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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
01:51i 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
02:09have you ever heard the phrase first come first served is this really how you treat your guests
02:15the 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 going
02:56through 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
03:18through me 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 i'm sorry miss but we give priority to pureblood members of the
04:50nobility you heard him didn't you i'm a pureblood and you some common nobody who probably doesn't even
04:57know when she received her first turning you're not fit to compete with me normally i wouldn't waste
05:02my time with this kind of argument today though serena had pushed me too far i folded my arms and
05:07let
05:07the power inside me rise the force of my royal bloodline spread through the boutique like a
05:11silent storm the pressure in the air became so thick it was almost physical the temperature dropped
05:22the bites tickered the smell of satisfaction on his face 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 morning
05:58the manager's hand shook so badly that the tray in his grip looked as if it had suddenly doubled in
06:03wait miss i'm just trying to make a living i can't afford to offend prince samuel please please don't
06:08make this harder for me by then the other vampires in the boutique had already started whispering among
06:12themselves 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 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 she planted her hands on her hips and strode
06:56toward
06:57me in her blood red heels each click against the floor full of swagger i want you to say it
07:03three
07:04times loud enough for everyone here to hear say i'm nothing but a lowly commoner if you do i might
07:15be
07:15kind enough to let you leave with a little dignity after thousands of years spent watching every shade of
07:23life unfold i had finally met a vampire foolish enough to throw her weight around in front of me
07:29a faint almost puzzled smile touched my lips what 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 you're a lowly
08:01commoner the instant serena realized i had made a fool of her her face darkened with rage she let out
08:07a
08:07sharp scream and lunged at me with her claws out how ridiculous i had trained with warriors in the
08:13vampire neutral territories i didn't even bother striking back i merely stepped aside and she honestly
08:19thought she could catch me off guard she missed me completely carried forward by her own momentum
08:24she 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
08:50ruled over all vampire kind there was no creature alive that could make me afraid
08:55with practiced ease i pulled out the unlimited royal charge card he had given me and slapped it onto
09:00the counter i'll take it
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
09:25you'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
09:42she flinched instantly at that moment the door burst open with a heavy bang drawing every eye in the room
09:48a tall figure stepped inside and the atmosphere changed at once the boutique fell silent the instant
09:53he entered an overwhelming pure blood aura swept through the room like dense fog pressing over everyone
09:59present i followed the line of his polished shoes upward and thought
10:04damn he had to be at least six foot three strikingly handsome with the effortless presence of someone born to
10:10command broad shoulders long legs precise 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 it's nice to
10:53finally
10:53meet you i'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 on
11:13which 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 mine
11:26i 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
11:40the surrounding voices quickly joined in
11:43exactly prince samuel's future wife should be a noble one like lady rosen not some nobody from an
11:49obscure vampire family she isn't even worthy of being in the same room as lady rosane
11:55i had never considered myself breathtakingly beautiful but i certainly wasn't ugly listening
12:00to them though you would have thought my face alone was enough to send people fleeing
12:03some things never changed people worshipped the powerful and trampled the weak
12:07i shook my head then walked straight past samuel without another glance
12:12do me a favor tell your mother the engagement is off
12:16i paused then looked at him over my shoulder
12:19you'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
12:29this engagement if she ever found out that the marriage alliance she had fought so hard for had
12:33been ruined by her own son i could only imagine what a spectacular scene that would be
12:36the 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
12:51and 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
13:00the moment she said it i moved i caught her wrist in one swift motion my grip firm and precise
13:06and
13:07drove a hard punch into her chest just enough to send her stumbling backward the shock on her face was
13:13almost laughable you bitch how dare you i was still holding her wrist satisfied now samuel
13:19you have to protect me serena staggered back several steps tears springing into her eyes as
13:24she ducked behind samuel samuel pulled her into his arms and when he spoke his voice turned cold
13:30enough 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
13:39i 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 before
13:50dragging me to my knees at samuel's feet samuel turned to serena and the harshness in his expression
13:55immediately softened serena do whatever you want no matter what happens i'll stand by you at once
14:02she smiled then she stepped forward and slapped me twice across the face pain flared hot across both
14:07cheeks where did all that attitude go weren't you acting awfully bold a second ago as if that weren't
14:16enough she drove the sharp heel of her shoe hard into my stomach i doubled over one hand clutching
14:21my abdomen as i lifted my eyes and glared at both of them remember this i won't let either of
14:28you get
14:28away with this serena only laughed harder this is prince samuel's territory and you're nothing more
14:36than some outsider vampire what exactly do you think you can do to me and she spoke she stepped
14:42closer and looked me over from head to toe then her gaze locked onto the bracelet on my right wrist
14:47every vampire from the moment they come into existence is given an enchanted relic by their sire or
14:51by an elder of the family only by caring can we walk in daylight the instant serena reached for my
14:56wrist i understood exactly what she meant to do panic surged through me like poison i knew i had to
15:01beg i was wrong i shouldn't have fought you over the ring please don't do this the fingers clamped
15:11around my bracelet and with one brutal yank she tore the daylight bracelet from my wrist and clenched it
15:15tightly in her hand now do you understand too late i'm gonna drag you straight into the sunlight
15:22and let everyone watch what happens when you burn the second the bracelet left my skin sunlight spilling
15:29through the boutique window touched the back of my hand a sharp searing pain shot through me
15:33thin whisks of smoke began to curl from my skin humiliation and terror cried during me at once
15:39i let out a scream and tried desperately to shrink away samuel stood beside her with his arms folded
15:45watching everything with chilling indifference that coldness was more horrifying than the pain
15:51i clenched my teeth and fought with everything i had left shouting at him you have no idea who am
15:56samuel you're going to regret letting her do this to me he only shrugged a careless mocking smile tugging
16:02at his mouth who do you think you are you're nothing but a tool your family threw into a marriage
16:07alliance
16:07maybe i should burn your face too let's see whether you still marry samuel after that
16:14no i had barely spoken when the phone in my pocket started buzzing i stumbled for it but serena snatched
16:19it away 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
16:35care who you think you are let my daughter go now come and try maybe i'll even help your whole
16:41family
16:41reunite 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 blade
16:54driven into my lungs i curled in on myself and fought as hard as i could trying to shield my
16:59body from
17:00the pain but every second stretched into forever and just when i thought the sun was about to reduce
17:05me to ash the roar of engines erupted outside the convoy of luxury cars blocked off the street and
17:11nearly a hundred elite vampire guard warriors lined up outside in formation their presence alone enough
17:16to make the air feel heavy then the door of the lead armored vehicle swung open my father stepped out
17:21he 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
17:32my father's every feeling i had been holding back fear humiliation anger helplessness broke loose all at
17:39once he was beside me almost immediately his face tightening with concern without hesitation he stripped
17:45off his coat and wrapped it around me before pulling me firmly into his arms shielding me completely
17:50from the sunlight the instant i was enclosed in that familiar warmth a fragile sense of safety returned
17:55and for the first time since this nightmare had begun i felt like i could breathe again but my father
18:01never entered a room alone he brought his power with him and power like his was never gentle in a
18:07matter of seconds the atmosphere inside the jewelry boutique changed completely a vicious chill spread
18:12through the air and the crystal ornaments began to fracture one after another under the weight of
18:16the pressure their sharp cracking sounds echoing like warning bells the bystanders began trembling
18:21outright and several lower ranking vampires collapsed to their knees crushed by a fear so heavy it seemed
18:27to seep into their bones my god that's the elite vampire guard and the man at the front is that
18:33really
18:33him it has to be that aura alone is enough to make my soul shake wait is he really her
18:39father if that's
18:40true then samuel is finished he's dragged all of house hecate straight into ruin samuel's face had already
18:46gone pale and he felt the force of my father's bloodline suppression whatever pride he had once taken now
18:51looked pitiful like a firefly trying to compete with the sun and yet there were always fools too
18:56blind to recognize the danger standing in front of them serena perhaps emboldened by samuel's earlier
19:01protection actually found the nerve to step forward i don't care who you are your daughter stole the
19:06ring i wanted and she attacked me so tell me how are you planning to settle this my father barely
19:12acknowledged her his gaze passed over serena as though she were beneath notice and came to rest
19:17directly on samuel instead more humiliating than any insult serena clearly felt it too for all her
19:22bluster fear had already begun to leak into her voice stop acting like this means anything samuel is
19:28a vampire prince who do you think you are she pointed toward the display with a trembling hand
19:33that ring was supposed to be mine your daughter touched it which means it's ruined now i want an
19:39apology compensation and her engagement to house hecate has to be cancelled immediately then lifting her
19:45chin she added with a sneer if you do all of that maybe i'll let this go otherwise none of
19:50you are
19:50leaving this shop alive for a moment there was silence then my father laughed the sound rolled
19:55through the boutique low and disbelieving edged with such naked contempt that it was somehow worse
20:00than fury still holding me close he carried me farther into the shadows then gave my shoulder a
20:05reassuring pat before turning and walking towards serena with the calm stride of someone who had never
20:10needed to hurry toward victory oh i assure you the engagement between honey and house hecate will
20:16absolutely be caught off a vampire like samuel was never worthy of my daughter to begin with
20:22as for everything else with the slightest movement of his hand one of his soldiers stepped forward at
20:27once in the next instant she was forced to her knees all her earlier arrogance vanished into panic
20:32samuel moved as if to stop it but my father turned his eyes on him and that single glance changed
20:37everything the pressure inside the room intensified so violently that samuel and his men froze where
20:42they stood then my father walked straight up to samuel there was no rush in him no wasted anger he
20:48drew back his fist and drove it hard into samuel's jaw blood burst from samuel's mouth on impact my
20:54daughter has always been the most precious thing in my life and yet today you watched while she was
20:58humiliated harmed and dragged into the sun so do not speak to me of house hecate if i choose to
21:04i can turn
21:05the entire vampire realm upside down i was no saint and after what serena had done to me today there
21:11was no chance i was going to let her walk away from this unscathed go on honey let them understand
21:17this much the dignity of the royal bloodline is not something anyone may insult not today not ever
21:24my eyes settled on serena and for the first time since this had begun i saw real fear in her
21:28i was no
21:29saint and after what serena had done to me today there was no chance i was going to let her
21:34walk away from
21:34this unscathed the moment i fastened it back around my wrist the magical runes carved into its surface
21:40fled to life once more and the skin that had been seared by the sun began to heal the angry
21:45burns
21:45fading as if time itself were being pulled backward the tension in the boutique thickened serena stared
21:50at me her lips trembling if you touch me the prince will never forgive you i did not waste time
21:56arguing
21:56with her instead i reached for her hand and tore the daylight ring from her finger she let out a
22:02piercing
22:02scream at once and before she could scramble away i seized her by the hair and dragged her toward the
22:08floor to ceiling window outside the afternoon sun was still brilliant no no let me go she shrieked
22:14clawing at my arm hard enough to leave marks the instant the sunlight touched her skin white smoke
22:19began to rise from it as though acid had been poured over flesh my face she screamed the sound so
22:24full of
22:24horror that it barely sounded human i leaned close to her ear my voice dropping into something low and
22:29merciless didn't you say you wanted to ruin my face her eyes flew wide and the color drained from her
22:35features completely she tried to wrench herself backward but i gave her no room to move instead i
22:40tightened my hold and forced her entire face deeper into the brightest band of sunlight the damage spread
22:46almost instantly her cheeks began to split and blacken her lips drying until they cracked and bled
22:51and dark red veins surfaced across the whites of her eyes as she screamed and thrashed wildly
22:55none of it did her any good she could not break free of me then in the middle of her
23:00shrieking i
23:01bent down and picked up a jagged shard from a broken mirror lying on the floor i stepped in front
23:06of her
23:06and looked down at her from above then angled the shard so she could see herself clearly look take a
23:12good look isn't this exactly what you wanted the moment serena saw her own reflection the ruined skin
23:17the blackened flesh the face dissolving under the sun a terrible whale tore out of her her
23:22eyes bulged in pure despair and she looked stripped bare of every shred of arrogance she had ever
23:26worn at the same time samuel was still pinned where he had been forced down helpless to intervene as he
23:32watched everything unfold how dare you do this to us i already contacted my mother when she gets here
23:37every last one of you is dead faced with that pitiful threat my father merely laughed your mother
23:43please let's see what exactly that lady intends to do to me then right there in front of everyone he
23:49placed a call to lady heiress hecaday your majesty how may i serve you has something happened my father's
23:55tone was cold enough to frost over steel you have raised quite a sign something in his voice must have
24:00reached her instantly because even through the phone i could almost hear the tremor that went through her
24:05your majesty has my son offended you in some way please tell me what happened and i swear he will
24:11be
24:11punished exactly as he should be i beg you please show mercy my father let out a low humorless laugh
24:19my daughter the child i have treasured all her life was humiliated by your son today on territory
24:25under your family's control now tell me lady heiress what exactly do you expect mercy to look like in a
24:32moment like this there was silence on the other end a silence so complete it felt suffocating when lady
24:37heiress spoke again her voice was thick with shock and despair what he dared do that to your daughter
24:43then whatever happens 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
24:56was outrage he could not understand why lady heiress 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 lady
25:06heiress's voice came back sharp with panic shut up you idiot but samuel had already lost control he
25:12turned 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
25:49the fury little by little the lethal edge in his eyes receded then he lowered his gaze to my hand
25:54where
25:55it rested on his arm patted at once with quiet reassurance and in that small gesture gave me a silent
26:00promise that he would not completely lose control with the slightest flick of his wrist the soldiers
26:05at either 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 he began
26:16struggling wildly as though panic alone might somehow free him the silver coffin was the cruelest punishment
26:22forged from pure silver no for the first time i saw real fear on his face once it was over
26:28my father
26:29led me out of the boutique the body heals quickly but the spirit needs healing too come with me
26:34there's somewhere i want to take you his cries meant nothing now the chaos had finally settled
26:39he 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
26:49the moment i stepped inside i was struck by its beauty the entire sanctuary had been built from
26:54bloodstone crystal and every wall seemed to glow with the dim velvety red light that soft crimson
27:00radiance spilled over everything around us wrapping the space in an atmosphere that felt ancient solemn
27:05and almost holy a gentle energy moved through the air like a warm embrace and little by little the
27:11turmoil inside me began to ease before long an elder nun approached us with slow measured steps there was
27:17something deeply calming in her expression she began the purification ritual for me chanting an ancient
27:22hymn in a voice so soft and steady that it seemed to thread itself through the sanctuary like flowing
27:27water as the ritual continued i felt a gentle force gathering around me washing over the raw jagged
27:32places inside my heart and carrying away the weight of everything i had just endured under the blessing of
27:38the first ancestor the fear and fury i had been clinging to gradually loosen their hold and for the first
27:43time that day true calm returned to me when everything was over and the silence of the sanctuary
27:48had settled once 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
28:03at the time i had only just overthrown the old dynasty and was in the middle of rebuilding order
28:08during 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 territory
28:20and stand on his feet again later i named him a vampire prince and entrusted the vast northern
28:26lands 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
28:36so that was 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
29:21to 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
29:32consequences 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
30:15every word weighed in advance augustine the older of the two was the first to speak we were deeply
30:21disturbed 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 lined 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 concern i said my voice calm and even but loyalty is not measured by gifts nor is sincerity
31:43proven through 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
32:10my daughter has already spoken for me leave the gifts you may go relief flashed across both their faces
32:16so 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
32:43royal house after the two vampire princes were finally dismissed peace at last returned to the
32:48great hall i was just about to pick up my book again when a vampire soldier entered his expression
32:53uneasy 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
33:19i'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
33:30man i remembered by the time he made it to my feet he collapsed to his knees and broke into
33:35sobs
33:35his whole body trembling with desperation please forgive me your highness i was blind i was a fool
33:40i failed to recognize who you were please show mercy spare my worthless life as he spoke he fumbled
33:46frantically 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 in composed silence leaving the matter entirely in my hands
34:03i looked down at the manager and asked evenly do you truly believe i need your money
34:07at 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
34:16no 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 still
34:55lingered 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
35:12for one brief moment he clearly thought i meant to forgive him outright
35:16then i continued but you should understand this much what you did cannot simply go unpunished
35:22i rose from my seat and walked toward him my voice calm and steady carrying clearly through
35:27the hall from this day forward your shop will serve as a sanctuary under royal protection
35:32any outsider who is being bullied abused or otherwise left without help may go there and
35:37seek refuge you will provide whatever aid they need without questioning them and you will report
35:42their circumstances to the royal court at once he stared at me blinking in stunned confusion
35:47this 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
35:58is your choice then you may close your doors today and lose your shop forever or you may join samuel
36:02in
36:03the silver coffin for a few days and reflect on your decision there the moment he heard the word
36:07silver 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
36:24who dares cause trouble there will be treated as an enemy of mine the gods bowed and moved at once
36:29only after that did the truth fully dawn on the manager this was not punishment in the way he had
36:34feared it 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
36:44royal 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
36:56mercy with 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
37:43whatever 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
37:59something in her expression shifted for a brief instant there was a flash of grief there so quick
38:04and faint that it might have been missed but it vanished almost at once buried beneath a cold rising
38:09fury that spread through her like a storm front she did not rush to comfort samuel she did not even
38:15speak
38:15to him gently instead 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 you disgraceful fool she hissed apologize then came
38:29the crack of a slap sharp and violent enough to ring through the chamber like a shot a second followed
38:34then a third now lady eras snapped her voice cutting through the air like a lash apologize to the princess
38:41this instant whatever 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
38:58left standing 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 my
39:10failure 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
39:57toward 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
40:18centuries building around himself so that's the truth i was wrong i was truly wrong his whole body
40:24began to shake any trace of dignity he had left dissolved where he stood and he bent forward again
40:29and again in frantic apology his voice breaking beside him serena had remained stunned but at last the
40:35reality seemed to catch up with her too princess please please spare us we'll never do it again
40:40she joined him in tears filling the chamber with a miserable grief they crawled there before me pitiful
40:46and broken like insects crushed under their own desperation i felt nothing i simply lifted my cup
40:53took a slow sip of coffee and let the wand spread through me while i said nothing at all
40:59my silence stretched between us and behind it my thoughts moved quietly other than the broken
41:04sobbing of samuel and serena the hall had fallen completely silent only after a long pause did i
41:10finally lower my cup the clear delicate sound of porcelain touching the wooden table cut through the
41:16stillness with startling sharpness and at once both of them fell quiet as if even that small noise had
41:22struck them like a command they turned to look at me and in their eyes i saw fear tangled together
41:27with a
41:27nearly hopeless kind of expectation as though even now they were clinging to the last fragile
41:32possibility that i might still show mercy i smiled faintly but there was no warmth in my voice when i
41:37spoke if my father had not arrived in time that day would either of you have spared me the question
41:44landed between us like a blow in an instant both of them went rigid their faces drained of color their
41:51mouths parted yet neither of them could force out a single word serena wasn't your greatest dream to
41:57become a prince's wife she nodded almost instinctively and even then i caught the faintest spark of that old
42:03fantasy still flickering in her eyes and you samuel i shifted my attention to him letting a trace of
42:09mockery enter my tone you cast aside your betrothal stood by while she nearly had me killed and indulged
42:15her every cruelty 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 since the
42:37bond between you is evidently so deep i said calmly i've decided to grant your wish the two of you
42:43may
42:43remain together forever at those words a flash of wild joy lit serena's tear-streaked face so sudden
42:49and so shameless that it almost made me laugh i gave a soft contemptuous huff before continuing
42:54but the price of that happiness will be your title samuel the effect was immediate lady airs
43:00hecate collapsed where she stood all strength leaving her at once while samuel stared at me in
43:05stunned disbelief what right do you have to strip me of my title he demanded his voice cracking
43:10i looked at him steadily would you like me to issue a formal decree at once and announced to the
43:15entire vampire realm that samuel has been stripped of rank and reduced to a commoner he turned at once
43:21toward his mother mother say something lady airs closed her eyes she said nothing in that silence
43:26samuel finally understood his mother had abandoned him i watched the realization break over him in stages
43:31disbelief then horror then the slow collapse of everything he had once believed untouchable
43:37his body began to shake so violently that it seemed as though he might come apart everything that had
43:42once defined him was vanishing before his eyes no no no then i turned to serena who looked up at
43:47me
43:47with a kind of frozen dread didn't you always want to become samuel's wife very well i will make your
43:53dream come true from this moment on you are his wife for a heartbeat she simply stared unable to
43:59understand then the meaning of it hit her all at once no i don't want it anymore i refuse i
44:04refuse 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
44:15death what a pity that is not your decision to make then he turned to the soldiers and gave the
44:20final order exile them to the wastelands they are never to set foot in any vampire territory again
44:26everyone in the chamber knew what that meant the wastelands were a barren stretch of northern
44:31ruin 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
44:47at once samuel shattered beyond resistance barely reacted as they dragged him away while serena struggled
44:53and screamed until her voice turned ragged her body twisting wildly in their grip yet neither of
44:58them could 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
45:08collapsed on the floor watching her son be taken away with hollow defeated eyes all the force she had
45:14carried into the room earlier had deserted her now she looked as if despair alone had aged her by
45:18decades and yet she did not beg because she understood exactly what this verdict was
45:23not mercy perhaps but the closest thing to it that the vampire king was willing to grant at the very
45:29least it meant that the rest of house hecate would survive news of the exile spread swiftly through the
45:34vampire realm prince samuel was gone cast down and cast out and with him the prestige house hecate had
45:40enjoyed for so long began to crumble before much time had passed rising vampire families moved against
45:45them stripping 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
46:26happened then passed a year later while i sat beside lake namir and watched the water under the evening
46:32sky 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
46:47life 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 page
47:05of that chapter of my life and left it behind for good father came to stand beside me and handed
47:10me
47:10a glass of chilled blood wine then with a gentleness that still had the power to soften me no matter
47:15how
47:15much time passed he rested a hand against my hair and smiled see the moonlight is perfect tonight i took
47:22the glass from him and looked out across the lake where the silver light of the moon lay scattered over
47:26the water until mist and moonlight seemed to merge into one then i gave a small nod feeling nothing in
47:31my
47:31heart but clarity and calm he was right the moonlight was perfect the road ahead lay wide open and
47:37waiting for me beyond it was a future bright with possibility
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