SPELLBOUND

Gideon remained deceptively relaxed even after Evie's serious threat. He just stared at her for a long while before smiling nonchalantly.

"I have never underestimated you, Queen. I am well aware of your power… of what you can do. Or else why would I need to blackmail you? Also, if you remember, I even had to use such an underhanded tactic just to bring you here?" he said lightly as he lifted his hand and grabbed her wrist gently. "So please calm down now and listen to me. Don't forget you're in the Under Lands now, and you and your little one are …" his eyes hardened for a moment and Evie felt her hand go numb, as if he had turned it into stone. Her heart immediately thundered the moment he mentioned her child. "…my prisoners. Ah, the dozens of vampires and a few light faes too. Or would you rather I called you as 'guests'?" Gideon suddenly smirked before his face returned to its neutral state once again.

Evie's eyes widened. A few light faes?! They have caught more of her people? Not just Zanya? But she did not remember receiving any reports of any missing light faes! Who were these people then?

"My men had caught a few light faes just a few hours ago and brought them back here as well." He told her as he finally pushed Evie's hand down. "Also, your magic is restricted inside this castle. Not just yours but mine too. Because this castle is special. Hmm… this is actually a prison castle. So don't waste your time trying to escape. I'm warning you now, Queen. Because if you don't listen to me, you will definitely regret it. I'm saying all this for your own good. So it would only benefit yourself to listen and be obedient."

The look in his eyes had subtly changed as he spoke. It was as if the hardness that was hiding behind his gentle exterior was finally making itself known and coming to the surface. And the hardness she was seeing now was something that could only belong to a very cold man – a villain. She was quite sure now that this man was not as beautiful on the inside as he seems to be on the outside. This man was a villain with the looks of a saint.

Warning bells rang in her head and for the first time since she had met him, she felt real danger, and this was the same fear she felt when Galleous had threatened that he would kill her unborn child. She could feel her entire frame shake and her skin prickled with trepidation. However, she did not allow that sudden fear to manifest itself on the outside.

Evie fought for calm, and she managed to remain composed. Though this time she decided not to try anything anymore, at least until she has a better grasp on things here. She had realized she must be extra careful now. She still did not know what this man could do, nor does she have any idea what kind of power he truly possessed. For now, she was just going to learn and absorb as much information as she possibly could before coming up with a plan.

"Tell me…" Evie managed to keep her voice neutral as she stared at him with her same fearless eyes. "Why are you doing this? What are you up to? Is this all done so you could lure my husband to come here?"

Gideon fell silent but there was a complexity reflected in his eyes now. "You are right, queen." He answered simply and Evie struggled to keep her expression impassive. She needed more information. What is with the curt answers?

"Why? What do you want from my husband?" Evie tried to ferret more out of him.

"That… I can't say much to you about it right now," he sounded like he was not going to budge on this matter, so Evie had no choice and could only back off. But only for now, she thought to herself. She would find some ways to get the information that she needed.

"If my husband is what you want, then why did you abduct those vampires and even the light faes too?" Evie asked again. "What has the light faes got anything to do with my husband?"

Gideon began to walk forward after signalling Evie to follow after him – not before giving her a sharp warning look in reminding her to be obedient – and Evie could only compliantly walk behind him. "Those vampires were just tests. And yes, those light faes as well."

"Tests?" Evie paused in her steps, creasing her brows at him in confusion. "What do you mean by tests?" And to Evie's surprise, Gideon launched into a long and elaborate explanation on it.

"Not too long ago, I had discovered a new portal that suddenly appeared here in Yryzia. There is supposed to be only one portal which is found in the Great City, and it is being guarded by the king's soldiers. The king of course does not have any idea about this portal here yet. I was the first to test it out and I had managed to cross the portal and reach the surface successfully. After seeing for myself that the portal is working, I began to test other things out and I found out that this portal surprisingly requires nothing to cross it. And then, I later found out that even non-dark faes could cross it just fine, without anything happening to them. Thus, I sent my men to abduct all the vampires I've found by the lake just to see if the portal would close. But nothing had happened after bringing them over. And now, even the light faes could cross it just fine as well. And that includes you as well, Queen. I believe something is happening with this ancient treaty that had sealed the portals.." Gideon paused from his long explanation and looked over his shoulder, staring at Evie. "What do you think, Queen? Do you think my theory is right? That perhaps the treaty might be something that don't last forever…? Maybe there only needs to be a certain amount of time to have passed, and now that the time is getting closer to the end, the once sealed portals are appearing again?"