Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 470: Chapter 470

Ragnar remained asleep. Deep exhaustion had rendered him, normally a light sleeper, completely oblivious to his surroundings. freewebnovёl.ƈom

But through the haze of sleep, Ragnar heard it again. A feminine voice. The same voice that had reached him before.

This time, however, it was clearer. Not enough to fully rouse him but enough that fragments of her words slipped through the fog clouding his mind.

"Fala said you finally woke up today. I wish I had been there. I wish none of this had ever happened to begin with. My son, how many times has this happened? How many times have they sent you out to die?"

***

"What do you mean he is nowhere to be found?"

Nheera’s voice sliced through the air as she spun sharply to level Dougol with her most lethal glare. Her eyes burned with a volatile mix of fury and disbelief, sharp enough to frighten even the most hardened of men.

"How," she continued, each word lanced with her rising anger, "did you lose sight of him long enough for him to simply vanish?"

The queen’s temper was infamous within the palace walls. Her outbursts were sudden, fierce, and often enough to leave even seasoned soldiers shifting uneasily where they stood.

But Dougol was not among those who cowered beneath her anger.

He had seen horrors far worse than a queen’s wrath. Compared to those, Nheera’s fury was something he could endure.

Her glare, vicious as it was, failed to shake him.

"We divided our forces," he replied evenly, his voice calm despite the tension thickening the air. "We believed covering more ground would increase our chances of success. Prince Ragnar’s group took a separate route. But they were ambushed by three fenrars. When my group finally reached them, it was already over. There were bodies everywhere including those of the beasts. However the prince and the two demons who accompanied him were gone."

"If I wanted to be fed such pitiful excuses," Nheera spat, her voice dripping with contempt, "I would not have paid the outrageous sum you demanded for this task."

She took a step forward, her presence bearing down on him like a storm.

"You knew what was required of you, and still you allowed your forces to be separated. You let him slip through your fingers. Over a dozen of you—and not one capable of slitting his throat. Incompetent. Every last one of you. Get out of my sight."

Dougol inclined his head in a respectful bow. He didn’t bother saying a word in his defense. He simply turned and left the chamber.

The heavy doors shut behind him with a muted thud.

For a moment, Nheera stood still.

Then she exhaled sharply, a frustrated huff escaping her as she pressed her fingers briefly against her temple. Her thoughts moved quickly as she considered her next course of action.

Without delay, she strode from the chamber, her steps brisk and purposeful as she made her way to her private quarters.

Seraphine was already waiting.

At the sound of the door opening, she straightened and bowed her head in respect as the queen entered.

Nheera barely acknowledged her presence. She moved past her lady in waiting without so much as a glance and went straight to her writing desk. Sitting down, she reached for her quill and dipped it into ink.

A fresh sheet of parchment lay before her.

Seraphine watched her carefully. Years of service to the queen had sharpened her instincts. She could read the queen’s moods. The tension in Nheera’s shoulders, the clipped efficiency of her movements, the faint tightness around her eyes—all signs pointed to one thing.

Agitation.

Carefully, she stepped closer.

"Your Majesty," She began cautiously. "Is something the matter? You seem troubled. Did your visitor offend you in some way?"

Nheera did not look up as she put pen to paper.

"Yes, Seraphine," she replied coolly. "You are correct. I am upset. Anyone in my position would be, after receiving such... distressing news. Apparently, Ragnar has been missing for days. And not one of them has been able to find him."

Seraphine blinked, caught off guard.

"I thought he was part of the hunt," she said, confused.

Her thoughts began to churn rapidly. A cold unease settled in her chest, spreading slowly.

If Ragnar was gone, who would she report to? Who would aid her in the quiet, dangerous path she had chosen, the path that would one day lead to vengeance for her sister?

"He was," Nheera said flatly. "And now he is gone."

Seraphine pressed her lips together, biting lightly at the inside of her cheek as she weighed her next words carefully.

"What do you intend to do, Your Majesty?" she asked at last. "Will a search party be sent to find him?" freewёbnoνel.com

Nheera let out a short, dismissive scoff.

"Why would I waste resources on such a thing?" she said, her tone laced with indifference. "He is a skilled fighter, yes—but that is all he is. A soldier. This kingdom is not lacking in skilled soldiers. I see no reason to expend effort searching for one who is likely already dead."

"Then what do you plan to do?"

Nheera gestured vaguely to the parchment before her.

"I will fulfill my duty as queen," she said. "I will send his wife a letter, offering my deepest condolences. It is a terrible thing to be widowed so young."

Seraphine bucked where she stood, her breath catching as she stared at Nheera with a mix of horror and disbelief. "But you can’t do that, Your Majesty. What if he is still out there, alive?"

"It is far easier to imagine him dead than to dwell on the horrors he must be enduring if he still lives," Nheera replied as she continued writing without so much as glancing up. "And in the end, it would hardly matter. The people who go missing in that forest are rarely found alive. If the beasts have not killed him yet, then something else will."

And it would ensure that her plan went far more smoothly.