The Vampire King's Possession-Chapter 790. Pathetic Approach

Mauve couldn’t hide her joy when her brother walked through the doors of the dining hall. He wasn’t alone and Mauve recognized the man next to him as one of his close confidants, but Mauve barely paid attention to the man who came with Malcolm. Her eyes were on her brother and a wide smile was plastered across her face as she opened her mouth to welcome him.

"Your Highness," Ferguson and Madeline simultaneously said, standing to their feet and showing their respect.

"Malcolm," Mauve said, right after them, smiling hard enough for it to hurt. "Welcome."

Malcolm barely acknowledged the physician and the midwife. They were quick to return to their seats, not wanting to disrupt the meal any longer.

"Mauve," Malcolm said and walked towards Mauve before going to the seat he was assigned.

He stopped beside her and dropped to one knee so they were at eye level, as Mauve couldn’t easily stand up to welcome him. Malcolm was dressed in simple clothes and his hair was still slightly wet, drawing attention to the streaks of white littered across his hair.

"It’s only been a little over a month and your stomach is much bigger than the last time I saw you."

Mauve smiled and rubbed her stomach, laughing softly. "It’s not that big," she replied.

"Not at all. Ahh, I can’t wait to be an uncle," Malcolm called out with a smile on his face.

Mauve smiled at him, nodding her head in agreement. Only then did Malcolm turn his attention to Jael. He stood to his feet and nodded to Jael.

"I suppose you encountered no problems on your journey here," Jael said.

"None," Malcolm said, walking past his sister and sitting just after Lord Alaric. The latter shrank away from him and clung to his mate.

Malcolm didn’t notice this as a servant immediately started to serve him. He dug into the meal immediately. The journey from Greenham hadn’t been totally without trials, especially through the Nolands, and he had gone long periods without any meals. To say he was famished was an understatement.

There was barely any conversation and the air felt unusually tense. It was understandable. Malcolm was here because a decision was about to be made and it would determine the next line of approach in the war against the Palers. It was enough reason to make everyone tense and uneasy.

After the meal ended, Mauve couldn’t wait to talk to her brother but as much as she would rather have a generic conversation, the fate of the Vampire Regions was more important than any other conversation.

Jael could see the eagerness on Mauve’s face and he wanted more than anything for her not to worry, but he knew the more he told her not to, the more she’d get worried.

They quickly made their way to the drawing room for ease of conversation. Mauve was seated beside her brother. It just happened that way and it was also not difficult to see a brooding Jael sitting across from them.

"How’s father?" Mauve asked. It was not a topic she wanted to bring up but courtesy demanded she at least ask about the man who birthed her.

"Hard to say," Malcolm replied. "Not much has changed."

Mauve wanted to inquire more but she stopped herself from doing that. Malcolm was here for a reason and that was more important than inquiring about her sick father’s health.

She simply nodded and looked towards Jael who leaned back on the sofa, his gaze on Mauve when she turned to face him. Their eyes met and she smiled reflexively. Jael tried his best to return her smile but he failed woefully.

"How was it living with two more humans?" Malcolm smirked.

Jael narrowed his eyes. "I doubt you came here for petty talks."

"Jael," Mauve scolded.

Malcolm simply smiled and turned to look at Louis, who was equally seated but the latter was quiet, barely saying a word even during the last meal.

"Malcolm just arrived. A decision can be made by sunset—"

"No," Malcolm cut in. "Let’s get this over with. Wouldn’t you agree?"

Mauve couldn’t disagree with this. She had spoken those words to try to console herself but truthfully, she’d rather know now.

When Mauve didn’t disagree with him, Malcolm turned to Jael. "Might I have a private room to speak to them?"

Jael knew who Malcolm was referring to and he was glad the crown prince had come himself. That meant he took this as seriously as possible. Jael originally wouldn’t have cared if humans wanted to help or not, but he knew this meant quite a lot to Mauve especially since it would go a long way toward bridging the gap between humans and vampires.

Another reason why he cared was because of his unborn child. He couldn’t bring his child into such a dangerous situation. He wanted to show his child how vast his kingdom was, but there was no way to do that if the Palers were prowling the land. For this cause, he was willing to go with whatever the human prince might request.

"We will leave," Jael said and turned to Louis. Louis stood on his feet and Jael soon followed suit.

He took a step forward and stretched out his hand to Mauve. Malcolm wanted privacy and Jael was quick to assume that also meant he could take his mate.

Malcolm shook his head. "She stays."

Jael narrowed his eyes and he had to remind himself that this was Mauve’s brother and not someone trying to steal his mate.

Mauve grabbed his hand but didn’t try to lift herself upwards. "I think I should stay too."

Jael looked at where their hands joined and he felt his throat tighten. Suddenly, Louis tapped him on the shoulder and Jael forced himself to pull away.

Merely moments after Jael stepped out of the drawing room, Madeline and Ferguson were quickly led in. They seemed cautious at first as they walked in but as soon as they realized it was just the crown prince and the princess, they immediately relaxed.

Ferguson bowed while Madeline curtsied as they were ushered in, the doors closing behind their backs.

"Have your seats," Malcolm said, stretching out his hand toward the seat right across from them.

Madeline was hesitant but Ferguson took the seat immediately. "Thank you, Your Highness," he said as he got comfortable.

Madeline sat down too and she briefly met eyes with Mauve, but before the latter could even smile at her, she looked away. Ferguson on the other hand kept his gaze on the crown prince’s shoes.

Mauve suddenly felt cold. She hadn’t thought about it as all they needed was one person to believe they could walk side by side with vampires, even if it wasn’t now but at least in the foreseeable future. However, what if neither of them thought it was possible? Mauve had not considered this.

"Ferguson," Malcolm called first. "You seem eager to go. Can you tell me the findings and conclusions you arrived at?"

"Thank you, Your Highness. I do not think there would ever be a chance when vampires would treat us equally," Ferguson replied without hesitation.

Malcolm’s eyes darkened briefly, then his expression returned to neutral. "Elaborate. Was your stay here uncomfortable or did anything in particular happen for you to come to this conclusion?"

Mauve wasn’t surprised at all. She knew just how strongly Ferguson felt against vampires. He had no plans to support them even before he came to the castle.

"It wasn’t uncomfortable and the servants mostly avoided me except for the ones assigned to aid me. The Lords in the castle are not outrightly rude but it’s particularly hard to ignore their condescending stares and it’s easy to tell that the only reason they are not attacking is because they need something from us."

"I see," Malcolm said with seriousness. He turned towards Madeline. "What about you, Madeline? Do you have the same opinion as Ferguson or perhaps, you think we can relate on a more equal level?"

Madeline glanced across, her gaze didn’t linger as she slowly shook her head. "I don’t think it is possible," Madeline said.

Mauve had to bite down a gasp. She looked from one of them to the other and her heart sank further. They both truly thought it was impossible.

"Would you elaborate?" Malcolm asked.

Madeline shuffled in her seat, she sneaked a glance at Mauve but didn’t hold it. "I have gotten particularly close to the vampire King’s aunt but I can tell she doesn’t see me as any more than a servant. That’s not all, the servants all act as though they are better and though they aren’t rude, they keep an air of displeasure whenever they attend to me. The Lords are even worse. My situation is no different from Ferguson."

Mauve wanted to shake her head. Lady Marceline treated everyone in that manner, even Jael, the Primus. However, she couldn’t dispute everything else Madeline had said. Servants had also acted in that manner when she first arrived. Things only got better after she was marked.

"I see," Malcolm said. "Does that mean your answer is no?"

"Yes, Your Highness. My decision is no. I don’t think we should meddle with vampire problems. I doubt they would even appreciate our help."

Malcolm nodded. "Thank you, Madeline, for staying this long even though the atmosphere is unfavorable."

Madeline shook her head. "It is my honor, Your Highness. I would want nothing more than for My Lady to have a somewhat easier birth," Madeline replied.

Mauve tried to keep her expression off her face. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t offended by what Madeline had said about vampires, but she knew she was just being sentimental as there was no lie in Madeline’s words, and if she wasn’t romantically involved with Jael, she might have also agreed.

However, Jael was proof enough that vampires could change. They could see humans in a better light and she was willing to hold on to that thought for her unborn child who was both human and vampire.

"I guess that concludes this," Malcolm said and Mauve couldn’t help but notice the strained expression on her brother’s face. He too had hoped this would end on a positive note.

Mauve shut her eyes briefly. She had hoped this would work. She knew a relationship would be beneficial for both parties as Kieran was currently working on a cure for the white disease. Humans could also benefit from vampires as vampires would.

"Ferguson," Malcolm called. "Is your decision the same?" He asked only for formality’s sake. Ferguson had not hidden his disapproval.

"Quite the contrary, Your Highness."

Mauve’s eyes flew open as she heard those words. "You think it’s possible?" Mauve blurted before she could help herself.

"No," Ferguson was quick to reply. "However, I think the situation can be somewhat favorable for us. To help them, vampires would have to teach us magic that they cannot use. I think getting our hands on this power would be beneficial for us and regardless of whether vampires would ever see us as equals, we would have something that might be equal to the powers they have.

"While I do not think we would ever be able to live amiably, I don’t think it is necessary. With enough strength, vampires would have to treat us with respect, regardless of whether they want to or not. Being able to hold our ground should be more important than if they would be nice to us. The former seems like a pathetic approach. Please forgive my choice of words, Your Highness."

Malcolm exhaled with a soft sound as he leaned back against the seat. Mauve could hear his relief but she knew it was nothing compared to how she felt. She didn’t care what the reason was, as long as they were willing to help.

Malcolm turned to Mauve. "It looks like you will get your wish. We are willing to help vampires in their quest. Of course, I have a few other demands."

Mauve nodded. "Thank you," she said to her brother. She knew his requests were something vampires could handle. Malcolm wouldn’t be too demanding for her sake.