Claimed by the Prince of Darkness novel Chapter 239

Chapter 239: Decision Of The Weeds

As dark as the mood of the room had turned, Ruelle couldn’t help but smile. She had never imagined there would come a day when two people would argue over who got to keep her close. But then she realised that, while she had tried to oversee the problematic people, she hadn’t realised her father wanted to take her home.

Carnifex was the first one to break the silence with a perfectly composed expression but the warmth that was directed at her until now, had now evaporated at the sight of Lucian.

"You appear to have misunderstood something, young Slater. Ruelle is my daughter. She will live under my roof until she comes of age. She is six years old and you are what, ten?"

"Try twenty-two. And the last time someone forced her to stay with the name of a father, he had broken limbs," Lucian replied, his expression cold.

Carnifex’s eyes narrowed slightly. "I did not say she had no say, but don’t you think she deserves to experience what a normal, loving family is like?"

"The Slaters are normal and more than loving, minister. With all due respect," Lucian began, which was enough for Ruelle to know that there wasn’t going to be one. "Ruelle and I have lived with each other for months under the same roof. I already saw what happened when she left my side. I understand what her present age looks like to everyone else. I have no intention of crossing a boundary while she is in this body."

Carnifex’s jaw clenched.

Now that he had discovered Ruelle was in fact his daughter, he had developed strong opinions, which were entirely non-negotiable like about exactly how much space should exist between her and the boy currently glued to her side. An arm’s length, he decided. Perhaps two. Possibly the width of the courthouse.

"I discovered this morning that the child I should have raised was living beneath another man’s roof because no one thought to tell me she was mine. You will have to forgive me for wanting my daughter beneath my own roof and think that is unreasonable."

Ruelle watched them for another moment before raising her hands. "Both of you, stop. There is no reason to fight over something so simple."

"I lost six years. I am not going to lose the other twelve," Carnifex softly huffed. He turned back to Lucian. "She will live with you after that, so can’t you let me keep her until then?"

Ruelle’s expression softened.

Carnifex looked back at her. "I just want to be able to give you things I haven’t been able to. And walk you down the aisle not because circumstance brought us back together, but because you are my daughter."

"Father...I don’t have to leave one family to belong to another. We may not have had many years together, but the Slaters became my family when I needed one." Ruelle reached out and took her father’s hand with her free one. She wound her arms around his neck to hug him. "You will always be my father. The only one. But you should know that Lucian... He is important to me."

Hearing a sigh escape from her father’s lips, she patted his back as if to console him.

"I don’t want to come across as unreasonable," Carnifex murmured before pulling away from the hug.

"I know," Ruelle offered him a smile.

"Two days out of a week," Carnifex stated with a firm voice, his eyes glancing at the soul bond around his daughter’s neck. "Ruelle can stay at your mansion for five days. But I expect her to spend her weekends with me."

Ruelle was surprised that her father was agreeing to it.

"I want to teach you our ways. We could go hunting, of course get you your own horse. Fishing. I–uh–doubt you want to play with dolls? There are things you ought to study—" Carnifex had already begun making plans faster than Ruelle could keep up with them. "What happened?"

Ruelle had only finished the term in Sexton and had wanted to relax rather than think about studying. But on the plus side, she had more knowledge than another six-year-old human.

"She must be thinking of her time in Sexton," Lucian remarked calmly, putting the rest of the bandage back in the box.

For a brief moment, the Elder Minister looked like he was trying to process what the young pureblooded vampire said. He then scowled. "Did Harold Belmont send you there? I will skin him slowly," he scowled.

Ruelle didn’t try to stop her father from whatever punishment he was already imagining for Harold Belmont.

In the life they had erased, Lucian had beaten the man and then killed him, yet even death had failed to give Harold peace when Ezekiel later made use of his corpse. And now they had returned twelve years into the past. Judging by the look on her father’s face, Harold was going to have to pay for those years all over again.

"Did you have Mrs. Belmont arrested as well?" Ruelle asked her father.

Carnifex gave a slow nod. "You did mention you wanted them imprisoned. Though you gave no instruction on what you wished done with them once the cell doors closed," his voice came flat. The firelight flickered across his face, casting shadows under his cheekbones. "I intend to have them executed for treason and trying to manipulate the treaty. And that includes the step-sister you grew up with."

Ruelle was aware that this had nothing to do with the treaty and it was personal. A father who had decided to pay for it with the Belmont’s blood.

"Caroline is only a child right now," Ruelle protested, her brow furrowing. "Yes, she was spoilt, and her thoughts were influenced by her parents but killing her is harsh. There is still time to teach her, to raise her away from them."

"A tree that grows from poisoned soil rarely bears clean fruit," Carnifex replied coldly. "A lot of times, people are assassinated or entire bloodlines are wiped out because a single child was spared. They grow up nursing the memory of a ruined house, and years later, they return with vengeance. The Belmont family has already produced enough trouble. I would rather leave no loose end."

Ruelle pursed her lips. She then turned to Lucian, asking, "Do you feel the same way?"

"I agree with the logic," Lucian answered and this had her sigh.

To kill Caroline... Sure, they wanted to build a better future, but that didn’t mean with the corpses of children who hadn’t committed any sin.

"But if you want, we don’t have to kill them. Any of them." Lucian still hadn’t released her hand, his thumb moving slowly across her knuckles. He then continued,

"That doesn’t mean they walk away untouched. Let them spend a couple of months in the dungeon and strip away whatever allowed Harold or Megan to believe they could manipulate the treaty in the first place. Make it sufficiently clear what will happen if either of them attempts to toe the line. In the past, the Belmonts were never particularly capable of threatening anyone beyond their own household. After all, most of their problems came from digging their own graves."

Ruelle’s lips pressed together, because it was true.

Though the Belmonts had been chased out of the town, Harold Belmont was a coward to return to the town and reclaim his house. He had instead gotten busy gambling away.

Lucian would have had no difficulty removing Caroline if he believed it necessary. He had simply never done so before because he knew what such a choice would do to her.

He said, "If they understand that they are being watched this time, I doubt the Belmonts will be eager to test how deep the next grave can be."

"Alright," Carnifex replied, making sure it was what she wanted. "I suppose there are advantages to punishment that lasts longer," a glint passed through his eyes.

As time passed at the courthouse, every once in a while a minister or an officer arrived at the door to meet the Elder Minister, enquiring about Ruelle’s health.

"I told you it isn’t my fault, damn it!"

Ruelle’s head turned toward the door at the sudden voice in the corridor. The voice was familiar but it took her a moment to place it, buried as it was under layers of panic. Then it clicked.

Maverick Griswold.

She turned to Lucian, who sat beside her with a perfectly calm expression, as if he had not heard a single word of the commotion unfolding just beyond the door. He had already opened the small medical box that was placed on the side table. He unwinded a fresh length of bandage.

"Maverick, you were the one who handed us the envelope!" came a second person’s voice outside.

"It was that damn Slater boy’s fault!" Griswold’s voice cracked with desperation, his teeth audibly gritted even through the door. "Why don’t you bring that boy and question him now?! Just ask him and he will tell you!"

Carnifex made his way to the heavy oak door and opened it, wearing a look of displeasure. He ordered in a stern voice, carrying authority,

"Griswold, behave yourself. This is not your private residence to shout and make a commotion outside my chambers." His gaze swept over the sweating men. "Now. What exactly is going on out here?"

"Elder Minister!" One of the senior ministers stepped forward, one boot stomping against the marble floor for emphasis. "Griswold here handed each of us envelopes, directing us to go visit the dungeon! I have every reason to believe he purposely manufactured a distraction to clear the central area and draw guards away so that Sylvan could corner the little girl in the garden!" The man jabbed an accusatory finger into the air. "He was acting as an accomplice! He deserves to be thrown into the dungeon alongside Sylvan and interrogated under full scrutiny."

"Fucking hell!" Griswold’s voice cracked. Veins pulsed violently against his temples as he looked around at others, finding nothing but cold suspicion in their eyes. "What would I even stand to gain by helping Sylvan ruin himself?! I was doing the Elder Minister a favour!"

This had Carnifex raise his eyebrows. "What favour?"

"The envelopes you had in your chambers, Minister," Griswold reminded Carnifex of the envelopes the elder minister had no clue of. "The one that had to be delivered to the ministers."

"There were no such envelopes on my desk, Griswold," Carnifex’s eyebrows furrowed.

"Ask the Slater boy! He was the one roaming the halls with the letters clutched to his chest!" Griswold quickly tried to jump out of the situation. He spun toward the door, his hand trembling as he pointed at it. "He told me he took them off your desk! He said he wanted to play court messenger because he’s going to be the next Elder Minister!"

A tense silence fell over the corridor. Several ministers exchanged looks of utter disgust.

"What rubbish is this?" one of the older ministers demanded with acidic disbelief. "A young boy from the noble house of Slater orchestrated a coordinated diversion of courthouse officials, and you, a renowned higher officer, simply carried out his bidding?"

"He lied to me!" Griswold shouted, sounding increasingly unhinged. "Bring him out! Ask him yourself!"

"Elder Minister, if you could have the boy step out from your chamber, please," another minister insisted, stepping forward with a polite bow. "Merely to clear the matter and settle Griswold’s absurd defence once and for all."

The others nodded while waiting outside the corridor.

Carnifex finally stepped away from the entrance. When his eyes fell on the young boy his hand paused as he stared.

"Minister?" asked an officer, noticing the Carnifex not move for a good second.

But then the door opened wide enough for everyone to take a peek inside the chamber. On one side, Ruelle lay on the couch, flat on her back with her eyes closed. Then on the other side, Lucian sat with a bandage wrapped loosely around his chest and head, wearing a clueless expression.

The ministers not knowing what to say stayed quiet while Griswold stepped in and glared at him. "Lucian Slater."

Lucian turned to look at him, blinking once.

Griswold demanded, "Earlier you handed me the envelopes. Did Sylvan give it to you? This only means the Slaters are involved in the matter—"

"Who are you?" Lucian asked softly, his voice clear and innocent.

Griswold stared at Lucian with anger. "Who am I? You spoke to me less than an hour ago! You gave me the envelopes!"

Lucian’s brows drew together faintly. He played with the end of the bandage and he tilted his head in response.

Suddenly one of the ministers caught hold of Griswold by the back of his collar and his heels scraped against the marble floor as he was pulled off balance.

"How shameful of you," the minister chastised, his voice booming through the corridor, "to blame an innocent child for your own actions. You will be interrogated for your part in this, Griswold, and for dragging the Slater name into your defence."

"What—wait!" Griswold’s voice pitched higher as he tried to free himself. "I didn’t—he was the one—You can’t just drag me like—I have rights in this courthouse!"

Soon Griswold was dragged out of sight, his protests echoing down the corridor before the place finally fell silent.

With other ministers and officers leaving the corridor, Lucian removed the bandage and dropped it on the ground with a cool expression. Ruelle pried her eyes open before making sure the others had left and sat upright.

She saw her father wearing a look of suspicion as he remarked, "Now I will have to keep him in the cell for a few days so that it doesn’t bring attention to your involvement—"

"He wanted to bed Ruelle," Lucian dropped the past information.

For a moment, Carnifex simply went quiet. Then his eyes shifted towards his little daughter, who barely reached above his waist. Without a word, he crossed to the desk and pulled open one of the drawers. He retrieved a silver pistol from inside and murmured, "I will be back," before storming out of there.

Ruelle wasn’t sure if they should leave her father alone. Moreover, she hadn’t known that Lucian had planned to drag Griswold today.

"How are you doing?" Lucian asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Tired?"

’I fear I may change things for myself if I were to meddle.’

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