My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

Chapter 253: Sacrificial Dilemma

Yuri sat at the head of the round table in her brightly lit dining room, her fingers lightly tapping on the polished surface.

The sunlight outside bounced off the large windows, sending beautiful rainbows of colors dancing outside. It had been very expensive to acquire the special glass from the Custodians but it was worth it.

She would have put the glass in her throne room but it would have ruined her halo effect and that was something she didn't want.

Across from her, Ivo and Armand sat, their expressions attentive but guarded, knowing that whatever Yuri had called them here to discuss would be of great importance.

Yuri's eyes flickered between them, her voice steady as she finally broke the silence. "There is something we need to discuss. A way to end the war."

Her calm words immediately set the tone, drawing the full attention of her husbands. Ivo's brow furrowed slightly, while Armand leaned forward, listening intently.

"I've found a way." She continued, her voice even and controlled. "A way to stop all of this. To bring an end to the coming bloodshed, secure peace for our coven and keep our assets and territory."

Ivo shifted in his seat, his expression blank. "What way?" he asked, his voice devoid of any inflection. Yuri noted it. Was he waiting for her stance on the topic before showing reaction to it?

Yuri met his gaze evenly. "There is a way to stop everything by using Ezra."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the words hanging between them like a weight. Ivo's expression tightened immediately, his hands clenched into fists on the table. Armand's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly composed himself, glancing toward Ivo for his reaction.

"You mean... sacrifice him?" Ivo asked, his voice strained. He didn't wait for an answer. "Yuri, that's out of the question, isn't it?"

Yuri nodded, acknowledging his concern but pressing on. "It would end the war, Ivo. We could secure peace, protect our people. Think about the lives we could save. None of our Subjects have to die and we can strengthen our position with more Subjects."

She wasn't fully in support of the idea but she had to play devil's advocate. Only then will she gain their full opinion and think on it.

"But Ezra will have to die." Ivo shook his head, leaning forward, his voice firm. "Sacrificing Ezra would not strengthen our position. It'll weaken it, don't you think?"

"He's one of the strongest assets we have. Both in terms of his power and his loyalty. He leads one of the two covens we have and we all know which coven is stronger. Without him, we'd be vulnerable, won't we?"

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Armand, sitting next to Ivo, crossed his arms and added, "Giving up Ezra would send the wrong message. It would be seen as a sign of weakness. You know that Vladimir would take advantage of that immediately. If we give up one of our most trusted subjects, it will only embolden our enemies, won't it?"

Yuri listened to their arguments, her fingers tapping against the table again as she mulled over their words. "Ezra's sacrifice could bring peace." She repeated, though her voice had lost some of its certainty. "Isn't that worth considering? Stopping the coming bloodshed... saving lives?"

"How are you planning to sacrifice Ezra? To whom?" Ivo asked. When Yuri didn't answer, he sighed, shaking his head. "Even if we give up Ezra to this… vampire which may be Vladimir, no one knows what that man is planning anyways, there's no guarantee the war will truly end, is there?"

"Solomon's ambitions go far beyond this war. He won't stop just because you and Vladimir put pressure on him now. Without Ezra, we'll be left exposed, and Solomon will continue to push. And there'll come a time when Vladimir won't have our backs and we'd be fucked, wouldn't we?"

Armand nodded in agreement. "He's right. Solomon can't be trusted to keep his word. And even if this move ends the immediate fighting, it will only set a dangerous precedent."

"Sacrificing Ezra now means others will expect more sacrifices in the future. Our enemies will see us as vulnerable, willing to compromise. That will only destabilize your reign, won't it?"

"And with Westside leaderless, Itachi is bound to elect a new count. He could leave it to whoever claims it before he gets back or put an outsider over it. Who knows? And we don't know the disposition of this person. There's no need to shoot ourselves in the foot before everything settles, is there?"

Yuri's eyes dropped to the table, her mind working on the dilemma. She understood the risks, but the idea of ending the war, of bringing peace to her people and stabilizing her rule over the Southside, was so tempting. Still, her husbands' words weighed heavily on her.

Ivo spoke, breaking the silence and pressing his point. "Yuri, even the fact that you're considering this idea is very dangerous. What message will that send to the other Subjects if they hear of it?"

"Ezra is loyal to you, as are many of your subjects. If they even suspect that you would be willing to sacrifice one of them to save yourself, you'll lose their trust. And without trust, your power crumbles, doesn't it?"

Armand leaned in, his voice low but firm. "We need Ezra. He's a key part of our military strength. Giving him up is too big of a gamble. We can't afford to lose him. With him on our side, there's a higher chance of us surviving this war and keeping Southside.

We need all the help we can get, don't we?"

Yuri sat back in her chair, her eyes scanning the faces of her husbands. Both of them made sound arguments, arguments she couldn't ignore. But something felt off, a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that there was more to their resistance than just strategic reasoning. Still, she couldn't place it.

"Thank you for your input." Yuri finally said, waving them away. "I'll need more time to think about this."