บททั้งหมดของ Annesa, Vampire King's Mate: บทที่ 81 - บทที่ 90

The morning Malthus was released from the prison beneath Eryx's castle, the sky was strangely clear. After days of snow and violent winds, sunlight finally reached the valley. Thin streams of melting ice ran between the ancient stones surrounding the fortress. The mountains in the distance were covered in white, but the lower forests had already begun to show the first signs of spring. Inside the prison, Malthus sat quietly on the edge of his bed. For thousands of years, he had never imagined that freedom could feel so frightening. He had once possessed everything. A throne. An army. A kingdom. Hundreds of loyal servants. Nobles who bowed whenever he entered a room. Vampires who feared even the sound of his name. And yet, after everything had been taken away, he discovered that the thing he had wanted most desperately was not his crown. It was silence. For the first time in centuries, his mind was quiet. There was no invisible pull toward Annesa. No sud

The morning came quietly. For the first time in many weeks, Annesa woke without the invisible pressure that had once accompanied every breath. The bond with Malthus was no longer controlling her senses. Whatever remained of it was faint—nothing more than a distant scar beneath her skin. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Then she remembered what she had told Eryx the previous evening. I never stopped loving you. The words still embarrassed her. But they were true. Annesa slowly sat up. For months, she had been afraid of making the wrong choice. Afraid that choosing Eryx would mean betraying Malthus. Afraid that refusing him would mean losing the man she had loved from the beginning. Afraid that perhaps her feelings were only the result of everything that had happened to her. But now there was no one forcing her. No king. No queen. No council. No war. No chains. For the first time, the choice belonged entirely to her. And that frighte

The bells of the capital began ringing before sunrise. One. Two. Three. Then all at once. Their deep voices rolled across the mountains, echoing through the valleys and reaching even the distant villages beneath the royal territory. The sound was unusual. It was not the alarm of war. Not the signal of an approaching army. Not the announcement of an execution. It was a summons. By midmorning, the great courtyard beneath Eryx's castle was filled with vampires. Nobles arrived in elaborate carriages. Commanders rode through the gates wearing ceremonial armor. Representatives from distant territories came carrying their family banners. Even ordinary vampires from the surrounding settlements gathered beyond the outer walls, curious about the announcement that had caused the royal bells to ring. Something important was happening. No one knew exactly what. Rumors spread through the crowd. "The King is choosing a Queen." "Perhaps one of the ancient noble daughters." "Maybe

The heavy oak doors of the master bedchamber clicked shut, locking out the lingering echoes of the grand wedding feast down in the great hall. Beyond the high leaded-glass windows, a cool night breeze drifted through the mountains, but inside, the air was thick with the scent of crushed dried roses, burning cedar, and warm beeswax candles. Annesa stood near the center of the plush rug, her breath coming in soft, quiet sighs as the quiet of the night finally settled around them. Her elaborate wedding gown—a heavy, sweeping creation of deep sapphire velvet embroidered with silver thread—felt impossibly heavy after hours of courtly toasts and endless greetings. A quiet step sounded behind her. Eryx approached with the silent, fluid grace of an apex predator, though every movement was measured and gentle. He had unbuckled his heavy ceremonial sword and discarded his high-collared coat at the door, leaving him in his fine white linen shirt with the top buttons undone. His waist-length s

The first year of Eryx and Annesa's reign did not begin with another war. It began with paperwork. Annesa discovered that being Queen was far less glamorous than she had imagined. There were reports from border territories. Requests from villages. Disputes between noble houses. Complaints about blood distribution. Reports concerning newly transformed vampires. Petitions from humans who had entered agreements with licensed blood suppliers. And, perhaps most frustrating of all, endless documents requiring her signature. One morning, Annesa sat behind a large oak desk, staring at a mountain of parchment. She looked exhausted. "Eryx." Across the room, the King was reading another report. "Hm?" "How many of these do I have to sign?" He glanced at the pile. "Those?" "Yes." "All of them." Annesa stared at him. "You're enjoying this." "Immensely." She narrowed her eyes. "You knew this would happen." "I did." "And you didn't warn me." Eryx