#Chapter 67 - A Life Exchange

Eloise’s POV

Xavier didn’t give me much of a choice last night. Despite his hurtful words and constant reminders that our marriage was nothing more than a contract, that kiss told me something else.

I reluctantly agreed to become his queen despite knowing that I didn’t have long to live. Especially as the months passed and I was getting further along in my pregnancy, I was starting to feel more drained by the day.

It pained me to think that Xavier still harbored feelings for me. He started coming by more often and making up excuses to see me. Now that he was King, he didn’t have to answer to any other council.

During our encounters, I tried to remain as cold as possible and only be civil out of courtesy. Still, a part of me felt drawn to him, so I couldn’t completely prevent myself from being affectionate towards him.

Xavier’s making things a lot harder for me… and for himself.

As days turned into months, it wasn’t before long until the due date of our baby was fast upon us. Nowadays, it was harder to just sit up in bed.

A knock came at my door. Then a few seconds later, Xavier came in.

“Eloise. It’s time for your morning checkup routine.”

I nodded my head and strained myself as I sat up in bed. “Of course.”

I watched as the doctor came in but was stopped by Xavier. He whispered something in their ear before allowing them to carry on with their usual checkup.

I looked up at Xavier who leaned against the wall. “Is everything alright, Your Majesty?”

His lips remained pressed in a tight line. “I hope so.”

“What do you mean by that?”

I turned my head to the side to see the doctor had pulled out a metal song bowl. They were commonly used to help with any magical ailments and to perform aura readings.

I watched as the doctor sprayed some water infused with green sage and lavender. Immediately I felt my body relax and the air around me feel less heavy.

I closed my eyes as the doctor began to tap at the metal bowl. Then, I listened for the beautiful humming and light ringing that accompanied it.

It felt like I was floating in the clouds. There was no pain, no soreness, no exhaustion. I was finally at ease for the first time in months.

Then the singing bowl stopped and I was soon pulled back to reality–with all of the pain, soreness, and exhaustion hitting my body like a runaway carriage.

I looked at Xavier who had a serious expression on his face. The doctor had just finished whispering something to him and I couldn’t help but feel like I was in trouble.

“Eloise, tell me the truth.” Xavier’s voice was stern.

I nodded my head. “Of course.”

“The doctor informed me that he couldn’t detect an ounce of magic in your body. While you were in your relaxed state, he performed an aura reading on you.”

I looked at the doctor who had a worried expression on his face.

I turned to Xavier and answered him with a lie. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I was dying.

“I believe it to be the result of the pregnancy, Your Majesty. Normally, our magical abilities are suppressed in an effort to protect the child within.”

Which, to be fair, that wasn’t a complete lie, but even a skilled enough doctor would’ve been able to detect traces of our magic while we were pregnant.

Xavier looked at me and then back at the doctor. The two seemed to exchange a wordless conversation before Xavier abruptly left.

The doctor remained quiet and bowed at me as he continued with the rest of the routine checkup.

I wanted to question the doctor but didn’t have the energy to. A part of me wondered if Xavier was catching on to what was happening. Maybe he knew that I was dying but didn’t know why.

Once the doctor left, I succumbed to my mental and emotional exhaustion and fell asleep.

Xavier’s POV

I knew Eloise was lying to me. Well, not entirely, but I knew that she was holding something back.

Before I was forced to flee for my life from Douglas, I was constantly studying the history of the various kingdoms and getting to know the ins and outs of their existence. As crown prince, I was expected to know a variety of topics–especially if there was to come a day I’d have to use my know-how to protect my kingdom.

I knew that pregnant witches often diverted their magic to protect their babies but it was always at will. They always had a choice in when they would lower their magical defenses in favor of the child.

However, it was never all of it unless in a life or death scenario.

I traveled down the corridors of my castle in search of the one person who would tell me anything when it came to Eloise. She had it once before and I had no doubt she would do it again.

When I knocked on her door, a surprised look came on her face as she bowed and curtsied to me instinctively. “King Xavier. Your Majesty. Is everything alright?”

I looked around me before stepping into Nora’s room to make sure that we were alone. Then I locked the door behind us.

I took a deep breath and attempted to brace myself to hear the worst.

“Nora… Please tell me what’s wrong with Eloise.”

Nora froze in her tracks and looked at me with a solemn expression. She hesitated as she fidgeted with her fingers.

“Please, Nora… Eloise won’t tell me and I know something’s wrong with her. Please, if there’s any way I can help her, make her comfortable, anything…” I crossed the distance between us and took Nora’s hands into mine.

She looked up at me with tears welled in her eyes. “Your Majesty… You know that Eloise is my dearest friend and that I don’t want to break a promise I made to her but…”

Tears started to fall down Nora’s face. “But I can’t stand to see Lady Eloise in her current state and it breaks my heart knowing that I’ve been keeping something so terrible from you…”

“During the battle at Witches Landing, you and Lady Eloise fought bravely for us. However, you were gravely injured and close to the brink of death…” Nora began to explain.

“Our healers did everything they could to bring you back but nothing seemed to work. So, Eloise left the castle and went to pray to the Moon Goddess but then…”

“But then what, Nora? Please tell me.”

More tears fell down her face. “Eloise met our beautiful Moon Goddess, Elara, and it was then that she learned the forbidden art of Life Magic. She used that taboo magic to resurrect you but at a price–her life.”

Adam’s POV

“What do you want with us?!” Samuel yelled.

“Simple–the crown,” I stated calmly.

“You arrogant little halfling! A vampire with the blood of a human running through its veins doesn’t deserve to lead our kingdom!” Michael shouted.

“Robert was supposed to be our next king, but you murdered him out of selfishness!” Christopher spat.

“And if you continue to test my patience, then you’ll end up just like him!” I roared.

Their demeanors changed when I raised my voice. They looked up at Robert’s corpse and then back at me nervously.

“I’m going to give you a choice… And I trust you all to make the correct one.”

“And if we don’t?” Michael asked.

I sighed. In the blink of an eye, I appeared right behind Samuel as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Before he could pry my arms from around his airway, I leaned his head back and immediately sank my teeth into his flesh. His screams echoed throughout the entire estate. My siblings watched in horror as Darius and Devin held them in place.

After a few seconds, I threw Samuel to the ground.

“You leech!”

Samuel ran for me and was ready to fight. There was no mistaking the fire of hatred in his eyes.

However, I sidestepped his attack and bent his arm behind his back. A sharp crack reverberated throughout the room as Samuel screamed in pain.

“You broke my arm you leech!” Samuel cried.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Michael and Christopher who were mortified.

“A-Adam, please. Whatever it is you want out of us, please, we can help!” Christopher the Coward was the first one to speak up. He was always the one to give up and resort to more diplomatic approaches.

“Help? Oh, dear, brother. It’s far too late for you to offer such kindness to me. Not when I needed it as a child!” My voice boomed.

“But no matter… I’ll be taking you “help” regardless.” I grinned wickedly.

I had all of my siblings thrown into the dungeons that I had built below the estate all those months again. They remained chained to the walls, only eating the scraps of deer Devin and his men killed.

I kept them alive and I fed off of them every night.

With the strength, speed, and mental fortitude I siphoned from my brothers, I knew now was the best time to take the crown from my father. So, one night, I put a cloak over my head and ran for the castle of Hastings.