Married To The Mad Vampire Lord - Chapter 416

Chapter 416: Something bigger_Part 2
“This will be a reason for you to stay in the cottage, Isa,” Rohan said with a click of his tongue, staring down at his son. “This little rascal will get blood on his hands before he even knows what he’s doing.” He couldn’t help the small smile as he watched the determined frown on the boy’s young face, as if he already understood, in his own small way, what war might mean.

“But—” Belle began to say.

“You know I won’t put you both in any danger, Isa. We are not sure when the war will happen, but I know it will be bigger than we expect. It won’t just be between Nightbrook and Aragonia anymore. It might take a year or even less to break out, and I can’t have you here when it does. It could happen unexpectedly, which is why I stayed behind to look for a witch to remove Isabelle before I take you away from here.”

Belle pulled her head back and look at him, but Rohan only smiled and touched a hand to her chin as he leaned down. “Let’s not argue about this, my darling. You need to be with our son, in safety, so I can do what I must and then come back to you. The king expects me to start coming to the castle next week to study war strategies and maps, so let’s talk about freeing you from Isabelle before then.”

Belle wanted to argue, but she could see from his expression that he wouldn’t take anything she said in that moment. So, instead, she let it slide for now, knowing they were not yet certain when the war would break out. From what she had learned in the past, wars took time, sometimes more than a year, to be fully strategized. By then, they might have already made new arrangements.

“What’s the good news?” she asked softly as his fingers threaded through her hair in a soothing gesture before settling on her neck.

“The good news is that I found a witch who can remove Isabelle. I’ll bring her here in two days after she finishes gathering what she needs to separate the part of Isabelle that pulls you into the land of the dead.”

“Really?” Belle’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected him to find a witch capable of that so quickly.

He hummed. “She’s a white witch, which is good, they’re far better than black witches. She said she can do it and has done it before. She has a clear heartbeat that makes me believe she’s telling the truth.”

White witches were not easy to come across. They hid well and blended seamlessly with humans, but Rohan had found this one by sheer luck. He hadn’t approached her with threats as he often did with others. Instead, he had spoken of Belle, of how much his wife meant to him, so the woman would help.

“You must love her so much,” the witch had said with a kind smile. “I will treat her. You can come back in two days to take me to her.”

Belle was happy at the thought of finally being free from Isabelle. Yet beneath that happiness, a quiet unease and fear knot in her chest. She pushed it down and said instead, “I can’t wait to be able to sleep again without fear and without seeing memories and vision—”

Belle stopped short, suddenly remembering what she had been waiting to tell Rohan. “I saw another vision today,” she blurted out quickly, panic edging her voice as the image of Rav’s lifeless body flashed through her mind again. She told Rohan what she had seen, and his face turned grave.

“Could it be something that will happen during the war?” Belle asked. She hadn’t thought about the possibility of the vision happening during the war, but now that she knew the war was going to be big, she couldn’t help but think it.

“I’m not sure. You said blood came from his ears and eyes as well?” Rohan looked at her.

She nodded.

“Was he stabbed in the chest?” he pressed.

Belle pursed her lips thoughtfully before saying. “I don’t know. There was just blood. But I’m worried about him. Maybe you should take him and Evenly away first to keep them safe. I don’t want anything happening to either of them. And you know,” she added softly, lowering her voice, “I think he likes Evenly, and she likes him too. Taking them first might even bring them closer together.”

Belle leaned in closer and whispered with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “I believe they shared a room last night… and something happened between them.”

Rohan arched a brow, clearly intrigued by her words. “Are you sure?” he asked. He knew how much Rav avoided women like the plague, never touching any of them. He hadn’t understood the reason behind that behavior before, but now he knew it was because of the memory of his late wife.

Belle nodded with certainty. “I’m sure. They both had that look on their faces.” She wiggled her brows suggestively, making Rohan chuckle despite the seriousness of the situation.

“What look?” he teased, his lips curving into a small smirk.

Belle glared at him playfully, then glanced at their son, who was watching and listening intently with wide curious eyes, as if trying to make sense of their conversation.

“You know what I mean,” Belle hissed softly, nudging him in the arm. Rohan nodded, deciding to drop the teasing because their little one was listening.

His expression gradually turned sober as he lifted his gaze toward the gray sky, where darker clouds drifted over the lighter ones, a sure sign that it might rain again. “I’ll be glad if that happens,” he murmured quietly. “If he really does like her.”

“Me too.” Belle muttered softly.

Rohan was silent for a moment before he said, “Isa, there’s something I haven’t told you.”

Belle turned to him with a questioning look in her eyes, watching his profile as he kept his gaze fixed on the sky. There was nothing Rohan ever hid from her, so she couldn’t help but wonder what it was he had kept from her this time.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I was the reason Rav lost his family, his wife, son, and mother. I’ve never told him. But if he could move on, if he could really love again, then maybe I could tell him without fearing that he’d turn against me,” he confessed in a husky, low voice meant only for her ears as he didn’t want to risk the words being carried by the wind to the said man inside the house.

“What?” Belle’s eyes rounded in bewilderment. “He had a wife and son before?”

Rohan nodded slowly. “Yes. And he lost them because of me.” He finally turned his gaze from the sky to her, his lips curling into a bitter smile. “I wanted to tell him, but Rav has been the only person who’s stuck with me for many years. He’s like family. I don’t want him to turn on me, because if he does, I might be forced to hurt him, or worse take his life.”

He then told her how it had happened, and Belle listened quietly, blinking in disbelief, her heart aching not only for Rav, who had lost his family, but also for her husband, who had carried the weight of that regret ever since discovering he was responsible for it.

“But you didn’t know,” Belle murmured softly, seeing the deep remorse in Rohan’s dark eyes. She reached out and gently cupped his jaw with both hands. “You have to tell him, Rohan. I believe he’ll understand and forgive you. It might be hard at first, he might even be angry, but he’ll understand.”

Angel rested his small head against his father’s chest as he watched his parents talk. Rohan sighed wearily and leaned his own head against Belle’s shoulder, his arm tightening around her waist as if needing the comfort of her closeness.

“I hope you’re right, love,” he whispered. “If it were me, I wouldn’t forgive something like that, because I can’t live without you. I can’t imagine life without our little Angel either. And if someone did what I did to him, I would kill him the moment I found out.”

“What if Rav didn’t love his wife the way you love yours? There’s a chance he might forgive you. Our hearts are not made the same, and forgiveness can be easier for others. Take your time if you’re not ready to tell him, but don’t keep it for too long,” she said gently.

“Hmm, I’ll tell him when I see his relationship with Evenly is solid.” He let out another tired sigh and pressed his forehead lightly against her shoulder. “You smell so good. Let me rest here a little.”

He closed his eyes, breathing her in deeply, letting the warmth of her scent and presence steady the thoughts in his mind.

Belle brought her other hand up and began to run it slowly up and down his spine in a soothing caress as she let his earlier words swirled in her mind. She was human, a being destined to grow old one day, while he was a creature who could live for thousands of years more. She couldn’t imagine living without him, not even for a single moment. And Belle realized, with a soft ache in her chest, that it was the same for him too.

“Rohan,” she said softly, “after I get separated from Isabelle, I want to become a vampire.”