The Bride He Hates-Chapter 68 - 67 Condition?

The next three days were among the most stressful in Thornfield’s history. Azrael sealed the castle immediately. No one could enter or leave without his permission. All messages were intercepted and reviewed.

"Do you have any suspects?" Lyanna asked Azrael the night he finally came to their chambers to sleep instead of drowning himself in work. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Everyone is a suspect. That’s the problem."

Victor has discovered how The Leader had obtained specific intelligence about their defensive layouts, patrol schedules, and the locations of Thornfield’s hidden supply caches. That information would only be valuable to someone planning a big attack. So he changed his strategy.

Three days later, he called an emergency meeting.

"Your Majesties." He greeted them, gesturing to the materials spread on the table. "I have information about the Council of Light; about who is funding the Order, and why the attacks have been so coordinated."

"Tell us." Azrael said.

Victor opened a map marked with various human kingdoms. He pointed at three kingdoms on the map, all wealthy and influential.

"These three kingdoms are secretly funding the Order, not just with money, but with weapons, supplies, intelligence, and safe houses."

"Three kingdoms?" Helena asked in disbelief. "That makes it state sponsored war."

"Exactly." Victor nodded and showed them shipping manifests, financial records, and letters with royal seals. "The evidence is all here. These kingdoms are coordinating through the Council of Light, a secret political organization that has been operating for at least fifty years."

"But why?" Lord Cedric asked. "We’ve had peace treaties with these kingdoms for generations."

"I managed to intercept a letter from their leadership. Their reasoning is pragmatic." Victor picked up a letter and began reading.

The vampire threat has grown too big to ignore. They control the most fertile territories, the richest mines, and the most important trade routes. Their immortality means they can accumulate wealth and power indefinitely, while human rulers die and their kingdoms split. Within a century, they will dominate this continent economically, if not militarily.

This is not about morality anymore. This is about survival. Humanity must act now while we still have the advantage, or accept permanent subjugation to creatures who see us as either food or inferior beings.

Heavy silence filled the room.

"This isn’t about good and evil." Victor said. "It’s about power. They see us as the main obstacle to human dominance, and they’re trying to remove that obstacle before it’s too late."

Azrael stood up and walked towards the table, studying the marked kingdoms.

"Who else is involved?"

"These three are the main funders and organizers." Victor said. "But I’ve also identified a network of vampire traitors working within various courts." He showed him another set of documents.

"Who are they?"

"Minor nobles, mostly. They’ve been promised power in the new order the Council will establish after vampire society is eliminated."

"The scale of this conspiracy is staggering." Lady Morgana was terrified.

"We need to decide how to respond. We are officially at war."

The debate continued for a few more hours.

Lyanna listened to everything. She was still learning vampire politics, still figuring out how to think strategically.

"We’re going to try negotiation first." Azrael decided.

The room went silent. All the council members looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Negotiation?" Lord Cedric repeated, as if he had misheard. "Your Majesty, they want to kill us. What is there to negotiate?"

"Peace terms." Azrael replied. "We’ll request a formal summit. We’ll present all the evidence to them about their conspiracy, and offer a genuine treaty with territorial agreements, trade terms, and structures for coexistence."

"They’ll never agree."

"Maybe. But if we attack without offering peace first, we’ll be confirming their propaganda that vampires are monsters who only believe in violence. If we hide behind magical barriers, we’ll look weak and afraid. But if we offer peace and they refuse? That will show them in a bad light."

"It’s politically brilliant." Helena agreed.

"But it’s also dangerous." Victor pointed out. "The envoy who goes will be surrounded by people who want vampires dead."

"I know." Azrael said.

Lyanna had been quiet through most of the debate, but then she stood up and walked to stand beside Azrael.

"His Majesty is right. The Council is dependent on humans who believe vampires are monsters, violent, and impossible to negotiate with. If we prove that wrong, their support will crumble."

"That’s a propaganda war." Lord Cedric said. "That will take time, and meanwhile, people will die."

"People will die no matter what." Lyanna replied.

"I’m not ordering anyone to support this decision. But as Thornfield’s king, I’ve decided to try diplomacy before military action."

Azreal had made his decision, and everyone knew nothing could change it now. So, one by one, they gave their reluctant support to him.

"Who will lead the delegation? We need someone with authority. But sending our important leaders into a trap is foolishness." Victor said.

Several vampires volunteered. Lord Cedric offered despite his age. Helena volunteered her diplomatic expertise. Various military commanders suggested themselves. But Azrael’s words shocked everyone.

"Lyanna and I will lead the delegation."

The council chamber erupted.

"Absolutely not!" Helena stood up immediately. "Your Majesty, sending both of you into the enemy territory is suicide. If this turns out to be a trap..."

"Then we’ll die." Azrael cut her off. "But this requires the highest level of commitment to prove we’re serious about peace."

"You’re risking Thornfield’s entire leadership on a diplomatic gamble." Lord Cedric said. "If both of you are killed, the succession crisis alone would destroy Thornfield."

"I’m aware of the risks. But the Council won’t take us seriously if we send low level diplomats." Azrael replied.

Lyanna understood him. This wasn’t just about diplomacy or strategy. This was him choosing hope over cynicism for the first time in centuries. She immediately took his hand.

"We will go together." She said.

The council members exchanged uneasy glances. They were torn between loyalty to their rulers and a desperate desire to keep them safe.

"If you’ve made your decision, then at least let us prepare properly. We’ll send a full delegation of diplomats, warriors, and magical practitioners with you."

"Fine." Azrael agreed.

The council then began discussing the logistics. As the meeting concluded and everyone left, Lyanna and Azrael stayed behind.

"Why are you really doing this?" She asked, even though she knew the answer. "You could send ambassadors and stay safe."

"Because I’m tired of living in constant war. I didn’t care much before. But now, for the first time in my entire existence, I have someone worth building peace for." He took her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"I can’t give you the peaceful eternity I probably should. But I can try to give you a world where we’re not constantly fighting for survival, where we can actually build something that lasts forever."

The hope in his voice was painful to hear because it was so genuine, and so different from his usual controlled demeanour.

"You’re doing this for us?"

"I’m doing this for you. Because you deserve better than these never ending wars and I want to give you a future worth living in." He pulled her into his arms, and Lyanna wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight.

Later that night, as Lyanna lay awake beside a sleeping Azrael, she heard a knock at their door. When she opened it, she saw Victor standing there.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion, but there’s something you need to know before this diplomatic mission proceeds."

Lyanna stepped outside, closing the door quietly so as not to wake Azrael.

"What is it?"

Victor handed her a letter.

"This arrived an hour ago. Council of Light has agreed to the diplomatic summit but they have a condition."

Lyanna opened the letter and read.

To King Azrael Thornfield,

We acknowledge your request for a diplomatic summit and agree to negotiate. However, we have the following condition:

Queen Lyanna Thornfield must come alone for preliminary discussions. She will enter our territory as a human who chose to become a vampire, and she will have to answer for that choice before our council. Only after we are satisfied with her response will we agree to a full diplomatic summit.

This is non-negotiable.

The Council of Light

Lyanna’s face turned pale.

"They want to take me as a hostage, probably."

"For sure." Victor agreed.

"Does Azrael know about this?" She asked.

"Not yet. I wanted to tell you first."

Lyanna looked at the letter again, feeling the weight of the impossible choice.

"I have to tell him. He needs to know what they’re asking before we make any decisions."

"As you wish."

After he left, Lyanna stayed in the hall, holding the letter, trying to gather the courage to wake Azrael and tell him how much worse this gamble had just become.