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PHYSIENTS WILL ALWAYS OFFER BEST STORIES AND LIVE STREAMING ALL TIME
Chapter 841 - Old Fashioned Man
Music Recommendation: Latent dream- Mattia Vlad Morleo
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A lone castle was built on a mountain, hidden away from the mortal and immortal eyes. The sun shone brightly while the rays of it passed through to touch the castle's walls.
With a crackle of a fire, the Devil appeared in front of the cave that led towards the castle entrance. His steps were firm on the ground, his posture straight and his eyes sharply looking ahead of him. The ends of the cloak that he wore gently swayed behind him without touching the ground.
"Welcome back, Master," Odin bowed his head before he quickly came to stand behind the Devil. He removed the cloak that his Master wore before placing it on the nearby stand. "Did you visit Heaven, Master?" asked the servant with a curious expression on his face.
"Hm," came the short answer from Vladimir as he continued to walk inside the castle, to be followed by his faithful servant. "Get the bath prepared and I need blood. Lots of it."
Odin bowed his head, "I will get them prepared right away, Master," and the servant disappeared from Vladimir's sight.
Even when Harriet had passed away, Vladimir had felt little pain, and it had bothered him just a little as he was a heartless man. He enjoyed her company the most until Constance had come into this world. It had taken him quite a while before he had got used to his daughter's presence as she became a part of his life.
When he received his daughter's memories from Calhoun, he knew he was going to see the worst of all, and the memories didn't disappoint him. Right now, there was a grim expression on his face, and as much as he wanted to steal Constance away from Heaven by reminding her about him and her son, he now questioned if she would be able to deal with it if her memories were restored. To go through those memories all over again.
'Papa!' he could hear his precious daughter's voice in his mind, echoing in the empty castle now. 'Welcome back home!'
"How strange," Vladimir murmured under his breath. "It feels like it was only a while ago since she had been following me."
His cat appeared in the hall, where he stood. It walked towards him before the cat rubbed its head against his leg.
The Devil bent down, picking up Lucy Fur in his arms and he pet its head.
"Do you miss her too?" asked Vladimir to the cat, his voice calm as he scratched the cat's ear.
Lucy Fur was not an ordinary cat that belonged to the mortal realm. When Constance was small, she had no other company apart from him and some of the servants in the big castle. Thanks to the boring books about animals, she had continuously pleaded with him before he got a creature from the underworld that was faithful to him.
'Thank you, papa!' Vladimir remembered how ecstatic his daughter was on seeing the white-furred cat in his arms.
"Master, the bath is ready with bubbling acid," said Odin, who had returned from the bathing room.
Vladimir let go of Lucy Fur, and the cat was quick to jump out of his hands.
Reaching the bath, his clothes were quick to come off, and he stepped into the bath. His skin and muscle started to dissolve except for his bones. It was like a skeleton had been laid in the wide bath.
"It feels like so much time has passed," murmured Vladimir. "And at the same time, it feels like it has slowed down."
"Is Lady Constance doing well, Master?" asked Odin, eager to know about the Lady whom he had looked after since she was a baby.
"Yes, she is. I brought the painting that she made in Heaven. To hang it here," said Vladimir. "Have the painting nailed in the hall so that I can see it clearly," he ordered.
"I will do that today," Odin obliged his master's words.
Vladimir's long nails tapped on the surface of the floor as he rested his arm. "What I don't understand is how she ended up in Heaven. I checked the status of her afterlife and she was supposed to end up either in the inbetween world or in Hell. I know it has something to do with that shady Heaven," his eyes narrowed at the possibility.
"Why not ask them to send Lady Constance to you, so that she can live with us, Master?"
"Because it seems more complicated than it first appeared to be," came the grim words from the Devil. "You think I would not do that. Every time I have visited her, I have tried to break the surface, the walls that protect her memories from being revealed…"
Odin wondered what his Master meant as the Devil had turned quiet.
Just thinking about the memories that Calhoun had given of his daughter, it made Vladimir grit his teeth. While Calhoun had sat on the roof, going through the memories, it had taken less than a few seconds for Vladimir to consume those memories before his eyes filled themselves in rage.
One of the memories was of the time that took place in Winter when Calhoun was around twelve. He had been waiting for his mother to return, and the night had passed its time where men and women had gotten back inside their houses.
Calhoun had stayed in the house, waiting for Constance but seeing she hadn't, he stepped out of the house to see where she was.
The snowflakes continued to fall from the sky, the ground cold and white.
Calhoun had frantically looked for his mother, sprinting from one place to another until he found his mother lying on the ground.
"Mother!" Calhoun called her, running towards her. "Mother? Mother!" he called her.
"Cal?" Constance uttered his name. She appeared to be exhausted, and a red handprint on one side of her cheek.
"What happened?!" asked Calhoun in shock when his eyes fell on the ground near her legs where blood had spread on the nearby snow. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"I am fine," assured Constance, trying to get up and stand on her feet. But for some reason, it seemed like it was the hardest thing to do as she struggled with it. Calhoun quickly put her hand around his shoulder. "You shouldn't have come out. It is snowing. I don't want you catching a fever."
Calhoun frowned because he was a vampire while his mother wasn't. The cold would affect him less while it could spoil her health. When they reached their house, his mother said, "I will take it from here, my son. Why don't you heat up some water?"
The boy nodded his head, watching his mother go inside the room, and he caught the small drops of blood that trailed behind her.
Calhoun placed the water to heat up. He picked up the knife in the kitchen, closing the door of the house behind him as he stepped outside.
He made his way to the man's house who had hurt his mother. He had seen the man who had earlier come to the house to pick his mother up. Reaching the man's house, he sneaked inside the place before slitting the man's throat, who was alone in the room.
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Chapter 842 - Old Fashioned Man II
Vladimir was more than proud of Calhoun's actions of taking revenge on the men and other people who had hurt Constance when she was still in the living world. The boy was truly his grandson.
But even with the revenge, his heart only grew colder at what his daughter had to go through.
"Master?" Odin carefully called his master as the Devil appeared to be not in a mood to speak much.
"Hm."
"I have packed your clothes in the trunk and they only need to be taken to the Hawthrone castle. Shall I have them delivered?" Odin asked for Vladimir's permission.
"Yes," replied Vladimir. Now, as baby Morven had come to the world, he wanted to spend as much time with the baby so that the other angels would not influence him. He knew somewhere in that vampire body, the demon blood strongly ran in the baby's veins. Only time would show how powerful the child was, thought the Devil to himself.
"Master, shall I pack my things too?"
"Did you think I was going to leave you behind? Of course, you are coming you, dimwit," Vladimir shook his head before deciding to get up and come out of the bath. The acid dripped down his bones, making a sizzling sound as it hit the floor.
Odin was happy hearing he would be moving to Hawthrone's castle along with his master.
"But don't pack everything that is here. I would still like this place to feel like home," stated Vladimir while his body returned to look like a man who was in his early thirties. He wrapped the towel around his waist. This castle held memories that he didn't know he would come to cherish one day, it was a place where the woman Harriet had given birth to his daughter and Constance had grown up here.
"Also, Helena is going to come here to have a meal. Make sure you prepare the castle well. Don't forget the food."
"Of course, Master! All of it has been prepared," Odin bowed his head in compliance.
Outside the mountain of Belmount, Helena had arrived at the forest in the carriage. A serious expression on her face with a frown. She had come here before, but she had never stepped further into the woods, hearing about a creature that killed people.
She wanted to get this over with so that the Devil would leave her alone. Vladimir had been showing up in front of the headquarters of the High House and wherever she went.
Her coachman looked around the tall and thick trees that looked scary, "Milady, are you sure you will be fine?" asked the man. Hearing a crow caw, he quickly turned alert, and Helena sighed.
"Take the carriage and have it parked at the edge of the forest. I will be back after the meal," said Helena, looking at her coachman. She then started to walk, leaving the carriage and the person behind. After she came to the other end of the forest, she finally caught sight of a cave and the castle built behind it.
Reaching the cave, she noticed the torches of fire placed on either side of the walls. The passage would have been dark if it weren't for the fire. The smell of blood drifted in the air, and her eyes fell on the walls that had traces of blood.
If it was someone else, she would have imprisoned the person for committing the kills. But she had never been put in the situation to deal with the Devil before.
A young man came to greet her, bowing his head, he said,
"Lady Helena, Master has been waiting for your arrival."
She hoped he wasn't. Didn't the Devil have other things to do? Asked Helena in her mind. She had seen this person hanging around the Devil, a minion.
As she stepped closer to the castle entrance, the temperature started to drop, and she felt the cold increase. Entering the castle, she caught sight of its spaciousness.
"Would you like me to take out your coat?" Odin politely asked.
"No," came the curt reply from the head of the High House.
"Please take a seat, while I bring you something to drink," said Odin before disappearing from there.
Helena crossed her arms, standing in her place while her eyes took in the castle's decor that looked empty with only b.a.r.e minimal things. On one side of the walls, some cases contained parchments. Curious, her feet moved towards it, and she stood to find immature drawings in there. The Devil had strange tastes when it came to decorations.
Helena was still staring at the drawings when she caught the Devil's reflection through the glass. Turning around, she saw him standing at the top of the stairs.
"I hope your journey to the castle was peaceful," he said to her.
Vladimir had chosen to wear a suit as if he was going to attend someone's wedding. His hair was combed with a side partition and the front of his hair slightly curled. There was a smirk on his lips as he descended the stairs.
"If you are speaking about the demons whom you decided to bury in the ground to attack people, they have been shot down with silver bullets," replied Helena, while keeping her eyes on him.
The Devil was said to be a trickster. If one did meet him, it would be better not move your eyes away lest you want him to trap him, thought Helena to herself.
Vladimir turned pleased with Helena's response, "I knew you would be able to shoot them. It was a little bit of recreational activity." He came to stand in front of her before taking her hand and leaning forward to kiss the back of her hand.
Helena only continued to stare at the man with a sceptical look, and Vladimir smiled.
"You seem a little unenthusiastic to have a meal with me," said Vladimir, his eyes taking in the High House uniform that the woman had not bothered to change.
"Glad to hear that you are finally able to see it," Helena deadpanned.
"That's fine. You look beautiful in the uniform. The colour of it compliments your pale and smooth skin."
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Chapter 843 - Old Fashioned Man III
When Vladimir offered his charming smile, he noticed the vein on Helena's forehead pop up in annoyance. He could tell that she was trying to control her anger from saying or doing something to him. But the way her eyes blazed, he couldn't help but poke her.
"Let's move to the dining room," proposed Vladimir and the woman quietly glared before following his lead.
Watching the back of Vladimir's head, Helena gritted her teeth. If she could, she would have shot him dead for annoying her and for unnecessarily wasting her time. But this was no ordinary mortal. If she did something, who knew what the consequences would be? The sooner she would finish the meal, the faster she could get him out of her hair.
"I took the liberty to prepare some of your favourites after having Odin ask the people who know you closely," said Vladimir, his head turning to look at her with that evil smile that represented him.
The dining room was big, and going to one side of the head of the table, Vladimir pulled out the chair for her. Helena gingerly sat down, and Vladimir took the other end to sit opposite of her. He stared at her while she glared at him, neither of their gazes dropping.
"You haven't spoken much since you arrived here. The more you stay quiet it only makes me think that you want to stay mysterious so that I can find more about you," smiled Vladimir.
"It seems like you are not good when it comes to reading people, Mr. Lazarus. I don't think you have heard of the term called personal space," responded Helena. The look in her red eyes was fierce with a no-nonsense attitude.
Vladimir closed his eyes, his head down as if she had said something she was not supposed to. He then looked up and said, "Please. Call me Vlad."
"You aren't my relative or someone close to you to be calling you by first name," replied Helena.
"Then it is only right that we familiarise ourselves," said Vladimir with a bright smile.
Odin, who had just entered the room, cleared his throat without using words to interrupt them. Helena's eyes snapped to look at Odin, who brought the wine bottle forward, "Wine?"
She leaned her back against the chair, watching Odin pour the wine into her glass and then move to where the Devil sat before pouring the wine into his glass.
Helena didn't touch her wine glass, but she did see Vladimir pick up his glass, taking a sip as if he was enjoying this moment.
"I am not here to familiarize with you. I am being polite and I would request you to stop showing up in front of me. You might have a lot of free time in your hands, Mr. Lazarus, but I have a place to work that needs my attention," stated Helena.
"You speak as if I am next to you all the time. You must be remembering me a lot, it isn't truly my fault now, isn't it?" He raised his eyebrows.
If Helena had a branch of the tree right now, she would have beaten the man until he came to his senses. Instead, her hand reached for the wine, and she took a sip from it.
"It seems like the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree," she replied, her tongue cl.i.c.k.i.n.g in the end.
Vladimir beamed at Helena's words. He then looked at Odin and said, "Get the first round of food, Odin." When the servant left, the smile on Vladimir's lips slowly slipped from his face. Running his finger around the rim of the glass, he asked, "I heard you weren't like this when you were young. What happened?"
"Aren't you nosey," came the calm and collected words from Helena, who took a few more sips from the glass.
"I am. I hope you can overlook it," responded Vladimir while waiting for Helena to speak.
For a person who got his minion to find what she liked to eat, Helena couldn't help but question if he had already done a background check on her.
Helena didn't speak for a few seconds, and she then said, "Why don't you speak about yourself."
"I am the Devil from Hell and that," he looked at Odin, who entered the room, "That is my faithful demon Odin. I have a handsome grandson and a cute great grandchild. I was hoping you could turn into their grandmother."
The annoyance in Helena's eyes increased, "I don't know where you have picked up these lines, but you should stop.
"Does it make your heart race?" he asked her.
"It makes me cringe.
Vladimir chuckled, "I am an old fashioned man, that must be the reason. Would you prefer if I tried something else?"
"What I prefer is for you to not bother me," saying this, she took a bite from the food.
"Hmm...I can tell you you want to throw the knife at me," commented Vladimir when he noticed Helena's eyes on the cutlery. "But people don't often live after they try something like that on me."
"I am not afraid of death," responded Helena, meeting his eyes, and he smirked.
"So I have noted."
The rest of the meal time went in silence, and when the time to leave appeared, Helena hoped that Vladimir wouldn't follow her anymore. Walking out of the castle, she said, "Thank you for the meal."
"We should do this often," proposed Vladimir.
"No," came the quick response from Helena. "I hope since you are an old fashioned man, you will respect my thoughts and not come in front of me anymore."
Vladimir gave it some thought before he nodded his head, "Okay."
Offering him a bow, Helena walked back to the carriage, and she returned to her work.
A week passed since she had last seen Vladimir, and without him, she felt peace was back in her life. The decorum in the High House had returned to its normal state that was busy with meetings and papers that needed to be read and sealed.
She leaned against the plush chair, closing her eyes for a moment in the room.
"You should take a break from work, if you don't want early wrinkles on that pretty face." Hearing the Devil's voice from behind her, she turned herself and saw it was indeed him.
"You," she grumbled.
"You said not to come in front of you, nothing about showing up behind you," smirked Vladimir. Helena felt her headache return.
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Chapter 844 - Smoke Of The Night
Music Recommendation: 1917 (From "1917") [Piano version] - Thomas Newman
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A few days passed, and Helena now sat with her back against the chair, her eyes closed and her lips in a frown as if she was displeased with people's attitude. Even though many King's and the Queen's had come forward to offer their support in the functioning of how the High House worked, there were still some who liked to cause trouble.
Her eyes opened to reveal the deep and clear red eyes while she leaned back to her position and picked up the top parchment from the stack that had piled up on her table.
Hearing a knock on the door, she said, "Enter."
The door opened, and in came her right-hand man, Dimitri, "Good evening, Lady Helena. The issue of filling up the position of Duke Grivelle's bloodline has been addressed by King Calhoun. Here is the list of the people whom you might find to be worthy to fill up that position." He walked forward to place the scroll in front of the head of the High House before taking a step back and watching the woman's gaze fall on the scroll.
"I will have the person picked by night and by tomorrow morning, you can inform the respective person. The position has been left empty for a while now," said Helena, picking up the scroll and taking a quick look at the names, and she placed it on the table. "Is there something else?"
"No, milady," Dimitri answered, and he paused before he said, "Have you thought about going to meet the King?"
"King Calhoun?" questioned Helena, and the man shook his head.
"I mean King Edison. He had sent you a letter," answered Dimitri and hearing the name was enough for Helena to stop whatever she was doing.
Helena's lips were set in a thin line, and she said, "My cousins wants me to join him in the royal court for lunch, hoping I would favour him compared to the rest of them. I wonder why people forget things easily while turning delusional. He has addressed the letter to the head of the High House, requesting to visit him."
"Are you going?" asked Dimitri. A slight concern came to fall on his face.
"I can refuse his request as a relative, but I cannot refuse it with him because of his position as the King. Sometimes we think we have power, but in truth we still don't," came the grim words from Helena's mouth.
King Edison Rufford was Helena's cousin, the son of the late King Solomon Rufford. She knew Solomon and his son Edison since she was small, and she had believed they were family until he stole the one person who was dear to her. Before Dimitri had turned as the right-hand man of hers, he had previously been her caretaker.
Though Helena put on a cold stone-like appearance in front of others, Dimitri knew the hardsh.i.p.s she had gone through to come to this position.
"I would like to go instead of you. I will finish the matter quickly and return," proposed Dimitri.
"No," responded Helena. "Edison has specifically asked me to come and join him for a meal. If you go there, it would only upset him."
She had a lot of things to settle in the past, but now as she was in a different position, she didn't want to misuse it. She had believed in fair treatment and justice to be given to people who deserved it while punishing people who deserved it.
"It is only one day. I will be fine. Instead, I would like you to handle this place," stated Helena, who had already made up her mind.
Dimitri didn't try to convince her, and he bowed his head in acknowledgement. "You should also get some sleep. You have been here for two days straight."
"Hm," Helena responded and saw Dimitri step out of the room. Getting up from her seat, she pulled the drawer to pick up a small cigar case. Snatching an old lighter with marks on it, she lit the cigar before putting the lighter back in the drawer and walked towards the long window.
Bringing the cigar up to her lips, she took a long drag and blew the smoke through her lips.
Her eyes watched the road below while she stood inside the tall building. She saw carriages passing back and forth, people making their way back home, some with their loved one's company while some all by themselves.
Her eyes seemed distant, and she wondered if there was ever an end to how she felt. The life she had picked for herself was of a righteous one. When she took a few more drag from the cigar, she heard a crackle in the air.
"A woman standing near the window and blowing a cigar. I don't know if I should find it to be intriguing or if it looks lonely."
And here came another problem, thought Helena in her mind.
"It seems like Hell has been quiet without any sinners that you are here to kill time," replied Helena to the Devil's words.
"I am waiting for you to commit a sin, but you have been a very good person," Vladimir responded to her words, and he took hold of the cigar case that was on the table. He walked towards where she stood, placing the cigar in between his mouth, he said, "May I?"
Helena could somewhere relate the Devil's attitude that was similar to a persistent fly. No matter how many times a person swatted it, it would return singing to the person.
Vladimir leaned his upper body forward and towards her, such that he touched the tip of her cigar with his end of the cigar to light it up. When his cigar burned bright, he pulled back to take some puffs from it.
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Chapter 845 - Smoke Of The Night II
"I thought you left," said Helena. She pulled the cigar from her lips to hold it between her fingers while she rested her wrist on the edge of the window. After appearing that day to surprise her, Vladimir had disappeared, and she had hoped he was gone for good. But here he was now.
Vladimir smiled at her words. He said, "You're an intelligent woman, Helena. I believe that is what I like about you. It seems like there's something bothering you."
"Which doesn't concern you. I believe you have to learn to mind your own business and not to poke in others matters, Mr. Lazarus," sparing him a look, Helena's eyes shifted to look outside the window at the people.
"Speaking about that, there is something I noticed in you," said Vladimir, his eyes not moving away from looking at the woman's features. "You are from a family of good demons. And as we all know, every demon who dies, ends up in Hell. Right?"
"Are you waiting for me to die?" Helena's words were calm and collected. She brought her hand that held the cigar, her eyes falling on him as she pulled the smoke into her lungs and letting it escape out of her lips again.
"I would have been excited if I didn't find the mistake. It seems like Heaven has decided to open the path for you to get inside in it to spend your afterlife," stated Vladimir. The Devil continued to say, "I don't often check people's status and I know the demons always end up in Hell, but I couldn't resist not looking at where you would end up, considering what you do."
The person seemed far too free, thought Helena to herself. The life of the Devil and that of a person from the living world was too different. People in the mortal world were put under constant trials. Though she didn't know about this until now, she knew why the path to Heaven had been opened to her. It was Michael.
Vladimir stared at Helena, who broke her gaze from him to look back outside the window as if the scene outside was far more interesting than the person who was talking to her. His own eyes moved to see what she was watching, and he noticed a family walking at the side of the road. It was a mother, a father, and their two children.
"When are you leaving to Cait?" questioned Vladimir.
Helena didn't see a point in withholding the news from him. Telling or not telling, he would eventually find out. Therefore, it was better to prepare herself than get into shock by his sudden visit.
"Next week," replied Helena. Once her cigar was exhausted near the end, she said, "I should get back to work." Within a blink of an eye, the Devil disappeared. She looked all around her room and behind the book rack, which was placed behind her chair. He was gone.
Far away from the High House and in the Hawthrone castle, Vladimir appeared in the middle of the corridor, having a nearby servant gasp in shock and running in the other direction.
"Welcome back, Master!" Odin greeted him enthusiastically. "Did you have a good stroll outside?"
"I did. How are things in the castle?" questioned Vladimir.
Odin cleared his throat before he started to speak, "Master Calhoun has been busy with Theodore in the royal court. Archangel Paschar left for Heaven with Archangel Raphael after being called. Mr. and Mrs. Harris went to their house and said they would return tomorrow. Lady Madeline has been kept company by Lady Lucy, taking care of baby Morven. Baby Morven has taken an attachment to the spider toy that you gave him, but I doubt the Harris family was pleased with it as they got him a sheep," Odin dutifully reported.
"Is that so," hummed Vladimir, walking through the corridors of the castle that had turned into his house. "I am going to see what is keeping my grandson in the court, while you make sure nothing happens to little Morven."
"Yes, Master!" came the enthusiastic voice from the demon, and he quickly went where the baby was.
Odin knocked on the open door of the room, and Madeline smiled at him, "You don't have to ask for permission, Odin. Feel free to step in and out any time."
"I would never dare, milady," Odin bowed his head.
"Did Vlad return?" asked Madeline, as the demon had stepped out of the room to find where his master was. It was strange how the demon was different when compared to the rest of the other demons. Odin often turned anxious when Vladimir was away for far too long.
"He did, milady. Master has gone to meet Master Calhoun," replied Odin before coming to stand next to the baby and making sure it was alright. He had been noting down every detail so that he could report it if his Master would ask him.
"He must have gone to meet Lady Helena," murmured Lucy in a thoughtful tone.
"How strange, I would have never guessed that there was something going on," replied Madeline, a hint of surprise in her tone. The head of the High House didn't look like she had time for romance and her words were usually curt. She still remembered the time when the High House had come to the castle to run a trial, and Calhoun had offered her a bottle of wine.
"By the way, Odin," said Lucy to grab the demon's attention, "I heard you were in the in-between realm before, is that true?"
Odin nodded his head, "I did, milady. It was before the Master took me to Heaven."
"Why didn't you go through the gates? Did you miss your family and didn't want to forget them?" questioned Lucy, looking at him curiously. Even Madeline was curious about this. Since Vladimir and Odin had started to live in the castle, people became curious about the Devil's servant.
Odin blinked at this question and then said, "No, I wanted to kill them."
Hearing this, the two young women turned surprised.
"Once upon a time, I had a loving family. I had a brother. A twin," Odin said. "We were all killed. And I was the last person to die out of the four of us, I couldn't let go of resentment towards the murderers. I had spent quite a few years and if I stayed a little longer, I would have turned into another creature. The people whom I wanted to hurt, they had been attacked by vampires but I couldn't let go of the memories. But Master found me in the in-between realm and got me to follow him inside the Heavenly realm."
"We are sorry to hear that," murmured Lucy, and Madeline nodded her head.
With a smile on his face, Odin said, "I don't feel bad about it now. Master took care of the humans I was waiting for once we descended into Hell."
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Chapter 846 - Smoke Of The Night III
Music Recommendation: Oogway Ascends - Eliott Tordo Erhu
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When the day to leave Devon and visit the land of Cait to meet the King arrived, a small trunk had been packed for the journey. Helena had planned only to visit and not to stay the night. Getting in the carriage, she started her journey alone as she had done even in the past.
As the travel time was long, her thoughts drifted to the time when she was still young and free of any worries. Or it would be more right to say that she had been ignorant about the things that had been going around her.
It was true that many people who had known her from the time before were surprised to see her current demeanour as she had changed, but Helena didn't care about it.
When the carriage reached the Kingdom of Cait, her carriage was stopped at the borders by men, "Who goes there?" demanded a man, coming around to stand near her window.
"I am from the High House and am here to meet the King," Helena replied to the person.
The man stared at her for a few seconds before saying, "I will need you to show me your-"
Helena pushed the black cloak away to show her uniform that every High House member wore, "Does this suffice?" she asked him in a dull tone.
The man cleared his throat and raised his hand. "Let the carriage pass," he ordered his fellow men who had blocked the road. The long wood was then raised to allow the carriage to move forward before moving towards the castle and stopping in front of the castle.
Helena stepped out of the carriage, where the castle looked the same way as in her memory. She hadn't pulled her cloak to not gain attention from people by revealing her uniform.
"Well well, look who has finally decided to come back to Cait," came a woman's voice, and Helena's eyes lazily moved to her right side to catch sight of an older woman. The person made her way towards where Helena was, and she sized her up and down. "Don't you look pretty, Helen."
Helena didn't offer the woman a smile, but she did greet her as she was her aunt, who was also the former Queen of this land, "Good afternoon, Aunt Guilene."
"Come inside, Edison is waiting for you. He told me he sent you a letter, but you didn't write back to him," said her Aunt Guilene, placing her hand on Helena's back.
Not liking the touch and to make the woman understand she was no more the same old person, Helena took a step forward. "I know the way to the King's royal court room. After all, I used to live here. I wouldn't like to bother you and will go and find him myself."
The woman watched Helena walk away from her, and her smile was quick to drop from her face, and she narrowed her eyes. She raised her hand at the nearby guard to come in front of her, and she ordered, "Make sure to check her luggage and seize all the weapons."
"Yes, milady," the guard bowed his head, walking towards the carriage and having the trunk brought down on the ground to check.
While Helena walked through the corridors, she felt the light flashes of the time when she used to live here. The times back then were peaceful that had been lost in front of arrogance and misuse of power. Every step she took on the floor was sharp, making the castle servants turn to look at the woman in a cloak, who had blonde hair making her way through the corridors.
When she reached the entrance of the royal court room, she saw the men who were inside turn to look at her, and the room suddenly turned quiet. But soon, murmurs of chatter stirred. Unlike in the past, Helena didn't have to stand outside, waiting for permission. Instead, she walked right inside the room, and the men moved away, making room for her.
"My dearest cousin Helen," King Edison greeted her. It seemed like people liked to forget that there was an 'a' after Helen, thought Helena to herself. Her cousin stood up from his throne and walked forward to welcome her. "I am very glad to see you here. To think that we are meeting after such a long time."
For the position the man held in the land, Helena offered the King a slight bow before raising her head.
"And I am glad to see you. I am here because of your letter where you mentioned you wanted to speak to me regarding the land disputes that are occurring here?" Helena came directly to the point instead of wasting her time on things that weren't beneficial.
At Helena's cold behaviour, King Edison only smiled and said, "There's a lot of time for that." Leaving her gaze, he looked at the other people who were in the court, "Let us continue the discussion later. The court is dismissed."
The people left the room on the King's command, and when Helena's eyes fell a few places away from where she stood, she remembered the blood that had spread on the floor in the past.
Her voice echoed in her head as she screamed and begged for her brother's life.
'STOP! He didn't do anything wrong! Please, stop it King Solomon!'
But her words had fallen on deaf ears. Not a single person had stepped forward to aid her or her brother, who had been pushed down on the ground.
'He dares to create treason and threaten my position on the throne,' the King's voice echoed in the room in anger. 'To make sure no one ever attempts it again, son of Nixon, shall be executed right here now.'
'NO!' she screamed, tears falling while she was being held back by two guards.
With no parents, her uncle, who was filled with power and greed, had used her brother as a sacrifice. When her eyes met her brother's gaze, she saw him looking in her direction as the guard held the sword above his neck. She had seen the helplessness filled in his eyes. And the sword moved down, maring the floor with innocent blood.
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Chapter 847 - Way To Hell
"Marcelo! Marce!" Helena shouted her brother's name while walking through the corridors, wondering where he was. "Where did you go?" she muttered under her breath, reaching his room to check if he was there.
It was only seven in the morning, and he was already out of bed. Walking down the stairs, Helena came to see her brother, who was talking to her uncle Solomon.
"Go get the approval from the magistrate of the town so that we can create the dam. I need it before tomorrow morning so that it can be sent with the rest of the papers," she heard King Solomon speak.
"I will leave for the town right away," replied her brother, offering his bow, and the King left the corridor.
Helena walked to where her brother stood, "He's sending you out for other work again?" she questioned.
Her elder brother turned and met her gaze, "When did you come here? You seem to be getting better at sneaking around people without anyone's notice." As usual, his blonde hair had been combed to the side, and there was a smile on his face.
Helena's eyebrows furrowed seeing her brother trying to dodge her question, "He makes you work more compared to any of his ministers. I thought you were going to have a day off from the royal court duties," she said to him.
"The King said it was urgent and you know how much he trusts me," replied Marcelo. He started to walk, and she was quick to follow him, walking beside him.
"He trusts you enough to make you work for him but he doesn't offer you the position as one of his ministers. Don't you think something is wrong with it? It has been more than three years and you are still not anywhere near to the position you deserve," stated Helena, pursing her lips in the end.
Her brother was a naive person, believing everything that was told to him to be true and blindly trusting people. In contrast, Helena had always been sceptical about the people around them.
"I thought we already went through this. The King holds us dear to his heart. If it weren't so, we wouldn't be living here in the castle. After our parents' death, he allowed us to stay here, promising position and purpose. And you get to be educated too," explained Marcelo while he continued to walk, and Helena stared at him. "You shouldn't worry about such things when you should be grateful for the King's generosity ."
"I would be grateful when the Ruffords decide to give you the position of a minister," muttered Helena under her breath.
"You should be careful with what you speak, you don't want to get caught saying something people don't like," pointed out her brother, and Helena shook her head. "If you are upset that we won't be able to spar today, you don't have to feel that way. I will try to find some time by evening and we can go to the forest after that."
Back then Helena had pleaded with her brother to leave the castle with her, to go away from the castle and make a life for themselves. This place didn't seem like a place where they were welcomed as her brother thought it to be. She had a feeling that the King was only making use of her brother's good nature for his own dirty work, like a master and a dog who were playing fetch.
"I will wait for you," said Helena, giving her brother a look, and he laughed.
"With the way you behave, it seems like you are older to me, than the other way round," he offered her a warm smile, and she only stared at him.
"You are too good and I cannot help but worry about you. It isn't late to leave the castle and start afresh, life away from the castle is much better than in it," responded Helena to Marcelo's words.
When they reached where the carriage was awaiting for him, Marcelo waved at her once he got on the carriage. Helena watched the horses pull the carriage as he left the castle for another errand of the King. While returning inside, the Queen noticed her and called,
"Helen dear, did you go outside again?" asked Queen Guilene. "Seems like you have lots of free time on your hands. Come help Martha in studying."
"I have other things to do," came Helena's direct words.
Queen Guilene's eyes subtly narrowed, the smile still intact on her lips, "I don't think I heard it quite right. What was that again?" the woman gave her another opportunity to fix her mistake by abiding by her words.
Helena stared at the Queen, "I have to work on my sword fighting skills to make sure I can cut the enemy to pieces."
"Where have your manners gone? Don't you know that you are supposed to listen to what the Queen says?" asked Guilene.
"Forgive me, but I am not that qualified to monitor young Martha. I am sure the governess who has been busy drinking tea and trying to be more of your companion for chatter than a governess can be put to better use," responded Helena, leaving the Queen appalled by her blunt response.
Maybe her brother didn't see it, but Helena had weighed every person in the castle, while keeping a watch for both her and her sibling. She didn't care if she was thrown out of the castle because that was exactly what she wished for.
"Helena?"
Helena's eyes shifted to look at King Edison, who was looking at her, "Where did you go? You seem to have dazed out of the conversation."
"Pardon me. What were you saying?" asked Helena, not denying that the conversation her cousin had been on about had been lost.
King Edison tried to be as patient as he could, "I was saying, how about you rejoin us, here in this Kingdom here.Obviously you are far more capable to work beside me than being away."
"Do you mean against you when you say away?" questioned Helena, her face serious. But King Edison laughed over it as if he was covering his actual feelings.
"Of course not. I have always wanted you beside me, because you are an intelligent woman. I know people often shun weddings between close cousins, but don't you think it is better to keep the blood thick and keep the family line strong?" questioned King Edison with a smile on his lips.
Helena knew Edison would try to have her join back the Kingdom of Cait. With the constant rise of the High House that had taken part of the power from the Kings and the Queens of the nearby kingdoms, it had turned to a central system of justice. As more time would pass, it would turn into an iron rule that everyone would have to follow while having the ability to destroy people who misused power.
King Edison was aware that Helena knew some secrets of the Kingdom of Cait, and she could use it against him, and he was trying to gain her attention by inviting her to have a meal with him.
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Chapter 848 - Way To Hell II
"I don't think I ever gave you an impression that I am interested in you, King Edison. There are many willing young women who would happily agree to marry you," responded Helena, her expression continuing to stay the same and uninterested in the King's proposal.
"The other young women aren't as smart as you. You are a woman of great caliber and I wouldn't like to lose this opportunity," said King Edison.
The one side of Helena's lips pulled up, but the smile didn't reach her eyes, "I thought we are going to have a meal."
"Of course, let us eat together," proposed the King and together, they continued to walk towards the dining room.
On reaching the room, Helena noticed the former Queen sitting right next to the King's chair. Guilene glared at Helena for even showing up in the castle. It was because of Helena that her husband had been killed and dethroned. The Ruffords had been lucky enough to keep the throne within the family because, at that time, Edison was old enough to ascend on the throne.
"If we knew you were coming today, I would have asked the cook to prepare things that are of your taste," said Guilene while Helena walked around to take a seat in front of Guilene.
"I don't plan to stay here for long and only came here on the King's invitation," replied Helena, watching Guilene pick up the napkin and spread it over her l.a.p.
"Always trying to get away from the castle, isn't it?" smiled Guilene.
"When the atmosphere is so dark with people I am not exactly fond about, I think anyone would feel that unless the next person has a dark mind," came the blunt response from Helena and Guilene's eyes flared in controlled temper.
"You might be the head of the High House, but don't forget right now you are in someone's kingdom and disrespect towards the royal family shall not be tolerated in the slightest," Guilene gave her a warning.
"How about both of you calm down and have this delicious food that is placed on the table while it is still hot," King Edison tried to appease both the women. He had already spoken to his mother to behave and not to lash out about past issues.
Helena stared at the woman and replied, "Wasn't like you tolerated anything when it came to my brother and me. Your actions in the past shall not be overlooked."
"Are you trying to threaten me and the King? Guards!" Guilene stood up from her chair, and the guards came near the door, waiting for the command.
The woman was easy to predict as she had always been petty enough to be offended by the slightest things, thought Helena to herself.
"Mother, please sit down," the King requested his mother to sit, but she refused to do so. "Helen, watch what you speak. There is no reason to attack my mother. Apologise to her."
Helena had allowed herself to lean against the chair, and her appearance looked calm and stronger than before. She bowed her head, and when her eyes met the woman's eyes, she said, "My apologies if my words hurt you, but I didn't know it would offend you greatly, when in truth I was only talking about your actions. You shouldn't feel bad about it, unless you feel attacked for being guilty."
King Edison placed his hand on top of his mother's hand, gaining her attention. He said, "She is right, you don't have to feel offended because you haven't done anything bad."
Guilene's jaw ticked in anger, and she gingerly sat down while her son was yet to dismiss the guards who stood outside the room. The meal went quietly with just glares sent by the former Queen while Helena seemed unaffected by it.
Once the three of them finished their meals, Helena dabbed her napkin over her lips. She then said,
"I am glad that you invited me to have a meal with you, King Edison. There is something I wanted to speak to you about," addressed Helena to the King. "Whatever illegal activities the kingdom has been involved with until now with yours and the ministers, it would be better to stop it unless you want those ministers to be executed."
"Don't you think it is a little too harsh?" questioned King Edison, the smile from his face dropping.
"She's nothing but bad luck. Back then she was a bad luck for her brother and then she killed your father," commented Guilene.
Hearing her brother being mentioned, Helena's eyes narrowed, "Be careful with what you speak. I am no longer a person who is not in power, and you don't want a similar fate to what happened to your husband."
"You should drop such an exchange, Helen. We are family and we shouldn't harm each other. You did what you had to do by punishing my father, don't you think that you are going a little too far?" questioned King Edison.
Going far, said Helena in her mind. These were the same people who had not stepped forward when her brother had been executed and in the middle of the court, where everyone knew he wasn't responsible.
"I am not the one joking here, King Edison, instead it is you who joked with me about us two getting married to each other," came the calm and collected words from Helena's mouth.
Guilene's eyes snapped to look at her son in shock, "What?!"
Right now, King Edison, son of Solomon Rufford, whom Helena had dethroned, stared at the head of the High House, while his mother looked shocked by what Helena just said.
"I was hoping you would agree to my request, and I was polite about it, Helen," stated the King, his voice turning low and threatening. "Being close relatives, I was hoping you would understand and comply with it."
Helena's stoic face looked at the King, "If that is all that you wanted to speak about, then I believe we have finished talking and there is nothing more here. Thank you for having me, I should get going now."
King Edison made no attempt to move from his chair, and he watched Helena step away from the chair, and before she could reach near the entrance of the dining room, he said,
"I truly hoped you would have agreed but with your refusal to accept my proposal, I don't have any another option."
Suddenly the entrance was blocked by the guards as they entered the room. "You are under arrest, Lady Helena," said King Edison and his mother finally smiled, glad to see the girl being caught.
Helena looked unruffled, and she stared at the guards with her eyebrows subtly frowning.
She turned to look at the King. Her eyes narrowed at him while she somewhere had doubts that he would try to pull something like this against her.
"It isn't too late for you to have your guards move out of my way so that I can pass and return to Devon, Edison," said Helena, her eyes staring at the King, who huffed. "Do you think you can get away with the fact of holding me as a prisoner in your land? The other authorized people from the High House won't be pleased with it."
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Chapter 849 - Way To Hell III
"That's where our history comes to help. Everyone knows that you were the reason why my father was killed. And who is here to support you? You are overconfident to think that I would let you go without you complying to my words," said King Edison, and he got up from his chair.
"You must be quite desperate to get married," murmured Helena.
"Guards, take her and put her in the dungeon," ordered Guilene, eager to see Helena behind the bars. But when one of the guards came to catch hold of Helena's arms, she was quick to dodge it by swatting the man's hand away from her.
"Don't step closer," warned Helena, her eyes glaring at the guards, and for a moment, they stopped in their tracks.
"What are you doing? Take her from here," ordered King Edison and he made his way out of the dining room and was followed closely by his mother.
When the two royal family members left the room, the guards slowly approached Helena and one of them said, "Comply with us and it would be better." The guard went to get hold of her arm once again. But when she stepped back, they realized they would have to drag her from here as she was unwilling.
The Head guard was quick to grab her hair as the Head of the High House was rumoured to be stronger than most women. Helena's eyes flared, and she quickly elbowed the man's face while using the back of her hand to slap him right across his face.
From the time she was young, Helena had trained herself to be more efficient and well versed when it came to combat, and the guards who were trying to attack her right now had a death wish.
"Get her!" Another two guards appeared near her, ready to beat her as the King had not mentioned anything about keeping her in the same state.
Helena raised her leg, pivoting with the other leg, while she kicked the closest guard to have him flying across the table and the vessels on the table fell on the ground. "I told you to not touch me and step away. Seems like people here have trouble understanding simple words."
She sent another guard flying to crash against the wall. One of the guards came behind her, putting his hand around her neck and trying to have her stand still so that the other guards could tie her before being taken to the dungeon. But before that could happen, Helena sunk her nails into the guard's arm and drew her fingers downwards for the skin on the guard's arms to scr.a.p.e deeply. The guard yelped in pain and blood started to ooze out from his hand.
Helena punched and kicked one after another, her annoyance increasing, until she had every guard on the floor who g.r.o.a.n.e.d in pain.
When she stepped out of the dining room, a metal rod came close to hit her face but she caught it in her hand. Glaring at the guard and she bent the metal to turn it into a 'U' shape. The next second, she pulled out the gun from her uniform, placing it on the guard's head.
"This is a specialized gun that I got from an old church. One pull and it will blow your brains out of your head. Now step away, unless you want to end up in Hell," Helena's words were low, and she stared at the guard who quickly stepped away from her, and once he was a good distance away from her, he was quick to run from there.
Helena made her way to where the King was, one hand of hers clutching the cold gun as she walked in the corridor. The other servants of the castle, who noticed the woman in the maroon dress, were quick to scurry away from there.
Finding the King in his room and in front of the window, Helena placed the trigger behind the back of King Edison's head.
"Are you going to kill the King? Do you know the possibility of what might happen to you after that?" questioned the man. King Edison turned around and Helena was quick to have the nozzle of her gun placed on his forehead.
"Do you think I actually care about it? Trying to hold the head of the High House as a prisoner is going to have consequences," said Helena.
"You should be thankful to my family. For taking care of you and your dimwit brother. My father provided you with everything, even education even though you are a girl, opportunity to learn and what did you give him in return? And even after everything, look what we turned you into. A woman holds power like no other," said Edison, while also being confident that she would not shoot him.
"Step down from the throne and leave it in the hands of the High House to appoint a new King," ordered Helena.
Edison smiled at Helena's naivety, and soon Guilene, who had entered the room, placed the gun's tip behind Helena's head. "Drop the gun, Helen. It is time to know when you are defeated."
Helena didn't care about life or death, and she didn't drop the gun from her hand.
TISHOO! The sound of the gun was heard in the room, and Helena pulled the trigger at the King and Edison staggered back to fall on the ground. Blood started to cover the ground near the man's head.
"What did you do?!" Guilene demanded in shock, and she pulled the trigger that only clicked every time she tried to shoot Helena.
Confused, Helena brought her hand to the back of her head and saw no blood. Where was the bullet fired? The former Queen of Cait on seeing her son dead on the ground, was quick to bend down to sit next to her son.
Helena had never planned to shoot him, but on hearing the gunshot, her finger had pulled the trigger out of instinct. She saw the person, who was once her blood relative, lay cold on the ground now.
"Guards! Arrest this woman and send word that this woman has killed the King!" Gueline shouted for the guards to come so that they could arrest Helena.
"You reap what you sow, Guilene," commented Helena. The pain she had felt when her brother had died, none of the royal members would be able to understand it.
"Guards!" Guilene shouted again.
Helena didn't move from her place and she stared at the blood oozing from King Edison's head.She heard footsteps, but it wasn't of the guards. The footsteps halted right in front of the room.
Her eyes met the blood red eyes of the Devil.
"This should earn you a spot in Hell now," he said, the smile stretching on his lips.
One would think that Vladimir was speaking to the dead man and the woman who looked livid, while sitting next to the dead body. But while Helena stared at the Devil, her lips twisted in annoyance and couldn't help but curse under her breath,
"F.u.c.k."
The gun shot before hers had never taken place and it was Vladimir's doing so that she would pull the trigger.
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Chapter 850 - Completing The Promise
Helena's mouth that had been slightly open closed itself at Vladimir's words, and she couldn't help but curse herself for not being able to identify the difference between the gunshot. She had pulled the trigger for self-defence but on the wrong person.
"How does it feel to relieve your burdens with just one single push, darling?" questioned Vladimir, his eyes sparkling and his expression appearing to be polite, which was anything but that.
"You killed my son! You killed the King of Cait!" Guilene screamed while looking at Helena. But the head of the High House had other things to think about than listen to what the former Queen had to say to her. "You will burn in Hell! You will be sent on execution for murdering the King! I will make sure of that! Guards! Guards!"
But no matter how much Guilene screamed for the guards, not a single person came to appear in front of the room. It was as if the entire castle had turned quiet, except for the sound that came from Guilene.
"You should stop wasting your energy. Instead, use it to form a plan of defense on why you shot your son, Lady Guilene," stated Vladimir. When he was about to step forward, Helena raised her hand in which she held the gun. He said, "You seem upset on seeing me here."
"I wonder why that is," deadpanned Helena. She pulled the cork of the gun towards her while the gun continued to point at him.
Guilene just glared at the stranger and Helena before stepping out of the room to call for help.
"You know the bullets are going to do little to no harm on me," responded Vladimir. He slowly moved one step at a time before he finally came to stand in front of Helena, and he placed his hand on top of hers before pushing it down. "The man deserved to die, and so does this woman. They were all involved in making your life miserable. How about I do the final touch?"
The Devil was busy poking his nose in her life, thought Helena to herself.
"These are my battles, and you don't have to fight them for me," Helena's eyes were sharp on Vladimir.
"I know you are capable of fighting your battles," said Vladimir, his eyes fixed on hers. "I think the guards can vouch for it the way you fought and beat them up a while ago," a chuckle escaped his lips. "But you are too nice for a demon. You remind me of someone whom I knew in the past. The same fiery spirit who wanted justice."
Helena didn't understand his words, but she quickly sat down where the King laid dead on the floor. She placed her fingers on the man's neck but couldn't feel his pulse.
"You f.u.c.k.i.n.g cost my work!" Helena was furious at that thought.
It had taken her years of planning and hard work to form a central system of law and justice, and she had taken great care and effort to build it. To think that because of one false alarm of a bullet being shot, she had shot the King, she could feel her head ready to explode.
"Don't be angry, Helena. The man did a lot worse things you need to hold him accountable for. Though on one hand I am glad that you let my grandson off the hook in the past for the crimes he committed, but you shouldn't continue doing it," Vladimir seemed barely fazed by the dead body or the blood that had trickled out from the King's head. "Edison tried to imprison you, because he felt threatened by your position. Not to mention, he even wanted to marry you. I don't think he knew he had competition," The Devil brought his hand forward to inspect his nails.
Helena wanted to unload all the bullets into the Devil's head, but then what use would it be?
The King of Cait was dead, and everyone here would know it was her doing. It would only be a matter of time before she would be executed.
"Why are you so persistent? You can have anyone else, who is interested in you," stated Helena, her eyes moving back to him with a glare.
Vladimir gave a thoughtful look at it, "Why not? You knew I would be coming here."
"I would have never guessed that you would create a false gunshot sound," replied Helena. "You know I don't care if I go to Heaven or Hell, don't you?"
The Devil nodded his head, "I am completely aware of it. You want to live here, in the living world rather than enjoy the fruits you have sowed."
By having her pull the trigger, Vladimir had opened the pathway to Hell for her while the path of Heaven was still available. She had done many good deeds here that Heaven hadn't forgotten about.
In the beginning, Harriet was just a woman whose company he had enjoyed immensely. When she had died not too far away after giving birth to their daughter Constance, he had not gone to look for her. He had been occupied with Constance, and he had never met a woman like her ever again. After many years had passed after Constance's birth, he had finally gone to look for her, believing she had entered Heaven. But he later came to find out that she wasn't there, nor was she in Hell.
Some souls could take rebirth in the living world, like a circle that kept moving from one point to only end and begin from the same point again.
The appearance often changed, but the purpose always remained the same.
"How about we make a deal?" questioned Vladimir. He saw a Salvette Mortem enter the room to pick up the dead King's soul from the realm of the living.
"A deal that will profit you and will make me lose in the future?" questioned Helena, her smart mouth quick to respond to the Devil's proposition. "I think I will pass."
"It isn't as bad as it seems," the Devil tried to convince the strong-headed woman.
From her early age, Helena had always been strong. And now she had turned into an influential figure, rising in her position among all the King's and the Queen's of all the kingdoms. She wasn't someone who could be manipulated. This was the Devil and not a mere mortal.
While Vladimir and Helena were near the dead body, Lady Guilene, who had stepped out of the room searching for the guards, found nothing but deserted corridors. Where did all the guards go?! Questioned the woman.
"Guards! Guards! Where is everyone?!" she shouted in frustration.
Did that man or Helena kill every person? But then there should have been blood, thought Guilene in her mind. Looking back and forth, she continued to walk and finally saw the guards standing in the corridors.
"The King is no more and has been killed! What are you all doing here, instead of catching that woman and that man who is there!! I order you to go get them right this instant!" ordered Guilene with authority in her voice. But she received no response.
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