Mated to the Mad Lord

Chapter 350: Eldric: Winning

But Lord Eldric had barely stopped speaking when silence settled heavily over the halls.

It wasn’t the kind of silence born from respect—it was thick, deliberate, and tense, as though every person present was weighing their next breath. The Lords remained seated around the long table, their expressions guarded and calculating, while their assistants—more like personal bodyguards—stood stationed behind them.

Each Lord was permitted at most two.

That alone made Eldric’s position clear.

He had chosen to stand with two figures behind him, both imposing and alert, while nearly everyone else had settled for one. It was a subtle show of power, one that didn’t go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

Still, none of the Lords spoke.

Fervor, seated the farthest from Eldric, leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes openly, making no attempt to hide his irritation. He didn’t bother to mask it behind politeness or diplomacy. The other well-dressed Lords were no different—some exchanged glances, others stared down at the table, but most instantly decided not to speak at all.

No one was surprised when the next voice to break the silence belonged to Harriet.

She sat upright, her posture rigid, slowly tapping her fingers against the polished table as she lifted her gaze. Her expression was severe, her eyes sharp with calculation.

"Lord Masdaw of the vampires is dead," Harriet said slowly, each word deliberate. "It takes a great deal to kill a vampire Lord—especially one with a bloodline ability. Regardless of who did it, they will blame us."

She paused briefly, letting that sink in.

"And they will want revenge."

More people leaned in now than they had even when Eldric had spoken. The shift in attention was unmistakable.

"...The terms of the peace treaty only hold so long as neither side attacks or kills the other," she continued, gesturing slightly with her hand. "Something that has clearly been rescinded."

She inhaled once, then concluded firmly, "I agree with Lord Eldric. At the very least, we need to prepare for war before it’s too late."

Her fingers stopped tapping.

She had said her piece.

Before anyone else could speak, Lord Grainger leaned forward, his jaw tight as he opened his mouth.

"War is fine!" he said sharply. "It wouldn’t be the first time it’s come knocking on our doors."

Then his expression darkened.

"But a King?" he scoffed, saying the word like it was something vile. "That’s a completely separate matter!"

He slammed his hand lightly against the table.

"Even Bavelli—who stood as a supreme head over us because of his power—didn’t dare call himself a King!" he spat, clearly incensed by the very idea.

Eldric’s jaw tightened, though he forced himself to remain composed.

Lady Bella watched the exchange closely. She could feel the tension rising, thickening the air with every passing second. Things were only just beginning to heat up.

She wondered, not for the first time, what she truly thought about the idea of a King.

She was only present on her father’s behalf, representing his interests, but even she couldn’t convince herself that this was a good idea. The thought left an uneasy weight in her chest.

She was still lost in thought when she felt a light tap against her shoulder.

Bella turned just slightly, the smallest smile tugging at her lips as she recognized the touch. It was Drey—her lover and her bodyguard.

She immediately smoothed her expression, schooling her features back into calm seriousness. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention.

Silence crept back into the room after Grainger finished speaking.

Lady Bella made no move to add her voice. It was clear she wasn’t going to speak.

Eldric, noticing this, shifted his attention elsewhere.

His gaze landed on Cain.

Cain still stood beside the woman at his side, one arm wrapped loosely around her as though anchoring himself. His gaze was distant—empty, almost unfocused at times.

That emptiness pleased Eldric more than he cared to admit.

Ignoring Lord Grainger entirely—already certain of what opposition he would offer—Eldric leaned slightly forward and addressed Cain directly, his voice gentler now.

"What about you, Lord Cain?" he asked. "What do you think?"

His gaze was intense, sharp with interest.

Whatever Cain said would determine far more than the outcome of this meeting. It would reveal the current state of his mind—something Lady June had assured Eldric was deteriorating rapidly.

Eldric felt a wave of relief wash through him when Cain merely shrugged.

Cain didn’t release the woman beside him. His grip remained steady, his expression vacant.

"I don’t care," Cain said simply. "King works."

The reaction was immediate.

Shock rippled through the room like a physical force.

Lady Bella jerked upright, her drifting thoughts snapping violently back to the present. Her eyes widened, disbelief etched across her face.

The only reason she had been comfortable remaining neutral was because she had been certain Cain—Eldric’s greatest rival—would never allow this to pass quietly.

Cain was the strongest among them.

That alone meant his words carried more weight than anyone else’s.

Eldric couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.

He leaned forward eagerly.

"...And who do you think should be King?" he asked, impatience slipping into his tone as he fixed his gaze on Cain.

Cain shrugged again, utterly unconcerned.

"Anyone," he said. "It doesn’t matter."

Eldric leaned back, settling comfortably into his seat now.

Several of the other Lords frowned.

Harriet appeared relaxed, her posture easing slightly. Magnus wore the faintest hint of a smile, though it was clear he hadn’t yet decided who to support—especially considering he was still healing from the beating Cain had given him not long ago.

It was becoming painfully obvious that if Eldric had control over Cain, then becoming King would pose no difficulty at all.

Fervor straightened abruptly, a deep frown settling onto his face.

Lady Bella mirrored his unease.

Something about this felt deeply wrong.

Grainger remained silent now, his gaze fixed intently on Cain. He studied him with unnerving focus, as though he wanted nothing more than to tear into his mind and uncover whatever had been done to him.

Eldric cleared his throat.

"Seeing how things stand," he said smoothly, "there are three who oppose my motion. That puts us at an impasse."

He sighed, though there was no real frustration behind it.

"We’ll discuss this again at the next meeting," he continued. "By then, some of you might have changed your minds."

His tone was light—far too light.

With that, he called the meeting to a close, seeing as there were no further issues to address.

There were none.

One by one, the Lords rose from their seats and began to leave.

Lady Bella, however, remained frozen where she sat.

She wasn’t shy.

She wasn’t weak.

But meetings like this always left her feeling subdued, weighed down by the power and influence of those around her.

I don’t like that look, she thought, her stomach tightening as she recalled the glance Eldric had given her when he spoke about people changing their minds.

He had looked right at me.

And for the first time since the meeting began, Lady Bella felt something dangerously close to fear.