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The Vampire Lord's Arranged Bride New . engsub watchfull🔺🍿🍿
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00:11after graduation i followed my mentor a seasoned blood healer and spent two years interning in the
00:16vampire neutral territory there were no formal healing halls there no fresh blood supply and
00:23more often than not i found myself tending wounded in the middle of battlefields littered
00:27with silver blades and flying blood curses
00:41my adoptive father kieran valerius the supreme ruler of the vampire realm was so furious over it
00:47he nearly overturned the entire royal capital he was terrified i would fall for some newly turned
00:53vampire or lowly blood thrall then choose love over scents and stay in that dangerous place forever
00:58dragged into the endless infighting of lesser vans
01:06so he personally chose a fiance for me samuel hecate he came from the oldest vampire family
01:11in the north and was a well-known vampire prince famous as much for his looks as for his name
01:17father ordered me to return to the royal capital at once and attend the engagement ceremony
01:21if i refused he threatened to use a forbidden vampire right to force me back i had no choice
01:27but to agree he told me to visit the jewelry boutique and choose a ring i like to serve as
01:31my engagement token the moment i stepped inside my eyes landed on a pigeon blood ruby ring set in gold
01:38the stone was a rich saturated red almost like blood frozen in crystal with a deep gleam that
01:43reminded me of a vampire's eyes in the dead of night it was beautiful in a way that felt untouchable
01:52i like the ring in her hand
01:58i want it give it to me before i could react the boutique manager snatched the ring right out of
02:04my
02:04fingers nearly scraping my skin in the process i straightened and forced myself to stay calm
02:10have you ever heard the phrase first come first served is this really how you treat your guests
02:16the richly dressed noble woman turned toward me at last and shot me a look full of contempt
02:22that ring costs 20 million blood crystal coins can you even afford it commoner around here
02:30what i say goes i stared at her and nearly laughed how ironic samuel just happened to be my fiancee
02:37i took out my vampire communicator and placed the call
02:42samuel your beloved childhood friend just stole the ruby ring i was supposed to wear at our engagement
02:46ceremony what exactly do you think i should do about that if prince samuel intended to ignore
02:52something like this then maybe i really did need to reconsider whether this engagement was worth
02:56going through with what i didn't expect was for his voice to come through cold and unfamiliar
03:00who is this then he added irritation edging into his tone you know nothing about us what right do
03:08you have to interfere in serena's business i didn't even get the chance to remind him who i was
03:12his fiancee is all de valerius only daughter of the vampire king before the line anger surged through
03:18me in an instant wonderful absolutely perfect my own fiancee hadn't even saved my number
03:24serena rosen let out a shrill laugh oh that is just pathetic
03:32i don't know how you got prince samuel's communicator number but did you really think
03:37one little call would make him come running to defend you her smile was mocking and almost cruel
03:43her gaze slid over me slowly before settling on what i was wearing honestly even the bloodthrokes
03:49kept at his estate dress better than you do i glanced down at myself i wasn't wearing noble
03:54attire just a set of fitted soft armor simple durable and comfortable enough to move in at a
04:00moment's notice if someone needed treatment lavish clothes had never meant much to me i cared far more
04:05about whether i could work in them than whether they looked expensive what i hadn't expected was that
04:10practicality would one day become something other people used to look down on me sorry but i don't
04:14measure my worth by jewels and clothes that's usually what vain and insecure vampires do i said
04:21coolly and judging by how close samuel is to you i doubt he's much better and judging by how close
04:26samuel
04:27is to you i doubt he's much better at that point i had completely lost interest in the ruby ring
04:32i reached
04:33into the display instead and picked up a royal sapphire ring that was decent enough then turned to the
04:38manager wrap this one i'm buying it
04:46i'm sorry miss but we give priority to pureblood members of the nobility you heard him didn't you
04:52i'm a pureblood and you some common nobody who probably doesn't even know when she received her
04:58first turning you're not fit to compete with me normally i wouldn't waste my time with this kind of
05:03argument today though serena had pushed me too far i folded my arms and let the power inside me rise
05:08the force of my royal bloodline spread through the boutique like a silent storm
05:17the pressure in the air became so thick it was almost physical the temperature dropped
05:22the lights differed the satisfaction of the space vanished in an instant i kept my voice level
05:28even though anger was boiling underneath it well is that enough to prove i'm pureblood she recovered
05:35quickly though not quickly enough to hide the flash of fear in her eyes so what i've never heard of
05:43you she turned sharply toward the manager you must be new so listen carefully this is hector family
05:50territory if you dare sell that ring to her house hector will make sure you don't live to see
05:58morning the manager's hand shook so badly that the tray in his grip looked as if it had suddenly
06:02doubled in weight miss i'm just trying to make a living i can't afford to offend prince samuel
06:07please please don't make this harder for me by then the other vampires in the boutique had already
06:12started whispering among themselves i've seen lady rosen around before prince samuel spoils her far too much
06:20once she sets her eyes on something nobody dares fight her for
06:25there was even a duke once who made her uncomfortable just by looking at her
06:29prince samuel stripped him of his title the very next day
06:32dave
06:33miss maybe you really are some important noble but compared to prince samuel what does that matter
06:39you should apologize to lady rosen
06:42serena's smile only grew brighter as the crowd bowed to her mood
06:48kneel she said kneel down and beg me to let you go she planted her hands on her hips and
06:56strode
06:56toward me in her blood red heels each click against the floor full of swagger i want you to say
07:03it three
07:04times loud enough for everyone here to hear say i'm nothing but a lowly commoner
07:13if you do i might be kind enough to let you leave with a little dignity
07:19after thousands of years spent watching every shade of life unfold i had finally met a vampire
07:26foolish enough to throw her weight around in front of me a faint almost puzzled smile touched my lips
07:32what was it you wanted me to say just now
07:37i didn't quite catch that her face twisted with sarcasm so you're deaf too
07:44fine listen carefully i'm a lowly commoner got that now
07:54the moment the words left her mouth i burst out laughing good i heard that perfectly
08:00you're a lowly commoner the instant serena realized i had made a fool of her her face darkened with
08:05rage she let out a sharp scream and lunged at me with her claws out how ridiculous i had trained
08:12with warriors in the vampire neutral territories i didn't even bother striking back i merely stepped
08:18aside and she honestly thought she could catch me off guard she missed me completely carried forward
08:23by her own momentum she pitched straight ahead and slammed face first into the floor
08:27oh my god how could she do that to lady rosen if princess samuel finds out he'll tear her as
08:37finished no one can save her now the entire room was in an uproar but none of it stirred me
08:44in the
08:44slightest fear was not something i had ever truly understood my father kieran the vampire king himself
08:51ruled over all vampire kind there was no creature alive that could make me afraid with practiced ease
08:57i pulled out the unlimited royal charge card he had given me and slapped it onto the counter i'll take
09:02it
09:06the manager's hands shook as he hurried to wrap the ring
09:16i took the box and turned to leave but serena staggered back to her feet and threw herself in front
09:22of me
09:26you're not going anywhere she snapped though i caught the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes
09:31my gaze dropped to the dust smeared across her clothes and the corner of my mouth lifted
09:37what is it want to kiss the floor again i raised my fist just enough to make my point she
09:43flinched
09:43instantly at that moment the door burst open with a heavy bang drawing every eye in the room a tall
09:49figure stepped inside and the atmosphere changed at once the boutique fell silent the instant he entered
09:54an overwhelming pure blood aura swept through the room like dense fog pressing over everyone present
09:59i followed the line of his polished shoes upward and thought damn he had to be at least six foot
10:07three
10:07strikingly handsome with the effortless presence of someone born to command broad shoulders long legs
10:14precise movements everything about him felt controlled sharp and powerful
10:21the moment serena saw him she transformed she rushed to him tears streaming down her face as she cried
10:28samuel she stole the ring i wanted and then she attacked me
10:34so this was prince samuel in person i had to admit he was exactly my type no wonder father had
10:40been so
10:40certain i would be pleased with the fiancee he had chosen for me
10:47i looked him over for a moment then let a slow satisfied smile curve across my lips
10:52it's nice to finally meet you
10:55i'm isolde your fiancee a sharp intake of breath swept through the room
11:04what she's prince samuel's fiancee no wonder she dared go against serena you're naive it all depends
11:13on which one he cares about more amid the murmurs samuel's gaze settled on me at last there was only
11:19disdain in it don't flatter yourself that absurd marriage alliance was my mother's decision not
11:26mine i never agreed to it serena immediately seized his arm her voice rising with triumph
11:33you heard him didn't you someone like you will never be worthy of standing beside a prince
11:41the surrounding voices quickly joined in exactly prince samuel's future wife should be a noble one
11:47like lady rosen not some nobody from an obscure vampire family she isn't even worthy of being in
11:52the same room as lady rosane i had never considered myself breathtakingly beautiful but i certainly
11:59wasn't ugly listening to them though you would have thought my face alone was enough to send people
12:03fleeing some things never changed people worshipped the powerful and trampled the weak i shook my head
12:09then walked straight past samuel without another glance do me a favor tell your mother the engagement is
12:15off i paused then looked at him over my shoulder you're the one who isn't good enough for me
12:25father had mentioned before that samuel's mother had paid an unimaginable price to secure this
12:29engagement if she ever found out that the marriage alliance she had fought so hard for
12:33had been ruined by her own son i could only imagine what a spectacular scene that would be
12:37the noise around me gradually faded and i prepared to leave that ridiculous place behind
12:42where do you think you're going you bitch you stole my ring shoved me and now you think this is
12:47over
12:47i turned back slowly already annoyed and what exactly do you want
12:55i'm going to ruin your face then we'll see what male vampire would ever look at you again
13:01the moment she said it i moved i caught her wrist in one swift motion my grip firm and precise
13:07and drove a
13:08hard punch into her chest just enough to send her stumbling backward the shock on her face was almost
13:13laughable you bitch how dare you i was still holding her wrist satisfied now samuel you have to protect
13:20me serena staggered back several steps tears springing into her eyes as she ducked behind samuel
13:26samuel pulled her into his arms and when he spoke his voice turned cold enough to freeze the room
13:32anyone who dares lay a hand on my people won't live to see tomorrow with a slight flick of his
13:36wrist
13:37he signaled the vampire soldiers at his sides to seize me i saw them move and struck first driving a
13:42kick into one of them before they could close in but there were too many they rushed me all at
13:47once
13:48overpowering me and forcing me to the ground before dragging me to my knees at samuel's feet
13:52samuel turned to serena and the harshness in his expression immediately softened
13:57serena do whatever you want no matter what happens i'll stand by you at once she smiled
14:02then she stepped forward and slapped me twice across the face pain flared hot across both cheeks
14:09where did all that attitude go weren't you acting awfully bold a second ago
14:14as if that weren't enough she drove the sharp heel of her shoe hard into my stomach
14:19i doubled over one hand clutching my abdomen as i lifted my eyes and glared at both of them
14:25remember this i won't let either of you get away with this
14:31serena only laughed harder this is prince samuel's territory and you're nothing more than some
14:36outsider vampire what exactly do you think you can do to me
14:41and she spoke she stepped closer and looked me over from head to toe then her gaze locked onto the
14:46bracelet on my right wrist every vampire from the moment they come into existence is given an enchanted
14:51relic by their sire or by an elder of the family only by carrying it can they walk in daily
14:55the
14:55instant serena reached for my wrist i understood exactly what she meant to do panic surged through me
15:00like poison i knew i had to beg i was wrong i shouldn't have fought you over the ring please
15:07don't do this the fingers clamped around my bracelet and with one brutal yank she tore the daylight
15:13bracelet from my wrist and clenched it tightly in her hand now do you understand too late i'm gonna
15:20drag you straight into the sunlight and let everyone watch what happens when you burn the second the
15:27bracelet left my skin sunlight spilling through the boutique window touched the back of my hand
15:31a sharp searing pain shot through me thin wisps of smoke began to curl for my skin humiliation and
15:38terror crashed at me at once i let out a scream and tried desperately to shrink away samuel stood beside
15:44her with his arms folded watching everything with chilling indifference that coldness was more
15:49horrifying than the pain i clenched my teeth and fought with everything i had left shouting at him
15:55you have no idea who i am samuel you're going to regret letting her do this to me he only
16:00shrugged
16:00a careless mocking smile tugging at his mouth who do you think you are you're nothing but a tool your
16:06family threw into a marriage alliance maybe i should burn your face too let's see whether you still
16:12marry samuel after that no i had barely spoken on the phone in my pocket started buzzing i fumbled for
16:18it
16:18but serena snatched it away with her answer and picked up the call herself hey honey did you choose
16:23your ring father save me someone took my daylight bracelet they're trying to kill me what who dared do
16:29that to you your daughter was being unbelievably rude i'm just teaching her a little lesson for you i
16:35don't care who you think you are let my daughter go now come and try maybe i'll even help your
16:41whole
16:41family reunite then turned back and kept dragging me farther into the sunlight the burning only grew
16:49worse every inch of my skin felt as if it were being set on fire and every breath was like
16:54a
16:54blade driven into my lungs i curled in on myself and fought as hard as i could trying to shield
16:59my
16:59body from the pain but every second stretched into forever and just when i thought the sun was about
17:05to reduce me to ash the roar of engines erupted outside the convoy of luxury cars blocked off the
17:10street and nearly a hundred elite vampire guard warriors lined up outside in formation their presence
17:15alone enough to make the air feel heavy then the door of the lead armored vehicle swung open my father
17:21stepped out he radiated the kind of supreme royal majesty that made every vampire nearby tremble where they
17:26stood now then where is the idiot who dare lay a hand on my daughter father the moment my eyes
17:32met
17:33my father's every feeling i had been holding back fear humiliation anger helplessness broke loose
17:39all at once he was beside me almost immediately his face tightening with concern without hesitation
17:44he stripped off his coat and wrapped it around me before pulling me firmly into his arms shielding
17:49me completely from the sunlight the instant i was enclosed in that familiar warmth a fragile sense
17:54of safety returned and for the first time since this nightmare had begun i felt like i could breathe
17:59again but my father never entered a room alone he brought his power with him and power like his
18:05was never gentle in a matter of seconds the atmosphere inside the jewelry boutique changed
18:10completely a vicious chill spread through the air and the crystal ornaments began to fracture one after
18:15another under the weight of the pressure their sharp cracking sounds echoing like warning bells
18:20the bystanders began trembling outright and several lower ranking vampires collapsed to their knees
18:25crushed by a fear so heavy it seemed to seep into their bones my god that's the elite vampire guard
18:31and the man at the front is that really him it has to be that aura alone is enough to
18:36make my soul shake
18:37wait is he really her father if that's true then samuel is finished he's dragged all of house
18:43hecate straight into ruin samuel's face had already gone pale and he felt the force of my father's
18:48bloodline suppression whatever pride he had once taken now looked pitiful like a firefly trying to compete with
18:54the sun and yet there were always fools too blind to recognize the danger standing in front of them
18:59serena perhaps emboldened by samuel's earlier protection actually found the nerve to step forward
19:04i don't care who you are your daughter stole the ring i wanted and she attacked me so tell me
19:09how are
19:10you planning to settle this my father barely acknowledged her his gaze passed over serena as
19:15though she were beneath notice and came to rest directly on samuel instead more humiliating than any insult
19:20serena clearly felt it too for all her bluster fear had already begun to leak into her voice
19:26stop acting like this means anything samuel is a vampire prince who do you think you are she pointed
19:32toward the display with a trembling hand that ring was supposed to be mine your daughter touched it
19:37which means it's ruined now i want an apology compensation and her engagement to house hecate has
19:42to be cancelled immediately then lifting her chin she added with a sneer if you do all of that maybe
19:48i'll let
19:48this go otherwise none of you are leaving this shop alive for a moment there was silence then my father
19:54laughed the sound rolled through the boutique low and disbelieving edged with such naked contempt that
19:59it was somehow worse than fury still holding me close he carried me farther into the shadows
20:04then gave my shoulder a reassuring pat before turning and walking towards serena with the calm
20:09stride of someone who had never needed to hurry toward victory oh i assure you the engagement between
20:15honey and house hecate will absolutely be caught off a vampire like samuel was never worthy of my
20:21daughter to begin with as for everything else with the slightest movement of his hand one of his
20:26soldiers stepped forward at once in the next instant she was forced to her knees all her earlier
20:31arrogance vanished into panic samuel moved as if to stop it but my father turned his eyes on him
20:36and that single glance changed everything the pressure inside the room intensified so violently that
20:41samuel and his men froze where they stood then my father walked straight up to samuel there was no
20:46rush in him no wasted anger he drew back his fist and drove it hard into samuel's jaw blood burst
20:52from
20:52samuel's mouth on impact my daughter has always been the most precious thing in my life and yet today you
20:57watched while she was humiliated harmed and dragged into the sun so do not speak to me of house hecate
21:04if i choose to i can turn the entire vampire realm upside down i was no saint and after what
21:09serena
21:10had done to me today there was no chance i was going to let her walk away from this unscathed
21:14go
21:15on honey let them understand this much the dignity of the royal bloodline is not something anyone may
21:21insult not today not ever my eyes settled on serena and for the first time since this had begun i
21:27saw
21:28real fear in her i was no saint and after what serena had done to me today there was no
21:33chance i was
21:33going to let her walk away from this unscathed the moment i fastened it back around my wrist the magical
21:38runes carved into its surface fled to life once more and the skin that had been seared by the sun
21:43began to heal the angry burns fading as if time itself were being pulled backward the tension in the
21:49boutique thickened serena stared at me her lips trembling if you touch me the prince will never
21:54forgive you i did not waste time arguing with her instead i reached for her hand and tore the daylight
22:00ring from her finger she let out a piercing scream at once and before she could scramble away i seized
22:05her by the hair and dragged her toward the floor to ceiling window outside the afternoon sun was still
22:11brilliant no no let me go she shrieked clawing at my arm hard enough to leave marks the instant the
22:17sunlight touched her skin white smoke began to rise from it as though acid had been poured over flesh
22:22my face she screamed the sound so full of horror that it barely sounded human i leaned close to her
22:27ear
22:28my voice dropping into something low and merciless didn't you say you wanted to ruin my face her eyes flew
22:34wide and the color drained from her features completely she tried to wrench herself backward
22:38but i gave her no room to move instead i tightened my hold and forced her entire face deeper into
22:43the
22:43brightest band of sunlight the damage spread almost instantly her cheeks began to split and blacken her
22:49lips drying until they cracked and bled and dark red veins surfaced across the whites of her eyes as she
22:54screamed and thrashed wildly none of it did her any good she could not break free of me then in
22:59the
22:59middle of her shrieking i bent down and picked up a jagged shard from a broken mirror lying on the
23:05floor i stepped in front of her and looked down at her from above then angled the shard so she
23:10could see herself clearly look take a good look isn't this exactly what you wanted the moment serena
23:15saw her own reflection the ruined skin the blackened flesh the face dissolving under the sun a terrible
23:21whale tore out of her her eyes bulged in pure despair and she looked stripped bare of every shred
23:25of arrogance she had ever worn at the same time samuel was still pinned where he had been forced
23:30down helpless to intervene as he watched everything unfold how dare you do this to us i already contacted
23:36my mother when she gets here every last one of you is dead faced with that pitiful threat my father
23:41merely laughed your mother please let's see what exactly that lady intends to do to me then right
23:48there in front of everyone he placed a call to lady heiress hecaday your majesty how may i serve you
23:53has something happened my father's tone was cold enough to frost over steel you have raised quite
23:58a son something in his voice must have reached her instantly because even through the phone i could
24:03almost hear the tremor that went through her your majesty has my son offended you in some way please
24:09tell me what happened and i swear he will be punished exactly as he should be i beg you please
24:15show mercy
24:16my father let out a low humorless laugh my daughter the child i have treasured all her life
24:22was humiliated by your son today on territory under your family's control now tell me lady eris what
24:30exactly do you expect mercy to look like in a moment like this there was silence on the other end
24:34a
24:35silence so complete it felt suffocating when lady eris spoke again her voice was thick with shock and
24:40despair what he dared do that to your daughter then whatever happens to him he deserves it your majesty
24:47you may deal with him however you see fit i only beg you to spare house hecate samuel heard every
24:54word
24:54and instead of remorse what filled him was outrage he could not understand why lady eris was speaking to
24:59my father with such fear such submission mother why are you afraid of him house hecate bows to no one
25:05on the other end of the line lady eris's voice came back sharp with panic shut up you idiot but
25:11samuel had already lost control he turned toward my father eyes blazing with hatred you're nothing but
25:16a usurper with tainted blood you clawed your way onto the throne through dirty tricks you were never the
25:21true ruler without that crown you're nothing but a lowborn bastard despised by every pureblood noble you
25:26are nothing my father had spent his life proving that true strength came from resolve not birth he
25:32had struck the one wound my father would never permit anyone to touch my father's face darkened and in
25:37his eyes i saw something shift into place he allowed his killing intent to show the air grew so heavy
25:42it
25:42felt freezing without thinking i stepped forward and caught hold of his arm father he drew in a slow
25:48breath and forced down the fury little by little the lethal edge in his eyes receded then he lowered his
25:54gaze to my hand where it rested on his arm padded at once with quiet reassurance and in that small
25:59gesture gave me a silent promise that he would not completely lose control with the slightest flick of
26:04his wrist the soldiers at either side moved at once they seized samuel and serena and dragged them
26:09away like discarded sacks throw them into the silver coffin the mere mention of that place samuel
26:15went rigid with dread he began struggling wildly as though panic alone might somehow free him
26:20the silver coffin was the cruelest punishment forged from pure silver no for the first time
26:25i saw real fear on his face once it was over my father led me out of the boutique the
26:31body heals
26:31quickly but the spirit needs healing too come with me there's somewhere i want to take you his cries
26:36meant nothing now the chaos had finally settled he brought me to the ancestor sanctuary a sacred place
26:42deeply revered among vampires where those burdened by grief fear or inner turmoil came to seek solace and
26:49spiritual healing the moment i stepped inside i was struck by its beauty the entire sanctuary had
26:54been built from bloodstone crystal and every wall seemed to glow with a dim velvety red light
26:59that soft crimson radiance spilled over everything around us wrapping the space in an atmosphere
27:04that felt ancient solemn and almost holy a gentle energy moved through the air like a warm embrace and
27:10little by little the turmoil inside me began to ease before long an elder nun approached us with slow
27:16measured steps there was something deeply calming in her expression she began the purification ritual
27:21for me chanting an ancient hymn in a voice so soft and steady that it seemed to thread itself through
27:26the sanctuary like flowing water as the ritual continued i felt a gentle force gathering around
27:31me washing over the raw jagged places inside my heart and carrying away the weight of everything
27:36i had just endured under the blessing of the first ancestor the fear and fury i had been clinging to
27:41gradually loosen their hold and for the first time that day true calm returned to me when everything
27:46was over and the silence of the sanctuary had settled once more i turned to my father and asked
27:51the question that had been lingering in my mind why did you support house hecate in the first place
27:56many years ago house hecate was nothing more than a small and struggling clan in the north
28:00they were weak impoverished and barely managing to survive at the time i had only just overthrown the old
28:06dynasty and was in the middle of rebuilding order during one of my tours i happened to come across
28:11samuel's father he was being hunted by other nobles and i was the one who saved him i gave him
28:17resources
28:18i helped house hecate rebuild his territory and stand on his feet again later i named him a vampire
28:24prince and entrusted the vast northern lands to him i believed he would understand gratitude i believed
28:29he would understand loyalty but he died too early and his son grew up knowing nothing of respect
28:34restraint or gratitude so that was the truth my father was the vampire king the one who stood
28:40above all vampire kind so the engagement between samuel and me will be cancelled my daughter deserves
28:45the best this world has to offer not a fool like him a full week had passed since i completed
28:50my
28:50recuperation at the ancestor sanctuary and by then i had already returned to the familiar halls of the
28:55vampire royal capital even so the atmosphere around me had changed the air itself seemed charged with
29:03tension and the moment i stepped back into court life i could feel the weight of expectation
29:08settling onto my shoulders once again the news had spread across the vampire realm like wildfire
29:13by now nearly every vampire had heard some version of the same astonishing story samuel prince of the
29:19north had committed a grave offense by daring to humiliate the beloved daughter of the vampire king
29:24himself because of that every noble house had grown uneasy every faction was watching closely barely
29:30daring to breathe all of them waiting to see what consequences would follow your majesty princess
29:36prince augustine of the west and prince cassius of the south request an audience i turned toward
29:41father he was seated at the far end of the hall composed to the point of coldness his presence so
29:46still and controlled that it seemed to quiet the entire room around him his eyes were closed but
29:51the authority radiating from him was as unmistakable as ever let them in moment later the doors opened
29:56and two broad-shouldered figures strode into the hall surrounded by attendants carrying lavish gifts
30:05your majesty welcome then both princes lifted their eyes and looked directly at me i could feel the
30:11careful respect in their gaze and the caution beneath it every movement they made was measured every word
30:16weighed in advance augustine the older of the two was the first to speak we were deeply disturbed to
30:22learn that her highness was mistreated while in hecka territory he said his tone controlled but edged with
30:28indignation the insult was intolerable we have brought a small token of our concern and hope it may be of
30:36some comfort to the princess at his signal one of the attendants stepped forward and presented a velvet
30:41lined box when it was opened a piece of blood amber rested inside rich crimson light moving through it like
30:47something alive i knew what blood amber was used for it was said to calm the heart soothe the mind
30:52and ease the lingering wounds left behind by fear and emotional trauma beside him the younger prince
30:58cassius made no attempt to conceal his anger for samuel a vampire prince to treat the princess in such a
31:04way is beyond disgraceful your majesty give the order and i will march on the north myself
31:11house hecate can be wiped out before the sun sets again i remain seated listening calmly as the
31:16two of them offered outrage loyalty and polished devotion in different forms yet only a week earlier
31:22i had still been nothing more than an object of ridicule now these same people were falling over
31:26themselves to please me their motives were not difficult to understand i closed the book in my lap
31:31set it aside and gave them a polite smile thank you for your concern i said my voice common even
31:40but loyalty is not measured by gifts nor is sincerity proven through flattery
31:44the word settled over the hall like a sudden frost for a moment no one spoke both princes stared at
31:50me caught between surprise and uncertainty as if neither of them had expected that answer only then
31:56did father open his eyes when his gaze turned toward me i caught the faintest trace of approval there
32:01he said nothing to me directly but the look alone was enough then he shifted his attention back to the
32:06two princes and said in a voice so composed it allowed no room for argument my daughter has already
32:12spoken for me leave the gifts you may go relief flashed across both their faces so quickly they
32:17likely hoped no one would notice they bowed deeply at once left the gifts behind and withdrew from the
32:24hall without another word after they were gone father turned to me with the slightest hint of
32:28amusement at the corner of his mouth well do you feel any better now i shook my head though i
32:34smiled a
32:34little too i feel better when i'm with you father but the truth is they aren't afraid of me what
32:39those men
32:40feared was not me at all what they feared was what would happen if they offended the royal house
32:44after the two vampire princes were finally dismissed peace at last returned to the great hall i was just
32:50about to pick up my book again when a vampire soldier entered his expression uneasy enough to catch
32:55my attention at once your highness the manager from the jewelry boutique is outside he says he has come
33:00to confess and begs for an audience with you no matter the cost i blinked momentarily surprised and then
33:06remembered the jeweler's manager from that day the arrogance he had shown in the boutique had been
33:10impossible to miss which only made his sudden humility all the more curious father who had been
33:15leaning lazily against the wall glanced over at me with a sly smile let him in i'd very much like
33:20to
33:20hear what sort of confession he has prepared a moment later the manager stumbled into the hall he looked
33:26so shaken so stripped of all dignity that for a second he barely resembled the man i remembered by the
33:32time he made it to my feet he collapsed to his knees and broke into sobs his whole body trembling
33:37with desperation please forgive me your highness i was blind i was a fool i failed to recognize who
33:42you were please show mercy spare my worthless life as he spoke he fumbled frantically inside his coat
33:48and pulled out a heavy coin pouch lifting it in both shaking hands this is everything i've saved
33:53over the years every last coin i offer it all to you please your highness forgive me father said nothing
33:58he simply sat there and composed silence leaving the matter entirely in my hands
34:04i looked down at the manager and asked evenly do you truly believe i need your money at once he
34:09flinched so hard it was almost as if i had struck him his shoulders shook even more violently and his
34:14voice broke as he cried no no of course not i was wrong i deserve punishment whatever your highness
34:20decides i deserve it a faint trace of irony passed through my mind as i remembered our previous
34:25encounter you were not nearly this humble when you stood at serena's side a few days ago the man
34:31immediately tried to defend himself his words tumbling out faster driven by panic i had no choice
34:36your highness serena had a prince behind her she could do anything she wanted if i had refused her i
34:42would never have lived to see the next day i truly didn't dare oppose her the fear in him was
34:46real
34:46and i could not pretend not to see it for someone in his position standing against a noble woman would
34:52have felt no different from stepping into his own grave and yet one thought still lingered in my
34:56mind what if the person they had chosen to humiliate that day had not been me what if it had
35:01been some
35:02powerless outsider with no family no title and no one to protect her after a pause i said take your
35:07money back the manager looked up so quickly that hope flashed across his face before he could hide it
35:13for one brief moment he clearly thought i meant to forgive him outright then i continued but you should
35:18understand this much what you did cannot simply go unpunished i rose from my seat and walked toward
35:24him my voice calm and steady carrying clearly through the hall from this day forward your shop
35:29will serve as a sanctuary under royal protection any outsider who is being bullied abused or otherwise
35:36left without help may go there and seek refuge you will provide whatever aid they need without
35:40questioning them and you will report their circumstances to the royal court at once he stared at me
35:46blinking in stunned confusion this was so far from the punishment he had imagined that he seemed unable
35:51to process it i let the silence stretch for a moment before adding of course you are free to refuse
35:57if
35:57that is your choice then you may close your doors today and lose your shop forever or you may join
36:02samuel in the silver coffin for a few days and reflect on your decision there the moment he heard the
36:07word silver coffin the last trace of blood vanished from his face he nodded so violently it seemed he might
36:12collapse again i'll do it i swear it i'll do everything exactly as you say father gave a small
36:18nod of approval then turned to the guards go place the royal crest on his shop from this day on
36:24anyone
36:25who dares cause trouble there will be treated as an enemy of mine the gods bowed and moved at once
36:30only after that did the truth fully dawn on the manager this was not punishment in the way he had
36:34feared
36:35it was the kind of opportunity most people could only dream of receiving once in a lifetime
36:39with the royal crest hanging over his door his boutique would stand under the protection of the
36:45royal house itself after he left i felt a strange lightness settle over me father crossed the room
36:50and stopped beside me satisfaction plain in his expression a true ruler must know how to balance mercy
36:56with authority then his gaze shifted sharpening slightly come it's time to deal with the last of
37:02this we're going to make sure everyone understands exactly what happens when they dare offend you
37:07father and i were seated in the council chamber of the royal capital blood wine set before us while a
37:12taut oppressive silence stretched through the room off to one side stood lady heiress hecate her posture
37:17rigid and severe as motionless as carved stone she looked composed at first glance but the tension in
37:23her body was unmistakable and beneath that stillness there was something strained enough to break
37:27time seemed to drag until it no longer felt like time at all then at last the silence was broken
37:33by the
37:33sound of hurried footsteps approaching from outside echoing sharply through the chamber two vampire
37:38guards entered with grim expressions dragging samuel and serena in behind them the sight was brutal
37:44whatever remained of their former pride had long since been stripped away and what stood before us now
37:49was little more than the wreckage left behind by their own arrogance their condition was ugly enough
37:54to make the consequences of their actions impossible to ignore the moment lady eras saw her son something in
37:59her expression shifted for a brief instant there was a flash of grief there so quick and faint that
38:05it might have been missed but it vanished almost at once buried beneath a cold rising fury that spread
38:10through her like a storm front she did not rush to comfort samuel she did not even speak to him
38:15gently
38:17instead she strode forward seized him by the back of the neck with her scarlet nails
38:22and forced his head downward until he was facing me
38:25you disgraceful fool she hissed apologize then came the crack of a slap sharp and violent enough
38:31to ring through the chamber like a shot a second followed then a third now lady eras snapped her voice
38:38cutting through the air like a lash apologize to the princess this instant whatever defiant
38:44samuel had once possessed was gone he no longer struggled he no longer argued he simply endured
38:50the blows in silence as though each strike were knocking the last of the will out of him
38:54by the time his mother released him he looked less like a man than something hollowed out and left
38:58standing by habit alone only after venting her anger on him did lady eras turn back toward us
39:04when she spoke her voice was heavy with shame and desperation your majesty princess i acknowledge
39:10my failure as a mother it is because of my negligence that my son committed a mistake this
39:16catastrophic then she rounded on samuel again her composure shattering into fury do you even
39:22understand who it is you offended do you know how house hecate rose to the position it holds today
39:28everything we have was given to us because of his majesty and you dared lay hands on the person he
39:34treasures most you are not only destroying yourself you are dragging all of house hecate down with you
39:40that landed at last the word seemed to strike samuel like lightning forcing him to face the truth he had
39:46spent all this time refusing to see the arrogance in his eyes faded little by little replaced first
39:51by confusion then by disbelief and finally by something much worse understanding his gaze shifted
39:58toward me then slowly it moved to father the man he had mocked dismissed and insulted was the reason
40:03his family still stood where it did the title samuel had worn so proudly the authority he had flaunted
40:08all of it had been granted to him by another hand in that instant i could almost see the collapse
40:13happen inside him the pride went first then whatever hollow sense of superiority he had spent centuries
40:19building around himself so that's the truth i was wrong i was truly wrong his whole body began to
40:25shake any trace of dignity he had left dissolved where he stood and he bent forward again and again in
40:30frantic apology his voice breaking beside him serena had remained stunned but at last the reality seemed to
40:36catch up with her too princess please please spare us we'll never do it again she joined him in tears
40:42filling the chamber with a miserable grief they crawled there before me pitiful and broken like insects
40:47crushed under their own desperation i felt nothing i simply lifted my cup took a slow sip of coffee
40:55and let the wand spread through me while i said nothing at all my silence stretched between us and behind
41:01it
41:01my thoughts moved quietly other than the broken sobbing of samuel and serena the hall had fallen
41:07completely silent only after a long pause did i finally lower my cup the clear delicate sound of
41:14porcelain touching the wooden table cut through the stillness with startling sharpness and at once both
41:19of them fell quiet as if even that small noise had struck them like a command they turned to look
41:24at me
41:24and in their eyes i saw fear tangled together with a nearly hopeless kind of expectation
41:29as though even now they were clinging to the last fragile possibility that i might still show mercy
41:34i smiled faintly but there was no warmth in my voice when i spoke
41:40if my father had not arrived in time that day would either of you have spared me
41:44the question landed between us like a blow in an instant both of them went rigid
41:49their faces drained of color their mouths parted yet neither of them could force out a single word
41:55serena wasn't your greatest dream to become a prince's wife she nodded almost instinctively
42:00and even then i caught the faintest spark of that old fantasy still flickering in her eyes
42:05and you samuel i shifted my attention to him letting a trace of mockery enter my tone
42:10you cast aside your betrothal stood by while she nearly had me killed and indulged her every cruelty
42:16simply to gratify yourself you must have cared for her a great deal isn't that right i didn't
42:21it wasn't like that i just he stammered scrambling for excuses already trying to twist the blame
42:26towards serena as though that could still save him oh it hardly matters now i said then i rose and
42:32walked toward them every eye in the chamber fixed on me as i stopped before where they knelt
42:37since the bond between you is evidently so deep i said calmly i've decided to grant your wish the two
42:43of
42:43you may remain together forever at those words a flash of wild joy lit serena's tear streaked face
42:48so sudden and so shameless that it almost made me laugh i gave a soft contemptuous huff before
42:54continuing but the price of that happiness will be your title samuel the effect was immediate
43:00lady eras hecate collapsed where she stood all strength leaving her at once while samuel stared
43:05at me in stunned disbelief what right do you have to strip me of my title he demanded his voice
43:10cracking i looked at him steadily would you like me to issue a formal decree at once and announced to
43:15the entire vampire realm that samuel has been stripped of rank and reduced to a commoner he
43:20turned at once toward his mother mother say something lady eras closed her eyes she said nothing in that
43:25silence samuel finally understood his mother had abandoned him i watched the realization break over
43:31him in stages disbelief then horror then the slow collapse of everything he had once believed
43:36untouchable his body began to shake so violently that it seemed as though he might come apart
43:41everything that had once defined him was vanishing before his eyes no no no then i turned to serena who
43:47looked up at me with a kind of frozen dread didn't you always want to become samuel's wife very well
43:52i will make your dream come true from this moment on you are his wife for a heartbeat she simply
43:58stared
43:58unable to understand then the meaning of it hit her all at once no i don't want it anymore i
44:04refuse i refuse to
44:05marry a commoner at last serena had awakened from her fantasy she had spent her whole life grasping
44:10for power and now she found herself bound to a disgraced former prince to her it was worse than
44:16death what a pity that is not your decision to make then he turned to the soldiers and gave the
44:21final order
44:21exile them to the wastelands they are never to set foot in any vampire territory again everyone in the
44:27chamber knew what that meant the wastelands were a barren stretch of northern ruin where almost nothing thrived
44:33food was scarce water scarcer still and hope perhaps rarest of all only bitter winds and savage
44:39beasts ruled there and to be sent into that desolation was no different from being handed a
44:43death sentence and told to carry it out yourself the soldiers stepped forward at once samuel shattered
44:49beyond resistance barely reacted as they dragged him away while serena struggled and screamed until her
44:54voice turned ragged her body twisting wildly in their grip yet neither of them could change what had
44:59already been decided they were hauled from the chamber like discarded things stripped not only
45:04of privilege but of every illusion that had once sustained them lady heiress remained collapsed on the
45:09floor watching her son be taken away with hollow defeated eyes all the force she had carried into
45:14the room earlier had deserted her now she looked as if despair alone had aged her by decades and yet
45:20she did not beg because she understood exactly what this verdict was not mercy perhaps but the closest thing
45:26to it that the vampire king was willing to grant at the very least it meant that the rest of
45:30house
45:31hecate would survive news of the exile spread swiftly through the vampire realm prince samuel was gone
45:36cast down and cast out and with him the prestige house hecate had enjoyed for so long began to crumble
45:42before much time had passed rising vampire families moved against them stripping away influence lands and
45:48power with the ruthless efficiency of those who had only ever been waiting for weakness to show itself
45:53over the months that followed rumors of samuel and serena occasionally reached my ears some said
45:58they had seen a ruined nobleman and noblewoman wandering the wastelands in rags crouched over the
46:03carcasses of beasts and licking the dried blood from old remains others claimed the two had been spotted
46:08fighting wild boars over the fresh body of a dead antelope reduced at last to the kind of desperate
46:13struggle they once would not have allowed even their servants to witness after a while even those stories
46:19stopped mattering to me they drifted out of my thoughts the way dust disappears into barren wind
46:24and eventually they became no more than something that had once happened then passed a year later
46:29while i sat beside lake namir and watched the water under the evening sky they crossed my mind one
46:34final time the cool night mist brushed softly against my skin and the scent of moonshade blossoms drifted
46:40over from the lake shore everything around me was quiet serene and almost achingly beautiful and the
46:45peace of that moment stood in such sharp contrast to the miserable life they were likely still clawing
46:49through in the wastelands that it felt unreal what surprised me most was not satisfaction but distance
46:55by then the outcome no longer stirred much of anything in me instead i felt a strange almost
47:02weightless sense of release as though i had finally turned the last page of that chapter of my life and
47:07left it behind for good father came to stand beside me and handed me a glass of chilled blood wine
47:12then with a gentleness that still had the power to soften me no matter how much time passed he
47:16rested a hand against my hair and smiled see the moonlight is perfect tonight i took the glass from
47:22him and looked out across the lake where the silver light of the moon lay scattered over the water until
47:27mist and moonlight seemed to merge into one then i gave a small nod feeling nothing in my heart but
47:32clarity and calm he was right the moonlight was perfect the road ahead lay wide open and waiting for me
47:38beyond it was a future bright with possibility
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