"Miss Zoya, don't worry about it. You know our prince, don't you? He is like a coconut for the people he cares about. He might have appeared strict earlier, but we know he won't do anything to you, or your family," Lucas placed his hand on Miss Zoya's shoulders, and the latter shook her head.
"It's not me I am worried about, Lucas. As weird as this might sound, I am actually worried about Mrs. Elliana. The girl already had her fair share of humiliation today. If sir went to her in this situation and took out his anger on her and blamed her for not defending herself, she would break down," Miss Zoya turned around and left, and Lucas pressed his lips into a thin line.
The chef, who heard all the commotion and what Mizz Zoya said about the princess, clenched his fists.
He obviously can't go to the princess to talk to her, but he can cook some healthy and tasty food for her that will immediately improve her mood, right? The chef went inside the kitchen to formulate a new healthy recipe and prepare some desserts.
Elliana closed her eyes, letting the wind caress her hair softly as she let them down. The faint sunlight shone on her face, warming not only her body but her soul too. She was sitting on the ground with her legs folded in an Indian style.
'mmmm, one day, in your path of hope and love, I want to lose myself in your arms,
One day I want you to love me,
Maybe that day when you'll know I am a human too, my heart beats and hurts.
That I cry tears of blood too.
I know my words don't really affect your reign,
But your love is all I want to gain,'
Elliana hummed the random words that came to her mind.
G had mentioned to her that under no circumstances should she sing any word carelessly. Since she has unlocked her chakra potential, she will attract other species toward herself, and that would be the last thing she would want when everyone is already searching for people like these.
That's why Elliana ensured she wasn't hitting high notes or singing. She only resorted to mumbling words and humming while trying her best to not strain her vocal cords.
'I will be there where you keep me safe,
My heart just wishes for that one day.
One day when you'll love me and live for me.
The day you'll trust me,' a soft smile played on her lips.
Meanwhile, Sebastian, who was about to enter the terrace to calm his rage before confronting the princess, heard her beautiful voice and felt his heart skipping a beat.
Was this really her voice? How come he never realized she had such good vocal skills? Then again, did he really know anything about her other than what Lucas told him as a piece of vital information about the suspect?
Sebastian slid down the wall and sat near the staircase, enjoying her singing. To him, it felt like his heart was at ease after a really long time. It sounded like one of the lullabies his mother used to sing to him.
He didn't want to disturb Elliana. He didn't want her to stop. It was selfish of him to listen to her in secret like this, but he never believed he was a saint.
He was sure that Elliana wasn't really singing any song. She was just humming useless words without any meaning whatsoever. There was no tone or music to it, but even without that, it was one of the best things he had heard after a really long time.
He wondered what her voice would sound like if she really concentrated on her vocal cords and tried to hit all those notes like professional singers. He wanted to hear more of it.
Elliana continued to hum for a few more minutes, completely unaware of the people stopping their work to hear her.
After some time, she stopped altogether before standing from her place. She looked down from the height and suddenly had an intrusive thought of jumping from the balcony.
How good it would have been if she had wings to fly, no? She wouldn't have to worry about getting lost or things like that. She had heard from one of the maids in the royal kingdom that fairies were real too. They look like humans who can fly and grant wishes. If that were the case, would they grant her the wish to find her mom? She sighed before looking into the sky.
"Mom, can you see the same sky that I see? If yes, it means we are closer than before, right?" She sighed, a stray tear falling from her eyes.
"Sir, what are you doing -" Lucas paused when he saw how serene Sebastian looked.
As if his appearance disturbed him greatly, Sebastian opened his eyes, scowled, and stood from his original position on the ground, leaving Lucas speechless.
Lucas- "..." What did I do now?
Sebastian walked towards the entrance of the terrace and saw the girl leaning on the railing, her back hunched and sadness and loneliness oozing from her figure.
"So where did you go?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana, who wasn't expecting anyone, shook with wide eyes.
"God, why would you scare me like that, Mr. Prince?" Elliana turned to him before quickly looking away. She patted her cheeks and wiped the remaining tears, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Sebastian, who had a neutral expression as he leaned beside her.
'Maybe she is just a broken girl who has never received love from her family? Just like you?' Miss Zoya's words echoed in his head, and he took his chance to look at her properly.
She was definitely a beauty, a rare one at that. She was so beautiful that it was almost inhumane. He hadn't even seen vampires with this kind of flawless skin, and to say, she was never treated right and often bullied in her family.
His gaze moved further to her hair cascading on her shoulders and fell on her back loosely. He had a sudden urge to take a twirl in his hand and play with them to see how smooth they were. Her beauty was almost an illusion, and he was sure if he had married her in any different circumstances where they weren't enemies, he could've fallen for a girl like that. The more he looked at her, the more attractive she became.
'Maybe you are being a bit too harsh on your relationship,' Miss Zoya's words echoed again, and he stepped closer to Elliana.
Even with the loud wind, he could hear Elliana's heart increasing its pace and was unsure if it was because of fear, nervousness, or hatred towards him. She was so reactive to his presence that even a step closer made her heart race.
"Were you crying?" Sebastian asked, and Lucas, who was standing at some distance, felt a sudden urge to slap his forehead in helplessness. How did this neutral prince with no emotional intelligence come from such a romantic and lovely couple?
He knows the prince has zero EQ level, but does he really need to be so direct? She was not his subordinate or a convict, for god's sake. His prince was a hopeless case in love.
"I... I just missed my mom," Elliana said half-truth, and Sebastian hummed.
"So? What did you buy today? Were you happy with your outing?" Sebastian tried to initiate a conversation.
Elliana turned to him, her hand accidentally brushing against his, shocking her. She quickly retreated as if her hand had caught fire, and Sebastian thinned his lips. Why was she so jittery around him?
"I don't bite, you know," Sebastian said in a way to tell her he won't harm her, but he hadn't expected what came next.
"Why?"
"Excuse me?" Sebastian looked at her, confused. He was trying to console her, and she was asking why wouldn't he?
"Why don't you bite? Aren't vampires supposed to bite? Is something wrong with your fangs? Do you need to see a dentist? Should we make an appointment? It's better to get things checked early. What if you die of hunger? What will happen to me and -" Elliana widened her eyes when she realized she was rambling, and Sebastian looked at her for a few seconds before he laughed.
"Hahaha. I can't be with your humor. This is the first I have heard in my life. How can you be so naive? Stupid girl," Sebastian's laugh not only shocked Elliana, but Lucas too.
This was the first time he heard the prince's laughter, and it felt so calm. It also felt illegal, like this laughter was meant for the princess only. It was as if he was intruding on the couple's privacy, and he didn't know what to do.
"You should laugh more. Your voice is soothing to the heart," Elliana stepped closer to him daringly and looked up into his eyes.
It was as if her words were the ones that made him realize he laughed, Sebastian stood there frozen when Elliana smiled at him.
"One day, I hope one day, you will be able to trust me enough to show me what you look like," Elliana said, and her words surprised Lucas and Sebastian.
"Aren't you afraid that I might look uglier than what they say?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana smiled before shaking her head.
"I don't care. This is what matters," Elliana jabbed her finger on his chest to mention his heart.
If it had been anyone else doing this to him, touching him without his permission, he would've thrown that person straight down from the terrace without a single thought, but when Elliana did it, she looked exceptionally cute, and he couldn't bring himself to become angry.
"Besides, I don't care what you look like. You are my husband, and that's all that matters to me," Elliana said with the utmost sincerity before she looked away at the forest, leaving a shocked prince whose heart skipped a beat again.
\
"Do you want to see what I look like?" Sebastian asked, shocking Lucas as this wasn't a casual thing, and Elliana shook her head.
"No,"
"No? But just now -"
"I want you to trust me before you do that. The day you will take off your mask in front of me, I will understand your heart is open for me to step in," Elliana smiled.
This girl, she was really good with her words, wasn't she? Is this how she has been possessing everyone? Sebastian thought before sighing.
"So, what did you buy?" He asked, and Elliana smiled.
"I spent a lot of money," she smiled like a kid who knew she had done something wrong and was proud of it.
Sebastian's hands clenched around as he controlled the urge to pull her cheeks until they became red, and she revealed all the truth.
He was really tempted to see what she would look like when he does that. It looks like he will have to wait till night. She sleeps like a wooden log and doesn't care about her surroundings at all when asleep. He would be able to see it that time. Sebastian nodded at himself at the childish plan.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
"Shall we go?" Sebastian extended his hand for Elliana to take, and the latter looked at the hand as if she was looking at something alien.
She raised her gaze to Sebastian, looking into his hazel eyes, her heart increasing its pace at such a small gesture, and Sebastian didn't know what to feel about this girl anymore.
He was just extending his hand for her to place her hand so they could leave. One time he is trying to be nice, and she has to act so shyly. What will she do when he will actually -
Sebastian put a full stop to his wandering thoughts before sighing.
Elliana wiped her hand on her dress gently before placing her hand in his softly.
She acted like a curious cat and noticed how small her hand looked with his, even when she had long slender fingers.
"Hehe," She giggled, and Sebastian raised his eyebrows at her soft voice.
Did she just giggle? If yes, then why? And why the hell did it sound so cute? He looked at the innocent smile on her face as she looked at their hands that looked like she was comparing the size and couldn't help but sigh.
After they walked downstairs and sat for Lunch, Sebastian placed his cutlery down and looked at the girl with his full attention.
"Elliana, there is something I have been wondering about. You did your graduation before you went to prison for your sister's deeds, right?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana nodded before wiping her mouth to answer Sebastian.
"What do you think about joining a University?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana bit her lips.
"University?"
"You must've wanted to join one, right?"
"But I don't want to be a burden on the kingdom. The fee is so high these days. Besides, I will stay at home most of the time. You will waste your resources on me like this. It's not important at all -"
"I want my wife to be on par with everyone. You are not wasting my resources but utilizing them. I am rich enough to afford these things. Or do you have any misunderstandings about me being incapable of affording a thing as cheap as education?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana felt heat rising to her cheeks before shaking her head.
Stop it, girl! Why does your heart react like this whenever he mentions things like these? He just called you his wife, and you are swooning like he confessed his love or something. He is a vampire, for god's sake, and can hear your heartbeat crystal clear. Elliana scolded herself, and her heart immediately calmed down.
"If you say so, I will go," Elliana said.
"Which stream would you like to choose?" His next question made Elliana think carefully.
"I would like to choose science," Elliana fidgeted with her food.
"Great choice. I will have the arrangements done," Sebastian said before leaving the table once he finished eating.
"Did that just happen?" Elliana voiced out loud, and Miss Zoya smiled at her.
"It did, my love. You will be attending college too," Miss Zoya was happy, and Elliana smiled forcefully. She looked at Miss Zoya's big smile and didn't know what to think about it. Only if she knew Elliana was anything but happy with this decision.
"Mr. Prince," Elliana remembered something and shouted his name, following him out of the house, and the man paused, making her bump into his back before she rubbed her nose with a scowl.
"What is it?" He asked, and she bit her lower lip.
"Well, can you...ummm can you keep our relationship a secret? Like not tell everyone we are married? I don't want my college life to be influenced by that. I want to have a normal experience rather than everyone trying to coax me because I am your wife. You are a vampire prince," Elliana said, and Sebastian understood what she was trying to insinuate.
"Don't worry. Lucas will make all the arrangements," Sebastian looked at Lucas, who bowed at the princess.
Elliana looked at the man who was always with the prince and smiled softly.
"Thank you. I will be under your care then," Elliana was about to bow back in respect when Sebastian placed his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"You don't bow down to anyone even if you want to show respect. And you will be under my care, not someone else's," Sebastian said, and Elliana looked at him, confused.
However, Lucas, who felt the hint of jealousy in the prince's words, didn't know how to react to the situation. Should he be happy that the prince was finally starting to show humane reactions, or should he be annoyed because judging from how he reacted, it's going to be a problem for him in the future?
Elliana returned to her room after chatting with the chef for some time and was about to change her dress when something on the bed caught her eye.
It was a box wrapped like a gift. She walked to the gift and lifted it, confused.
"For wife," The gift said, and she was confused if she was supposed to open this box.
Sebastian didn't mention anything regarding a gift. What if it's someone else's? Don't friends buy gifts for their friends to save them from issues? Besides, he didn't have any reason to give her anything.
Today itself, she spent so much of his money. Elliana placed the gift back on the bed and was about to turn when she heard the ring going off.
Was it coming from inside this box? She brought the box closed to her ears.
Was it the phone that the prince was talking about? She felt excited like a kid and opened the gift wrapping hurriedly.
She took out the brand new phone from the box and smiled when she saw the incoming call from an unfamiliar number.
However, the name looked too familiar to her.
"Mr. Marino, my husband," The caller ID said, and Elliana chuckled with tears in her eyes.
This was the first time someone bothered to consider her feelings and comfort and bought something for her. She sat on the bed before looking at the caller id with trembling fingers.
She has talked to people over a landline before and has seen her bullies from the school using this device, but she never got the chance to use it personally.
The one time she took Madeline's phone because she wanted to contact Aditya, Madeline had deliberately crushed the phone and blamed it on her.
Elliana looked at the phone ringing again and gulped.
She looked at the caller icon and swiped it up gently. With the phone near her ears, she breathed gently, unsure what to say.
Sebastian, who had called her to ensure she sees the gift and knows what was inside the box, heard her ragged breathing and couldn't help but sigh.
None of them spoke anything for a few seconds, and Lucas looked at his prince from the rearview mirror, looking out of the window with a neutral expression.
It was hard to read what he was thinking about, and who he was talking to.
After what felt like an eternity, Sebastian finally broke out of the silence.
"Did you like it?" His voice was cold, void of emotions. But to Elliana, it was the softest voice filled with care in the world.
"Yes. Thank you. It's... It's my f- first gift," Elliana's voice shook, and Sebastian closed his eyes, concentrating on her breathing which was strangely soothing.
"I am glad I am your first," he said after a long time, and Elliana nodded before remembering he couldn't see her.
"Me too," she said.
"I have work to do," Sebastian said after some time, and Elliana hummed.
"I am going to end the call now," Sebastian spoke, and Elliana hummed again, making him sigh.
He waited for her to end the call for a few seconds, but when she didn't, he spoke again.
"I will be back soon," he said before ending the call and stuffing the phone in his pocket.
This was probably the most mundane and boring conversation he had with someone for any onlooker, but for Sebastian, there was a feeling to this conversation that was unexplainable.
Everything surrounding Elliana was becoming unexplainable now, and he didn't know what to feel about it.
Did he like the change? No. Did he hate the change? Definitely not.
He wasn't a soft person. He never was. Even when his parents were present, he never took the pain to soften his voice for someone, but when it comes to this girl, he just can't bring himself to raise his voice at her.
Was it because she was soft-spoken herself, or was it because she was so calm and scared most of the time that scaring her more sounded like a bad idea?
Lucas looked at his prince before smiling inwardly. After a really long time, he was finally seeing some hope that his prince would be able to live a happy life. It all started with these humans that Sebastian hated the most, but for once, maybe something greater than hatred would ignite again, all because of a human, a very good one at that.
Elliana placed the phone on her side of the bed with her utmost care as if it was the most fragile thing in the world and went to change her clothes. After returning, she finally took out the art supplies she bought and sprawled on the ground with them.
With a dream and image in her mind, she started sketching what her imagination looked like.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
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