Jason could almost feel Lamina shaking through their mental link, and he let out a calm breath before he said.
’You will remain on the council and continue to fulfill your duties just like before while waiting for more instructions from me. Also, I am not going to be taking the throne of Nox from you. I have other responsibilities in my own world, and that’s where I will remain. You will remain the leader of Nox as well as the eighth seat of the council. You are to carry out your duties while considering what is best for Nox and your domain, and I grant you the authority necessary to keep the other Vympirs in line. I’ll inform the council at the next meeting that I released you from under me, so you can do your duties without my interference, but I’ll be watching you, Lamina. Do not disappoint me.’
Lamina was shocked when she heard all this! Now that he was a Vympir, Lamina honestly thought that Jason was going to come and take over Nox immediately! But this was the first time that Lamina would see a Dead Apostle that wasn’t interested in being the ruler! As Gillian’s successor, Jason had inherited more than just the title of ruler! There were entire lands, castles, treasures, and tons of gold that Jason had also inherited, and those things could only be used here on Nox! Jason giving her control over this world was the same as him saying he wasn’t interested in any of that! But the fact that Jason was willing to trust her with this much responsibility made a surge of happiness rise from somewhere deep in Lamina’s heart! Lamina honestly thought that as the new Dead Apostle, Jason would take everything away from her and reduce her to a simple slave because of how she had treated Jason in the past! But Jason not only gave her the throne, but he also granted her freedom so she could continue doing what she had already been doing all along! Lamina realised that she had misjudged Jason, and Lamina couldn’t stop her lips from curling up into a small smile as she nodded.
[I am honored by your faith in me. I will not fail you, my Lord.]
Jason could feel Lamina’s happiness through the empathetic link that he shared with her, and he knew that this one action made Lamina a lot more loyal to him! This was something that Lamina had always wanted! Even though Lamina wanted the Blood Oath of Gillian, the only reason she wanted it was so that she could remain as the leader of Nox! So the fact that Jason was just giving her the authority over Nox right now was the greatest gift Lamina could have ever received! Jason closed the connection between him and Lamina, and although Jason couldn’t see it, he could feel Lamina’s joy as she jumped around her office like she had just won a lottery!
Jason scoffed in amusement, and he ignored all of that as he finally turned back to T’arigan. Both Farlow and T’arigan had been watching Jason curiously, and they could tell that Jason was in the middle of a conversation with someone else. Once T’arigan and Farlow saw that Jason was finished, Farlow asked him what had happened. But Jason just shook his head and said it was nothing.
"I was just sorting out an issue with a few of my subordinates. But about the visit to the Stone Catacombs. Would it be possible to do it tomorrow? I need to get back to Earth as soon as possible, and I don’t want there to be any issues with the council if I return."
Jason turned to T’arigan as he said this, and the men dived back into another conversation about how to deal with Jason’s Black Enigma Status. Jason had avoided telling Farlow or T’arigan about his conversation with Lamina because he didn’t want the council to think that he was only putting Lamina back in the eighth seat because he wanted to use her like a pawn! It was true, but Jason didn’t want them to know that! When Lamina rejoins the council, there is a chance that Jason would take the sixth seat since he was the current strongest in his domain! So the fact that Jason was Lamina’s Dead Apostle meant that Jason would have some authority over the Eighth Domain as well. Jason would also have Hesbaeth’s support on the council since the two of them had grown so close over the past few months, and he would definitely have Farlow’s support since Gina had saved his wife. So anything that Jason brought forward to the council would most likely be approved before he even spoke about it!
It was a good advantage to have, and Jason was pissed that Lamina had almost ruined such a perfect arrangement by not consulting with him before making such a serious decision! Lamina allowed her loyalty to blind her, and she did something stupid without thinking about the long-term issues.
’If she does something like this again, then I’ll have to find someone else to put in the council seat. She’s the most powerful White Sun vampire under my control, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other vampires that can do her job. We’ll just have to wait and see.’
.....
[Eastern wing of the Royal Palace]
[With Gina and Hesabeth]
Gina followed behind the fiery Queen Hesabeth calmly as they walked through the hallways of the Royal Castle. They had been walking for nearly ten minutes now, and Gina had no idea where Hesabeth was taking her. As they passed, the guards and maids who would normally stop to wave or smile at Gina had completely serious expressions on their faces as they bowed very deeply to Hesabeth, and Hesabeth ignored all of them as she continued walking, until she eventually led Gina to a bedroom on the other side of the castle. There were Minori guards waiting in front of the bedroom, and the two guards opened the door and allowed Hesabeth to enter. Gina stood at the entrance with a hesitant look on her face. There was a strange feeling inside of Gina’s heart as she watched Hesabeth walk into the room calmly, and for a moment, Gina thought about simply turning to leave, but Hesabeth turned around and snapped her fan shut before speaking.
"Well? Aren’t you going to come in?"
Gina finally took in a breath, and she just walked into the room. Gina remembered how Hesabeth had begged her for this conversation, so she decided that she would simply hear her out. When Gina entered, she noticed that the bedroom was well furnished with couches and rugs that looked fit for royalty. The bed in the room was a king-sized mattress that looked soft enough to sink into, and Hesabeth went to sit on the edge of the bed calmly. Gina raised a brow and spoke in a dry tone.
"I hope you aren’t trying to take me to bed. I’m a taken woman, and I don’t really swing that way either."
Gina shrugged as she said this, but then her mind went back to the time when she welcomed Riyala to bed with her and Jason, and she realised that she didn’t mind sleeping with other women, but only if Jason was involved as well.
Hesabeth’s face scrunched up in confusion once she heard what Gina said, and it took her a few seconds to fully understand the human slang. But once she did, her frown deepened even more, and she spoke up in irritation!
"Don’t be so crass. Do you think I’m some deviant who would be interested in such a thing? Sigh~ honestly, why must my exalted self be put through such humiliation? Well, it is best we simply get down to it. The reason I brought you here is because it is just outside Jason’s hearing range. Due to his immense power, that man is far too sensitive to sound, so it was necessary to come all the way to the other end of the castle to ensure he couldn’t listen in on our conversation."