The Tyrant's Pet

Dreams or nightmares… no matter how good or terrible they were, Aries would still wake up the next day as if nothing happened. No one would ever see her vulnerable the moment she open her eyes and allowed her servants to enter the queen's quarters.

It was her routine, and she didn't plan to break that routine until the time was ripe.

And just like that, the day of the world summit rolled in.

The place where the sovereigns from across the globe gathered was a separate newly established palace. Knights from different lands wore their king or queen's insignia and uniform proudly. There were only five knights allowed to accompany a king, but considering there were over a hundred sovereigns who attended the gathering, there were a lot of people.

To make sure that this gathering would run smoothly and peacefully as possible, the Queen of the mainland employed knights to secure the area. The Summit, although, appeared to be the epitome of elegance and power was a dangerous event for everyone.

After all, they were all in a land where their powers and people were limited. Still, staying in this place for a few days since their arrival and experiencing nothing but the best the Mainland could offer, the atmosphere was lighter than expected.

From the inside, there were only a few selected maids from noble families to make sure the guests were treated properly. Everything from the interior, the servants, and the conference room they gathered showcased the wealth of the Mainland.

Everything was almost covered with gold, seducing those kings who were struggling financially. Many attended by force since the Queen personally sent them an invitation, but just right before they could enter the conference, there were several people who changed their minds and considered being the Queen's allies.

It was obvious; Aries didn't even have to observe that carefully since it was plastered across their faces.

Aries scanned the faces sitting around the enormous round table that had a large space for a person in the middle. The number of men in the room was obviously more dominant than the female rulers or soon-to-be rulers; Aries could count on her fingers how many females there were.

All of them wore their country's national attire to represent their country and culture. Some were almost covered, while others adorned themselves with several pieces of jewelry. They didn't need to emphasize which country they represent though, for each of them had name plates of countries in front of them.

"We are all gathered today…" the master of ceremony, standing in the large space in the middle of the table, broke the silence as he briefed everyone on today's agenda. "... on top of the introduction of a newly established nation, we will also address the current world affairs including unsettled quandaries…"

The introduction took at least five minutes, listing everything that needed to be addressed for this week-long gathering. As they were briefed, Aries observed the people around the table. Some of them were listening attentively while others were casting each other glares or knowing looks.

'I was once in a summit before,' she thought, not paying attention to the master of the ceremony as she already knew what he was saying. 'However, I was kept in a cage. I didn't know that the atmosphere in a place where all powerful men were gathered is truly different.'

If this was in the past — the past where she had to represent Rikhill — Aries would surely feel overwhelmed. Her father attended a world summit at least twice or thrice throughout his rule before the land of Rikhill fell.

What Aries could only remember was that her father would always come home, exhausted. She thought it was because of the tedious journey, but now, she realized it wasn't just the journey. 𝗳𝐫𝘦e𝘸𝗲𝚋𝓃𝚘v𝘦𝘭.𝑐𝒐m

The world summit was an important gathering to build connections, allies, and even earned enemies. If one was foolish, these sovereigns would eat them alive.

"And with all that laid out, the 106th World Summit will now commence," announced the master of the ceremony, motioning the elected officials to facilitate the gathering.

People donning the uniforms of the World Summit that didn't come from any kingdoms including the mainland approached the table. They all handed them papers and documents efficiently and carefully.

Aries glanced at the person, who placed a document in front of her. As a reassurance this summit wouldn't be biased, Aries sent a separate letter along with the invitation. In it, she asked each king to send their best men to apply for this separate unit who would facilitate the gathering.

Of course, to make sure that the people they sent would comply, they were strictly trained for months. Keeping an eye on each other helped since that hindered anyone from taking advantage of it.

'I guess the rewards and punishment were proven effective.' Aries peeled her eyes from the people serving them documents. 'It was great to keep this department and make it into a large, independent, and international organization that isn't under any sovereign. I must invite London Leviticus for a cup of tea since it's his idea.'

Aries rocked her head, occupying her thoughts with things that seemed unimportant. The only thing she wanted from this summit was for them to acknowledge the existence of the Mainland and vampires. Hence, she didn't have much to say in the current discussion.

Aries arched her brow when she noticed someone's gaze on her. She lifted her eyes, turning her head to the left where Ismael was sitting.

'What?' she mouthed with a quirked brow, but Ismael simply shrugged. 'I heard he had been busy before the summit. Talk about not wanting to get his arrival known.'

Aries mentally shook her head, shifting her eyes in a different direction on instinct. There, Veronika was staring at her. When she locked eyes with Aries, Veronika flashed her a subtle smile as a greeting.

'I've seen her before the summit, but I must say she had grown.' Aries smiled back at Veronika, snapping her eyes to the few kings currently debating regarding the tension between an unclaimed land. 'How boring…'

Her train of thought trailed off as she caught a person from the corner of her eyes. Aries slowly set her eyes on the right, only to see Maximus staring at her.

<strong>'He isn't invited, yet, here he was, ruining my day just by breathing.'</strong>