Episode 18

Turning around, I saw an older man who appeared astonishingly youthful for the manner in which he had spoken to me. He approached us, and my uncle stepped back with hands clasped and head bowed, while I could only gaze at the man who exuded a strong and commanding presence.

He gripped my shirt collar tightly, almost choking me, his gaze fierce. "What have you done? How could you marry someone?" he demanded, his words incomprehensible to me.

"Who are you?" I gasped, struggling for breath. My question lessened his grip, though he still held my shirt.

"How do you not recognize your own grandfather?" he shouted, tightening his hold once more.

"Grandfather? This man is my grandfather?" I wondered, trying to breathe and make sense of his claim.

"Please tell me you didn't marry her," my grandfather pleaded, finally releasing my neck.

"I don't understand why I can't marry," I retorted, furrowing my brow. "I've realized my family has been hiding things from me, and I think it's time for some honesty. What is going on?" I demanded, breaking free from his grip.

"I will tell you everything you want to know, but first, tell me you didn't sleep with her or make the blood pact."

"I did both with her, why?" His questions deepened my confusion.

"No! How could this have happened? What did you do?" He seemed deeply concerned by my answer. After our conversation in the garden, we entered the mansion and headed into a room resembling a library. We took our seats, and he made a call out of my hearing range. When he returned, he sat opposite me.

"We need to wait for some people, and then I'll clarify any doubts you have."

While waiting, we chatted; he shared stories of his life and why he never visited me as a child, although he was always aware of my activities. We laughed together, and I recounted my marriage to the stunning woman. Initially, he wanted to kill me, but his questions ceased as we talked.

"I still can't fathom how you drank so much; you don't usually get drunk and have a high tolerance," he mused.

"From what I've been told, we drank nonstop and decided to get married while completely intoxicated." Just as my grandfather was about to speak again, the doors burst open. Turning, I was stunned to see who we had been waiting for.

"How dare you use our portal without permission! A grave mistake, young man!" exclaimed my father.

I couldn't believe the people standing before me, yelling, were the troublesome couple—my parents.

"My wife went through the portal; I have to find her," I said desperately.

"Let's calm down, sit, and discuss what's happening," my grandfather interjected.

We took our seats in a small sitting area within the room. There were tense moments of silence until I broke it.

"It's time for you to explain everything," I said sternly. "I've uncovered much you've kept hidden, and it's time for the full truth." My parents exchanged looks, then sighed deeply.

"Alright, we'll tell you everything," my father conceded. "Though the time isn't ideal, it seems necessary now that you're here."

"To start, you should know we are vampires, and I presume you've guessed that if we have a portal, we're guardians of the infernal royal family, haven't you?"

"I deduced as much when I found the spellbook, but I couldn't believe it," I replied.

"Well, it's time you did. We are not only guardians but also a prominent family here. Since the king is a close friend of mine, we vowed our grandchildren would marry. Our children were already married when we struck the pact," explained my grandfather.

"That means I was to marry one of the infernal king's granddaughters," I mused.

"Exactly, my son," my mother chimed in.

"Why was I never told?" I inquired.

"We never thought you'd marry; you always said you'd remain single," my father disclosed.

"That's true, but..."

"What's done is done; there's no remedy," interjected my grandfather.

"Wait, I want to know who I was meant to marry out of curiosity," I expressed.

"Your betrothed would have been the king's youngest granddaughter," my grandfather answered.

"Why the youngest?"

"The princess of this realm, a beautiful and strong-willed woman, went to Earth to experience life upon reaching adulthood. She intended to return and rule after living her life," he began, "but she fell in love and married a deceptive man, blind to his treachery, even having children with him. By the time the king and I struck the deal, you were already born to my son and daughter-in-law, and the princess was pregnant with her eighth child, who was then designated as your betrothed. Should you fall for any of her sisters, the betrothal would shift."

"What happened next?" I urged, seeking more information.

"Our princess realized too late that her husband knew her true identity and his own ulterior motives for the union," my grandfather paused before meeting my gaze. "He killed her and her daughters in a ghastly hunt, in which they were the prey, chased through the forest to their deaths. The greater problem arose when they reached this realm."

"What problem? What are you talking about?" I asked, bewildered.

"The youngest daughter never arrived here."

"How is that possible? And why does that matter?"

"Each princess has a significant role in the infernal world. The first seven are enforcers within the infernal circles, places of unending torment to atone for one's sins."

"And the eighth? What's her role?"

"She is vital; the successor to her mother and the next queen of the infernal world," he revealed, causing me great surprise.

"Hold on, shouldn't the firstborn be the successor?"

"Succession here isn't determined by birth order; it's inherent."

"Understood, but there's still something unclear," I said. "If all nine women were murdered, how is the youngest not here? Logically, if she's not present, she must still be alive."

"We suspect as much; our problem is that you married someone else, not your intended bride. The king could punish us for this breach."

Upon reflection, I realized he was absolutely right. I had married a woman even though I was betrothed to another. Even though I wasn't aware of this, I was breaking a commitment that had been made in my name. At that moment, I started to feel guilty for having broken that promise.

"Regarding that," my parents interjected, "we have something to disclose," leaving us all surprised and confused.

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