"Where is the prince?" Elliana asked no one in particular as she walked to the hall, and everyone looked at her as if she was some kind of alien, not knowing how to act around her.
After she took a long bath, she heard a voice from the intercom that said the dinner was ready and she should come and eat.
She stood in the middle of the hall, not sure where to go or do anymore. Miss Zoya was nowhere in sight either.
Though her gaze was confident since she was practically from a royal family, in her heart, she was like a lost child, looking for a familiar face in a lost place.
"There our prince is," Someone commented, and Elliana turned around.
She looked at the majestic figure, walking slowly, with a power that screamed royalty and made everyone immediately lower their gaze.
It was funny how he wasn't even looking at anyone and held this much power. However, not once she felt compelled to bow to him. Maybe it was because she knew she was his bride, or probably because she was really suicidal.
"Why are you standing here?" Sebastian asked, his focus on the screen as he read about the report he received from his spies on the council of vampires.
"I was waiting for you," Elliana's quick answer made Sebastian look up at her, and he had the strangest urge to smile at her, making him grit his teeth at the sensation.
Bewitching cunning woman! He cursed in his mind before looking at Garold and nodding at him.
He hummed at Elliana, and they walked to the dining room together.
"I am a pure vegetarian," Elliana squealed, afraid he would really bring bottles of blood to the table, and Sebastian's hand on the chair paused before he looked at Elliana closely.
"Go and sit over there," he grumbled after some time, pointing to the other end of the long table for 30, and Elliana bit the inside of her cheeks, unsure if she offended him.
"That way, you won't have to smell anything not up to your taste," Sebastian explained even when he didn't need to, and Elliana raised her brows at his thoughtfulness before she quickly went and sat on the seat, ready for the food.
Sebastian placed the phone aside before looking straight at her.
Lucas was already on his way to bring information about her. Should he bother to get some information from her himself? He cracked his knuckles before dropping his gaze.
"Don't you think you have some explaining to do?" Sebastian started as the food arrived, and remembering Miss Zoya's words, Elliana didn't know where to start or how to tell him the truth.
"Hmm?" Sebastian probed, and Elliana nodded briefly.
"Can you promise you won't hurt Dad or anyone if I tell you the truth?" Elliana asked, and Sebastian quirked his brows.
This human here really thinks she is in a position to strike any kind of compromising deal with him? Well, it doesn't hurt to pretend a little, no? She is doing the same with him, isn't she?
Sebastian couldn't help himself but think she really gave in too quickly for someone from such a cunning bloodline.
"Uhmm," Sebastian hummed, not really agreeing, but Elliana started speaking.
"I am not Madeline," Elliana paused before reframing her sentence.
"I am not the girl you were destined to marry," Elliana looked at the prince, and when he didn't say anything, she continued.
"My sister caught an infectious disease, and my dad was afraid that your people would rain havoc if we presented Madeline in her ugly form to you. Everyone believed she was chosen because of her beauty and wisdom. That's why they put me there as a replacement. I... " Elliana's fingers tightened around the fork and knife, and Sebastian didn't miss it.
"I am actually the illegitimate daughter of the king. A... A drunk night mistake," Elliana said before she bit the inside of her cheeks, waiting for the insult, his anger, or just a ferocious growl.
He might even try to kill her since she was an illegitimate daughter and he was the to-be king of the Vampire kingdom, and people would question or make fun of him because of that.
"What is the important part? Come to the main point," Sebastian asked, and Elliana raised her eyes, confused.
What did he mean by that? It was the important part.
Seeing her confused look, Sebastian resumed his eating. Of course, how can he expect her to give up so easily? That earlier wary look was probably a hoax to show how innocent she was. Sebastian sighed before he stood from his place once he was done.
Elliana didn't know how to feel about the situation. Why didn't he say anything? Was he offended or not? Did his question mean that the information wasn't important? Or did he mean he doesn't care about anything since he would kill her sooner or later?
Elliana looked at his leaving back for a few seconds before shrugging and resuming her eating. It's been so long since she ate something so tasty. It felt like heaven.
"Mmmm," Elliana moaned shamelessly, and the chef from the kitchen, who had never been appreciated for his cooking skills, felt his heart warming as a smile stretched on his lips. This was the first time he saw genuine happiness on someone's face from eating his cooked food, and he couldn't contain himself from feeling happy.
The Princess was a pure vegetarian, right? He will prepare some good dishes for her for breakfast. The Chef grinned, motivated, before walking back into the kitchen.
After eating, Elliana went back to the room before looking around. There was a king-sized bed in the middle, which could fit more than eight people, but that belonged to the prince.
He wouldn't want to sleep with her, right? Even when she was his bride, it doesn't mean she was slow-witted and hadn't sensed the hostility in his eyes from time to time. It really looked like he was barely controlling himself.
With a sigh, she looked at the clean carpet before she walked to the side of the bed closer to the balcony.
Well, she can always sleep on the carpet, right?
Elliana sat on the carpet before touching it. This was far better than the prison. At least she wasn't sleeping on the cold hard floor.
Elliana smiled in delight before she pulled out the pendant she had worn earlier and kissed it.
"Thank you for this day, god. I hope you hear my prayers for my mom soon," Elliana lay on the carpet and closed her eyes, letting sleep take over her.
Meanwhile, Sebastian stood over the terrace, waiting for Lucas to start his report.
"So? What did you find?" Sebastian turned to his secretary.
"Well, I am not sure if it's anything useful. However, this is everything we could gather. The girl is the illegitimate daughter of the king. The biological mother is unknown. Someone left her on the kingdom doors when she was five years old," Lucas thinned his lips.
"Why did you stop? Continue," Sebastian turned to the forest, and Lucas sighed.
"The girl has been often bullied by her stepmom and stepsister. Since the king was out on the business most of the time, she was left with no one to look after her. They used her as a scapegoat for the real princess multiple times. In fact -" Lucas paused again, and Sebastian half turned to him.
"She returned from prison two days ago after serving for a year," Lucas's words made Sebastian raise his eyebrows.
"Prison?"
"The Malevolent," Lucas added.
"Isn't that the infamous prison for the worst convicts among humans?" Sebastian looked at him, confused.
"Is the reason stated?" Sebastian asked.
"It's again for something Madeline did. The crime itself is confidential. Her term was for 14 years. However, she was bailed so that she could marry you on behalf of Madeline," Lucas said.
"What about her character? Is there something suspicious?" Sebastian couldn't believe that the girl in front of him was actually so innocent and not pretending, that she was bullied in that royal kingdom. It was strangely making him feel bad for her since it resembled his current situation to some extent.
"On the contrary, from what the spies found from the workers in the royal family, Elliana was quite mocked for her naivety in the family, and that's why got used the most. The king was against the idea because he was afraid she wouldn't be able to live with the vampires, but he couldn't do anything in front of the emperor and queen. She might actually be this innocent and oblivious to those evil hunters. Also, she had completed her graduation last year," Lucas said.
Sebastian put the cigarette in the ashtray before looking at the forest thoughtfully.
She was innocent?
Sebastian did a once over through his memories of whatever interactions he had with her, and the girl was quite nervous and shy throughout the incidents.
"What are you thinking, sir?" Lucas asked when he saw Sebastian deep in thought.
"If she is innocent, I don't have any reason to hurt or make her sad. I am not a monster like other vampire royals. If what you said is true, she won't be of much help in our plans of infiltrating the hunters," Sebastain's words made Lucas nod.
"Maybe you can try to relax a bit with her and -
"She is useless to me now. She is as good as dead, no?" Sebastain's dark thoughts made Lucas sigh.
Lucas was in no position to speak anything, but he had seen the vampire prince being soft and calm with someone for the first time. Even if it was just a facade, it doesn't hurt to try to be a little happy, right?
Sebastian might have this facade where he thinks he doesn't deserve happiness, but Lucas knows how much he craves the old times with his mother.
"Hey, are you seriously going to kill her? Are you serious, sir?" Lucas followed Sebastian with wide eyes filled with horror, feeling strangely uneasy about this.
It's not like Sebastian would be killing a human for the first time, but -
"Do I look stupid to you? Grandpa is coming tomorrow. He deliberately wanted me to marry the hunter's girl. I won't do anything until I know what is going on inside his cunning head. I won't do anything that would risk my throne's dream. This girl is lucky for the time being. I am just returning to my room to sleep," Sebastian said, and Lucas sighed in relief.
Well, there are at least a couple of months until the throning ceremony. It is good it got postponed, or this girl would've lost her life uselessly.
Sebastian grabbed the knob of the door and looked at the empty room with a frown.
Where was she? The room smells like her, but -
Sebastian heard soft breathing sounds and walked to the other side of the bed.
He looked at the girl, curled up in a cocoon shape, and sleeping with a carefree smile on her face.
"Why is she sleeping on the floor?" Lucas asked, and Sebastian half-turned to him with narrowed eyes.
"What are you doing inside the room? I am a married man now,"
Lucas- "..."
To say Sebastain's cold words shocked Lucas would be an understatement. How can this guy go from hating the girl to respecting her privacy in a second just like that?
He saw Sebastian kneeling beside her before he scooped her in his arms.
He placed her on the bed gently before turning to Lucas.
"Do you want to join?"
Lucas -"..." The prince wasn't serious, was he?
Lucas looked at Sebastian, who took off his shoes before he lay on his side of the bed and pulled Elliana into his arms.
"At least she can be used as a pillow till then. Close the door before you leave," Sebastian's voice shook Lucas out of his thoughts, and he left in a daze.
The vampire prince was being really unpredictable since morning.
Meanwhile, Sebastian looked at the girl in his arms before narrowing his eyes. Why did he care if she was sleeping on the floor or bed? And why the hell is he hugging her? And letting her roam her hand on his chest and abdomen?
Bewitching woman!
Sebastian scoffed and closed his eyes to rest.
"Mmmm, Mom,"
Sebastain's eyes flew open when he heard the sweet angelic voice in the middle of the night.
He looked at the girl, curled up on his side, hugging him like her life depended on it, almost over his body, and narrowed his eyes.
He clearly remembered placing her on her side of the bed once Lucas left. When did she shift so close to him, or should he say over him?
Why did he not feel anything?
It was unlikely for him to be unaware of his surroundings. Did he really fall asleep so deeply that he didn't feel any movement at all? Or did she deliberately come with hushed movements so he doesn't find out?
"Please, save me, Mom," Elliana's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he looked at her trembling lips with scrunched brows.
Because of her presence, he now has to wear the mask even when he was in his space so that she doesn't find what he looks like.
"Mom," Elliana whimpered, and a tear rolled down the corner of her eyes before her fist on his chest clenched even more.
It almost looked like she wanted to claw his chest with her kitten-like nails, and Sebastian grumbled when he felt strangely good about it.
He remembered what Lucas told him about her getting bullied and wondered if she was having a nightmare about some traumatic incident.
He had many of them.
"Hey, what is wrong? Are you having a nightmare?" Sebastian asked without shaking her, proceeding to only look at her.
Seeing her still whimpering, he sighed and placed her straight on her back. He looked at her for a few seconds and then did something he never expected himself to do.
"Sssshhh, it's just a nightmare. You don't have to worry about anything," Sebastian ran his hand through her hair soothingly.
He sighed loudly when he noticed her breathing finally evening after a few minutes and her heart returning to its normal speed.
As if his earlier softness wasn't enough, he kissed her forehead and lay back on the bed on his back before pulling her under his arm so that her head was on his forearm once again.
Sebastian closed his eyes calmly before opening them with a jerk when he realized what he just did.
The hell! What was wrong with him? He wasn't supposed to be so supportive and caring of her! If she was having a nightmare, wasn't it good? He grumbled before clenching the arm that was wrapped around her.
These hunters deserve to suffer for how cunning they are, no?
'Maybe it's because she was calling for her mom, and it felt like home?' his conscience reasoned, and Sebastian nodded at himself.
That must be the case. There is no way he would be so caring towards a hunter. Bride or no bride, illegitimate or legitimate, she belonged to the hunter's family, and that was enough for him to want her to be hurt, no?
Sebastian was harshly brought out of his thoughts when Elliana snuggled her face into his chest, placing her lips on the shirt he was wearing right above his heart, and he felt his heart skipping a beat at her innocent action.
His heart skipped a beat? He groaned inwardly, barely controlling the urge to throw this woman out of the window and see her blood ooze out of her body slowly until the last drop for confusing him.
Bewitching woman! He scoffed before forcing his eyes shut to forget about whatever happened tonight. He will just deal with her later.
In the morning ~~~~
Sebastian opened his eyes and looked at the goofball still curled up by his side and sighed.
It was already 6 in the morning, and look at how peacefully she was sleeping. So much for being in the palace of her predators. She looks like she is having the best sleep of her life. He scoffed.
He suddenly had this strong urge to kick her out of bed and let her know he doesn't like staying in bed for such a long duration.
As if she heard his silent cursing, Elliana opened her eyes, blinking them twice to get used to the environment before she rubbed her eyes like a little girl into the unknown.
Elliana looked around, patting the area around her in a daze.
She grabbed a fistful of his shirt before closing her eyes and smiling, unaware of the demon glaring at her.
Wait. She remembered sleeping on the carpet. How did she end up on the bed? And why is this bed so tough and -
Her eyes flew open before she looked up, gulping loudly when her eyes met with the prince's dark ones.
"Did you have fun assaulting me in your sleep?" Sebastian crossed his hands behind his head to support his head as he looked at her, and Elliana felt her heart drumming loudly at his voice before the position she was in with the Prince registered in her mind.
Her left hand was half hugging Prince, her legs entangled with his legs, with her left leg pressing him under her, and her head was partially on his chest, under his neck.
Not even a part of the prince was pressing her in any way. It was all her. The more Elliana observed their position, the redder her cheeks went, and she bit the inside of her cheeks, not knowing what to say in a situation like this.
"I… I…" She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, not coming up with anything.
Seeing her so flustered and looking for answers, it was obvious she had no idea how she ended up on the bed.
Remembering the information Lucas gave him about her innocence and naivety, Sebastian had an impulsive desire to tease her again, and he couldn't help himself as he supported his hand on his palm before looking at her with his dark gaze.
She was looking anywhere but at him, and her scared-kitten act ignited a fire inside him that he didn't know was even there.
"If you wanted to touch me so badly, you could've just said so," Sebastian grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"What were you doing, climbing on the bed in the middle of the night and jumping on me like this? Do you have some kind of misconception that I don't touch humans? Do you want to start our first night as a married couple?" Sebastian asked further, the meaning behind her words making her choke on her saliva.
He bent towards her as if he wanted to kiss her and smiled. He could hear her fast beating heart that looked like it was playing some bass tempo.
Getting the reaction he wanted from her as revenge for what she made him do last night, Sebastian breathed into her ear softly before distancing himself enough for their lips to be a few inches apart.
"Get ready soon and come down for breakfast. We have a timed schedule for everything here," He moved out of the bed before Elliana could blink her eyes, going straight to the bathroom.
As if someone pumped oxygen into her lungs with force, Elliana breathed heavily before looking at the ceiling, catching the marvelous drawing for the first time.
That was a close call. She almost felt like she would lose her life by not breathing for so long.
But the question remained. How did she end up in bed? Elliana narrowed her eyes, following the pattern uselessly before sighing and standing from the lush bed.
It was the same dream again.
The same dream where she is stuck in a burning forest with nowhere to go.
It's funny how she doesn't know who her mom is and how she looks, but every time she sees this dream, she keeps calling for her mom to come and save her. It was a weird feeling, and Elliana didn't know what to feel about it.
She never saw the girl in the dream calling for her mom. The only familiar thing about her was her voice which matched Elliana's.
Sometimes, it feels like it was a memory engraved deep inside her heart. Then again, how is that even possible? Was this some rebirth mystery, or was her overthinking paired with her paranoia?
Elliana walked to the balcony and closed her eyes for a few seconds, letting the wind from outside soothe her aching heart that felt hollow.
Happiness is not a luxury. It is a battle only the strongest warriors can fight for. Elliana told herself before biting her lips to control her overbearing emotions.
She placed her hand over her chest before walking to her bag to take out the pair of clothes for the day.
She placed her clothes neatly in order on the ground so she didn't have to fold them again while keeping them back inside the bag.
Sebastian walked out of the bathroom and looked at her on the ground, sitting Indian style as she chose what to wear, and he scrunched his brows.
She looked like a little girl playing with her Barbie's clothes.
"Why are your clothes still in your bag? Have you asked the maid to arrange them? What is Miss Zoya doing?" Sebastian was about to call Zoya when Elliana shook her head slightly.
"I don't want to intrude in your space. Living with me might already be strange for you. However, I assure you that I will minimize my presence around you the best I can. I know you hate me, I mean, hate the humans and are forced to live with me because of this peace treaty. Don't worry. I won't make your life harder. I promise," Elliana said in a single breath, and Sebastian quirked his brows.
What was wrong with this woman? Does she not have any dignity or self-value? Why was she down regarding herself like this? He didn't even -
Sebastian paused when he remembered all the time he huffed and sighed around her. Does she think he is annoyed and irritated by her?
Well, he technically was, but it's - uhhh, how does he explain it? Sebastian sighed in annoyance again.
"Haven't you checked the closet even once?" Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose from above the mask before walking to the closet.
"Even an animal looks around to get familiar with the place it is going to live in," Sebastian scoffed, and Elliana looked down in shame.
It was an insult. There was no doubt about that. But she was cautious of not bothering the prince and crossing boundaries, no? Elliana felt slightly wronged, and when Sebastian noticed the expression on her face, he sighed.
"Come here and have a proper look," Sebastian grabbed the handle and jerked it open for Elliana to see clearly.
To say she was amazed would be an understatement.
"Is this... Is this all for me?" She looked at the prince, flabbergasted.
"I assure you I have no interest in dressing up like a woman. I have better things to do," Sebastian leaned on the door.
Elliana looked at the number of dresses ranging from beautiful expensive ones to comfortable ones. There were even nightgowns of different styles, and a red tint rose to her cheeks when she saw the lingerie hanging in the corner.
The closet even had multiple footwear along with jade and stones embedded clutches and purses along with high-quality makeup material.
"This closet is yours. You can use whatever you want or throw whatever you don't like. I know this place and species is new for you, but don't give others the impression that I don't treat you well," Sebastian said, and though he was casually saying these things, he meant every word he spoke.
He can't have his grandpa think otherwise and find another nook in him.
"My grandpa will arrive later in the afternoon. I want you to look presentable. I don't care what you think of our species or how innocent or powerful you are," Sebastian walked to Elliana.
"In front of my family, you will act like a -" Sebastian paused to find a suitable word.
And Elliana, who saw him pausing, was sure he meant to say 'slave' and was trying to find a suitable word now.
"Queen," Sebastian ended his statement, and Elliana looked at him, shocked. However, she only nodded in return.
Sebastian turned to leave the room, and Elliana looked at him earnestly. She wanted to talk about the money, but what should she call him now?
"Mr. Mar...Mr. Seb... Mr. Prince," Elliana breathed softly before closing her eyes.
She really tried hard to call his name, but it didn't roll off her tongue like yesterday. She will have to practice a bit.
"What is it?" Sebastian didn't comment and asked without turning to her.
"Can I get some money?" Elliana's sudden demand made Sebastian quirk his brows.
"Money? How much?" Sebastian asked.
"A- Around 20 lakhs," Elliana whispered, and Sebastian raised his brows before turning around and looking at her closely.
Has she started to show her colors already?
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
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