The Damned Demon

809  A Little Monster

The air inside one of the royal chambers was thick with tension and quiet awe, the dim candlelight casting soft shadows against the ornate walls. The scent of medicinal herbs lingered in the air, mingling with the lingering traces of blood and exhaustion.

Isola, Merina, Silvia, and Sabina entered, their steps cautious as their eyes fell upon the still figure on the grand bed.

They had hurried here after one of the servants urgently asked them to come here.

Rowena lay there, her raven hair neatly flowing down the pillow, her normally cold, piercing features now soft in slumber. But what truly caught their attention was not just her peaceful expression, but the unmistakable radiance clinging to her skin.

Sabina was the first to break the silence, "What happened that you urgently called us here? Is she alright?" she asked, her brows furrowing upon seeing Seron, Lakhur, and the physicians surrounding Rowena's bedside as if something were gravely wrong—despite the fact that Rowena looked much healthier than before.

Lakhur turned to them, his expression carrying the weight of disbelief, "Your queen is fine. We've put her into a deep sleep to ensure her body gets the complete rest it needs. But her unborn child's growth is... unprecedented."

"Unprecedented?" Isola echoed, stepping forward, confusion flickering in her eyes. But the moment her gaze drifted downward, her lips parted in quiet astonishment.

There, visible even beneath the sheets, was a distinct bump on Rowena's belly—a bump that hadn't been there before.

Silvia, Sabina, and Merina stiffened, their shocked gazes darting between each other.

"Shocking, isn't it?"

The voice of an elderly man echoed from behind them. Turning, they saw Igrid, Rowena's royal physician, entering the chamber, his thick white beard bristling as he leaned on his walking stick.

"Senior Igrid, thank the devils you recovered," Isola greeted, offering him a relieved, warm smile.

Igrid let out a soft chuckle, nodding, "I couldn't dare rest while our queen needs me." But then, his gaze turned serious as he gestured toward Rowena, "What astonished us all was this—Her Majesty's child, who has been growing for barely a week, has already reached a size comparable to that of a ten-month-old fetus."

Silvia gasped. "T-Ten months?"

Sabina snapped her head toward Igrid, eyes narrowed in disbelief, "How could that be possible? Not even two weeks have passed, and yet the child is already big enough to match ten months' worth of growth?"

Isola and Merina exchanged a look, clearly mirroring the same confusion.

"For a vampire like her, shouldn't it take at least three years to birth the child?" Merina asked, her voice low, with growing astonishment yet concern, and unable to hold in her curiosity.

Igrid nodded with a brief smile, "You're right. But a miracle happened."

"A miracle?" Sabina raised a skeptical brow.

Seron sighed as he brushed his beard briefly, "Isola told us what Her Majesty did to save her. Taking in such a powerful and potent form of Deviar into her own body… channeling such a vast amount of it should have killed her in minutes if not seconds."

Isola nodded, her expression troubled, "I know. I was terrified when I woke up and saw her collapse. But somehow, her body remained unharmed. And she was able to make my body absorb it without any backlash."

Sabina crossed her arms, eyes shadowed with deep thought, "This doesn't make sense. Not even the Moon Guardian could do such a feat, especially while sharing the burden of absorbing a Deviar's power in another body."

"You're right, Your Highness," Igrid agreed, "But the miracle here is that the little girl in our queen's belly kept both her and Isola safe."

A hushed silence followed his words.

"Little girl?" Silvia whispered, her ruby eyes widening.

Merina turned to Silvia and Isola, their expressions both startled and touched. It was a girl.

Igrid continued with a gentle smile, "Not only did this child protect them both, but she also absorbed the excess power of the Deviar. Had she not, the energy would have overwhelmed their bodies and brutally destroyed them from within. Somehow, this power… accelerated her growth. Or perhaps, she finally received the 'nourishment' she needed, not that it is the only nourishment she could use."

Isola's lips parted slightly, her heart swelling with warmth and wonder as she looked at Rowena.

For the first time in a long while, hope flickered within everyone's eyes.

Sabina, however, was still in disbelief, "An unborn baby absorbed the power of a Deviar? What in the name of the devils… A peak Soul Devourer would have died trying, and yet this little monster not only survived but grew stronger, using the Deviar's power as 'nourishment'?"

"Could it really be a immortal baby?" Silvia gasped in awe though it was a thought that passed through everyone's mind.

Igrid nodded with a warm smile, "It seems to be so. From what I have sensed, the child's bloodforce is unnaturally strong and far exceeds the limits of what I have seen in my life."

Lakhur nodded solemnly, yet with a hint of awe in his eyes, "We were just as shocked when we discovered this. That's why I said this is unprecedented. This child is no ordinary child. She is the daughter of the Bloodburn Queen… and the Immortal King. I have heard of the bloodline union test that was performed between them. Just knowing that was enough to make me believe that their child would be special and strong beyond our comprehension."

Igrid chuckled softly, "Indeed. The firstborn of the strongest vampire and an immortal alien…a man not of this world. Perhaps this is why she was able to withstand something no other being could."

Seron, standing at the bedside, let out a relieved sigh, "So this child… could be the hope of rebuilding our kingdom."

Sabina clicked her tongue and scoffed, "She has yet to be born, and you're already burdening her with responsibilites? Our king is our hope and he is still out there."

Seron's expression darkened slightly, "I do not want to, but we all know that fate will force such burdens upon her and our king isn't with us right now. You know what I mean as well, Consort Sabina."

Sabina pressed her lips together, but she couldn't refute his words.

The tension in the room was broken by Isola's melodious voice.

"You both have a point," she said gently, "It's not fair to put burdens on a child yet to be born, but… the birth of this child will give us all hope. Especially our people. This child is proof that not everything is lost. Even if we have fallen… we can still stand up again."

Merina and Silvia nodded, their expressions soft and happy, while Lakhur and Igrid gave small, approving nods.

Even Seron and Sabina, despite their clashing thoughts, found themselves unable to argue and agreed with Isola.

Because deep down, they knew—

The child of Rowena and Asher was more than just an unborn princess.

She was a symbol of their future.

And in times as dark as these, hope was the one thing they couldn't afford to lose.

Silvia's eager voice suddenly broke through the atmosphere, her eyes gleaming with excitement, "Soo... when will she give birth to our little princess?"

Igrid let out a soft, amused chuckle, stroking his thick white beard as he shook his head.

"That is a hard thing to say, even for me," he admitted, his eyes gleaming with curiosity, "This is unlike anything I have seen in my lifetime. I will have to observe the child's growth for at least another week before forming an educated guess. But if my assumptions are correct, Her Majesty might give birth within a matter of months or less."

Silvia's lips parted in pleasant shock as she exchanged glances with the others.

"Months?" Sabina mused, a sultry curve forming on her lips as she leaned against the wall, "Fufu, now this is going to be fun and interesting. I can't wait to play with her."

Silvia, Merina, and Isola couldn't contain their joyful astonishment. To know that Rowena would soon give birth… it was unexpected, but deeply heartening.

"That's good," Seron finally spoke, letting out a sigh of relief, "The sooner the child is born, the sooner our people can have hope again. And perhaps… Her Majesty can finally begin to heal from the grief we all share."

But then, Lakhur's voice carried a pointed weight, cutting through the air.

"But… shouldn't your king be here to look after his queen?" he asked, his tone steady yet questioning. "I know you said that he is unable to return for good reasons you have yet to reveal. But does he even know that she is pregnant?"

A brief silence followed.

Sabina, Silvia, Isola, and Merina exchanged difficult glances, their expressions tightening. The truth was complicated.

After a pause, Isola sighed and responded. "I know… but the queen has all of us to look after her and the child. We cannot disturb our husband at a time like this. He is out there, risking his life to save us all. We cannot distract him until he returns to us."

"What could be more important than this?" Seron's voice carried a restrained frustration, his jaw clenching, "If only he returned, things could be so much better. He is our king, and his people need him—she needs him."

Isola's expression remained calm yet firm, though her heart was heavy.

"I am sorry, Advisor Seron. I can't explain any further than this. All I can ask is that you have faith in him. Without him, we wouldn't be standing here right now."

The other women nodded in agreement, their unwavering trust in Asher evident in their eyes.

Seron exhaled a long, heavy sigh, lowering his gaze, "I just hope you all are right." He knew they were hiding something, though it wasn't his place to ask about it.

Lakhur, standing with his arms crossed, finally spoke with quiet confidence, "Consort Isola is right. I know what kind of man King Asher is. If he left for a good reason, then he will return when the time is right. Until then, let's take care of each other."

A silent understanding passed through the group, and with that, the conversation came to an end.

One by one, they dispersed to allow Rowena her well-earned rest.

But before Isola could leave, Sabina grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside.

Isola raised a brow, "What is it?"

Sabina stared at Isola deeply before she sighed and said, "Okay, I am just going to say. I just wanted to apologize for being a bitch to you earlier...for keeping secrets. I never expected you two to be carried such a heavy secret."

Isola's lips broke into a warm smile as she said, "I never held it against you. I know you were angry and frustrated because you were worried about him. I would have felt the same in your situation."

"Fuuuu, how can you be so perfect and understanding? I don't like it. You make me look even more of a bad bitch," Sabina sighed in frustration though inwardly she felt warm to hear Isola's words.

Isola softly chuckled while Sabina glanced toward the sleeping queen before her ghostly red eyes narrowed slightly.

"I also wanted to ask...Did you tell Rowena the truth about Asher's past yet?" she asked, her voice carrying an uncharacteristically serious edge, "After all, he killed her father and lied to her for all these years. I'm honestly surprised she only exiled him. But she should know everything that happened, so she can understand why Asher did it."

Isola sighed, her expression heavy, "I know, but Luna told me that Asher doesn't want me to tell Rowena yet. He wants to be the one to tell her everything." She shook her head lightly, "So I will wait and let them handle this on their own. We shouldn't intervene."

Sabina rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue, clearly unimpressed, "Fffff, fine. Let's hope you two know what you're doing."

She then crossed her arms and tilted her head, a mischievous glint returning to her gaze.

"But, aside from all this… aren't you feeling jealous that we have yet to get pregnant?" she suddenly teased, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "I regret taking those birth control pills after all those times he fucked me for hours, ugh. If only the annoying rule of the queen having to be the first to bear the king's child didn't exist...tch.."

Isola's face flushed instantly, and she stiffened.

"I-I have to tend to Callisa for a while. I will be back soon," she blurted out hastily, turning sharply on her heel and swiftly walking away.

However, Sabina's question and seeing Rowena pregnant made Isola's secret desire to bear Asher's child even more overwhelming, the thought sinking into her mind like a whisper she couldn't silence.

Sabina let out a sultry chuckle, watching Isola's retreating form with amusement, "How cute," she mused, tracing a lazy finger along her lips before glancing toward the castle balcony.

She stepped onto the balcony and stared up at the dark sky, her dark eyes glinting.

Then, with a low, tantalizing murmur, she whispered to herself: @@novelbin@@

"You better hurry back to us, Asher… we have some unfinished business."

Her lips curved into a devious, knowing grin, her fangs peeking through.

Unfinished business indeed :3

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