The Vampire's King Pet-Chapter 41: Who is this master?

The sound of iron wheels grinding against stone echoed through the palace courtyard as the carriages rolled in one after another. Torches lined the path, their flames flickering violently as though reacting to the presence they escorted. The rogues were transported calmly—too calmly. Chains clinked softly as guards dragged the iron cages from the carriages, their expressions tense and wary. Even the most hardened soldiers could feel it—the wrongness clinging to the creatures inside.

Alexander and Arthur stood near the entrance of the palace, watching with sharp, calculating eyes. Neither of them spoke as the dungeon gates were opened below. They remained still, unmoving, until the last cage disappeared down the stone steps.

Only then did Alexander finally speak.

"Did you see them?" he asked quietly.

Without waiting for an answer, he gestured to a nearby guard. The man approached immediately, holding a fresh pair of gloves on a silver tray. Alexander stripped off the gloves he had worn earlier and replaced them with the new ones, his movements precise and controlled.

Arthur nodded grimly. "Yes. Only one of them is still alive. The other didn’t last two nights." His jaw tightened. "The survivor got hungry... and began feeding on the other one."

Disgust flickered across Arthur’s face. Even after years of war and bloodshed, there were still things that unsettled him.

Alexander exhaled slowly. "Wonderful," he murmured. "I’ll be stuck with smelly, disgusting creatures."

Arthur huffed quietly. "Let’s get this over with."

They descended into the dungeon, torches lighting the narrow stairway. The deeper they went, the colder the air became, thick with dampness and decay. The dungeon was divided into two sections. The upper level housed petty criminals—thieves, traitors, and those guilty of lesser offenses. But the underground chambers were something else entirely.

They were built for monsters.

No one except the king and his most trusted subordinates knew what truly happened there. The walls bore silent testimony—scratches, dried blood, claw marks embedded deep into stone. One thing was certain: no one sent to the lower dungeon had ever come out alive.

They passed several cages before stopping in front of one. The stench hit them instantly, putrid and overwhelming. Rot, blood, and something unnatural blended into a nauseating odor.

A guard unlocked the gate, stepping aside quickly.

Alexander and Arthur entered.

Their eyes landed on the creature crouched inside.

It was once human—of that there was no doubt—but whatever transformation it had undergone had twisted it into something grotesque. Its body was larger than a man’s, muscles stretched unnaturally beneath grayish skin. One arm appeared longer than the other, fingers ending in claws instead of nails. Its face was a distortion of humanity—sunken cheeks, jagged teeth, glowing red eyes filled with madness.

An incomplete experiment.

Or perhaps one that had gone horribly wrong.

Alexander took a step forward, his expression cold and devoid of emotion.

"Who are you," he asked evenly, "and who turned you into this?"

The creature lifted its head slowly. A throaty laugh bubbled from its chest, rough and unsettling.

"Me?" it croaked. "A monster?"

"Yes. You," Alexander replied flatly.

The creature grinned wider, exposing bloodstained teeth. "I am not a monster. I am free. Perfect." It chuckled again. "That’s what he says. He calls us his perfect species."

Its speech was fractured, but its meaning was clear.

Arthur stepped closer, slipping his hands into his pockets. "What’s your name?"

The creature tilted its head. "Gaten." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Arthur nodded once. "Gaten. Who turned you into what you are?"

The rogue hesitated. "I don’t know," it said slowly. "He is our master. Our god. He didn’t make us with his own hands, but he made us perfect. He cherishes us."

Alexander moved before Arthur could speak again.

He crouched in front of Gaten and grabbed its hand with terrifying speed. Without hesitation, he forcefully tore a fingernail from its finger.

A scream ripped through the dungeon—raw, shrill, and agonizing. The sound echoed violently against the stone walls.

"You still won’t talk?" Alexander asked calmly, as if he hadn’t just inflicted unbearable pain. "Tell me who he is."

Gaten’s red eyes locked onto Alexander’s, hatred and madness swirling together. A weak smile crept onto its face.

"It is you, Almighty Alexander," it rasped. "My master is going to bring you down. He will tear you apart. You will fall. You will beg for mercy before your kingdom while everyone watches—"

The words were cut short by another scream.

Alexander had severed two of Gaten’s fingers with a knife, blood splattering onto the floor.

"Your master sounds interesting," Alexander said quietly, his voice low and dangerous. "But not interesting enough. Tell me who he is, and I’ll feed you his head."

The rogue trembled, pain distorting its features.

"No one knows him," it whispered. "We’ve never seen his face. We don’t know what he looks like."

Arthur frowned. "Then someone must have spoken for him. Who delivered his messages?"

Gaten laughed again, louder this time, almost hysterical. "I’m free! We’re perfect! He is our god, and everyone will kneel before him!"

Arthur straightened, shaking his head. "It’s useless. He’s repeating the same thing."

Alexander stood, removing his gloves and tossing them to the ground. "Stay alive, Gaten," he said coldly. "I still have use for you."

They turned to leave.

"You’re going to die, Alexander," Gaten whispered hoarsely. "And he will take what you treasure most."

Alexander paused.

Slowly, he turned back, meeting the creature’s gaze. Gaten stared down at its severed fingers, a twisted smile still on its face.

They left the dungeon in silence.

Something nagged at Alexander’s mind. The rogue was broken, yes but it knew his name. It recognized him. And it spoke with certainty.

Who was this master?

They stopped at the palace entrance.

"What will you do with the rogue?" Arthur asked.

"I’ll keep him alive," Alexander replied. "His master will feel threatened knowing I have his pawn. He’ll come for it."

Arthur crossed his arms. "This person is far more calculated than we thought. Who is behind all of this? And what do they want?"

Alexander didn’t answer.

Instead, he walked inside the palace.

Whoever it was, they were tearing his kingdom apart and Alexander would make sure their end was slow, painful, and final.

"Alexander," Arthur called. "Get some sleep. I’ll see if I can uncover anything."

"How do you expect me to sleep with all of this happening?" Alexander asked quietly.

Arthur sighed. "We need you alive till the end. Just listen to me for once."

Alexander raised a brow. "You’re nagging again. Were you my mother in a past life?"

Arthur scoffed. "Don’t even start." He turned and walked away. "I’m going to get some sleep, we have work tomorrow." He said.

Alexander nodded before climbing the stairs to his chambers. It was late in the night so everywhere was quiet and silent.

He opened the door and froze.

A soft voice filled the room, gentle and melodic. A song carried through the air, delicate and haunting. The sound wrapped around him, seeping into his chest, easing something tight and painful inside him.

He listened.

Then he stepped inside fully and closed the door.

"What are you still doing in my room?" he asked.

The singing stopped instantly.

Serena turned, startled. She didn’t need to look to know who it was.

"Your Majesty—you’re back?" she said softly.

"Hm."

"Why are you awake?" he asked bluntly. "Are you waiting for me?"

Her eyes widened. "N-no. I couldn’t sleep."

He ignored the lie.

He removed his jacket, then unbuttoned his shirt.

Serena’s face flushed instantly. She closed her eyes.

Alexander glanced at her reaction, the corner of his lips twitching slightly. He loved seeing her shy.

"I’ll give you privacy," she murmured, turning away.

"You can sing?" he asked.

She turned back. "Yes. I’ve always known how to sing since I was little." she replied, he nodded but didn’t say anything.

He stepped closer.

Suddenly, he pulled her toward the bed and gently pushed her down onto it.

"Go to sleep," he said.

She blinked. "Are you not in a good mood, Your Majesty?" She noticed his demeanor, he was his usual self, calm and composed but she could tell the difference when he was his normal self and when he was angry.

He stared at her wondering how she was able to read him easily, Serena was still a mystery to him.

"Don’t be," she said softly almost immediately. "You’ll stop whatever threatens Noct. You always do."

She closed her eyes.

Alexander watched her for a long moment.

For the first time that night, something inside him eased. Just by her words, he didn’t understand why her words did something to him. His eyes fixed on the woman sleeping on his bed peacefully. She was in his personal space and he didn’t care or feel it, normally he hated when someone was in his room or anything closer to him and her he was letting her sleep on his bed like she owned it.