Chapter 173: The Risk of Senerp
They finally reached the gate to the duplex as the carriage entered. Just as it stopped, Raven stepped out, followed by the guard. He walked to the entrance while the other guard opened the door for him, as was usually done when people entered.
Raven entered the house calmly. A maid approached, bowed, and then spoke softly.
"Mister Raven, are you here to see the queen?" she asked, her head still lowered.
Raven nodded, his eyes on the lady as he replied, "Yes, I would like to see the queen. You may inform her that I am already here."
The maid nodded and began to leave. Raven remained standing, noticing how calm the house was. He wondered what the king’s expression would be when he learned that his mother was alive. The very person he feared would disapprove was the same one who had awakened his mother. Truly, life was a tricky place.
Then soft footsteps echoed. He didn’t need to be told who it was—he knew. Ariana arrived, her graceful demeanor filling the room.
He bowed gently and spoke evenly. "Lady Ariana, you sent for me."
Ariana nodded with a queenly smile before speaking.
"I want you to prepare the carriages. Food and water should be stored inside—enough, you and the seer. You must be here early tomorrow morning." Her tone was firm.
Raven simply nodded.
What was the queen planning? Was she preparing to share goods in the royal village? Curiosity finally overcame him; he could not hold it back any longer. She seemed so serious, a complete contrast to her usual calmness. That alone made him even more curious. Knowing the queen’s serene nature, this look told him something was still unsaid.
"Lady Ariana, if I may ask, is there something you are preparing for tomorrow?" he asked. He also recalled that she had mentioned him bringing the seer, which surprised him. Luna Ariana was not the kind to summon the seer without reason. Perhaps, as he had thought earlier, she only wished to share the goods with the royal villagers as an extra gift.
"I will be going for the war," she finally declared.
Raven almost staggered, his eyes widening. Of all the possibilities he had expected, this thought had never even crossed his mind. What had he just heard? She had to be joking—but no, he knew she was not. The queen’s face was more serious than ever.
He could not let the queen go. Such a thing had never happened before. And even if she tried, the journey alone would take two days. No, he couldn’t—he wouldn’t allow it. His head spun at the thought. No one had ever dared such a thing, nor had anyone even thought of it. Yet here the queen was, declaring her intent.
He could not even imagine it. He had sworn to protect the queen with his life, yet now she was planning to march into war.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Ariana spoke again.
"The vampires want the Senerp, and that is what I will give them."
Raven’s jaw dropped. She was not joking at all—her face held nothing but seriousness. Oh, what had he done? He wondered if the king truly knew how determined his wife could be. That was why Zavren kept most royal matters from her—because he knew how considerate she was. But now, seeing this resolve, Raven understood.
Zavren had always been nonchalant during wars, the kind of man who wore a look that said, Well, death comes. Yet this time was different—his determination was fueled by his wife as he wanted to protect her by all means. And now, she herself wanted to go. That was too risky.
Raven knew the consequences of allowing such a thing.
’Oh, Your Majesty, what am I going to do now?’ he thought, more speechless than ever.
"You may go now, Mister Raven. It is getting late," Ariana spoke calmly, as if she had not just uttered words that placed her very life on the line.
It was then Raven realized how much time had passed—he had been silent all along.
"Luna Ariana... the thing is, I think we should rethink this decision," Raven managed to say. He knew how risky it was—it could cause countless problems, not only endangering the queen but also distracting the king from the war. There were far too many reasons why this should not be done.
Ariana, who had been preparing to leave, stiffened. She understood well the risk she was about to take, but she was willing to face it. In fact, this risk had to be taken if the war was to end. Was it a foolish decision? Yes, perhaps. And she was sure it would not be easily allowed.
"I understand what you are saying, Mister Raven. But I have made up my mind," she spoke calmly, her elegant aura sophisticated yet steady.
Raven fell silent, unable to think of a way to convince her otherwise. He decided to leave it for now—it was late. Perhaps tomorrow, he and the seer could try together to change her mind.
He bowed gently. Ariana nodded with a smile before turning away. Raven turned toward the door, noticing the carriage still waiting. He walked toward it, thoughts heavy on his mind. He needed to find a way to convince the queen, for Zavren would never approve of this in the slightest. Maybe the seer could help him better, he thought, as he entered the carriage where the guard was already seated.
Raven almost laughed as he chuckled softly. "It seems you really want to eat this roasted meat," he said as the carriage began to move.
"Yes, and besides, it wouldn’t be bad to have something again tonight," the guard replied, and they both laughed before the carriage fell into calm silence.
Raven’s thoughts, however, were restless. Did the queen intend to give her blood willingly to the vampire? That was far too risky.
The Senerp was very special—almost forbidden—because of how addictive it was. Vampires survived on blood, and if she gave her blood to King Vrazen’s wife to awaken her... if she had already done it once... her scent would now be irresistible. The woman could drain her dry. And that would kill her..
No..he had to do something about this. The seer would know better; their wisdom about vampires might help convince her.
The carriage finally came to a stop after minutes of driving. The guard stepped down first, then Raven. Together they walked toward the guard’s kitchen area.
"How do you know it is the right time?" the guard asked.
Raven smiled. "Well, when the carriage came to take me, that was when the sharing started. If we go now, the first round will already be finished, and they’ll prepare another. Think of it as a gain—we won’t just get hot ones, but even more, since they’ll need to finish everything tonight."
The guard couldn’t help but nod, impressed. That was indeed clever.
They walked into the cafeteria—the same one where Pandora and Raven had eaten before. The place wasn’t crowded, only a few people remained, suggesting the main sharing was already done.
They entered, and of course, the lady in charge recognized Raven. She knew him well, and his late arrival was understandable; after all, working with the royals meant sudden emergencies were common.
"Mister Raven, we haven’t seen you in a long time. We were starting to wonder if you had forgotten us," the old woman said. She was clearly the head cook. Her gaze shifted to the man beside Raven, and she smiled. He smiled back politely.
"Oh, how could you say that, Cook Ruth? I would never forget you," Raven replied, and they laughed together.
The woman moved aside and spoke again. "It seems you brought someone with you. I’ll prepare food for both of you—and add more, since you rarely come." Her slightly wrinkled face softened with a small smile.
"Our pleasure," the guard said proudly, and they all laughed again.
When the woman left, the guard leaned closer. "Thanks for the tip. I’ll be coming here at the time you advised."
Raven nodded. Soon, the lady returned with two covered plates and handed them over. They thanked her and turned to leave.
"I’ll be taking my leave now. I don’t want to keep the carriage waiting," the man said.
Raven nodded calmly.
Turning back to the lady, he asked, "Is there stew as well? And apple juice?"
She nodded. "Give me a minute." She disappeared and soon returned with a jug, a cup, and another covered plate—probably with stew.
"I added rice on top, just in case you wanted something to go with it," she said with a wide smile.
Raven nodded gratefully, then left with the tray. He reached his door and pushed it open.
He set the plates on the table, but realized Pandora wasn’t there. Was she bathing? he wondered. He arranged the food neatly, but no sound came from within. He moved to the bathroom door and knocked gently—no answer.
Fear gripped him. He unlocked the door.
Empty.
Pandora was gone.
She was nowhere to be found.