Chapter Two-Hundred-And-Eighty-Three
**3rd Person POV**
King Armand's face contorted in terror as he examined the content of the letter he had just received from Alpha Dagen. Agatha looked at him with expectation, waiting for him to say something but the things he had just read were not things that he could explain. He gave the letter to his wife to read. He watched her face turn ugly which he had never thought possible.
“Do you think any of it is true?” quipped Agatha. He could see his own terror in her eyes.
“If it is, isn't it good that we knew before it was too late?” quipped King Armand. He could not imagine the catastrophe that would follow if they had discovered the information in the letter a second too late.
“We have to report this to mobilise forces immediately; we must put a stop to this,” said Agatha. Armand could see her fingers trembling. He reached out to comfort her but he realised that he was trembling also.
“Alpha Dagen has entrusted us with delivering the message to Ashton's ministers without informing him,” said King Armand.
“I need to sit,” remarked Agatha looking for a chair close to her. When she found it she collapsed into it.
****
When news eventually reached Minister Alderman and Lord Augustine of the content of the letter that was sent; they were devastated but not surprised. They had known about some of the things that Ashton had been trying to do but they had never been able to prove it.
The letter revealed that he had killed his brothers in cold blood to ensure that there was no doubt about the line of succession. Lord Augustine and Lord Alderman were glad that they had obeyed their late king when he had told them to keep the identity of his last son a secret from Prince Ashton. The old man had known about his son but he could not do anything about it because he still loved his child. He was not ready to confront the horror of what his son had done. Now that he was dead, it was time to oust Prince Ashton out of power. The fact that he had killed potential heirs to the throne was damaging enough. However, this was not the only thing Ashton was guilty of.
It was not a secret that Ashton had been trying to wipe out the werewolves. At some point, he had gathered the support of other vampire kingdoms to carry out this mission at the sight of the red moon. His plan had failed in part but he had found ways to infiltrate werewolf land and kidnap some of them.
Even among vampires, it was known that Ashton kept a large cell that held the werewolves he kidnapped because he often boasted about it but no one knew the location. There was no doubt of its existence though because it was believed that this was where he kept Irvette whom he sometimes showed off to his courtiers as one of his trophies of war.
What no one knew was that Prince Ashton was kidnapping his kind too. The cell held both werewolves and vampires. The sickening part was that it was a huge laboratory for illegal experiments. Prince Ashton was trying to alter the make-up of both races so that they could become an army that had no mind of its own except his.
He was creating zombies.
Rosaline had faithfully followed her master for years and due in part to the oath she had with Ashton, she had never been able to say a word about the grotesque things she had seen.
Lord Augustine and Lord Alderman wasted no time in rallying the other ministers and the kingdoms that were affected also.
Rosaline had told them that Ashton's plan was near completion and when he returned home, he would do so with an army of zombies that would heed his every command and would not be scared at all of death.
Ashton had been gathering this army for years so no one knew the multitude of the army but they knew they had to be prepared.
****
Ashton cursed as he wobbled about in the mist. He stopped all of a sudden and closed his eyes. He had not wanted it to come to this but he had reached his breaking point and his entire plan which he had dedicated his entirety to was at stake.
He muttered some curses and this time when he opened his eyes, they were completely red. There was no white anywhere. He could also see very clearly now. He looked upward and saw the top of Mount Shasta. Regina’s magic was concentrated there so he did not bother wasting time fighting her for access. He knew already that Rosaline had revealed all. The only way to return home was by claiming everything with force.
He blinked rapidly and he could sense that his lieutenant had found a dragon's egg. How lucky! Ashton muttered. Of course, he detested Jude for hesitating and not reaching out for its yolk.
It was settled then. He would drink the yolk of the dragon which would add to his powers and make its mother his pet.
He laughed out loud. Yes, he was unstoppable!
****
Jude battled with indecision for a very long time. He could not turn his back on the dragon egg because he would have a sure death at the hand of Ashton. Nor could he try retrieving its yolk. He knew that somewhere not too far away the mother would be watching him, daring him to touch her precious egg so that she could rent his body into pieces. Perhaps all he could do was to remain here. He could live out the rest of his years beside the egg.
“Allow me to put you out of your misery,” Jude jumped in fright. He turned around to see Ashton walking towards him.
The air became chillier with every step Ashton took.
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