The Vampire King's Toxic Consort (bxb)

Chapter 60 Confession of A Fool

Dorian decided to return to Vermilion Citadel three months after Lucius left.

The three months felt like a blur to him, and each day felt like the same. He didn't get much sleep at all and was constantly trying to resolve grim stately crises one after another. Prince Naser was not happy that Lucius got away without a trial, and the Queen was enraged and threatened to use the fleet she sent to support Dorian to retaliate against Dorian's betrayal. Dorian and Darius then interrogated the Master day and night nonstop, eventually managed to elicit a confession from him and confirmed that Zephyr was involved in Lucius's abduction and enslavement. Dorian sent the confession to Queen Kali and told her that he "looked forward" to seeing her on the battlefield.

Learning the truth, Queen Kali knew she had lost the moral high ground, and as Dorian regained his full power and Eternia had developed a cure for the regression virus, she had little chance to win the fight without devastating her country. Therefore, she indignantly withdrew her fleet from Eternia and severed her alliance with Eternia, but no war was fought between the two kingdoms.

The Master was going to be put to trial, but he refused to divulge the identities of the other five Knights of The Order or the location of The Web, no matter how much "interrogation techniques" were used against him. Unless Dorian dived into his mind and entirely destroyed his ability to stand trials, there was no way to get more information from him.

On top of that, Dorian managed to overrule the plan of releasing the virus into Anthor using the excuse of a "common good" to the world with the help of Darius, though it led to uproarious criticisms against him from both the court and the entire country, but not loud enough to threaten his rule yet.

After Karnath's fleet left, Dorian saw no reason to linger in Angel Reef. He returned to Vermilion Citadel in Emberton the very next day.

Everything looked a little different from his last memory of his home. Once again approving that he had lost a decade of memories. He felt strangely out of place, as if he was in another person's life.

The head steward ushered him to his old room, which was a little unusual, as the room was reserved for a prince but not a king.

"Shouldn't I be in The King's Chamber?"He asked without thinking much about his question.

The head steward looked at him bewildered, "Oh, my apologies. Your Majesty ordered the King's Chamber to be locked for many years since..." He stopped himself in time, knowing that the King didn't like people mentioning the Royal Consort, "I thought you would still like to use the Crown Prince's Chamber, so I didn't prepare the King's Chamber."

And then it dawned on Dorian. His old self locked up the room he and Lucius shared since Lucius's betrayal was exposed, and never used it again.

"I would like to stay in the King's Chamber today, no need to prepare anything."

"But no one had been in that room for years. It will be rather dusty and unkempt."

"I don't mind. Unlock the door, and you and others can leave me."

As all the servants left the room, Dorian turned on the light.

It was his father's room, but he couldn't find much of his father's trace. The furniture was in more modern, simpler styles, and the curtains and bedding were all in calming, muted tones. He could see traces of two people's lives everywhere. The matching coffee mugs on the bar table. The artworks that he probably wouldn't have picked on the wall. The books of different genres were strewed on the desk and coffee table. A drawing tablet Dorian had no idea how to use and several sketchbooks lying around.

He picked up one of the sketchbooks on the nightstand and flipped over. It was Lucius's sketches.

Lucius mentioned to Dorian that he liked to draw and studied fine art in college, but Dorian never had a chance to behold one of his drawings, at least not that he could remember. And now, looking at Lucius's sketches after he was gone gave Dorian an unexpected jab in his chest, especially when he flipped to the page of a drawing of him.