To His Hell and Back-Chapter 147: Taking Over The Reign

Once the court meeting had adjourned and the echoes of debate faded into the marbled corridors, Cassius was halted by Juan and Paolo, the two men known for their unwavering loyalty to the old regime and their quiet wisdom. They had once stood at the King’s side in his youth, but now their concern was turned toward the Crown Prince.

Juan was the first to speak, his voice low and solemn, "This makes does make me to question... was the late human King aware of the sorcerers all along? They couldn’t have just emerged out of nowhere. And yet, they only began to stir after we took Versailles under our rule."

Cassius nodded slightly, his gaze distant in thought. He could guess a few things, "Which would imply he had a way to keep them in check. Contain them. Or perhaps... bargain with them."

Paolo folded his arms with his brows furrowed tight, "It might be worth tracking down any of the humans who once served in his court, especially those who were close to him. The rest of the humans seem clueless about the sorcerers’ existence which shows just how that human King must have gone to great lengths to keep them hidden."

"Indeed," Juan agreed, "We shall look into the problem in question, Your Highness."

Cassius answered with a nod as the two walked away from the place, still discussing the problem they had just faced which he could hear even as they began to depart further away from the place.

Just then he turned to find Helena who had smiled upon looking at him. The lady bowed, her head and her face showed an expression of admiration, "You have successfully brought the potion from the Queen’s hands, congratulation Your Highness."

Cassius turned to her, a faint smile curling on his lips as they walked away from the lingering whispers of the court. The air grew quieter the farther they moved from prying eyes.

"You seem rather occupied these days, Lady Helena," he remarked, voice light but knowing.

"There are preparations to be made for the human hunt," Helena replied, her tone composed but weighed by thought. "I’ve been busy overseeing them... though now I find myself questioning if it’s truly the right approach. As you said, the tension between humans and vampires is precisely what the sorcerers wish to exploit. It would be unfortunate if the hunt only deepens the divide."

Cassius hummed, thoughtful, folding his hands behind his back as they walked.

"It’s crossed my mind as well. This castle, and many within it, are still tethered to the old ways. But those ways are far too constrictive now. Keep clinging to them, and they’ll strangle us. Things are shifting, whether they welcome it or not and sooner than we think, humans and vampires will begin living side by side. What feels unnatural now will become the new norm and we either learn to accept that change or be eaten alive."

Helena glanced at him, trying to understand what underlays the Crown Prince’s words, reading between the lines. "The vampires won’t be easily swayed by this idea. We are proud by nature and to suddenly coexist with creatures we’ve spent centuries looking down upon? It borders on the impossible," she reminded.

Cassius’s smile didn’t falter, but it turned sharper, "Oh, they’ll learn. Even humans have figured out how to live alongside animals. We will manage to live without slaughtering each other eventually. The real problem isn’t pride but it’s this castle. It still thinks it’s the center of the world so foolishly."

Lady Helena’s eyes stopped at him as she saw his grin.

"If the head still believes in the old ideals, the rest of us will still remain foolish," he then moved his crimson eyes toward the window far ahead of them, "It’s time to get rid of it."

A shiver ran down Helena’s spine as she finally grasp Cassius’s true intention. She almost turned her head around to look if there were any ears listening into their conversation but stopped as she knew if Cassius had said it to her, it meant that he was already aware that there wouldn’t be anyone eavesdropping to their conversation.

She smiled, delighted deep in her heart as she had always wanted to get rid of the Current King who is nothing but a decoration. An ugly decoration that had passed its season.

"If it is your wish, Your Highness," Helena bowed, "It has always been our dream to follow your rulings and abide by them. Those who are under the queen’s rings should be removed as soon as possible."

"No," Cassius smiled, "Don’t be too eager to get rid of them yet. Those people will work well for our future plan."

Helena raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. She had expected Cassius to take a more direct approach as he always was. Playing safe wasn’t something Cassius liked so she wouldn’t be surprised if by tomorrow he had enough of Queen Morgana and cut her head as he wished to do. But the calculated pause in his words suggested something deeper. novelbuddy.cσ๓

"You intend to use them?" she asked, her voice laced with careful intrigue.

Cassius’s eyes gleamed with a dark satisfaction, "Yes. The Queen’s loyalists still hold a certain influence in the court, even if it is a dying one. But we will have a need of that said influence, at least for a little while longer." He turned toward her, "You see, Helena, before we sever the head, we must ensure the rest of the legs are easier for us to crush all at once. Trapping them when they still have value to us until they have nothing to serve."

Helena nodded, understanding what plan he had ahead of them. What Cassius wanted was to use the Queen’s followers as pawns, "Then we should proceed carefully. The court will be watching, and if we act too quickly, we risk exposing ourselves before we are truly ready."

Cassius let out a soft, almost imperceptible chuckle. "Isn’t that what I have always been good at? This isn’t different than those games we used to play. The Queen and the King, they aren’t in love and love is the only thing that is truly loyal in this world as you have said in the court, Helena. Without love they both wouldn’t think twice before getting rid of each other. What we have to do is simply to wait and watch."

Helena’s smile was a shade darker, her admiration for Cassius growing with every word. "When shall we proceed with the plan, Your Highness?"

Cassius grinned and that was the only warning Helena needed to know that he hadn’t only made his mind now.

The plan was already taking its roots and proceeding as he had calculated.