Chapter Twenty Two ▪︎ The King's Queen

wo days have passed since Dahlia arrived at the castle. The first days she spent in her room, sleeping. She wasn't used to the different time zones, but on the second day, she felt much better.

She desparately wanted to go to Alexander's study and spend the day talking to him. She was fine with just looking at him but that might be a bit distracting.

He was The King and kings are usually very busy men. She couldn't even begin to think how bored of his life he has become after all these years. The fact he spent the whole day locked up in his office proved a point.

She couldn't stand the quiet atmosphere, having grown used to the loud clinking of glasses and laughter after years of working at the tavern. She sat up on the bed and looked around the room. She noticed a beige record player case inside her closet through the ajar door. She stood up and walked over to it. It blended in with the walls so well, she barely even noticed it.

She skimmed her fingers along the metal clasps keeping it closed. She opened the case and the inside was a light dusty pink, reminding Dahlia of white chocolate and strawberries.

She took the heavy case and put it on her nightstand table. She had no records in her room. She figured Alexander had a couple in his office, but there was no way she would go in there and ask him.

She was still shy around him, especially after the night she snuggled up to him. She thought about that night every few moments, so much so, it kept her awake 'till the early hours of the morning last night.

She walked out of her room quietly and walked down to the end of the hallway. She opened the door and looked around at the many books. The library was much bigger than she thought it'd be. She looked at the left corner of the room and saw a bundle of records. She picked out the most colorful ones out from the bunch, hoping they would lighten up her mood.

She picked up a particularly interesting record from the shelf. It looked very old, but barely used. It was bright pink and the only word written on it was 'Lover'. She turned it over and was shocked to see it was from 2021. She quickly put it back on the shelf and grabbed an album of an artist she recognised from hearing it at the tavern.

She just held a thousand years old record in her hands. She was still shocked at the age it was produced in.

'I thought records weren't popular back then,' she pondered.

She opened the door to her room and made a beeline towards her newfound prized possession. She slid the record from it's case and put the needle on it from the player. She pressed a red button and the room was filled with music. Thankfully it was at the perfect volume, because she didn't have a single clue how to adjust it.

She laid back on her bed and listened to the nostalgic pop-rock. She loved the songs she played at the tavern. Most of the time, they were hand picked by her and the other ladies.

"I see you found the player." Alexander spoke from the door frame.

Startled, Dahlia flew out from the bed and accidentally tripped on the long silky sheets. She would have fallen if it weren't for some kind of magical force holding her up.

Her brows furrowed. She turned her head to Alexander to find him sporting the same confused facial expression as she was.

"I didn't do this." She spoke.

"Are you sure? Because neither did I." He looked at her.

In a moment, Dahlia fell face first on the soft rug beneath her.

"I guess whoever did, wasn't willing to wait too long." She groaned as she stood up from the ground. Alexander was frowning when Dahlia turned at him. He glanced at his ring to find it completely black.

"Oh shit." He muttered. He didn't seem concerned, but rather surprised.

"What is it?" She came closer to him. He raised his hand closer to his face and tapped the crystal in it twice with his finger.

It bounced like it was jello, but the shadows swimming inside moved like a liquid.

"I think that was T." He looked at the spot Dahlia tumbled to.

"Thanatos?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Wasn't that thing supposed to keep him in control? And isn't he some sort of dark matter and not a telekinetical ghost?"

"I don't even know anymore. It's apparent the ring was there only to humor me. This wasn't supposed to happen." He laughed nervously.

"Maybe it keeps him close." She shrugged.

"Maybe it does." He muttered.

"Anyways, you overwork yourself. What do you even do in your office all day long?" She asked him. She didn't fully intend on saying that but it was for the better. She could have stayed home if he wanted to ignore her all day long.

"I don't have anything else to do. I mostly look at spells, the political and financial stuff is handled by my lords."

"You look at spells?" She raised another eyebrow.

She clearly had a dance happening on her forehead today.

"Yes, it's one of the perks of having T around. He's always filled with dark magic and is glad to get some of it drained by me. Even he sometimes gets exhausted from the constant flow of darkness going through him."

"So... You're a warlock?" She looked him in the eyes.

"No, warlocks are powered by their souls." He corrected her.

"But Thanatos basically is your soul?" She continued.

"Hey, that hurt." He crossed his arms.

"I can't fully believe I let him dance with me at the ball. Sometimes I feel like I sold my soul to the devil that day. I mean, not to insult you, but I've heard plenty of stories and had plenty of lessons in school about the wars and crimes he commited. I mean, killing all noble men and women in Rome was quite an eye opener. He couldn't have despised them that much, could he? He is a vampire, not an Avenger." She babbled before Alexander cut in.

"That was me."

"Oh. Why did you do it?" She spoke after a moment.

"There are some things you really don't want to and shouldn't know." He scratched the back if his neck.

"Most of the massacres were because of him, but I was the one to commit them. I could have stopped him if I tried hard enough." He muttered while looking down at the floor.

Dahlia was in complete and utter shock. She always thought it was Thanatos who was behind the killings, but this shocked her and confirmed her fear.

"Maybe you should leave. I need some time alone to... think this over." She muttered as she walked to the door and pulled it open wider for him. He silently walked out and she saw him heading towards the elevator before she silently closed the door and leaned her back on it.

This isn't going to be as easy as she thought.