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Chapter 40: The Chancellor
Chapter 40: The Chancellor
'He hasn't come back yet,' Mineah murmured as she walked outside the main deck to get some fresh air.
It was yet another day without Nikolai... and she was really feeling worse off than she would've liked. Maybe it was because she felt like she had wasted yet another day. She did have to make him fall in love with her, after all, and how would she do so when they barely saw each other like this? It had been two nights and three days already, and she hadn't even spoken a word to him.
Still, things couldn't be all bad. She had slept well last night out of exhaustion from reading Rosela's mind. Obviously, the woman was someone she should be wary of. She was obsessed with Nikolai, and she'd be willing to do everything just to get her out of her way.
Mineah let out a sigh as she looked up at the gloomy sky. She hadn't even stepped foot in Valcrez territory yet and she already had an enemy somehow. Still, it was times like these when she was grateful for the advantages her eyes had given her.
"Good morning, Your Majesty. I hope you had a good night's sleep."
Turning around, Mineah smiled back as Chancellor Abel greeted her with a radiant smile on his face. She would've loved to read this man's mind, but she had to stop herself from doing so since she didn't want to use more of her energy for that day.
"There's no sun today, Chancellor," Mineah hummed at the man who was now walking beside her as she proceeded straight to the edge of the deck. "I'd say it's not all good, is it?"
She chuckled as she held onto the railings in front of her. Unlike yesterday, the sun was nowhere to be found. It was cloudy, which meant that the ship was livelier with some vampires openly roaming around and curtly greeting her.
"I suppose you are right," Abel remarked with a soft chuckle. "A storm is coming, Your Majesty."
Mineah nodded in agreement. She then turned to the man beside her and stated, "Hmm, it's the first time we've talked, milord. I'm glad you approached me. So far, it's only been Aunt Alexa, Gregory, and the Masters who've been interacting with me."
"I witnessed you interacting with Lady Rosela last night," the man pointed out with another chuckle.
He had red eyes, which left little doubt of his status as a Curb. Apparently, he was the first Curb in Valcrez's history; a converted vampire who received a high-ranking position as Chancellor based on his capabilities and knowledge alone.
She also recalled him being the best strategist in the kingdom, and Nikolai trusted him with a lot of things. He was from Ivanov Clan, and his Maker was Fritz, one of Queen Dowager Rania's Scions.
Remembering all these things, it was a good thing Mineah's memory was good enough for this much knowledge. Just looking at all the genealogy lists of each clan made her dizzy back then. So many names! Each Clan had propagated way too much already in her opinion!
"Do you still have any activities scheduled for the day, Your Majesty?" Abel asked.
Mineah smiled. She was about to answer when Dani suddenly rushed towards her and said, "Your Majesty, you should head back inside. Minister Rufus just realized you sneaked out of your lessons..."
She held in a sigh at the news she just received. Minister Rufus was the one personally teaching her about Valcrez's finances. He was also a Scion, but his old age shows in his appearance since he was turned when he was eighty years old.
"I guess you need to head back. Minister Rufus is a very strict individual, and he will scold whoever he thinks deserves it," Abel hummed with a grin. "Why, I still remember how he made even King Nikolai cry from his words."
Mineah gulped as she sincerely nodded, "I'll be going ahead then, Chancellor. It was nice that we had this brief conversation together."
"The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty," Abel curtly nodded. "I hope to see you again in tonight's celebration."
Mineah gave him a half smile before turning around to leave. Turning to Dani, she asked, "Any news about Nikolai?"
"Nothing yet, milady," Dani answered, making her let out a deep sigh. Then again, maybe it would be for the best that she didn't get any news at the moment. She was quite busy with her training and lessons anyway, and any additional distractions would only slow her down.