Claimed by the Prince of Darkness novel Chapter 175

Chapter 175: A Place at the Table

At the hour of midnight, a blizzard had started outside the Slater mansion.

Snow struck the windows until all the glass frosted into blindness and the world had been reduced to white noise. Inside the mansion, the corridors were deserted while candles burned, nearing their last breaths, leaving some corridors dark.

On one of the floors, Peyton stood against the wall with her eyes closed, with her hand resting against her dagger. Even though she was a vampiress, she wore a coat, as the chill from the outside had seeped into the corridors.

Beyond the other side of the door, the coals burned in the fireplace, emitting heat and light, while the rest of the room remained covered in shadows.

In the bed, Ruelle was fast asleep. One of her hands stretched across the warm bedspread, her forearm hanging at the edge of the bed, her breathing slow and even. The strain that lived in her expression during waking hours had smoothed away, leaving her looking softer than usual.

Lucian watched her breathe as though confirming she remained there each time her chest rose. The distance had started becoming intolerable.

Since last night, the urge to climb into the bed beside her had only grown worse.

Zhenya, who had earlier curled up on the bed, had gotten off to rest in front of the fireplace as if it had only meant to accompany Ruelle until the owner arrived.

Lucian sat on the ground next to the edge of her bed, with his shoulder resting lightly against the wood.

To think that while he drowned himself in blood, she had been breaking somewhere far beyond his sight. Her family had reduced her to the point where death had looked gentler than continuing and the thought refused to leave his mind.

Killing Harold Belmont had done little to settle the violence beneath Lucian’s skin.

Ruelle had endured all of it while still remaining unbearably soft, forgiving people he would have buried without hesitation. He knew her well enough that she would never have truly wished for her father’s death. Perhaps she would grieve once she learned.

With Ruelle’s hand resting loosely near the edge of the bed, Lucian stared at it for several quiet seconds before finally taking it into his own. He guided her hand slowly against the side of his neck, letting it rest there without waking her. It was almost like a creature soothing itself through contact with what it considered its own, as the tightness beneath Lucian’s expression eased slightly.

As time passed, the room fell quiet save for the fire crackling and the storm raging beyond the frost-covered glass.

Out in the corridor, the vampiress heard the sound of something click from inside and her bright red eyes snapped open. Her hand quickly pulled the dagger and she entered the human’s room. Her eyes looked around the room, noticing the wolf sitting next to the fireplace, watching her.

Peyton looked at Ruelle, who was still sleeping, before her eyes fell on the curtain that had just stilled. There was a faint scent of snow that had seeped inside the room, but then the vampiress frowned.

"Human blood..."

Was it from her? The vampiress questioned, her gaze returning to Ruelle, who stirred under the blanket. Moving closer, she didn’t catch it, as the scent of blood disappeared.

When morning arrived, the blizzard had weakened sometime before dawn and snow settled heavily across the grounds surrounding the Slater mansion. But beyond the estate walls, the towns and villages had already begun to stir. The newsletters from the courthouse had arrived. The headline read—

ROYAL COURT ANNOUNCES RESTORATION OF THE TREATY. ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCED BETWEEN LUCIAN SLATER AND RUELLE BELMONT.

"Ruelle Belmont is marrying into a pureblooded family," one of the women remarked while standing at the shop early in the morning.

"Not just any family," another quickly corrected. "They say he belongs to one of the oldest bloodlines. The lord’s son himself. You must be rather surprised hearing this, Mrs. Webb."

The question was directed at a woman who had remained quiet until now, though the fact she had lingered without buying anything suggested otherwise.

"Surprised? Hardly," Mrs. Webb replied. Her lips pursed slightly. "The girl must have pleased the men in Sexton. Everyone knows what sort of things happen inside that place."

Mrs. Webb then continued, "It’s why my family broke the engagement in the first place. You know what happened last time..."

The women nodded in sympathy, though the sympathy was paper-thin.

"Excuse me. I need to get back home now." Mrs. Webb departed, as if she was fleeing.

"Looks like she’s regretting making Mason break off the engagement with Ruelle," one of the women spoke in a lowered voice. "I doubt she or her son thought that Ruelle was worth anything with Harold Belmont’s mounting debt."

"True." Yet these same women had once gossiped about Ruelle.

Though it was only morning, the news continued to spread like wildfire through the lands. A pureblooded vampire binding to a lowly human was gossip no one could resist speaking about. The news soon reached King Septimus’s castle.

Hailey, who wore the maid’s uniform and was holding a duster while staring at a broken vase which was said to hold a fortune, noticed Hermes moving through the hallways of the castle, his steps wobbly. The newsletter in his hand was crumpled from holding it tight.

"You appear to be in a rush, Mr. Hermes."

"I have to inform the king about the marriage," Hermes said a little breathlessly.

"Father is getting married?" Edward had only arrived after staying outside the entire night, like the last three days. The prince frowned and muttered in a grimace, "I should pack my things sooner."

"The king is getting married?" Hailey blinked in surprise. "To whom?"

But Hermes shook his head. He clarified, "No, Your Highness. "It is news about Mr. Slater and Ms. Belmont."

Edward grabbed the newsletter from Hermes’s hands and his eyes swept through the heading. The muscle in his jaw tightened.

"Isn’t it a little too soon? And did they have to announce it to the world?" The prince’s question came out tight, with the undertones of concern beneath the irritation.

He was well aware the announcement would draw unnecessary attention towards Ruelle. He muttered, "A bunch of lunatics sit in the courthouse."

Hailey’s face immediately lit up at the news and she asked, "When is the wedding being held?!"

"In eighteen days," Hermes informed her.

"How wonderful!" Hailey responded in delight before asking the attendant, "Do you think I can get my wage sooner for this month so that I can buy clothes for the wedding, Mr. Hermes?"

"I shall ask the king about it and let you know," Hermes responded to which the young woman nodded in excitement. He then added, "I need to get my clothes ready too."

A scowl formed on Edward’s face and he demanded, "What for? We will be leaving for the north."

Hermes raised his hand to count before he let the prince know, "Your Highness, there’s still a month for that."

"I thought, why waste time when so much is to be done," Edward replied while trying to act calm and composed. Hailey, who noticed this, quietly rolled her eyes. "And it’s not like you haven’t attended a wedding before."

Hermes and Hailey exchanged glances at each other.

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