Tension was high in the air of hallway as soon as two explosive news brust out in front of Public. Everyone present there were so shocked that they forgot to retaliate or speak.

Ethan was still kneeling on his one leg waiting for the most expected answer but his whole momentum froze when Katherine made this absurd comment. His breathing was slightly hitched when he noticed the horrified expression on Athena's face. The reason why he chose to propose her in front of the whole world might be forgotten to her. But he still remembered the day when Athena assured him telling that she would accept him wholeheartedly if one day he asked for her hands in front of the whole world.

Athena didn't respond sooner but she still felt a stab deep inside her heart when Katherine spitted those words. Her lips moved together to speak something but nothing came out. The most shocked person in the crowd was Queen Melinda who just received two blows one by one. At first, Ethan made this choice of proposing the Vampire Princess, Second Katherine was carrying her heir? Their first born child?

Queen Melinda's head spun in so much shocked that she was lost of her words. When Athena decided to keep quite without any answer, Ethan sucked a painful breathing while standing up.

In no moment, his whole momentum turned into a deathly hawking. Turning around, he faced the insane woman murderously,

" What did you say, Katherine? Repeat! "

Katherine who just intervened in their romantic atmosphere felt a chill running through her spine when she faced Ethan's cloudy expression. He was glaring at her so ruthlessly that if eyes could kill anyone, she would have been death so far. Katherine gulped down nervously standing on her spot and quickly stole a glimpse of her surrounding. As expected, everyone had their eyes glued on her. Now she had no way of running away rather than confessing everything. Katherine's Mother was stunned too after watching her move. She wasn't sure that this trick was useful or not but she held her life in a breath.

Katherine drew a long breath to summon her courage and lifted up her head confidently. Keeping her eyes locked with Ethan, she emphasized her words without blinking,

" Yes, I am telling the truth. I am pregnant with your child, Brother Ethan. I thought that I would tell you after the Coronation Ceremony but.."

She paused abruptly and looked behind at Athena venomously. Stucking her tongue out, she resumed bitterly,

" Seems like you had other plans in your sleeves. How are you going to mend this mistake? "

Athena didn't know when she started shaking lightly. Her palms clutched together in a fist and stared up at the woman blankly. In a moment, her all hopes, trust everything were shattered into pieces. She couldn't understand whom she should believe now. After all, their relationship was ended long back and Ethan was free to love anyone. But it would be a great lie if she admitted that she didn't feel flattered when Ethan proposed her just now.

Ethan's mind went blank for a while. It is necessary to tell that if they were accounted with Katherine's family, she would have been death so far. Ethan controlled his rage and chose few questions to resolve this issues.

He took one step and asked hoarsely without caring about everyone's attention,

" Do you mind telling us that when did we make this baby according to you? "

Everyone's face turned red in embarrassment when they heard him asking so blatantly. Even Katherine seemed lost for a while and then blurted out shamelessly,

" That.. that night..You were drunk..I tried to stop you but it was too late.."

Ethan narrowed his gaze dangerously and asked back again,

" Why don't I have any memory of it? Besides, when I regained my conscious, why didn't you ever tell me about that? Katherine, are you trying to make us fool or yourself? "

Katherine's body stiffened in nervousness after facing his sharp questions but she chose to stay in her decision. She looked up at him sorrowfully and brust into tears. Using a crying voice, she spoke abruptly to provoke the crowd purposely,

" Brother Ethan..how can you accuse me like that..You know that how am I..I will never dare to trap you.. Besides I come from a prominent family..I didn't want to embarrass us after sharing this news with you..I..I chose to stay quite but things have gone wrong which isn't my fault..I..I thought that since we will be getting married, this baby won't become an issue between us.. But now you choose to deny not only me but also my baby..Sob..Sob.. What will happen to us then? "

Ethan lost his tempter this time and intended to use his hand to slap her hard in case she stops spouting nonsense. Just when his hand lifted in the midair, Queen Melinda saw through his intention. She rushed forward and pulled back Katherine's behind her. Glaring at her son harshly, she roared beastly,

" ENOUGH OF EVERYTHING, ETHAN! How dare you try to hurt the woman who is the mother of your child? How dare you wish to marry a vampire in front of us? Did you forget about our laws?"

Ethan retracted his hand reluctantly and answered back grinding his teeth harder,

" I am not the father of her child. I haven't done anything wrong with her. Mother, stop pushing responsibilities on me. Regarding my proposal to Athena, it is always a king's choice to determine his Queen. No one has nothing to comment on my decision including you. I will marry her eventually if I want and the laws can be rewritten."

Queen Melinda's face sank immediately as her body shook violently in anger. Her anger was ready to brust out but there came another voice midway.

" I don't agree to marry you, Ethan.", Athena spoke standing behind their back and replied very calmly. Ethan's heart dropped miserably and turned around to face the woman whom he loved dearly. Her expression was blank too hard to predict that what was going on in her cold mind.

Athena walked over to them gracefully and repeated her words without meeting Ethan's scornful gaze,

" If she is really carrying his child, there is no reason for me to agree on this marriage. Besides I don't want to become a home wrecker. You are free to be with him"

" ATHENA RICHARDS! ", Ethan roared from his side enragingly. His breathing was callousing as he kept staring at Athena disdainfully. Athena battled to control her emotions in front of him. She gave him a sideway look and answered politely,

" Yes, Your Majesty! "

Ethan's heart wrenched several times at her cold behavior. He sawlloed hard and responded like a whisper,

" You know that I would do nothing like that. How dare you agree to decline my proposal?"

Athena didn't show any emotions on her face. Instead she remained unexpectedly very calm and collected while responding to him cautiously,

" I assume that I have every right to deny you, king Ethan. Besides I don't come from a normal family whom you can force to marry with you. I, as a Princess of Vampires have every right to disagree with your proposal. Furthermore I don't have any wishes to break peace inside your family."

Ethan curled up his lips bitterly and only gave her a brief reply,

" My peace? It is insisting on getting rid of me right now."

Athena's heart tightened into a knot after his command. Next moment, Ethan's icy voice echoed in the freezing air,

" Call the healer now! If she can prove that she is pregnant with my child, I will bare every responsibility."

Athena felt her heart collapsing as soon as Ethan made this announcement. She wanted to return to her world as soon as possible but there came another order after that,

" And Princess Athena, don't ever think about leaving Dalastia untill I say so."

After giving this two sharp commands, Ethan walked inside the castle angrily leaving everyone of them to gossip for a long time. Katherine's expression turned blank than ink after Ethan's order. Her blue eyes glared up at Athena hatefully who was in daze as Ethan left.

~HALF AN HOUR LATER ~

Katherine was laying inside Queen Melinda's room surrounded by a number of people who all were awaiting for the news. A feamle healer was checking her nerves cautiously as they all held their breathing in throat.

Ethan was standing at the doorway leaning against it and occasionally glanced at the woman who stood over the doorway. Athena was present there too. She didn't bother to enter and chose to hear the news standing away from them. She always felt that she didn't belong to them.

Moments later, the female healer broke into a wide smile and spoke to the crowd loudly,

" Congratulations! Lady Katherine is three weeks pregnant! "

As soon as the declaration was given, Athena stumbled back abruptly. In a moment, her whole world was dissolving into the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Guys! Keep Voting to support this book. Lol, I know that Katherine won't receive a single congratulations from any of you. Lol~