~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter! Your votes keep this climbing. Thanks!
Carmilla's royal city was a ruin. The aftermath of battle was everywhere—buildings gutted and broken, marble facades reduced to rubble, the air thick with the stench of blood and ash. Vampire soldiers moved methodically through the devastation, clearing away the twisted bodies of Evil Dragons and their own fallen kin.
"Lady Elmenhilde…"
"Princess…"
As Tenra and the girls followed Elmenhilde toward the palace, soldiers and civilians alike stopped to bow, their respect palpable and raw.
Tenra watched the scene, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Didn't know you were this popular, Miss Elmenhilde."
Normally, Elmenhilde would have basked in the attention, chin held high, pride on full display. But today, surrounded by ruins and haunted faces, she only looked away, voice heavy. "Our people accept our rule. Protecting them is our duty. But I failed…"
War had changed her. The arrogance was gone, replaced by a quiet sense of responsibility.
Tenra let the moment linger, then shifted the topic. "I haven't seen any Evil Dragons since we arrived. Did you drive them off?"
Elmenhilde shook her head. "We didn't. They left on their own. Even now, those things still act like vampires—they hate sunlight. At dawn, they retreated. But when night falls, they'll be back."
Tenra nodded, absorbing the information. He asked a few more questions as they walked, but Elmenhilde's answers were brief, her mood subdued.
Before long, the group reached the palace. It was their second visit, and this time, the grandeur felt hollow—echoing halls, battered columns, and a lingering sense of loss. Under Elmenhilde's lead, they passed through the great doors and entered the throne room.
Queen Carmilla sat tall on her throne, regal as ever despite the fresh wounds of war.
Tenra bowed. "Your Majesty, I hope you've been well."
The Queen's lips curled into a wry smile. "Red Emperor, you're as spirited as ever. I trust you've rescued your companion?"
Tenra nodded. "We have. Valerie, introduce yourself."
Valerie hesitated, nerves evident, but with a gentle nudge from Tenra, she stepped forward. "I—I'm Valerie Tepes. It's an honor to meet you."
Carmilla's eyes sparkled, her gaze both amused and appraising. "So you're Tepes's new Queen?"
"Y-yes…" Valerie murmured, unable to meet the Queen's eyes, her head bowed.
A ripple of laughter swept through the hall. Some vampires looked at Valerie with open disdain—a mere child, and worse, a half-blood. No wonder the Tepes clan had been destroyed, they thought.
"She may have worn the crown for a few days," Tenra said, his voice steady, "but Valerie was only a puppet, forced onto the throne by the Tepes elders. She's not your equal, Majesty."
He paused, then placed a protective hand on Valerie's shoulder. "But whether she's useful or not, she's our companion. Our family. Laugh at her, and you laugh at me. Anyone here have a problem with that?"
Tenra's gaze swept the hall like a blade. The mocking voices fell silent; those who'd sneered at Valerie now stared at the floor, suddenly very interested in their shoes.
Valerie blinked, surprised and deeply moved. Elmenhilde, standing nearby, muttered under her breath, "Idiots…"
She knew Tenra's temper—he didn't take insults to his own lightly. If these fools drove him away, they'd have no one left to save them.
Queen Carmilla broke the tension with a clear, commanding voice. "Red Emperor, the fault lies with me for failing to discipline my subordinates. You have my apologies for their rudeness." She turned to Valerie. "Queen Tepes, I ask your forgiveness as well."
The hall was stunned. Their proud Queen, apologizing? For the Red Emperor, perhaps, but for a half-blood girl?
Many vampires bristled inwardly, but Carmilla's icy stare kept them silent.
Valerie waved her hands, flustered. "It's fine, really—I'm not a queen anymore anyway."
Tenra shrugged. "No harm done. Let's put the pleasantries aside—Your Majesty, I believe you called us here for business."
Carmilla's expression grew serious. "I won't waste words. Red Emperor, we need your help."
Tenra smiled, confidence radiating from him. "Help is no problem. I can wipe out every last Evil Dragon for you."
His words crashed through the hall like thunder. Vampires erupted in protest.
"Eliminate all the Evil Dragons? You and your servants alone?"
"Arrogant fool! You have no idea how many there are, or how powerful!"
"That one with the human face—Her Majesty and the elders can barely stand against it! Even the Red Emperor shouldn't boast so wildly!"
Their outrage was palpable. If Tenra's claim was true, he and his handful of followers would be stronger than all of Carmilla's vampires combined. It felt like an insult.
Yubelluna and the girls glared, indignant. Ravel, however, smirked—a wicked, knowing smile. These fools had no idea what real power looked like.
Tenra, unfazed, turned to a woman seated near the throne—Amphusa Scarlet. "Miss Amphusa, you were pretty vocal last time. Not going to lecture me today?"
Amphusa rose, her ample chest bouncing with the motion, drawing more than a few stares. She scoffed. "Why bother? If you're truly as strong as you claim and can rid us of the Evil Dragons, Carmilla will be spared. But if you're just arrogant and die on the field, that's your problem, not ours."
She addressed the Queen. "Lady Akasha, since the Red Emperor is so confident, let's give him the job."
The hall buzzed with agreement. Why not? If he failed, it cost them nothing.
Carmilla nodded, eyes gleaming with amusement. "I was thinking the same. Red Emperor, will you accept the task of purging the invaders?"
Tenra grinned, his expression turning sly. "Gladly. Now, about my payment, Your Majesty…"
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
BOOK COMPLETED ON PATREON!
This story has reached its conclusion on my Patreon!
Full story available now
Exclusive bonus content & early access to new books
Join my Patreon community today!
p a t r e o n .com/GoldenLong
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━