They Banished Their True Queen

At the Nightwood Clan's feast celebrating our victory over the hunters, I was accused by Julia—a fledgling freshly turned from a blood servant.

The charge? Stealing fifteen crates of mana crystals and hundreds of vials of the finest rare bloods.

She pointed a finger at me, her voice ringing with self-righteousness. "Are we going to let a selfish thief like her continue to control this clan's lifeblood? I propose she be thrown into the Silverwater dungeons immediately!"

I looked to Joseph, the Earl of Nightwood, the man I had loved for a hundred years.

He knew damn well all of it—the blood, the crystals—was mine. My gift to the clan. I needed those crystals to heal the wounds I took in the fighting, and the rare blood was the only way we could call on our allies.

But the man who'd been tangled in my sheets just last night now stared at me coldly. "Julia has records of you stealing clan resources. What do you have to say for yourself?"

A smirk touched my lips. "I have nothing to say."

So, they thought I was some fool they could just push around.

They had no idea I was a descendant of the most powerful Vampire Prince of all, Valerius. If they wanted to play games with me, they’d better be prepared for my revenge.

At the feast celebrating the Nightwood Clan's victory over the vampire hunters, Julia suddenly shot to her feet, pointed at me, and declared, "I accuse Chief Advisor Elizabeth of stealing clan property!"

I looked at the woman—a blood servant turned fledgling not three months ago—and wondered who gave her the audacity.

"Stealing? What proof do you have?"

She produced a scroll.

"For the past year, you have spent over twenty hours a week alone in the treasury!"

She unrolled the scroll, revealing rows of meticulous records.

"Not only that, but fifteen crates of high-grade mana crystals and hundreds of vials of our finest rare bloods have vanished!"

Julia stared down at me, her eyes glittering with ambition. "You used the clan's campaigns as a cover to line your own pockets! You abused your position and took these priceless resources for yourself!"

The great hall fell dead silent.

My gaze calmly swept over the ledger.

Every entry was accurate.

But I hadn't been lining my pockets.

The fifteen crates of mana crystals were for the wounds on my back, gashes that went down to the bone. I'd gotten them a month ago, shielding Joseph and the elders from the silver bullets of three top-tier hunters so they could retreat.

And the hundreds of vials of rare blood? They were all sent to the northern werewolf territory.

It was the only price they’d accept to send their warriors to support the Nightwood Clan.

Because of those sacrifices, we had achieved total victory in yesterday's final battle, utterly destroying the Hunter's Guild.

I was the one who won this war.

I lifted the goblet before me, swirling the crimson