Claimed by the Prince of Darkness novel Chapter 117

Chapter 117: The Girl in the Snow

Ruelle’s gaze moved between Lucian and the bed before she quietly voiced out the thought in her mind, "It isn’t that time of the month for me yet."

Lucian turned a page as he responded, "I know," lifting his eyes to meet hers.

A small crease formed between her brows. "Then... if I take the bed, where will you sleep?" She could not imagine the couch to be comfortable enough for him.

"I haven’t decided yet," he replied. His gaze lingered just long enough for warmth to rise to her cheeks and she averted her eyes quickly, suddenly aware of the way her hands clutched the edge of her sleeve.

"I don’t think it would be proper," she murmured.

Lucian tilted his head slightly. He asked with an even voice, "Which part is improper? Me sleeping on the couch... or me sleeping in the same bed as you?"

Her breath caught at his words. A woman sharing a bed with a man before marriage was considered scandalous. Yet she was in Sexton, where they would soon be taught about such intimacies being labelled as preparation.

"You are not sleeping on the couch. Go to bed, Ruelle, or I will carry you there," his tone did not rise, yet it left no room for argument.

She picked up the blanket and then walked across the room to reach the bed. She sat carefully on the edge of the mattress and the bed springs gave a quiet sigh beneath her weight.

At the same time, she saw Lucian place his book to the side and make his way towards her. She saw him bend and pull the drawer next to the bedside before he picked up a familiar-looking brownish-red wooden box.

"You found it!" Ruelle said with a smile. It was the box that belonged to her biological mother. "When did you go and fetch it? Did they... my family say something?"

"They weren’t at the house," Lucian answered, already turning toward the couch. "I’m surprised your parents or your sister didn’t take it from you."

Ruelle’s fingers moved over the dull, chipped surface of the wooden box. A small smile lingered on her lips though it never reached her eyes as she replied softly,

"It was never valuable enough for them. Or something that could be sold for my father to use. There are just random things, but nonetheless very dear to me." She pushed the lid and stared at the contents inside it. "It is one of the few things I have of hers, apart from the chain."

Ruelle’s father had remarried within a week of her mother’s passing, where Caroline’s mother had stepped into the house while the air still smelled of mourning.

Sometimes she wondered if she had ever truly been held by the woman who gave her life... or if their time together had been so brief that even that simple warmth had slipped past her.

"Thank you for bringing it to me. I don’t know if I would have the courage to go there," Ruelle murmured the last words more to herself.

"Is it the people or the walls that remind you?" Lucian questioned, his gaze steady on her.

At his question, Ruelle’s fingers tightened slightly around the box. She admitted, "I think it’s both," her voice barely above a whisper. "Sometimes I wonder now... if I wasn’t admitted to Sexton, with the debts my father piled up, he would have pawned me next." A bitter smile appeared on her lips faintly before it disappeared. Shifting the subject, she stated,

"I’m relieved to hear the courthouse helps find humans too when they are missing... considering how often we simply disappear."

Lucian took a moment to respond, his darkened eyes settling, "The death of humans was not considered worthy enough until a while ago. Some of the elder vampires who serve in the king’s court have been trying to bring a balance."

When silence settled between them, neither looked away. The next moment, Ruelle cleared her throat and said, "I should sleep."

She quickly slipped beneath the blanket, pulling it up to her nose. She stared at the ceiling for several minutes before peeking carefully to find him back with his book. Having not slept much last night, sleep was quick to find her almost at once.

After some time, the soft sound of a book closing broke the silence in the room which was followed by faint footsteps crossing the room. A moment later, the mattress dipped on the other side.

Lucian lay on the bed, watching Ruelle fast asleep on her side with one hand loosely curled near her face. Strands of hair had fallen across her cheek, rising and falling softly with her breathing.

"Careless," he murmured under his breath, "Saying things without knowing the consequences." His eyes drifted to her softened expression where she slept unguarded.

"Should I lock you away with me?" he asked softly, the thought lingering longer than it should have after she spoke about the possibility of her being pawned. His gaze moved over her sleeping face, at how defenceless she looked.

Slowly, he reached over and brushed the strands away. Careful enough not to wake her.

"...But you would hate that," he said quietly. "So I’ll deal with everything else."

To Lucian, Ruelle hadn’t changed much from the girl he had first met twelve years ago.

Twelve years ago... 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Inside the Slaters’ Mansion, it had been a few minutes since Lord Azriel had returned from the courthouse. His wife, Lady Irina, wore a slight frown now at what he just said to her.

"They wish the treaty concluded swiftly. The respected family has been asked to present themselves here," Lord Azriel said solemnly. "You seem hesitant. I can refuse the treaty if you prefer."

"No, that isn’t my concern. I am just surprised they chose our family. It is no small decision," she murmured though she knew well the weight their name carried. She glanced toward him before softly adding, "Would someone closer to her age not be more suitable? After all, she is hardly more than a child."

Lord Azriel gave it some thought and he then responded, "I don’t believe the ministers are concerned with which of our sons fulfils the arrangement."

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