New Chapter for Highest Tier (June 2021)

*************************

Vampire King Apollyon

*************************

Luna stepped forward and reached out a hand. "Why do you look like you have seen a ghost, Princess?"

Luna tilted her head as she watched Apollyon's mother pale at the sight of her.

The pure terror in her countenance made her cheekbones appear gaunt-like. Haunted.

Princess Ourania's orange hair so light it seemed like they were spun in gold were voluptuously braided to go along with her diamond crown turned into a mess of untangled knots, falling over the forehead and also covering her eyes.

Her wrinkles bunched up around the corner of her eyes like crows' feet, making her eyebags more pronounced.

Apollyon's mother snapped out of her trance and looked down at her offered hand, acting like Luna would grip her throat without warning.

Apollyon had charged at her and shoved his mother against the wall by the throat, after all.

Would it make him a bad person if he didn't feel remorse after he had done it when his wife wasn't even harmed in the first place?

If he was honest with himself, attacking his mother actually felt good.

Would he admit that to his wife when he promised he would change for the better?

Having power and control over people was his greatest temptation.

He couldn't help this nature of him.

Apollyon became conscious of his dark, violent tendencies when Luna became his mate after exorcising the Archdemon who possessed him.

He knew that bastard, Ravin, was his first mate in the first place, but he would never acknowledge that.

He was drawn to Luna's existence like a moth to a flame.

A warrior of justice who was always ready to sacrifice herself for others.

He made it his life's mission to teach his mate how to be selfish and disregard the rest.

He taught her how to be strategic in decisions, only choosing the route to benefit the two parties.

Yet, he wasn't doing a great job at it. Sometimes, she seemed to listen after a long period of contemplation.

Luna was a bright white light exposing his behaviors that weren't considered normal when this was the only way how he operated all his life as the Vampire King.

In the short time where they were together, she taught him how to care a little.

But he wouldn't extend the same indulgence to his mother.

Whether it was intentional or not, Princess Ourania's constant provocations provided him with the perfect trigger, and he grabbed the chance to release these pent-up frustrations locked away in the depths of his heart.

The darkness he kept hidden was almost hateful and self-destructive that he might as well attempt vengeance to get it out.

He didn't like losing control.

Apollyon promised his wife that he would do better.

But if he killed the source of his emotional instability, his mood would improve greatly, wouldn't it?

The Vampire King would go back to normal, and then his wife would be glad of this development.

Luna's green eyes were wide and innocent, but her pout made her appear curious of his mother's mental state, in contrast to Princess Ourania, who brought her arms close to her chest as if she didn't want her skin to touch any part of her.

"I hope you didn't get a concussion from what my husband did to you. I apologize for his behavior, mother. I will convince him not to do it again--" Luna trailed off as an unspoken threat hung over the Summer Princess, and the Knight's heads... or was it just his imagination? Then, Luna added with a shrug, "--but only if you didn't something dirty, right, Ourania?"

"Did I miss something wife?" Apollyon asked, concerned.

His gaze moved back and forth to Luna and the Summer Princess. "I only attacked my mother when I smelled your blood on her skin."

"Oh?" Luna's eyes which sparkled with mischief turned as hard as gemstones all of a sudden. "Hmm. That's interesting. I wonder how she got them."

Apollyon nodded as he stood beside her. "Well, obviously, Ourania changed her clothes. And, I noticed you changed yours too."

Luna raised an eyebrow at him and gave a short, cold laugh. "It must be a coincidence, right, Princess?"

Princess Ourania's lips were pressed together as Sir Tristan halted, caressing his fiance's back in comfort to glance at her.

Apollyon asked. "Where did you get that midnight blue gown?"

Luna's expression didn't change as she smiled at him. "You really want to know?"

"It made me think that she also changed her clothes to get rid of the evidence if she did hurt you as I saw in my vision." He replied as he rubbed his face in frustration.

Both women were dodging his queries like they were bullets, skirting around the subject.

"Could you tell me what happened?"

Princess Ourania snapped out of nowhere. "Who are you? You are not the Empress!"

"After our discussion, Princess Ourania accidentally---"

"What did you do to Caelano?" Princess Ourania interrupted, growling harshly.

As the awkward silence prolonged, Princess Ourania's bloodshot eyes turned wild and desperate.

Her dilated pupils fixated on Luna's face alone as if she only had tunnel vision for her.

She didn't speak anymore.

Her teeth chattered as if she was dumped in an icy lake, biting her fingers in anxiety, appearing more of a fragile woman who suffered from hallucinations.

"Please keep your hands to yourself, Empress Luna." Sir Tristan declined her offer as he respectfully pushed her hand towards her, "I will assist my fiance, thank you."

Sir Tristan lifted Apollyon's mother by the elbows and settled one arm around her.

His other hand clasped unto her other wrist as she helped her walk with shaky legs, limping out of the scene.

Like Apollyon, Sir Tristan must have been exhausted by the early morning's events with Xerxes and Princess Sapphire and, now Apollyon and Luna's incident followed.

This man couldn't catch a break when he only desired peace.

Too bad for him.

He will never have peace because being married to Princess Ourania will feel like she was dragged to the deepest pits of Hell and back.