The moment we stepped into the ballroom, all attention was on us. Gasps and murmurs flooded the room, the sweeping current of voices forced the King to turn around, and it was as if he saw a ghost. His haunted eyes widened, and his face briefly showed a flicker of fear; fear of exposure and fear of what was coming.

There was a lot of questions that needed answers, but one thing was known for sure; the King was guilty.

My gaze wandered around the room until I found Tristan. Disbelief was apparent on his longing face. My heart sank when I saw a tear running down his cheek. I couldn't imagine what he was feeling or thinking. Naturally, I wanted to run and comfort him, but I remembered that it was not my place to do so now.

Tristan slowly approached Eretria. It was as if he wasn't sure if his eyes were betraying him. Before he got too close, he suddenly stopped.

"Eretria..." Tristan said softly, his voice held so much pain.

Everyone could feel the tension between them when their eyes met. It took my breath away, and I finally understood what Tristan meant when he talked about soulmates. I could see it just by how they were looking at each other. For a very small moment, a pang of jealousy hit me. I still felt something for Tristan, but strangely, it wasn't as strong as before. I knew in my heart that he wasn't for me. What was an intense emotion now felt like a small crush.

I wasn't jealous of Eretria. No, I was jealous of what they shared. I wanted that fairytale type of love in books and movies; I wanted what my parents had with each other. I wanted to no longer be alone; I wanted someone that would follow me into oblivion. I could only hope that one day, I would have what Tristan and Eretria have, but for now, I was truly happy for them.

"Tristan," she breathed his name and stepped towards him.

She stopped when the King's voice echoed through the room. "Well, this is...a miracle to say the least. Maybe we could all make our way to somewhere more private during this emotional time," King Gabriel interrupted as he stared icily at her.

Eretria's head snapped towards the King. "So you can kill everyone like you tried to kill me?" She spat and took a step towards him.

Whispers echoed around us. Queen Aurora and Celine looked at Eretria with confusion, while Tristan watched his father with knitted brows.

After a few seconds, he turned his attention back to his soulmate. "Rhea, what are you talking about?" Tristan asked in a strained voice.

She took another step towards King Gabriel, and her voice radiated with anger. She completely ignored Tristan and focused on the one who caused her so much pain.

Her blue eyes were replaced by black holes. "Like how you killed our baby and buried me alive for nineteen years while I desiccated?"

The Vampire King's expression was like stone, not giving anything away. When he didn't answer, she kept speaking. "How you put poison on that stake that you killed me with so I only appeared dead?" Eretria's angry voice echoed throughout the ballroom.

Queen Aurora suddenly stepped forward and put her hand on her husband's shoulder. She stared at him like he was a stranger. Everyone in the ballroom was silent from the shock of the truth. Their King murdered the future Queen and heir.

"Is this true, Gabriel?" The Queen questioned in disbelief.

When he didn't answer, Eretria continued, "Oh, it's true. What I don't get is why you didn't just kill me permanently. Why keep me alive?"

I followed closely behind Eretria with Julian as she approached her murderer. King Gabriel clenched his jaw and looked away from her, his eyes trying to find something in the room. He was looking for a way out since he was backed into a corner.

"Who are you looking for, your Highness? Collin? Your follower is dead. He can't help you now," Julian's voice cut through the silence, betrayal apparent in his tone.

The King sighed and shut his eyes. There was no way out of the situation, especially with his subjects and family surrounding him. He was exposed. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, which were now black orbs. His attention was now on Eretria.

"I should've just killed you," King Gabriel said in a low voice as he bared he fangs. "I should've destroyed you like I did that thing inside of you. I should've just took the chance of Tristan being able to talk to you through the other side and exposing me."

With that confession, Tristan lunged at his father, knocking him to the ground. Tristan was on top of him, grabbing him by his suit collar. Queen Aurora gasped and covered her mouth as tears ran down her tawny cheeks. Celine clung onto her mom and hid her face in the Queen's curly, brown hair.

"How could you?!" Tristan screamed. His eyes were now black from the betrayal. As I watched Tristan hit his father, I knew he was after blood. "Do you know how much pain you have caused?! What you took from me?!" Tristan banged his father's head against the marble floor. "Why?!"

Tristan was suddenly thrown across the room, causing him to hit a wall. He immediately recovered and took a fighting stance, ready to kill.

The King was now back on his feet, baring his fangs at his son. "I couldn't let you take the crown," he hissed. "With an heir, it would mean it was your turn for succession. I couldn't have that. I needed to finish my work."

"We wanted the same thing! We both wanted coexistence!" Tristan yelled, exasperatedly. Blood trickled from the gash that had already healed on Tristan's forehead. His once pristine suit was now torn and bloodied. His body was tense, and you could see his fists shaking from anger.

"You really think we will achieve anything from coexistence?" His father laughed bitterly. "We've been driven into the darkest parts of the Earth because of humans! They don't deserve to walk freely. Vampires do. We are the superior species and deserve to rule over them. As soon as we exposed ourselves and tricked the humans into thinking we could have peace, I was going to take over and make the humans be our slaves. We would have all the blood we could ever ask for and not have to hide who we are."

"And that justifies what you did to me and our baby?!" Eretria erupted. "Power?! That's why you ruined our life?"

"It isn't just power," he replied, condescendingly. "What I'm doing would be the best thing that could ever happen to vampires. We would have it all: freedom and all the blood we could ever want. What I did was for the greater good!"

"No! What you did was for yourself!" I interjected. "You wanted to murder your son's soulmate and your grandchild for power. You tried to murder me too! There's nothing you could say to justify everything you've done."

Julian grabbed my hand, holding me back. My cheeks were hot, and I was shaking. King Gabriel was a monster, and I wanted him to feel the same pain that we all were dealt.

The King gave me a sinister grin. "Well, I couldn't risk my son producing another heir."

Before I could blink, Tristan was on top of his father again, but the King barely touched Tristan, and he went flying across the ground. I've seen vampire strength, but King Gabriel was abnormally strong. It didn't take long for Tristan to attack again. He put every ounce of hatred into his punches, and threw him against the wall, making the wall crumble around him. His father pushed himself up and lunged at his son with his enhanced speed, knocking him into a table. Tristan responded by kicking him in the stomach, but his leg was caught before he made impact. Tristan was thrown into the stone wall again, and a loud crack sounded through the air. The King then headed for Tristan, who was struggling to get off of the floor. Tristan was strong, but he was no match for the Vampire King.