Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 238: Manifestation of Fear

They couldn’t allow the king’s lover to perform a dark magic ritual as well. Margrave Boris knew it was morally reprehensible, but as the king’s advisor, his foremost duty was to ensure the kingdom’s stability and prevent it from descending into chaos.

One contingency lingered in his mind—a grim yet practical solution: if the truth about Florian and the dark magic ritual ever came to light, they would need a scapegoat.

And who better than the late Queen Isolde? She, after all, was no longer alive to defend herself.

If the public learned of Florian’s existence and the forbidden magic tied to his creation, the fallout would be catastrophic. The people’s trust in the monarchy would erode, and with that, the very foundation of their rule.

King Valentin would be left powerless, forced to watch as his kingdom crumbled around him, unable to do a thing to stop it.

But by pinpointing the blame onto the late queen, they could shield the current monarch’s reputation and maintain the authority of the crown. Margrave Boris had already begun crafting a narrative: Queen Isolde, a lonely and neglected wife, had turned to dark magic in her desperation.

It was no secret that King Valentin had never loved anyone but Lady Maris. The entire court had known his marriage to the late Queen Isolde was purely political—a union arranged by the previous king to secure alliances. That public knowledge could serve as a convenient foundation for the margrave’s story.

Of course, the narrative would conveniently omit certain details. The late queen had not been entirely isolated, as she had maintained a social circle and frequently hosted gatherings. But such facts were unnecessary—better left unsaid.

In this version of events, Queen Isolde would be painted as a tragic figure driven by despair, seeking solace in forbidden practices when her marriage offered none.

It was a ruthless plan, one that made Margrave Boris uneasy even as he formulated it. Yet, if it meant preserving the kingdom and the crown, it was a sacrifice he was prepared to make.

Technically, Margrave Boris wouldn’t be lying—he would simply be telling a version of the truth, though not the entire truth. Even so, this partial truth would still send shockwaves through the kingdom.

If Lady Maris were to perform the same dark ritual, regardless of her intentions, it would cast a shadow over the monarchy. The act would be seen as reckless, dangerous, and unbecoming of someone so close to the crown.

Margrave Boris understood why King Valentin was adamant about preventing her from doing it. From his perspective, it was a matter of protecting the monarch’s reputation and ensuring stability.

What Boris didn’t realize, however, was that King Valentin’s concerns had nothing to do with politics. The king wasn’t thinking about how the public would perceive the act, nor was he calculating the potential fallout for the monarchy. His opposition was far more personal.

King Valentin’s only concern was Lady Maris’s safety. After knowing the fate of the late Queen Isolde—consumed and destroyed by the dark magic she had dabbled in—he couldn’t bear the thought of history repeating itself. The very idea of losing Lady Maris in the same way was unthinkable to him.

Yet Margrave Boris underestimated the depth of the king’s love for Lady Maris. He misinterpreted the king’s resistance as a political maneuver rather than the desperate, heartfelt plea of a man trying to protect the woman he cherished above all else.

What Margrave Boris correctly deduced was Riona’s potential involvement in this entire ordeal. King Valentin had firmly rejected the idea of seeking Riona’s help, not out of doubt about her abilities, but because he feared the harm it might cause his niece in the process.

The only course of action left was to strengthen the spell on Florian’s chamber. Lady Maris, though far from an adept spellcaster, poured every ounce of her limited skill into the enchantment, to supplement King Valentin’s spells.

Casting such spells day after day was taking a toll on the king. It was becoming more and more apparent to everyone, including Lisbeth. She had intended to share what she had witnessed with her father, but wary of burdening him further, she chose to confide in her mother instead.

"You don’t think..." Lady Maris’s voice faltered, unable to finish the thought.

Lisbeth nodded, stepping in to voice the fear her mother couldn’t express. "I think the demon is starting to manifest in a shadowy form. It means it can separate itself from Florian."

Lady Maris’s face paled, and she bit her lip, fighting the rush of panic. That was terrible news. Her mind raced, and she urged her daughter to elaborate. Lisbeth hesitated, but then spoke in a hushed tone, recounting the other signs that had made her fear for Florian’s safety.

"I’ve seen bruises and cuts on his skin. And I often find broken ceramics in his chambers. Based on the timing and the wounds, I think... I think he may have tried to take his own life."

Lady Maris’s breath caught in her throat, and she gasped in horror. Her hands trembled as she buried her face in them. "This is my fault. Oh, poor boy... What should we do with him?"

How much pain must he have endured to choose such a path? What must he have felt in those dark moments? Lady Maris was overwhelmed with guilt, the weight of responsibility crushing her. If Florian had died in his infancy, none of this would have happened.

The boy should never have been born at all. The thought was unbearable, yet undeniable. Emmanuelle had been right, and she had prevented the servant from carrying out what was, in hindsight, the right course of action.

"How can this possibly be your fault?" Lisbeth’s voice broke through her thoughts. "Mother, what’s really happening? Are you hiding something from me?"

Lisbeth’s eyes were filled with confusion and concern, unaware of the dark truths surrounding Florian’s birth, the ritual of the late queen, or her mother’s own pivotal role in it all.

***

Lady Maris stood before the door to Florian’s chamber, the witch’s words echoing relentlessly in her mind.

"It is inevitable—a battle between him and the demon. Demons feed on fear, anxiety, and all negative emotions. The more the boy gives in to the demon’s taunting, the more he’ll lose himself. If he doesn’t strengthen his mental defenses, he’ll be trapped inside his own body, while the demon takes control."

That was what had happened when Florian slipped out of the palace, hunting vampires to kill and drink their blood.

"How do we kill it without harming the boy?" Lady Maris had asked, her voice tight with fear.

"Separate them—the demon and the boy. When the boy is strong enough to expel the demon, then kill it."

Lisbeth’s news had initially sounded like a glimmer of hope. After all, they needed to separate the demon from Florian, and that was what’d happened, right? But that was far from the truth.

What had happened to Florian wasn’t separation—it was something far worse. The demon wasn’t being pushed out; it was manifesting. It fed on Florian’s negative emotions, growing stronger with every burst of fear, every pang of despair. As it fed, it gained power—powerful enough to take physical form.

This was different from separation. The demon’s hold on Florian wasn’t just physical. It remained tethered to his soul, feeding on his willpower, draining his very essence. It was like siphoning strength from Florian to fuel the demon. And once the transfer was complete, Florian would be empty, a shell, while the demon would claim everything. freēwēbnovel.com