Chapter 48 Sacredos

Sacredos

Nikolai

"Under no circumstance will you use your powers. They make your hair go white and your eyes blue. And we do not want anybody to know about them. Am I clear?" I asked. The last thing I wanted was everyone to be after her life. Revealing her secret in an unknown place is as good as suicide.

"Yes." She mumbled.

Not good enough, Love.

"I asked am I clear?" I tipped her head up so she looked at me in the eye.

"Yes." She replied, licking her lips.

I pecked her lips.

"You do not need to fear the vampires. They are your people. But that does not mean you let your guard down. We are werewolves ruling vampires. I hope you know this has never happened before for a reason." Because both our species have hated each other ever since we were created. "We need to be extra cautious. I don't want you out of my sight." I said the last sentence in my Master's voice.

"Yes, Nik." She whispered.

"Good. I also want you to tie your hair up or in a braid. I don't want me touching it even by mistake and anyone seeing it change color. I do not want to raise questions." I caressed her long locks, seeing them turn silver under my touch.

"Can you put my hair in a braid, please, Jasmin?" She asked one of the slaves.

"Yes, Queen Avalyn." A slave— Jasmin got up from her kneeling position from near the wall and rushed into the dressing room. She came out with a comb and a rubber band.

She quickly put Ava's hair in a braid.

"Thank you, Jasmine," Ava said.

"You're welcome, my Queen," Jasmine said with a smile and went to kneel back in her position.

We both walked outside our bedroom and saw Rhazien talking with Vladimir and Sofiya.

"Nikolai." Rhazien straightened up when he saw me. "Avalyn." He nodded at her in acknowledgment.

"Rhazien." I nodded back.

"Hello, Rhazien. Where's Jessica?" She asked.

"She will meet us in the dining hall." He replied to her and then looked at me in worry, "you've talked to her?"

"Yes," I replied, looking down at Avalyn.

"Okay. Thanks. That's good." He said.

"Chill Rhazien. It's going to be alright." Vladimir said. It's true. The man was stressing way too much.

"You can never be extra cautious." He spoke ominously.

"What is it?" I narrowed my eyes at him. There was something he isn't telling us.

"The people are divided. The middle class and the poor ones who disliked Vasilik like the new change in power but the older and affluent families who liked him are against it." By against it, he means against us.

"He only has to keep the throne for twenty-four hours before he can announce he is making me the King. Nothing much will happen in one day." Vladimir looked worried too. I'm going to have to have a talk with him about that later.

"Which also means he will stay in power for three more days after that," Rhazien said.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Rule and be the best King you can. Don't make major changes. Don't do things that will affect any of the elites in anyways. We are pretty rigid in our system and we despise change. To be honest, the only reason you are standing alive right now is that Vladimir is here with you. And people like you more because you announced him as the first in line." Rhazien said.

It was true. Vladimir being here was the only reason we were alive right now.

"I can manage to not get killed for twenty-four hours," I said dryly.

"Good. Avalyn, please don't say anything about the slaves. I know you feel strongly for them but if you die, there is no saving them ever." He said in a joking manner but a growl escaped my throat.

"No one is dying," I said. "Let's go. We are late for breakfast." I took Ava's hand in mine and led her out of the door.

The guards surrounded us as we walked to the dining hall.

The guards opened the doors for us and the chattering voices stopped and everyone stood up. A sign of respect.

Suddenly a little girl ran up to us, reminding me of Vanessa. They looked like they were of the same age. But I thought Vampire kingdoms didn't have a lot of children. Whose kid is this?

The girl tugged at my jeans, making every single person in the room freeze.

"Are you the King now?" She asked loudly, her voice echoing in the deadly silent room.

"Yes," I replied.

She raised her arms, wanting me to pick her up. I heard a gasp from somewhere in the room. Probably her mother. But I don't think she has anything to worry about. I picked the little girl up.

"Are you a bad king like Vlasik or a good one?" She looked into my eyes as she said the wrong name confidently.

I chuckled at her. So much like Vanessa.

"I would like to consider myself a good one," I replied to her.

"Which means you will release my sister from jail?" She asked.

A lady rushed to us.

"Forgive me, King Nikolai." She bowed before standing upright. "The girl does not know what she speaks of. I should not have brought her here but she threw a tantrum." Her cheeks tinted pink as she took the little girl from my arms.

"It's fine. She is an adorable kid." I smiled kindly at the worried-looking lady. "I would also like to announce that if an unfair judgment was passed against anyone's family members or friend, the court will be open to grievances," I said and I felt Ava squeeze my arm. She was happy with my decision.

There wasn't a better way to spend our three days as King and Queen anyways.

The room broke into murmurs as I walked to my seat at the head of the long table with Ava. Ava took her seat to my right and Vladimir took a seat to my left, Sofiya on his other side.

I could feel the shift in the air. They were warming up to us and Rhazien looked happy too. This had to be good.

I sat on my chair, followed by Ava and then everyone else.

The food was already placed on the table so the slaves came in and served everyone.

Everyone waited for me to have the first bite. After the slave had served my place, I picked up the knife and fork and cut a piece of omelet, and ate it.

Taking that as a sign, the rest started eating too.

I caught Jessica's gaze who was sitting beside her mate and she nodded at me. I nodded back.

The breakfast was more tamed than I had thought. And much more than what Rhazien had thought too. None of the slaves were punished, and that's because none of them messed up.

In this world, slaves were pets. Like ornaments. The more, the prettier, the better. The elites flashed their pets like women flashed their jewelry. And showing power and control over them, being the most strict Master to their slaves was them flaunting how great they are.

I understood that. I have spent a considerable around of time in this palace and I know how things work. They were just not opening up because of the change in power which hadn't happened in centuries. I give them a couple of days before they go back to their old ways. It only worried me for Ava.

I placed my spoon down after I was done and saw that Ava was done too. She looked a bit nervous but she was doing well. Most of the people at the table were done too.

I wiped my mouth with the napkin and stood up, making everyone else follow my suit.

"Thank you for the breakfast and have a nice day," I said and took Ava's hand in mine before taking my leave.

"Where are we going now?" She asked as the guards surround us.

"I thought that a Queen should know what her palace looks like." I smiled.

Her eyes brightened at the prospect of a tour.

"This is the library," I said as we entered the three-story library. Vladimir, Max, and I used to spend a considerable about of time here. Mainly because both of them loved books. I am more of an outdoor person.

I leaned against a shelf and watched as she spun around herself, looking at the library. Avalyn liked books, I knew that. But not enough to read all day, every day. But I had caught her reading a book now and then.

"The books here are thousands of years old," I told her.

"Can I take one?" She asked.

"Sure," I said.

Smiling widely, she climbed up the stairs and roamed around, finding whatever she wanted. She got a book she wanted and she climbed down again.

I saw the book she picked up and I saw it was about Fayes. A shy smile grew on her face. She wanted to know more about her kind.

I handed her book back to her and continued with the tour. I showed her the ballroom, all five courtrooms, the throne room, the center room which had a vast balcony to attend to the public, the gallery, and the staterooms. I saved the gardens for the last.

As we walked through the garden, Ava had such a blissful expression on her face that it made my chest hurt.

"Do you like the palace?" I asked her.

She looked up at me and smiled. "I love it."

"One day I'm going to build you a palace. Bigger and better than this." I vowed.

"B-but I don't need all of this. The home we have back at the pack is enough." She looked shocked.

"That place is a house, Ava. Not a home. I'm going to build a Palace for my Queen. And that will be our home." I kissed the back of her hand.

"My home is where you are, Nikolai." She bit her lip.

I pressed my thumb against her lip and pulled it out from between her teeth. Every time she did that, it made me want to bite her scrumptious lips too.

"Home is where the heart is. And you own my heart." Damn. Since when did I become so mushy?

"Forgive me, King Nikolai, Queen Avalyn." A man approached and they bowed.

"Rise," I said.

He stood straight. "As per your orders, everyone was made aware that they could apply to the court for their grievances. The time for the court to open is in thirty minutes. Prince Vladimir has told me to inform you about it."

"Thank you. You may leave now." I said, dismissing him. He bowed again before leaving.

"We can see the rest later," I told her.

"Alright." She replied. We walked back to our bedroom later and the slaves helped us dress up.

We ditched the robe, sword, and scepter, wearing only our crowns.

The guards escorted us to the courtroom. This one was smaller and didn't have a place for the elites to sit. It was only the important people which included Vladimir, Sofiya, and the Lords and the Lady. And each of them had their pets kneeling by their legs wearing either revealing clothes or only ornaments or nothing at all.

Avalyn did well by ignoring them. My and Ava's throne was combined as per my orders. I didn't want her sitting far for me. She had no idea what to expect.

We both took our seats, with her to my right.

"Rise," I commanded.

They all stood straight from their bowing position and then sat down.

"Bring in the first person," I ordered.

The doors opened and the little girl from the morning along with her parents stepped in. They walked up to us till they were standing in the middle of the courtroom.

"State your problem."Lady Ezra said.

They bowed deeply first before rising. "My King, my Queen, my older daughter was put in prison ten years ago for a crime she did not commit." The man said.

"What did she do?" I asked.

The man's eyes lowered. "She complained that Sacredos Louis raped her. And she used her powers to defend herself and hurt him. King Vasilik passed a judgment that she is guilty and has sentenced her for life based on false accusations."

"Bring in his daughter and Sacredos Louis," I commanded.

"The whole Kingdom will be in chaos if you punish the Sacredos, Nikolai." Vladimir mind-linked me.

A Sacredos was equivalent to the Pope in the Vampire Kingdom. A Sacredos is chosen by God Sol. A gift only a worthy person is bestowed with. Once a Sacredos breaks a rule, another Vampire is given the power of a Sacredos. If that's the case, I'll find the other Sacredos that hasn't come forward.

"If the girl was raped, he is going to be punished," I told him.

The doors opened and a guard brought in a decaying girl. I had heard that those who were put in prison were only given enough blood that they would not die. And that was just another method of torture.

The Sacredos stepped in and walked up to us, ignoring the girl.

"This has to be a joke." He scoffed. "I made you the King and this is what you do? Accuse me of a crime I did not commit? Which is a decade old?"

"Hold your tongue Sacredos. I do not tolerate disrespect." I growled. "You did not make me the King. I am the King because I killed your previous King." I looked down on him. I squeezed Ava's hand, letting her know that I'll talk to her about it later. If anyone comes to know that a female killed Vasilik all on her own, it will raise questions that didn't need to be raised.

I focused my attention on the girl. "What happened?" I asked ignoring her parents who were crying upon seeing the condition of their daughter.

She opened her parched lips. "I -I went to the Sol Temple at night time. Sacredos saw me alone and offered me a place to stay because it was snowing heavily and a blizzard was about to start." She croaked. "I agreed. He gave me blood and I think something was mixed in it because I felt weak after drinking it. Next thing I know I woke up in his bedroom, naked and in pain." There was torment in her eyes. The kind I had seen in Ava's.

"Were there any witnesses?" I asked.

"I blacked out after the glass of blood." She whispered.

"She does not even know what happened and she is accusing me of rape. I am a messenger of God. All these things are beneath me." He spat.

"Bring in his slaves," Ava said and I held in a smirk.

"What has this Kingdom come down to? You are going to take the word of a slave over mine?" He asked.

"No one questions the Queen's order," I said, loud and clear. I knew he did it. I wanted to kill this greasy little worm myself. I had disliked him since yesterday, the day I saw him. Now I got a proper reason to hate him.

He lowered his head.

His four slaves were brought in. I looked at Ava, wanting her to go ahead.

She glanced at me before looking at them. "Do you remember that girl?" She pointed to the girl in chains.

"Yes, my Queen." They replied in sync.

One of them looks a bit frightened. "You." Ava picked him. "Tell me what happened."

"Yes, my Queen." He bowed. "Master Sacredos removed my blood in a glass and I remember him putting in powder of crushed vervain before serving it to her."

"And what happened after she fainted?" Ava leaned ahead in her seat, anger clear in her words.

"He ordered us to tie her to the bed. And then he raped her, my Queen." He whispered, his head bowed down.

In a flash, his throat was slit open and his lifeless body fell to the ground.

"Catch him." Ava stood up from her seat.

The guards came forward and caught him before he could do more damage.

I caught Ava's hand and sat her down again, rubbing my thumb on the back of her palm.

The girl in the chain started struggling to smell all the blood.

"Release her," I ordered the guards to release her. They removed her chains and unlocked her cuffs. She zipped to the bleeding body of the dead slave and sucked his body dry, finally regaining color.

Ava was shaken by how the events played out. I squeezed her hand, calling her attention. It was time for her to dish out a punishment she thought was justified.

She turned her gaze to the Sacredos that was now cuffed and chained by the guards. "We do not believe in sentencing anyone for some time in the prison," Ava said, her voice hard. "Your punishment is either death or payment in the form of lashes. And rape in any form is not tolerated. I, Avalyn Volkov, Queen of Mozog, Luna of the Rogue pack, sentence you, Louis IV, Sacredos of Mozog to death." She made the decision.

I saw Vladimir shake his head slightly. But I will stand by my Queen. The entire courtroom was dead silent.

"You heard your Queen. Take him to prison. Everyone given a death sentence will be executed tomorrow before the crack of dawn." I said.

"You will pay for this, wolf," Louis said loudly before the guards took him out.

"Thank you, my Queen, my King." The family bowed.

The little girl ran up to me and I motioned to the guards who were about to stop her to stop. She climbed up the steps and jumped, landing on my lap before hugging me.

"You're the best King ever! I got to see my sister for the first time!" She giggled.

"I'm glad. Now go be a good girl so you don't get in trouble okay?" I patted her back and smiled.

She nodded, her pigtails bobbing up and down with her head before she hopped off again and ran to her sister, who picked her up and hugged her.

"Thank you, King Nikolai, Queen Avalyn." Tears shone in her eyes before she gave us a deep bow.

I nodded, dismissing them. The little girl waved me goodbye over the shoulder of her sister and I smiled at her.

"You shouldn't have done that." Vladimir leaned back in his seat and sighed. "It's the Sacredos. No one goes against them."

"He raped the girl, Vladimir," Ava said. "He can't get away with something like that just because he is the Sacredos."

"Any more objections?" I asked, looking at Rhazien, Leikos, Darius, and Ezra.

"I think he had it coming," Ezra said. "A lot of people had complained against him but Vasilik has never even brought him to the court. No offense." She said looking at Vladimir.

"None taken." He replied. "But we will have to find the new Sacredos as soon as possible."

"And do we do that?" I asked. I did not know about this.

"They usually come to the palace on their own when they realize they have the powers of a Sacredos. But you should make an official announcement that you are in search of one." Vladimir replied.

"I'll do that." I nodded. "How many more people are there?"

"Eight hundred and fifty-six," Ezra smirked.

I sighed. "Bring the next one in."