Chapter 207: The Awaited Visitor

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Thunder roared outside as lightning flickered across the dining hall where Lauren, Alec, and Vincent sat for dinner. Royal guards and soldiers were guarding every corner of the castle, both inside and outside its grounds.

Although Dimitri’s second vision implied that the rebels wouldn’t attack Evardin, they still took some precautions and sent soldiers all over the kingdom, especially in the town where most people were residing.

The initial plan was to create an illusion for the rebels by making soldiers pretend to be a crowd of festivalgoers during the lunar festival, but Alec changed the plan and had the lunar festivities canceled.

The council advised the people to stay indoors the whole night so the streets of Evardin had been emptied as early as twilight, which put Lauren at ease. At the moment, there was no way to know what the rebels were planning and she feared their people would suffer the most. She thought it was a good decision to warn the townspeople that something bad might happen.

Outside the castle, Darius and Julian stood in a pavilion on the north lawn where they had a clear view of the gates. The dark sky still rumbled with distant thunder, yet the rain had tapered off.

Colton was at the front gates, guarding the frontline with soldiers. Edith was inside the castle standing by the main doors, and Matthias was in the castle’s tower to watch for any approaching intruders. All of them were rigid and ready for anything that was about to come.

However, the uneasiness in Lauren’s heart had not subsided one bit. Despite the calm demeanor of the two men sitting with her at the table, she couldn’t shake off the bad feeling in her gut. With her sweating palm, the glass of grape juice she held slipped from her hand and got spilled on the table and some went to her dress.

Alec quickly took out napkins for her.

"Do you feel sick?" was his immediate question, all of his attention was on her now.

"No," Lauren answered, wiping the liquid off her hands. She gazed down at her beige dress and saw that it stained some parts of her bodice.

"I am fine," she assured Alec. "I will go upstairs to change. You should continue your meal."

She was about to stand when Matthias was suddenly in the dining hall, walking at his vampire speed, his expression somber and agitated.

"Someone has arrived, Your Majesty."

Vincent played with the knife in his hand as his gaze shifted to Matthias, the way his brow raised was urging Matthias to add more details.

"It is a woman in a carriage. Colton and the soldiers blocked her from entering the gates like what was planned, but she said..." Matthias’ voice trailed off as if he was unsure about how to put it in words.

"She said...?" Alec probed, the set of his lips was grim and the darkness in his eyes was ominous.

"She is requesting to have an audience with the Queen and King. She also said she is here to visit a close relative."

"A close relative?" This added to Lauren’s confusion.

"Intriguing," Vincent muttered to himself, grazing his bottom lip with the tip of the table knife he was holding. "Do you have any relatives you have forgotten to introduce to me?" he asked Alec. "After all, between us your bloodline is the one quite psychotic."

"Not one that I know," Alec answered dryly.

"Darius and the others had confirmed that no one else is present within a ten-mile radius. It is just the woman and her coachman, Your Majesty," said Matthias.

"We won’t know what her agenda is unless we face her," Alec said to which Vincent agreed.

"Indeed. I am also curious what this ’relative’ thing she is talking about."

Lauren sucked in her breath as she listened to Alec telling Matthias to let the woman in. For some reason, she couldn’t stay as calm as Alec and Vincent. She felt something bad was about to happen.

What was the woman planning to do? No matter how she tried to see it from different angles, she could not come up with a potential reason why the mastermind of the rebels would walk into the enemy’s line alone. It was as if she had all the confidence that she could leave the castle unscathed.

And above all, why would she say she was here to meet a close relative?

Was the mystery woman playing mind games with them?

"She could be just joking, though. For us to let her in, she aimed to catch our curiosity with her words and I must say it is rather effective," Vincent said at the same time Alec rose from his seat.

"We shall give her what she wants, then."

Alec looked at Lauren but before he could say anything, she had spoken first.

"You cannot order me to stay upstairs. I will come with you," she said as she stood.

"That wasn’t what I was going to say. I was about to ask you if you feel alright so that we can go see the woman together."

Lauren was glad to hear that. She had been dying to know who the mastermind of the rebels was. There was no way she would let this chance slip.

"I am perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Will you not ask me, brother? I haven’t finished my steak yet. I am not feeling fine." Vincent grinned and dropped the knife on his plate before standing up. He received a glare from Alec.

"You can stay with your steak as you please," Alec said and put his hand on Lauren’s back as they headed out of the dining hall.

"Your heart is beating too fast. Are you sure you are alright?" Alec whispered to Lauren as they walked down the hallway.

"I am just a little nervous. We are about to meet the leader of our enemies and we have no idea what she is planning."

"I’m going to protect you no matter what," he said as if her well-being was what she was most concerned about.

"Of that, I am sure." She peered up at him and took a moment to look at his face, fear rising in her chest.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read