Married To The Mad Vampire Lord-Chapter 169: The past_Part 2

Belle knew Rohan’s past was not all rainbows and sunshine, despite how the rumors said he was a prince loved by his parents, Queen Galina and King Zach, but she never expected everything Rav began to tell her, right from the very beginning of it all.

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75 years ago.

A beautiful woman with raven-smooth, long hair that fell down to her waist could be seen standing before a balcony, staring into the night sky.

Her dark red eyes glimmered with unshed tears as her plump lips moved in silent prayers to the bright stars above.

She had learned from her lady-in-waiting that those stars could grant a woman her greatest desires in life, if you wished upon them with all of your desires.

She did not believe in such things, of course, but Queen Galina was desperate and was willing to try the most ridiculous and most outrageous thing in order to fulfill her desperate wishes.

She stood there for a very long time, murmuring her wishes under her breath and silent tears rolling down her pale cheeks.

She was still there until the king returned from the Court meeting and walked into her chamber. He noticed her standing on the balcony and walked up to her with silent footsteps that were muffled by the rugs.

"I can’t believe you are praying to the stars again, Galina," King Zach said with humor in his deep voice as he turned to his beautiful wife, whose eyes stayed glued on the North Star.

She did not look at him as she said, "What did the meeting conclude? Are they still threatening you with our lack of an heir?" she asked, the only question that had been plaguing her restless mind the whole time, no, the whole years since she had gotten married to the King of Nightbrook and had been unable to give birth to any child, not even get pregnant.

King Zach sighed as he turned his eyes to the stars. "I pray your wishes come true, my dear," he said. "It’s getting out of my hands. Zion has started to take in more wives in order to make a son before me, and once that happens... the throne will fall to him."

Galina gasped. "I can’t believe your brother would do that to you."

She turned to him with disbelieving eyes. Zion had always seemed like the kindest person, someone who held no malice and appeared to truly care about his elder brother. He had even taken his brother’s punishment many times when they were young vampires.

But it seemed that, when it came to the battle for the throne, he was just as desperate as every other royal sibling in the past, those who had murdered each other just to sit on the golden seat.

"The fight for the throne knows no blood. A son can kill his father for it, so what makes a brother any different?" Zach remarked with a grime sigh. "The Court and councils want me to take in more wives and dethrone you. Any of the wives I take who succeed in giving me the heir will be crowned the queen."

Galina’s eyes mirrored her horror as she grabbed her husband’s hand in hers and turned her body to him completely. "What did you say to them? Are you willing to replace me after we have loved each other for fifty years? We have loved each other even before the throne was given to you. Zach, I can’t lose you to another vampiress," she cried brokenly, and her husband, being the caring man who had loved her for many years, pulled her into his arms and stroked her trembling form.

"Shh, my dear, don’t cry. I haven’t given my reply to them yet. I only said I will think about it and tell them what I decide," he whispered softly into the crook of her sweet-scented neck.

Galina pulled away from his hold to look at him. "You should have refused it outright! What if they make arrangements to bring in the women for you like it was done to your late father?"

King Zach sighed again. He raised his hand and massaged his temple as he tried to find ways to not anger his wife with what he was about to tell her.

"Galina, it’s not as easy as you think. I can’t lose the throne to Zion, not when I have wanted it from the very beginning. It’s rightfully mine. I love you, and I always will, but my love for you alone can’t keep me on the throne. We need a son desperately before the year rounds and Zion beats me to it. You understand me, don’t you?" he coaxed, reaching to hold her shoulders, but she pulled back from him, a look of betrayal crossing her red eyes.

"You are considering dethroning me, aren’t you?" she asked quietly.

"You have to understand the situation. Even if I take other wives, you will still be my only woman—the one I love and cherish. You—"

Galina’s laughter cut the king off.

"Love? How? If you loved me like you say, you would give up the throne for me, not that I want you to give it up. But I remember the words you told me on the day you were chosen to be crowned. ’You will be my first in everything. You will come first before the throne, and I will love you until forever.’ Those were your words, Zach, your exact words! I was to be your only woman. I was..."

"You can still be my only woman if you give me a damn son!" the king rebuked angrily, slamming his hand against the iron rail of the balcony until it left a dent.

Galina almost staggered on her feet from the mental blow she felt from his words. It was as if he had punched her in the gut, and from the tightening pain in her chest, she would have taken a physical blow far better than the words he had just spoken.

Female vampiresses were known not to conceive as quickly as humans, but there were many among them who could not give birth at all, as they were not fertile enough to carry a child. In fact, many vampire women were said to have no eggs at all with which to reproduce. And for those who did, it often took them no more than ten to fifteen years to finally bear a child.

Galina, however, had taken more than fifty years without carrying a child, an undeniable sign that she was among the women who could not give birth.

Still, the king’s love for her had made him hold on to hope. He never gave up on the belief that she would one day bear his child. But now, he could no longer keep that hope alive, not when his brother was on the verge of beating him to it.

"Is the throne that important to you more than I am?" Galina asked with a bitter smile, but knowing his answer would no doubt break her more, she continued to speak. "If I give you a son, will that be enough to make you drop the idea of marrying more wives?"

"You know that’s all I want the other women for, my dear. I just want a son. I don’t care how we get him, as long as he is mine. That’s all," Zach said.

Galina nodded her head like she understood him. She then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I will give you a son before the end of the year. You will have your heir."

She then leaned in and kissed him on the lips, and that night, they made love under the stars.

The next morning, Galina woke up and sent for her lady-in-waiting.

"You called, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, Kath. About what you told me that day. Can you help reach the witch?" Galina asked her lady-in-waiting, who had good-naturedly given her an advice which Galina had rebuked in disgust years ago.

Kath had told her about a great witch who could grant any woman a child, but witches, known to be cunning and untrustworthy, such that vampires did not seek them out, had made Galina rebuke the advice.

Now, she was desperate. She had prayed on a star to grant her a son, but the stars were not being in her favor. Perhaps this witch would be. She couldn’t lose her position nor her husband because she couldn’t give him a son.

Her lady-in-waiting bowed as she replied, "She is still available, Your Majesty. Should I bring her here or—"

"No, I would rather go to her in her keep. I do not want my husband or anyone finding out about it. Get my cloak. We will leave now."