Her King, His Slave

6- Sold To Who?

Merylle's POV

"Let us in," Luther commands to the guards of the court.

Two palace guards are guarding the entrance of the courtroom. Their spears were placed in a tilted position in front of us, making an 'X' form and blocking our way to get us in.

They both fix their stance and stand at ease. They move aside, letting us in. One of them opens the door for us.

I haven't stepped in yet, but I can already feel the coldness of the insides of the courtroom. In my eighteen years of existence, I barely get inside of this place.

I remember the time when Luther and Arnia have to force me to go with them to watch a human being sold as a slave. It was one of the famous cases at that time.

The said humans killed vampires as a sign of protest against the Kingdom. He strongly argued that the Kingdom has never been pro-human and disregards the rampant discrimination the humans experience under this vampire-dominated society.

I think that was the first time I agreed to the 'murderer'. In the end, he was sold to a council member and since then, we haven't heard anything from him.

"Merylle..." Luther calls. He reaches for my hand and holds it tightly. The fact that he’s a vampire yet I still feel the warmth of his palm makes me realize how cold my hands are.

I pull my hand back. And rub both of my palms against each other. I appreciate his effort but I am too nervous to hold anyone right now.

“I’m fine, Luther,” I utter.

Good thing that he’s my friend and he understands my actions.

"Sorry," he says.

“I-It’s fine…”

My friends knew I hate being held by vampires. My warm body couldn't take it whenever their cold skin touches mine. But at this point, my inner body is colder than theirs.

"D-Do you think they will listen?" I ask nervously. I can hear my own heart beating.

I turn to face him on my side and caught him staring at my chest. When he lifts his head, our eyes lock. It makes me more nervous.

He sighs.

"Your heart is beating loudly. I can hear it."

Normal vampires rarely hear these things. Yet, Luther is not a normal vampire. He is an elite.

He grew up in the part of the Kingdom wherein they have their own training grounds. They have an unhidden privilege. Be it in school, the palace, or any part of the Kingdom, their skills and powers are more defined than low-ranked vampires.

I take a deep breath and blow out a harsh sigh as I try to make my heartbeat back to its normal rate.

"Ask for the evidence first. We won't have to go with your plan if we can prove your father is not guilty of the crime," he suggests.

"But it was P-Prince Enzo himself who t-told them that my f-father was the m-murderer..." then it might be true. My heart starts pounding again. “Off your senses. I do not want you to hear my heart,” I add.

He sighs. If it was Prince Enzo who talk, it would be hard for us to speak otherwise. Luther Kerafin grew up with the royals. His family is close to the Bathory family. He exactly knows what we are dealing with.

"Do you believe in what Enzo says?"

I face him. I want to shake my head. I grew up with my dad. I knew every bit of him, but I won't deny the fact that he changed when he married Livda. Still, I don't believe he can kill humans!

"I'll buy you," he assures me when he did not hear any response from me.

Tears are building in the sides of my eyes. I lift my head and stare at the ceiling.

This is not the time to be weak, Merylle!

"I'm ready," I announce.

The door in front of us is already open and only waiting for us to get in.

The moment I set foot inside this room, all I should think about is the future of my father. Our relationship may not be good for the past years due to his poor decisions, but I will never let him die this way.

This is a risk. Putting my life, future, and myself on the line is a total gamble. I trust Luther, but none of us can tell what might happen inside. Not everyone in the courtroom can be trusted.

Luther pushes the door wide open. The room is like a stadium with a small stage in front. We immediately caught the attention of almost everyone. I ignored all of their curious stares.

“F-father…”

My eyes are all directed at my father. He is kneeling in front with his hands chained on his back. His face and body is filled with cuts and bruises.

I gasp. My hand flies onto my mouth to cover my parted lips and my whole body quivers as I watch the scene in front.

A number of palace guards are surrounding him, making sure he won't be able to fight back and run.

The council members are on the bench, eyeing my father... probably contemplating what punishment will they give. But what caught my attention is the man sitting on the high golden chair with the council members.

I understand Prince Enzo's presence, but why are Blade and the King in here? Their presence wasn't necessary... or is it?

“The King is here…” I whisper to myself. Luther turns at my gaze.

“Yeah. He is a newly crowned King. Maybe he is trying to put an impression on the council.”

The bit of courage that I have in my body suddenly fades from what I see. My eyes go back to my father. The side of his head is bleeding and the only thing that kept him kneeling is the rope snaking around his body.

I felt Luther's cold hand pull me to completely get in. I can sense them watching us, but what makes my body shiver in fear is the stares of the royals. In my peripheral vision, Enzo and Venz are looking at me intently. Humor is not evident in their faces. On the other hand, Blade is smirking.

We sit on one of the benches but my eyes did not leave my father.

"As I have said..." one of the council members resumed his talk but was halted when we got in. "Gregor Ovia was found guilty of his crime. Hence, the council decide for his immediate termination and will be sentenced to death."

I feel like my world shatters at what I heard. I could not think straight and everything in the background slowly vanish. All I can see and hear is my father, struggling and silently crying in pain in front of everyone in the room.

“F*ck!”

I snap back in reality when I hear Luther cussing beside me. His parents eye him and glance at me with pity in their eyes.

I am close to Luther's parents. Unlike the other members of the elite vampires, they are very kind. They always welcome me in their home even though I am a human with a low profile. If they found my father guilty, then it is most probably true.

My body starts shaking. The words haven't sunk into me yet. It happened so fast. We were still together this morning and now, my only family is being taken away from me.

I do not understand. How come the only family I have is a criminal? I do not want to believe it.

Without thinking, I stand from my seat. My chair squeaks, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

"I apologize for meddling. I was late. May I ask the council how they found my father guilty?" I bravely ask. I want to give myself a pat on the back after speaking without stuttering.

I saw Mrs. Kerafin's mouth open to explain it to me, but a voice interrupts her.

"The smell of the body of a recently dead human was also found in Mr. Gregor Ovia." I almost slam myself back into my seat when I hear Prince Enzo speak. "Human blood was also found at his home. It was hidden in a small pot. When we traced it, the owners of the blood are from the missing and dead humans from the past week."

I want to speak but I can't find the right words. I live with him. How come I didn't notice? Did Livda know about this? Are they both drinking human blood? Is this why they keep on persuading me to turn because they become addicted to human blood and that my mere presence in the house is torture for them?

"You live with him. Are you sure you have no idea about what your father is doing?"

"M-My daughter... is o-out of t-this..." My father weakly defended me.

I am keeping my tears at bay, refusing to let them free. I want to speak and defend my father, but I could not find the right words to say. My father is fighting for me, I should fight for him too. No matter what they say... even he is a murderer... In my eyes, he's still my father.

"We did not see any signs of human intervention on victims' bodies. The Kid is out of this." Luther's father argued.

I must say that even though I'm in a tough place, I am grateful for the few people who sided with me.

"T-Take me instead," I whisper, but enough to silence everyone in the room. I lower my head and let my tears crawl down my face. I quickly wipe them and bravely lift my head to face the council. My eyes found Prince Enzo who was staring coldly at me.

"I'll offer myself as a slave... in exchange for my father's freedom," I straightforwardly add without stuttering. My eyes did not leave Prince Enzo. He didn't even flinch at what I said.

Whispers in the room begin. Some disagreed while most of them became excited. The fact that a human is offering herself as a slave enticed these blood-suckers inside this room.

"I object..." I eyed the old man sitting on the other side of the council's bench. The councils are divided into two. The council was filled with elite vampires and the other one is the council of humans.

"Mr. Gregor Ovia is guilty of murder. We can't let his daughter shoulder his punishment!" He argues.

“I agree with what Petrino said,” says one of the members of the human council.

If I am not mistaken, Petrino is the head of the human council for years.

"I disagree. According to our Verlice Law, any crimes can be lifted if a human offered himself as a slave in exchange for someone's freedom. It all depends on the council if we will agree,” says one of the members of the council on the vampire’s side.

"Then we have to vote,” suggests the other one.

All eyes darts at Prince Enzo to hear his final thoughts. His eyes went to mine and without blinking, he said:

"If the majority agreed for Mr. Ovia's daughter to be sold as a slave, then Mr. Ovia's punishment will be deduced."

I don't know if I will sigh in relief given that my father will not be sentenced to death if the majority of them agree, or quiver in fear knowing that some want me to be a slave.

All I hope is for Luther to buy me.

"Let the voting begins," Prince Enzo announces.

Luther’s father stands in his seat. Prince Enzo gave him a nod as a cue to start.

"Raise your hand if you agree for Mr. Ovia's daughter to be a slave,” Mr. Kerafin’s voice bounces in every corner of the room as he starts the plebiscite.

I watch as the council raises its hand. Only Luther's parents and three other council members— including Petrino—refuses to raise their hands.

I shut my eyes and I felt Luther's hand rests on the small of my back.

It is clear. 'I will be a slave.'

I should be happy. My father will be saved!

The palace guards need not have an order for them to come to me. Luther's hand squeezes my wait, not wanting to let me go.

I immediately pulled away. I do not want him to meddle in this. He already helps me enough.

I stand in my seat and let the guards escort me onto the stage.

I walked past the bench of the council and met Mrs. Kerafin's eyes. She looks at me with pity. I force myself to offer a small smile at her.

As I walk towards the stage, the guards drag my father out of the stage. His head is still bleeding and he isn't moving. I am panicking inside but when our distance went closer, I saw him breathing heavily.

I felt at ease knowing my father is still alive... but the relief didn't take long to vanish.

The guards place me in front. I look at the crowd in front of me. My legs feel weak and start shivering as I watch some of them smirk at me.

"Kneel." The guard commands.

Slowly, I let my knees touch the floor. I lower my head and clenches my fist.

'Don't worry, Merylle. Luther will get you out of this.'

"Let's start!" I don't know who owns the voice since I keep my head low. As much as possible, I don't want any of them to scrutinize and gave them a reason to buy me.

"Who would want to place their first bet—"

"5 animal blood!" someone shouts. I gasp.

Luther has only 15. D*mn!

"7 bags."

I lift my head as I recognize the voice. It's Luther. I can sense his anxiousness when I met his eyes.

"10!" shouts the other one. I saw Luther whispers a curse.

I bite my lower lip, trying to maintain my composure.

"12," he bet.

When the room went silent after Luther placed his bet, the small string of hope that I struggled to hold onto motivated me to keep holding on.

But it immediately faded when someone placed an implausible offer.

"1 sack."

One sack is equivalent to thirty blood bags! Luther's eyes narrowed to the man who spoke.

I trace the owner of the voice. My eyes widen when it lands on Blade who is smirking at me.

'No... No, please... not him.' I would rather be sold to a low-ranked vampire but not to him!

It is known to everyone that every slave he had didn't last long to him. The longest slave he had lasted for two weeks because he sucked the blood out of his body.

It is not impossible for him to place one sack of animal blood. The palace itself has its own mini forest inside. They use it to grow some animals that can be exclusively consumed by the royal family. Unlike the elite vampires, there is no law that says a royal family cannot store animal blood.

I am already thinking about my future life being a slave of Blade. I thought this is already the worst... but I did not see the next one coming.

The whispers in the room turned into gasps when someone placed an unimaginable offer.

"2 sacks."

"Oh, come on!" Blade complains to his older brother.

My eyes dart to King Venz. He mirrors the smirk of his cousin when he saw me staring at him.

What is he doing?! What does he want for me?!

I search for Luther. He is also staring at me... helpless to my situation.

I have already accepted my faith in being a slave, but it never crosses my mind that the King will be my master.

I cannot imagine my life being the royal’s slave! I roam my eyes on the whole room. My father looks helpless, crying silently on the side.

I avoid my gaze at him. I chose this. I should always be ready for the worst.

I bravely lift my head and look straight into the King, which is now my master. I gulp. Will I last long?

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Unedited. English is not the author's first language so expect grammatical errors.

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Her King, His Slave

by: Joanne Cristel

©2021