"Your Majesty, the number of insane Bloodcursed beasts has increased by 50% since yesterday. It has become even more of an issue," an elder spoke in a worried tone as he stood in the meeting hall of the castle.
Ariana sat beside the king, silent in the main row of seats, watching as he quietly moved his pen, scribbling on the paper. Her presence wasn't just by chance—Zavren had told her to attend for reasons unknown to her. But she knew clearly this was no joke meeting, as it determined the wellbeing of kingdoms and future plans. Even other kingdoms were not supposed to know of it; the people attending were limited. Meaning if any news leaked to another kingdom, all members who attended would die. That was how brutal it was. Yet there she sat by his side, intimidating and cold. Though she had no real explanation for what was happening with the werewolves, something felt wrong about what the man had said.
Another elder stood. "Your Majesty, I must also add—many children and women have died in the past few days. These beasts… it's as though they've been poisoned or injected, driven mad to crave blood. Our blood."
Ariana stiffened, her body trembling slightly with horror and surprise, her head dropping slightly at how horrible it was. What had happened to the werewolves? Why were they turning into monsters? Her mind swirled with questions, but she couldn't speak. She remained rooted in her seat, catching the surprised looks of a few elders who noticed she had entered with His Majesty—and not just for anything, but for a special council meeting with the king himself.
Of course, no one dared to question Zavren's choice. No one was planning to die today.
Another man spoke up. "It seems the vampires are planning the war seriously this time, as they are giving us more warning than they should be. I say we must gather all possible alliances—combine our strengths to fight back. They're doing everything in their power to sow chaos in our kingdom."
Zavren remained silent, still scribbling with practiced precision. Ariana shifted her gaze, watching the calculated movements of his pen. It was almost like their words were just passing thoughts to him—until someone else stood.
The man had gray hair, wrinkles all over his face which spoke volumes about his age, his eyes briefly flickered to Ariana before turning to Zavren in respect.
"Your Majesty… I believe an heir is urgently needed. That is why we strongly suggest a marriage alliance—with Princess Sophia."
Zavren's lips curled into a slow, chilling smile.
Ariana body remained unmoving.
It was like their breath itself was counted and limited.
The man faltered as Zavren's aura thickened in the room, his voice trembling now as he added. "The Kingdom of Arias is the second with powerful soldiers. An alliance through marriage with the princess could be vital, especially if war is inevitable. The vampires are targeting our kingdom and it seems it could happen anytime soon—because the Senerp is here. They want the Senerp. They are looking for the Senerp and claim it is linked here."
'Senerp?' Ariana wondered. What was it that would make the vampires want to start a war?
The Senerp was what the vampires believed would save their king, as it was said their dead king could still come back to life with it. Their seer had confirmed the Senerp was here in their kingdom and had demanded it. But when Zavren told them there was no Senerp, they threatened to bring war if it wasn't provided which Zavren himself had no problem with. Ever since then, they had begun attacking the werewolves, pack omegas—even betas—by driving them into beasts at night to crave blood. Now the question was, how did they do it when there were no vampires here?
'And why is the Alpha king so calm about it'
Ariana's eyes darted toward Zavren's. Their gazes locked for a second before she quickly looked away. 'Senerp.' The word echoed in her mind again. What was it about the Senerp that would drive the vampires to declare war
"And we still have no idea what exactly the Senerp is," the man added, "or why it's hidden in our kingdom of all places. That's why an heir is vital—to continue the royal bloodline just in case war happens."
But before he could continue, Zavren slowly sat up.
"Of all the nonsense you all have spoken," he began, his voice sharp, lips curling into a gut-wrenching smile, "yours is… particularly interesting. You know why?" His grey eyes bored into the man as his stony expression remained.
The man shook his head respectfully.
"Because of your confidence."
Silence swept the room like a cold wave.
"I brought a companion here—not just any companion. My wife-to-be." His tone hardened. "And right now, she feels very disrespected."
The hall fell into a stunned shock.
Wife-to-be?
The man's leg wobbled slightly as he placed his hand on top of the table for support.
Zavren leaned in nonchalantly as his emotionless voice rang once more like a death sentence.
"So, what you're telling me is that I might die in this war? That's why a royal heir is needed?"
The elder paled. "No, Your Majesty… no—"
"Shut it," Zavren spoke calmly, cutting him off.
He turned to Ariana. She was already completely caught off guard by this new side—his aura dark and overpowering. Of course, she had always felt it, but this… this was something else.
It was like he was giving her a warning by bringing her here—like giving an example of her fate if she ever decided to defy the Alpha King again like she did earlier.
Zavren spoke, his voice sharp with mockery. "I see you've chosen between stupidity and foolishness. And you know what makes it even better?" He stood slowly, his chair scraping against the polished floor. "You chose both."
The air grew heavier.
Zavren moved gracefully, haughtily stepping forward, his gaze locked on the elder who had spoken. "I truly want to be a kind king. Let this slide… you have a family, after all." His voice lowered, chilling. "But then again, why not add a little something extra to the Bloodcurse beasts?"
Gasps rippled through the council.
"But," Zavren continued, the dark edge in his voice deepening, "I have to consider my wife…"
His tone dipped into something far more dangerous—soft, almost gentle, but laced with warning—as he moved his gaze to Ariana, who seemed like she had seen a ghost.
Ariana's breath trembled.
His gaze fixed on hers, his expression unreadable, but the power behind his eyes was undeniable.
"She doesn't like the red liquid… I will have to put that into consideration. And yet, you sat here speaking of marrying me off while she listened. Insulting, don't you think?" He tilted his head softly, like a predator who had just caught the perfect prey for his little experiment.
He faced the elder again, his words like ice.
"So if you value your tongue, I suggest you learn how to use it wisely. Because the next time you speak of replacing what's mine…"
Zavren tilted his head ever so slightly, his smile returning—twisted and sharp.
"I'll show you what happens when a king stops pretending to be kind."
The man's body began to tremble—violently, as though struck by a wave of internal shock. Sweat poured from him, soaking through his clothes like someone had dumped a bucket of water over his head. His garment clung to his skin, damp and heavy. His face was slick with panic, pale beneath the sheen of fear.
Ssssrrrrr
Ariana's eyes stretched wide, her hands moving to her lips, trembling with shock and fear.
Did he—?
She blinked, disbelief washing over her.
He had.
A full-grown man… had just peed himself.
The pungent scent hit the air a moment later, confirming what everyone was now too stunned to say.
To Ariana's surprise, a slow, wider, haunting grin curled across Zavren's lips. He spoke quietly, his voice almost too calm.
"Raven."
"Your Highness," Raven answered, bowing immediately.
Zavren didn't take his eyes off the trembling man. "Take her to her chambers. She needs to get ready for the wedding."
Get ready? After what he had just…
Ariana—felt her breath catch, her eyes wide with disbelief at what she had just witnessed. The fear still clung to her skin like cold sweat.
Raven noticed the flinch. His voice dropped low, yet respectful again. "Lady Ariana, this way."
Ariana managed to stand, though her legs shook beneath her. Her head spun. Her lips parted, then closed again, as if trying to form thoughts her mind couldn't process. Everything felt distorted—like she had stepped into a dream that was slowly turning into a nightmare.
They walked out in silence, the air behind them thick with tension. The door closed just as they took a few steps away.
It came.
A scream. Not human. Agonizing, guttural, and raw. It tore through the halls like a dying beast's final cry.
Ariana stumbled, clutching the fabric at her chest tightly, her entire body seizing at the sound. Her knees buckled slightly, the pain of it vibrating through her bones as her vision blurred slightly.
"Lady Ariana," Raven said quietly, stepping closer. "Are you alright? Please… let's keep going." His voice was gentle, but tight with concern. He knew the rules. If anything happened to her under his watch, the consequences would be brutal.
As they walked the cold, silent corridor, Ariana could not think straight. But one thing she knew—truly knew—was that the man she was destined to marry wasn't just powerful.
He was something else.
Something far worse.
He was the devil cloaked in royalty.