed in the stillness of the room. "If Lady Aurelia is discovered, Baroness… well, let's just say her head wouldn't be resting comfortably on her shoulders. The guillotine would likely claim it as a prize."

The image of Aurelia's lifeless head on a spike sent a wave of nausea crashing over Meredith.

Meredith waved a dismissive hand, the weight of Gaius' words pressing down on her. "Leave me, Gaius," she rasped, her voice strained. "I need some time… to consider everything you've said."

Gaius bowed curtly, his dark eyes lingering on the Baroness for a moment before he turned and strode out of the room, the heavy oak door shutting softly behind him.

As the door closed, he was met with a pair of wide, anxious eyes. It was Freya. Her normally bright and cheerful demeanor was clouded with worry. The secret affection bloomed for Gaius in her heart, and seeing his troubled expression mirrored her own concerns for her missing friend.

"Gaius," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "What were you just discussing with the Baroness? Was it about Lady Aurelia? Have you found her?"

Freya, like everyone else in the manor, believed Aurelia had simply gotten lost during the chaos of the King's ball. The truth, that Aurelia was now a slave within the King's own castle, was a secret the Baroness had kept away from the servants in the manor.

Gaius stared at Freya for a long moment, his face an emotionless mask. He could see the worry etched in her features. But revealing the truth, the terrible burden Aurelia now bore, could only serve to deepen their despair.

With a sigh, he shook his head, his voice devoid of emotion. "No," he replied simply.

The lie stuck in his throat, a bitter taste on his tongue. But it was necessary. He couldn't risk exposing Aurelia's true situation, not with the ruthless machinations of the Baroness swirling around them.

Freya's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Oh," she mumbled, a flicker of worry clouding her features. "I just hope she's alright."

Freya let out a defeated sigh. "Knowing my lady," she said with a touch of humor that failed to reach her eyes, "she's probably gotten herself lost in some thicket or fallen down a rabbit hole. Doubt my lady would survive a living in the wilf."

Gaius' heart clenched at her words. Freya, with her innocent facade, held a fierce loyalty to Aurelia. Little did she know, Aurelia wasn't lost in some harmless wilderness. She was trapped in a far more dangerous place – a viper's nest, a court teeming with deceit and a King as ruthless as any predator.

He forced a curt nod, offering no words of comfort he couldn't deliver. With a heavy heart, he brushed past Freya and disappeared down the hallway, the weight of their shared worry hanging heavy in the air. He had to act, and fast. Aurelia was in the lion's den, yes, but unlike a lion, the King held a far more cunning and insidious form of power. Gaius had to find a way to navigate this treacherous court, to become the serpent in the viper's nest – a silent guardian protecting Aurelia from the shadows.