Sseraphis and Aeltharion walked back into the room. Shortly after, Princess Aenyra and Princess Sheana also returned.

"I’m not sure that we’ve made up," they caught Nytherael saying upon return.

Sseraphis sauntered to where Nytherael sat. The fox tensed, unaware of what Sseraphis was planning, and felt a cold sweat broke out in his nape.

The serpent slipped his cold fingers on Nytherael’s shoulder and smiled at the beastfolk around the table. "I know I’m the one supposed to treat you all for this meal, but..." he turned his face, which was close to Nytherael, to face the fox.

Nytherael’s breath hitched. His nose assaulted with Sseraphis’ venomous scent without any prior warning left him feeling bothered.

"You don’t mind covering the bill for me. Do you, beloved?"

Paired with the sweet tone, Nytherael was melting inside.

He pressed his lips on Nytherael’s cheek and let it linger for a few moments.

Ba-thump! Ba-thump!

Nytherael’s heart beat so loudly that he was afraid that every beast in the room could hear it.

"No... no, I don’t mi...mind."

Sseraphis pulled back, pleased. "Then that’s sorted. I’ll be taking my leave now."

Samahita and Tivnir rose from their seats instantly. Panicked by his sudden departure announcement when the food hadn’t even arrived yet.

"What about our mission?" Samahita inquired.

"What of your curses and poisons that still run wild in the world, inflicting harm to beastfolk, our lands and running clans to brinks of extinction?" Tivnir raised his own concerns.

Sseraphis halted. His eyes flickered to the two of them. Eyes as black and pitch black like a moonless night sky met theirs.

Samahita and Tivnir held their stance with great difficulty. But Sseraphis just squeezed Nytherael’s shoulder with gentle strokes.

"What are we to tell the Emperor?"

"When will you relieve the world of this suffering?"

They raised their questions now that they had Sseraphis with them. They didn’t know when they’ll get another chance, so they got it out of their chests.

The other beastfolks snapped their heads at the nine-headed serpent beast, waiting to hear his response.

"A beastcourt hearing always hosts nobles from every clan. It is the one room that brings unity by inclusion to all beastfolk," he begun, eyes calm. "Do you know the first thing all those clans in the arena did when Nytherael invoked the divorce by death trial?" He asked.

Samahita and Tivnir shook the heads. Other beadtfolks around the table gave keen attention, waiting to hear more on Sseraphis’ perspective on what went down that fateful day.

"They whispered amongst themselves in pure happiness... they mocked our bond... they laughed at our downfall... and made fun of our predicament."

Nytherael’s heart skittered frantically. That was a version of that day he didn’t know about. After the trial, he hurried out to find Ilyrien, not at all waiting to hear Sseraphis and Aeltharion’s grievances or the reaction of the masses.

The room froze. Silence prevailed so hard that a pin could be heard falling to the clay-tiled floor.

"None of the beastfolk present sympathised with our predicament. They were too eager to celebrate the downfall of the once hailed ’tri-soul marriage’," Sseraphis breathed heavily.

"That..."

"Most of you were in the capital, so you must have seen and heard all they had to say... that is, if you didn’t contribute, passing remarks yourselves."

The beastfolk around the table suddenly didn’t feel so righteous anymore. Yes, some of them had taken pleasure in witnessing the otherworldly rare bond fall apart, other joined in whispers and added salt to wounds, while some just listened without coming to their defense or making a stance. In the end, they were all guilty.

"Lume dynasty had never been more lively that it had been that fateful day," Sseraphis let out, recalling catching the vibrations from every corner of the dynasty.

Beastfolks had launched parties, and they came out into the street to sing and dance. Celebrating what they called the humbling of the great tri-bond mates.

When he arrived home, being reminded by the horrors of the day while hearing the world dance about, overjoyed by an event that crashed, broke, and paralysed him. He couldn’t take it anymore and lost control.

By the time he came to, the curses and poisons had already spread. His beast form had mostly targeted areas where the beastfolks celebrated the loudest. His shadow powers attacked only beastfolks that shouted or whispered of their joy concerning his misery.

The beastfolks that were victims of his first attack were the monsters that, instead of feeling for him, decided to stomp on his broken soul.

He had initially wanted to stop it all, but then he realized that the world had gone silent. No one was talking about his broken marriage, laughing, mocking, or celebrating.

The beasts were too busy running, fighting and surviving to pay attention to their ruin. So, he left the world as it was and didn’t bother raising a finger to pacify the lands.

For just one more day of peace, one more day of silence, and one more day of no judgement. He let the world continue to suffer.

"I don’t need to tell you about all the celebrations that were hosted on nearly all corners of the dynasty, right?"

More heads lowered in guilt. Even Sheana, who majored in shamelessness, couldn’t keep her head up. Especially after catching the scene behind the inn where Sseraphis broke down, feeling more beast than the monster the world has come to believe him to be.

She finally understood why Aenyra was so quick to defend Sseraphis and her brother. The two weren’t just victims of betrayal from their lover but also suffered the sorrow of watching the world celebrate their pain like it was some sort of good news.

"Fireworks lit up every inch of the sky. No new year celebrations have ever met the grandeur put into celebrating that day," he added. "No previous celebrations in history came close. It was rare, more rare than the tri-soul bond, I tell you."

Nythereal choked. Since waking up, every beastfolk told him about what Sseraphis had done after the trial, how indifferently Aeltharion had acted, how they were affected but none mentioned the trauma his lovers had to go through by watching such a reaction from the world.

He felt even more guilty about his mistake. All the while, he’d singled his focus on the trial and the outcome on the world, never once imagining that something so gruesome had transpired in between.

"Your Emperor was among those who celebrated loudly. You want a report to give him... tell him this..." Sseraphis circled around the table until he came inches close to Tivnir and Samahita, who had raised questions to him. "I said it before, and I’ll say it again... as long as I bleed, the dynasty will, too."

He backed away. Returning to Aeltharion’s side and wrapping his slender hands around Aeltharion’s waist. "Since the world wishes to dance on the pool of my tears, I’ll cry a river and watch them scream in eternal suffering from the affliction of my venom."

The beastfolk entrusted by the Emperor to find Sseraphis and fix the broken world, gulped. What were they to say in the face of the cruel picture that Sseraphis painted for them concerning their clans and their awful behaviour?

"Let’s leave, Papa."

"Mmh," Aeltharion nodded. "It was nice meeting you all. Have a safe trip back."

He bid them well before they made for the exit. Jura, Fior, and Ssirel followed them out.

Nytherael watched them leave with a heavy heart, but he couldn’t call for them or stop them. The new information that surfaced had left him feeling unworthy.