The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 60

Christian sat next to Xandar, and Greg sat next to Lucianne. The alliance and remaining ministers took their seats alongside them. Greg followed Lucianne's worried gaze and noted the vampires' freshly beaten-up face.

He then muttered her way, "I have a very good feeling about this meeting, My Queen."

Lucianne tore her eyes away from the vampires and narrowed her eyes at the duke, who tried hard to press back an amused smirk. Toby sat next to Greg just to make sure that if Lucianne needed a good comeback to silence Greg, he would be there to help. But knowing his best friend, she'd most likely wouldn't need it. Still, one could never be too careful.

Xandar's

anger was seething again at the sight of Maddock, who had still not gotten anywhere since their last encounter. Lucianne reached for his clenched fist on his lap. His fist loosened and their fingers laced together before he pecked a kiss on the back of her hand. As soon as Pellethia took her seat with Octavia, Rafael and Amber at the four-seater table perpendicularly positioned in between the long tables on the left and right, the empress gave Xandar a firm nod to begin.

Xandar looked Maddock dead in the eye and began with a low voice that would've paralyzed the faint-hearted, "Walk us through every single step of the investigation since we last met, Maddock."

Maddock had a cut near his left eye, and he tried not to glower at Xandar as he gave the details, "I asked for thirteen vigils from Their Imperial Majesties, and sent them to track the scents picked out from Falling Vines. They lost the trail at the Forest of Oderem so I'd say following the scents wasn't a good way to start the investigation to begin with. We invested time there, and we lost more time when there were no results."

Xandar retorted, "And what would you have done if it wasn't to follow the scents?"

"Order a search party, perhaps."

Christian pressed, "In which part of the empire?"

"The vicinity of Falling Vines, and later on, Saber Vagary." Maddock couldn't believe he was being interrogated by creatures less than half his age. What made it worse was that these were low-life lycans! Lucianne spoke with a sarcastic tone and smile, "Is that so?"

Everyone on her side either leaned back to enjoy the show ahead like Christian and Juan, or sat up in anticipation of what was to come next like Xandar, Greg and Toby. Once Lucianne spoke in that tone with that look, one can be assured that whatever comes out would either be deathly humorous or mercilessly frightening.

Lucianne could see why both Xandar and Toby didn't like Maddock now. "Well, your hindsight must be VERY insightful, Maddock. No one could have POSSIBLY thought to search within the vicinity of the villages upon hearing about the abduction." A few vampires didn't get the sarcasm, and were subtly chuckling at Lucianne when the joke was actually on them.

Maddock knew it was sarcasm, and forced a smile when he uttered less confidently, "We have thought about it and executed it in a timely manner, Your Highness."

Lucianne mocked a bewildered look, but inserted just enough strength in her voice to make it clear that the lycans' inferiority in ruling status did not mean that they could be stepped on by any figure, "I'm confused, Maddock. Why would you want a solution that you've already executed in a timely manner which did not even reap ANY results? At least we gave a trail that led your deployed forces to the Forest of Oderem. Where did your own instructions lead to?"

Silence ensued before Octavia prompted with a hiss, "Answer the queen's question, Maddock. Stop wasting everyone's time."

Maddock swallowed a lump in his throat and answered in a meek voice, "Only around the village." Maddock cleared his throat to muster a little more confidence when he spoke again, "I...apologize for what I said earlier, Your Highnesses."

Toby and Christian would have applauded if they were allowed to. Lucianne wasn't celebrating just yet. Her voice projected strength and demanded respect when it echoed in the chamber, "The best apology is a changed attitude, Maddock. We shall see if you're capable of that. With regards to the investigation, is it safe to say that you didn't personally join the vigils?"

Maddock tried to walk around answering the question, "That's...not how we handle things here, Your Highness. I'm an administrator. I don't go on these expeditions. Not anymore, that is. My job is simply to replace the best creatures for the task. I've long retired from being on the field." Almost everyone could see the embarrassment on the vampires' faces by that answer.

Xandar couldn't hold back the low snarl when he leaned forward and questioned in a deadly low voice, "So, as the administrator who led the investigation, you have so little insight as to what happened...no insight, in fact, that you wouldn't have the slightest hint of how twenty- eight of my people are in a coma, thirty are hoping that they won't join the twenty-eight while they wait for blood from allies, and you have ZERO idea of who was behind forcing me to almost...kill...my wife? Is my understanding correct?"

The chill from Xandar's voice made some of the younger vampires shudder, even though they themselves were older than the king. The atmosphere was never this tense since the war more than 204 years ago when the vampires used this chamber to discuss the stages of attack and strategize their troops.

The vigils who stood in a row behind the governing ministers prayed to their Lord that the king wouldn't declare war. Their families really couldn't fight. There wasn't a need to learn since the truce. But from the way Xandar was speaking, many knew that the truce might just be coming to an end.

Lucianne stroked Xandar's tightened grip with her thumb, and her free hand reached out to stroke his forearm as she whispered, "Xandar, I agree that none of this is okay. But, please, there's still a way. They can still help us. We just haven't found the right creatures to ask yet. Let's replace the ones who can give us answers. Let's replace THE way. What do you say?"

Xandar tore his onyx eyes away from Maddock, who was turning whiter than he already was with each passing second. Every fiber and bone in Xandar's body was ready to tell his wife that enough was enough, that these creatures were given enough time and came back with nothing, that there was no point in wasting more time to replace 'the way'.

But the moment Lucianne's soft and assuring orbs held his onyx ones captive, the king miraculously forgot what he was supposed to say as his features softened. Like his animal had been trained, he took a few slow, deep breaths to calm himself as he focused on Lucianne's comforting touch on his hand and arm, before ultimately pecking a kiss on her forehead and muttering, "Okay."

Another kiss on her cheek, and he peered into her eyes and added with a smirk when lilac shades started returning to his orbs, "You didn't play fair, sweetheart."

That earned him a smile from his mate when she whispered rhetorically, "How do you think I almost always win, darling?"

"Mm. You're a cunning one, aren't you?"

"The one you marked and married. What were you thinking?" The lilac shades were clearing the onyx ones in his eyes. He was almost stable, so Lucianne continued playing along.

Xandar scoffed, and his eyes regained it's full lilac color the moment his smile widened when he declared in a soft but firm voice, "There was nothing to think about, my love. There has only ever been and will only ever be you."

Lucianne managed to hold back her tears when her heart melted from his words, but she could neither control her blushing cheeks nor suppress her broadening smile at his statement.

A few vigils even sighed in relief at Xandar calming down, and this sight did not please Toby or the rest of the alliance members. Greg even muttered, "Lucky bastards." Toby couldn't help but agree. The vampires should be groveling on the ground thanking the queen right now for saving their asses. This party was not over yet.

After Lucianne was sure that her husband's temperament was stable, her face turned business-like serious when she proceeded to speak to the vampires, "Those who were personally involved in the investigation, please come forward."

The thirteen vigils who were recently suspended took a step forward with still-terrified eyes. Lucianne asked, "Which one of you led the tracking?"

A ginger-haired man took another step forward and said, "That would be me, ma'am."

Lucianne nodded and began, "Your name?"

He seemed surprised. Normally, officials merely asked for his code, which would be VIG 001. He couldn't remember the last time he was asked for a name by someone of higher authority. He blinked before answering, “Duica, Your Highness." Lucianne gave a firm nod in acknowledgment and began, "Duica, walk us through the investigation. Tell us about any and every odd detail along the trail."

Every odd detail? He exchanged a puzzled look with his comrades before he sheepishly admitted, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I don't understand."

He was surprised that Lucianne didn't sigh in exasperation like the empress would. The queen merely explained what she meant with no fuss, “What stood out when you and your team went down the trail or when you were in the old castle next to the forest? Did any of you see, hear smell or feel anything that was unusual for a vampire territory? Perhaps one of you sensed a presence or heard a sound when you didn't expect to? Did the forest emit any scents when you were within its proximity?"

A wave of comprehension washed over the twenty-six vigils, and Duica mind-linked those who joined him that day before they exchanged firm nods. He then glanced nervously at the empress, then back at Lucianne, cleared his throat and spoke, "In the abandoned castle, when we were at the castle window next to the Forest of Oderem, we detected a scent that matched...the empress."