Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 398: Chapter 398

The feeling of being viewed as lesser because of his birth. Slowly, piece by piece, he had begun to build something stronger inside himself.

But standing here now, beneath the weight of Falein’s grief-stricken words, it felt as though all of that hard work was unraveling.

The old doubts crept back in, whispering that perhaps nothing had truly changed.

Ragnar lowered his head.

"Thank you for your time," he said quietly. "I am truly sorry for your loss."

With his back still turned, Falein barely acknowledged Ragnar’s parting words.

When Ragnar finally left, he did so with a heavy heart, weighed down by loss and by a dull ache in his soul that refused to fade no matter how far he walked.

By noon the next day, a crowd of nobles and commoners alike had already gathered at the Whistling Birch. The clearing buzzed with restless anticipation as people whispered among themselves, eager to witness the fight. Falein sat astride his horse, his hands gripping the reins impatiently as he waited for Prince Azul to make an appearance.

Around him stood his most loyal guards and warriors, clad in polished suits of armor that glinted beneath the pale daylight. Every one of them was heavily armed, prepared for the possibility of an unexpected attack from the royal family. Falein would not even put it past them to resort to something so unsavory. Above their heads, banners of deep forest green and gold fluttered sharply in the wind, the proud colors of House Tomar.

Ragnar had arrived at the location some time earlier and was now waiting like the rest. He remained on horseback just like Falein, but there was a vast distance between them, and that distance was very much intentional.

There was nothing Ragnar wanted more than to ride to Falein’s side in these trying times and offer him his unwavering support. Yet he could not do so here, not in the open where every noble’s eye was watching.

Bastard or not, regardless of where he personally stood on the matter, he was still a member of House Acheron. The other nobles present would see any public display of support as him openly choosing sides, and that would only further sour their already bitter perception of him. It would become just another excuse for them to hate him and despite the harsh accusations Falein had hurled at him only yesterday, Ragnar knew the man would not want that.

Some time later, the distant sound of approaching horses drifted across the clearing. The murmuring crowd slowly fell quiet as heads turned in the same direction.

When the riders finally came into view, Ragnar immediately noticed that the queen rode at the helm of the small procession. Before long, the group reached the clearing and brought their horses to a halt before the gathered crowd.

After carefully scanning the newcomers, it quickly became apparent that Azul was not among them. freewebnovel.cσ๓

A ripple of murmurs spread through the nobles and commoners alike as they noticed the same absence.

"Where is Prince Azul?" Falein demanded loudly, his voice carrying across the clearing so that everyone could hear him.

"Is he a coward as well as a murderer?"

Nheera’s lips pursed in clear distaste as her gaze narrowed on Falein.

"My son is a prince," she replied coolly. "This spectacle is beneath him. But if you are so eager for a duel, then you will fight my champion."

Azul had wanted to take up the challenge himself. Of all her sons, he was the most prideful. He had insisted on fighting because he believed he had something to prove. Nheera, however, did not share his reasoning.

Azul was a strong fighter, but so was Falein. And though Azul possessed the advantage of youth, there was still the very real chance that he might lose. Which was why, earlier that morning, she had ordered the royal guards to lock Azul inside his chambers with no possibility of escape.

This was a duel to the death. And regardless of how it might make Azul appear in the eyes of others, Nheera refused to gamble her son’s life on something as uncertain and brutal as that.

Falein’s lips curled into a scornful sneer.

"You take me for a fool?"

Nheera did not rise to the bait. She remained seated upon her horse, calm and completely unflappable.

"You will either fight my champion," she said, "or you will return home to nurse your wounded pride. The choice is yours."

Her tone was dismissive, so strikingly similar to the one Azul had used back in the throne room that, for a moment, it had Falein seeing red.

He swung himself down from his horse, his hand already resting on the hilt of his sword as he strode several steps forward.

"Which of them is your champion?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over the riders the queen had brought with her.

Nheera gave a small nod toward one of the men riding beside her. The soldier immediately dismounted from his horse.

He was a warrior of the royal army, tall, broad-shouldered, and powerfully built. The way he carried himself made it impossible to mistake him for anything less than a seasoned fighter.

The two men faced each other in the clearing while the murmurs of the gathered crowd slowly died away.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then steel rasped against leather as both men drew their swords. The sound cut through the quiet like a warning.

They circled each other cautiously at first, boots scraping against the dirt beneath their feet. Falein’s eyes never left the man standing across from him, his jaw clenched tight as he measured the distance between them.

Then he moved first. With a sharp step forward, Falein swung his sword in a brutal arc aimed at the champion’s shoulder. The soldier reacted instantly, lifting his blade to parry the blow. Steel clashed loudly as the force of the strike rang through the clearing.

The champion wasted no time retaliating.

He twisted his wrist and drove his sword forward in a quick counterattack, forcing Falein to step back and raise his own blade to block. The impact jolted up his arm, but he held firm.