权力的游戏 在线

Everard was in his new study room, trying to figure out how the tax system of his Kingdom worked. For the past three days, he was buried in the piles and piles of files and scrolls that were related to the taxes. And right now, he was at the point where the word tax made him want to vomit.

“Why don’t you take a rest for a while, Your Majesty?” Jerome asked Everard when he saw the King pinching the bridge of his nose and gagging while looking at the file in front of him.

Everard, however, shook his head and mumbled, “I can’t afford to rest at the moment, Jerome. I can’t figure out a few things. And I want to clear these issues before I take a rest or do anything else.”

Jerome sighed in defeat because he once again became unsuccessful in trying to make the King take some rest, which he had been trying for the past few hours. Yes, he was happy to see the King working nonstop. However, he was doing so at the expense of his own health.

“Shall I call the Minister of Finance? You can ask the things that you are confused about,” Jerome suggested, hoping that with the help of the minister, the King would at least be able to solve whatever was bothering him a bit faster than he would on his own.

However, to Jerome’s displeasure, Everard denied his suggestion. “I would like to solve this issue on my own.”

Jerome looked at Everard with a pitiful glance and then asked, “Then shall I at least send some refreshments for you? You should stay hydrated and full. Else it will affect your ability to concentrate on your work.”

Everard was now starting to get agitated by Jerome’s voice. Thus, in order to get rid of his constant nagging, he agreed. “Sure.”

.....

After Jerome went outside, Everard rubbed his forehead and then turned his head to look outside of the open window.

He recalled the last time he had seen Anastasia. The flashes of memories started to dance in front of his eyes.

He recalled how Anastasia was hugging Caspian and wondered, ‘Is she even aware of what her husband really is? I just can’t believe that she would show her affection to a monster like that.’

Everard pushed his black hair away from his face and restlessly started biting and peeling the dried skin of his lips. ‘She must be under some kind of illusion, or she must have no idea about the real identity of those creatures.’

‘There’s no way she actually loves that bloodsucker!’ he screamed in his head and accidentally peeled a bit too much skin, causing his lips to bleed. “Aah!” He sharply inhaled and then licked the blood off of his lips.

He suddenly recalled the moment when he had shared his first kiss with Anastasia. The corners of his lips curved up on their own. And he subconsciously started to gently brush his lips with the tip of his finger after closing his eyes and living that memory once again.

‘That feeling that was overflowing in my heart, there’s no way they were a lie.’ He imagined Anastasia standing close to his face and he reached out his hand as if he was going to touch her. ‘It’s a shame that I didn’t realize that sooner, that she was the one who was doing that to my heart.’

Suddenly, Hamilton’s aggressive whisper rang in his ears. “Just take a look at her! Does she look like someone who can stay apart from her husband even for a minute?”

Everard clenched his jaw and abruptly opened his eyes. But Hamilton’s voice kept on repeating in his head. “Does she look unhappy to be with him? Or scared of him?”

“Arghhh!” Everard shouted in frustration and got up on his feet. He covered his ears as if that would help him in forgetting everything that Hamilton ever said to him. He even restlessly paced back and forth in the room, trying to shake off that voice that was echoing in his head.

However, that vampire’s words kept on haunting him no matter what he did.

“Do her a favor and don’t ever try to come in between her and her husband. If you ever truly loved her then don’t try to ruin her happiness, Your Majesty.”

As if those voices weren’t enough to hurt his head, the flashes of Anastasia hugging her husband and looking at her husband with a loving gaze started to play over and over in his head.

And Everard grabbed his hair with both of his hands and screamed, “Argh! Stop! Stop! I don’t want to see it! Argh!” He suddenly threw his hand as if he was trying to erase that memory from his head.

Smash!

A huge flower vase that was kept as a decoration close by got shattered into pieces, and finally, brought Everard out of his fit.

Everard kept on looking at that broken vase while panting loudly. He was breathing as if he had just run up and down a tall hill several times in a row.

He sighed and gulped. He ran his fingers through his hair and mumbled, “What the hell is happening to me? Am I going mad or something?”

Before he could dwell on it further, he heard a soft knock on the door.

“Your Majesty, I have brought some refreshments. May I come in?” One of the maids asked from outside the door.

Everard cleared his throat and then went back to sit on his chair. He straightened his clothes and pretended as if he hadn’t just gone through a breakdown.

Then he answered in a calm voice, “Yes, come in.”

As soon as the maid pushed the door open, her eyes fell on the shattered pieces of the vase. But she quickly pretended as if it wasn’t there and walked towards the desk.

As she was laying down a plate of fruit salad and a glass of juice on the table, Everard asked her, “Send someone to clean it up. The wind knocked it down a while ago.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Although the maid was sure that there was no way that strong vase was knocked down by the wind, she bowed her head and then walked out of the King’s study.