Call Of The Dark

Olya's lips downturned. "I don't know why she is so difficult. Why can't she be happy with what father gave her? Father married her off to Lord Cain who was one of the wealthiest men in that region. Yet her greed for my piece of land is getting over her logic."

"The problem is not just your father. The problem is also my father..." Magnus said as he wiped her tears. "I am sure that Lazarus will come out with a solution."

"I hope so..." I really won't marry Lord Lazarus. He is so much in love with Emma that it would be a crime to get in that marriage. At the same time, I--" her gaze darted to him and it locked with his eyes.

"You?" he breathed, his heart stopping.

"I love you, and not--" The next moment Magnus seized her lips and pulled her in his lap. He curled his fingers around her neck and grasped her waist next to his body. When he pulled away, Olya was breathless. She looked at him as if she was looking at someone who owned her. Her eyes were round at the corner as her face was flushed. She entangled her fingers in his hair and said, "I will always love you..."

"And I will love you till eternity," he said, his voice a low octave.

---

After thinking for a long time, Naomi thought that it would be better to talk to the king about Lazarus's demands. She was sure that it was incorrect what Lazarus told her about the king not going against his demands. The king didn't like his eldest son and that was an open secret. And so if the king favored her over Lazarus, then she would also know the kind of control she ceded on Lazarus. She took an appointment from the king to meet him at midnight.

When she arrived in his corridor, she could see that the place was thronged with too many soldiers. It was as if the king was afraid that someone would come and murder him. She reached the door of his bedchamber and the guard announced her.

There was an antechamber where she was made to sit by the guard. "Please wait for His Majesty to come here."

Naomi sat down, her stomach twisted into thousands of knots. This was the only way she could stop Lazarus from usurping her land. She must have waited for at least half an hour before the king strolled in. He was wearing his night pajamas and a robe. She got up and bowed to him.

As he sat down, he tilted his head and asked her in a clipped voice, "So what is it that you thought was so urgent?"

Naomi sat down, ramrod straight. "Your Majesty," she said in a nervous voice. "Only you can help me in this situation."

Viktor raised an eyebrow and Naomi suddenly realized how father and son had the same habit of raising their eyebrows. She continued, "Lord Lazarus called Cain and me for a meeting. His demands are unreasonable. He is saying that he would need the estate that my father left for Olya in his name before he gets married to her."

Viktor frowned. "So what is unreasonable about that?"

Naomi was stunned. She was speechless for some time. When she recovered from her stupor, she said, "B--but why would Lord Lazarus need that estate? He already has this--" she waved in the air, "--this palace. He is richer than all of Wilyra combined."

The fact that Lazarus was marrying Olya without much of a resistance came as a surprise to him. He didn't know what his son was playing at, but giving a small piece of land to him was hardly an issue. He wanted to see how spoiled his son was or how far he was pushing in order to concede to his demands. If he refused his demand, Viktor was sure that Lazarus would find a reason to marry Emma. Viktor leaned forward. "I think you should do what he has asked you to. Put that estate in his name."

Naomi's mouth opened and closed like that of fish out of water. She was so stupefied that she didn't know what to say. "Your Majesty--"

"Are you going against my wishes?" Viktor growled. "Do you have a death wish?"

Naomi paled. "N--no, Your Majesty!" she rasped. "Whatever you wish!"

"Then you are dismissed."

She got up immediately, bowed to him and hurried out of the antechamber. As she walked, she felt like slapping herself. She thought that if the king would refuse then she would be able to tell the same thing to Lazarus. But the king refused her. Now the matter was in front of Viktor's eyes. She couldn't go against his order even if she wanted to. She realized that earlier at least she could have delayed and maybe Lazarus would have changed his mind. But the situation had changed drastically.

"Where were you?" Cain asked as soon as she entered the room.

"I was with the king," she cried and then rushed to bed. She crashed on the mattress with her face buried in the pillow. She started crying hysterically.

"What the fuck happened?" Cain asked, going close to her, tension radiating off him.

"I-- I--" she cried all the more. When she narrated what she had done, Cain just sat on the bed with a thump, his mind going numb. Naomi had pushed them into something so tight that they didn't have a room to wriggle out.

"You stupid woman!" Cain finally shouted. "You have sealed the deal! You have worsened the situation. You thought that you were smart, but that brain of yours is rotten!"

Naomi couldn't stop herself from crying. She had not only plunged her sister's fate into lifelong misery, she had also lost hope of ruling that estate.

The door of the room opened and Olya walked in with Lazarus, Emma and Magnus. Olya rushed to her sister's side. "Why are you crying, Naomi?" she asked innocently.