The Tyrant's Pet

Meanwhile, in a secret meeting place sat people around an oval table. A crystal ball was placed in the middle, watching everything unfold in the royal palace from there. Their faces were shaded by their hoods, but the stifling atmosphere said it all.

They weren\'t pleased.

"Unbelievable!" a voice of a man shook in anger, raising his head enough to show one of his eyes that was glinting menacingly. "How come this had happened, Giselle?"

"Not only they successfully claimed the throne, but the Grimsbanne also snuck into the high society legally." Another one spelled out what everyone knew and also the root of their dismay. "Didn\'t you say everything was going just as planned, Giselle? From my perspective, things are going exactly the opposite."

"The Grimsbanne… we might\'ve gotten a hold of Marsella Grimsbanne. But even that isn\'t enough to reassure this council that she will cooperate."

"One of our headaches went away when Maximus died, however, it seemed that one headache only multiplied."

"You promised Samael La Crox and his family will never return to the mainland, Giselle! Yet, there they were! Clapping as they mock us!"

"Let us not forget about the missing weapon, Maleficent. They said Abel Grimsbanne didn\'t take it, but who knows if he simply hid it?"

All of the council\'s concerns came one after another. Their dismay and frustration with a fearful undertone were apparent in their voices. But they weren\'t fighting one another, but berating just one person.

The one who was leading this council.

The blind woman named Giselle.

Giselle slowly pulled down her hood. Her eyes were just as white and clouded as ever, and her complexion was whiter than a sheet of paper. But despite the rising tension in the room, she remained calm and composed.

SLAM!

"Giselle, do not make us change the person sitting in that chair you\'re sitting on," warned another person after slamming his hand on the table, and standing up. "We trusted you because you were capable enough to steal the demon Maximus hid in the past. However, right now, I cannot help but wonder if you have the same capabilities you had in the past. After all, we\'ve waited for many years and now, our patience is running thin. Just how many more excuses would we hear before you tell us we\'re already in a sinking boat?"

"If your trust in me is waning, then I will vacate my post." Giselle, the blind woman, spoke calmly. She didn\'t look at the last person who spoke before her but kept her eyes on the glowing crystal ball in the middle of the table. "I do not mind vacating this seat if someone else in this council is capable enough to take down the Grimsbanne."

She blinked ever so slowly, moving her clouded eyes over their faces.

"Initially, I was appalled at how shaken you were at this slight setback. We already faced setbacks through the years when Maximus IV was alive. Compare to them, this was nothing," she continued, setting her eyes back on the crystal. "This is what the Grimsbanne wants, and you\'re playing exactly as what they want."

Her expression was still solemn, but her tone slightly grew firm. "Though I do not blame you for your reaction. The people we\'re up against were the Grimsbanne. It is not just Mathilda, Abel was also here. Samael La Crox, Lilou Bloodfang, the holder of Auron Claude La Crox, and the Barrets were also strong individuals in their own right."

"However, we\'ve known all along when this council was formed that this would happen. With the goal we seek to attain, the path we\'re paving would be painful. The Grimsbanne clan had always been on the list of people we\'re expecting to fight," she added, reminding them of the bigger picture. "Do not be shaken."

Giselle paused as she observed the atmosphere in the room with all her senses aside from her sense of sight. When she felt that the tension was subsiding, she heaved a faint sigh of relief.

"I suggest that everyone calm down. This council isn\'t over yet. This was only the beginning of something bigger; a large step towards our goal," she spoke again. "For the goals that unified all of us to work together patiently through the years, remember that it requires sacrifices and countless setbacks. Focus on what was important."

Those who were aggressive and standing up slowly sat back in their seats, huffing. However, none of them argued with her because Giselle made a solid point. Normally, they wouldn\'t react as strongly as how they reacted just now. They were patient people or rather, some of them just learned how to be with how their plans were moving.

However, they were vampires and time wasn\'t their enemy. Time was something they have, and they used it so this council would prevail. Still, they couldn\'t deny that the Grimsbanne intimidated them. Talking about the said clan or scheming behind them was different than when they were already walking on the same land as them.

The Grimsbanne Clan had made their move and they immediately succeeded, securing the throne and their settlement.

"Since we cannot do anything that was already done, what would be our plan?" someone in the council broke the silence with his stern voice. "The Grimsbannes and the Queen were one thing, but let us not forget the people working under them. From Conan Hakebourne and that nameless warlock to Samael La Crox\'s people and his remaining relatives on the mainland, all of them were troublesome people."

"Leviticus seemed to have chosen a side as well," another one added. "And then the missing — stolen weapon the late Maximus left. All I can see was a series of dilemmas with few minor solutions. Deposing the Queen was given, and by now, or rather, before she claimed it, I\'m certain they had their plans to stop that from occurring."

"Give us solutions, Giselle." A woman in the council urged through her gritted teeth. "We are already a step behind, don\'t let them widen the gap."

Giselle listened to their concerns that had a tinge of suppressed desperation. "I said do not fret. Unlike everyone, I never forgot the Grimsbanne\'s existence and how they can threaten our goal."

"That is why…" she trailed off, keeping her cloudy eyes on the crystal ball where it was showing Aries on the throne. "... I prepared beforehand."

The people in the council looked at each other before setting their eyes back on Giselle. Sensing her confidence, there was this slight reassurance that eased their hearts.

Giselle narrowed her eyes as she whispered, "they wouldn\'t see what is coming. Especially, Aries Aime Heathcliffe. Her world is about to be shaken."