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