Conquering His Cold Heart

397 Tomorrow

“You called me, Your Majesty?” Jerome asked Everard as soon as he entered Everard’s study.

“Yes.”

Everard was going through some written details for the upcoming ceremony when Jerome entered the room. He lifted his head from the notes on the desk in front of him and then looked at Jerome.

Then he said in a somewhat distraught tone, “I am in trouble, Jerome. And I seek your advice.”

“Trouble?” Jerome immediately stood in front of the desk and asked with a deep worry line between his brows, “What kind of trouble?”

Everard sighed and pulled out the letter that he had received from Orsenia in the morning. He handed the letter to Jerome to see and then said, “Alex wants to meet me the day after tomorrow.”

Jerome frowned when his eyes fell on the date and time that the Crown Prince wanted to have the meeting on. He looked at the King and then said in a protesting manner, “But you have to attend the ceremony on that day. You cannot leave for the meeting.”

“Exactly!” Everard leaned back on his chair and then asked Jerome, “What should I do?”

Jerome slightly shrugged and then replied in a nonchalant way, “You obviously send a letter stating how you already have some pre-engagement that very day and then give an alternative date and time for the meeting.”

.....

Everard shook his head because that wasn’t what he wished to hear. “Don’t you see the place where the meeting is to be held? That town is near the border of Orsenia. And if I send a letter now, it won’t reach him in time, meaning he will be on the journey expecting me to arrive at the location.” ????????????????????????????. ????o????

Jerome looked at the letter in his hand again. He pursed his lips and slightly shook his head when he realized that Everard was right. And he expressed his dissatisfaction, “Why would the Crown Prince decide the place and time of the meeting without consulting with you first?”

Everard looked down at his hands and mumbled, “I mean… He is afraid of me. Isn’t that it? He doesn’t want to give me time to prepare something to ‘ambush him again’, I guess.”

“It wasn’t you! He already knows that!” Jerome threw the letter back on the desk and then fisted on his hips. “You sent the apology letter already. So, what’s there to worry about? You are his friend! Why does he need to be wary of you? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Everard softly chuckled upon seeing Jerome getting agitated on his behalf. “Can’t blame him though. I did break his trust in a way. I wasn’t open with him.”

Jerome disagreed. “You protected him by doing that. He would have been dead by now if you had been open to him and told him all of your secrets.”

“He doesn’t know that…” Everard knitted his brows and added, “…I guess.” He wondered if Caspian told Alexander about the old agreement between the vampires and werewolves. But soon he dismissed that idea.

‘Why would that vampire say anything that will put me in a good light though? I won’t be surprised if he has already filled Alex’s head with some nonsense regarding our kind.’

Everard looked at Jerome and then said, “I need to meet Alex as soon as possible. The more I delay meeting him, the more he will hate me or be scared of me. I don’t know what kind of perception he has of me after hearing things from those vampires. I am sure it’s not good.”

Jerome couldn’t agree more. “You are right. Why don’t I send the letter to someone who will be faster and will also be discreet? You two can meet at the same location as suggested by the Crown Prince but one day after the original meeting plan.”

Everard shook his head and replied, “No. I was thinking tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Jerome knitted his brows and instantly disagreed. “It’s impossible! I am guessing you are thinking about going to the capital of Orsenia, which takes two days by carriage. And–”

Everard cut Jerome in the middle and said, “I won’t be going via carriages. I can just…” He shrugged and then said, “Run.”

“Bad idea!” Jerome exclaimed immediately. He slammed his palms on the desk and leaned towards the King. And he said while directly staring into the King’s eyes, “You are the King. You cannot go anywhere without your guards. And running in a pack will definitely attract attention.”

“We will go in the night then. And we will return tomorrow night.” Everard spoke like a child who was trying to convince the parents to let them go and play outside.

However, Jerome was pretty adamant. It was his job to stop Everard from doing anything foolish. “What if someone attacks you? Your guards might not be enough if another clan decides to try something foolish.”

“Nobody will know!” Everard also leaned forward and shouted to make his point, “We all can disguise ourselves as commoners. Not everyone knows what I look like.”

“Yeah. But at least one person might know what you look like. And even if you disguise yourself, you cannot hide your smell. One tracker will be enough to let others know that it’s you.” Jerome was now clenching his teeth as if he wanted to slap the stupid child.

Everard leaned back as if he was retreating but still, he didn’t stop mumbling, “Then I can empty a bottle of perfume on me. Just saying. You know. It’s not impossible if you really think about it. And I promise that I will be back on the day of the ceremony.”

“It’s not just that!” Jerome slammed his fists on the table again and grimaced as though he was in physical pain. “You cannot just go to someone else’s Kingdom unannounced when you are a King! What if the King of Orsenia thinks of you as a threat and launches an attack on you?”

“I know that Alex won’t allow that to happen,” Everard replied, somewhat unsure of what he just said.

“Do you?” Jerome straightened his back and folded his arms in front of his chest. And he said in a reprimanding tone, “Now don’t think about doing something stupid. Just stay put in the castle until the ceremony. I will send a letter to Orsenia on your behalf.”

Everard suddenly sprung up on his feet and said in a low growl, “No, you will not.”