Life returned to usual for Max the next day as he became buried in official work that could not be pawned off on the clone.
The old man had settled into the palace near the place where the guards resided and Max had placed some surveillance on him as he was not sure about his intentions.
Amy was extremely happy with her new panda toy and she along with the other kids seemed to be completely obsessed with it for the moment.
While Ruby and Naomi enjoyed a much needed break from housework, Asiva, Sebastian, Severus and Anna had to all return to their official duties as well as cover up for the time they spent leisurely yesterday.
The most pressing agenda at the moment was the announcement by the king which was due in few hours as Max reluctantly gave the orders for the military to be on the ready incase things went out of control.
His strategy to counter any possible panic moves was to declare a curfew for the subsequent two days during which he would launch a public information campaign addressing many of the common fears.
Asiva had managed the territory beautifully in his absence and had already began stocking up on grain and other essentials which would help alleviate the market pressure that was sure to rise in the coming days.
The only issue that still needed to be decided was the merchant union strategy.
There was going to be a sudden drop in demand for luxury goods and non essentials in the coming days which could potentially cripple many small merchant unions who traded these goods solely as their bread and butter.
Although they could be potentially converted into government contractors, with Max assigning them the role of keeping them supplied within the alternate dimension when the time came, the issue with such an arrangement was that it was too important of a task to be pawned off on the public sector.
Max had hence called for Christian Grey to hear his views on the topic before making a decision on how to proceed.
Their meeting lasted for several hours but in the end a wise decision was made.
As the sun set, a sombre mood blanketed the city, pierced by the ceremonial trumpets heralding the arrival of the Aurelius clan officials.
In the entire history of the vampire society, only thrice had there been a king's announcement made, with two of those times being when a new king assumed power.
Today was the fourth time, and immediately the envoys of the Aurelius clan received a lot of attention from the common masses.
One by one, they stepped onto the elevated platforms scattered throughout the city, scroll in hand, their expressions grim.
The crowd grew silent as the officials unfurled the parchment bearing the emblem of the Vampire King. Clearing their throats, they began to read the king's edict, their words echoing in the eerie stillness of the city.
The edict spoke of an impending war, a clash between the light and dark factions, a fight in which the vampire monarchy will stand in the front lines.
This was not a war to be fought on their streets or in their homes, but in an alternate dimension. Still, it was stated that the aftermath could very well leave entire clans eradicated, that they may wake up one day to find someone they loved had perished in battle.
The vampire king urged the common citizens to steel their hearts and prepare for tough times ahead and also urged all capable warriors to prepare for deployment upon the orders of their Lord, if they deemed it necessary.
The King had basically given the lord's the right to make military conscription compulsory if they deemed it necessary and resisting that order would spell arrest under vampire law.
A heavy silence fell as the last word was read, the severity of the situation sinking in. The initial reaction was of disbelief, eyes darting between neighbours, hoping to find assurance that it was all a terrible joke. But the grim expressions on the faces of the officials said otherwise. Then came the horror, a wave of cold dread that swept through the crowd as the reality set in.
Mothers clutched their children tighter, their hearts filled with a suffocating fear for their husbands, brothers, and sons. Fathers felt a pit in their stomachs, their minds racing with thoughts of their families being left unprotected, alone. Young men and women, who only days before were engrossed in their trivial pursuits, were now faced with the reality of becoming warriors overnight. The realisation that their lives were about to change irrevocably was a bitter pill to swallow.
In the wake of this announcement, people began to panic. A war meant scarcity of food and essentials, and they were not prepared. The markets were soon flooded with frantic citizens, each one scrambling to hoard as much as they could. This surge of fear-induced activity led to chaos.
Lines grew longer, tempers flared, fights broke out over the last bag of grain. The peaceful city was now a storm of desperation and fear. The local police, prepared but overwhelmed by the intensity of the reaction, moved in to maintain order.
Night sticks were employed, voices raised, threats given, and some arrests made, but the unrest persisted. The peace of the city had been shattered, replaced with an air of tension and unease, an ominous prelude to the looming war.
Thankfully, Max did not need to deploy the military to maintain order as by midnight the police was able to disperse all crowds as a curfew was imposed.
For the next two days, it was best if citizens did not leave their houses as Max needed to do his best to reassure them that everything was going to be alright.
Yes a great war was inevitable, yet it was not like the entire universe was coming to an end.
The Bloodfall clan was strong and Max was sure that they would make it out the other side stronger than they went in.
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/// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT target, good job everyone! ///