Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 89: A door knocked too early

Though Ruelle had been clear with her words, she didn't know if the prince understood it. Before he could come to a conclusion, she lifted her hand and said,

"Let us make a pact. One we will not break. Let us be friends."

And though she smiled, the edges of her lips faltered when his eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping in.

"Why do I feel like I am being deceived?" Edward questioned.

"Possibly because you are," Ruelle murmured. "For someone like me, being friends with someone like you does come with benefits. I will not pretend otherwise. But I promise I will not use you. I would treat you same as I treat others—for who you are. And I would ask the same in return."

He frowned and stated, "But I like being treated as the centre of the universe. I like—"

"Your Highness, do you not wish to be regarded for your soul rather than your title?" Ruelle interrupted him. She noticed how his eyes lowered in thought. After a pause, she continued, "If you permit it, I would like to be your friend for life," she extended her hand further.

Something tugged at his heart, as if he had forgotten the reason why he had called her here. He hesitated before placing his hand in hers. When she pressed her thumb lightly against his, a jolt shot through him. The prince yanked his hand back at once, face flushing.

"W–what are you doing?" He demanded, as this has never happened before and he checked his thumb.

"Sealing the pact," Ruelle replied with a warm smile. "That is how it is done in my village."

Edward stared at her with an appalled expression, before saying, "Your village has questionable customs. Where I come from, we exchange land, carriages, horses..." Horror then dawned on him. He murmured to himself, "Did I just agree to be a poor woman's friend? How benevolent of me!"

Edward began to feel hungry, his stomach impatient as he glanced back at the table. The dishes had been left untouched for far too long. The roasted bird had gone cold, the sauce had turned unappetising, along with the goblet of blood that appeared stale in the prince's eyes.

"All of this needs replacing," he muttered with a click of his tongue. "Disgusting. I dismissed Hermes far too quickly," he cursed himself.

His fangs ached faintly with an unpleasant pressure at the back of his jaw. He had not eaten before coming here nor had he attended the dining hall and it led to his gaze drifting unfocused before falling on the fresh blood that stood at the railing of the balcony.

Ruelle had moved away from the table after their talk, her hands resting on the railing, while she let out a sigh. For the moment, at least, the prince had abandoned his alarming insistence. She didn't hear the prince come up next to her, his steps slow.

The blood couldn't get any fresher than this, Edward's mind whispered.

Unaware of the vampiristic instinct the night creatures carried but curbed, Ruelle failed to notice the prince's gaze settled on her pale and exposed neck.

The vampire's lips parted without conscious command and he took a step forward towards her, ready to sink his aching fangs that craved warm blood.

But in the same instant, a woollen fabric slid around Ruelle's neck from behind and she let out a startled gasp as she was tugged away from the railing, her balance broken just enough to stumble backward into a solid, cold chest.

Edward's teeth snapped shut in the empty air before he realised what he just did and turned red. His fangs retracted quickly.

Ruelle looked up before turning her head and she met Lucian's face. She didn't know if it was because of the night, but she caught his eyes that had darkened quite a bit.

the scarf,"

didn't know I would need it," she said quietly, as she turned to

adjusted the scarf, covering her neck

changing without warning," finishing the adjustment of her scarf before he added, "So do situations that

then turned to meet the prince's eyes that he had ignored. "Your Highness,"

just tried to bite Ruelle's neck, a look of displeasure had passed

Slater. Lord Azriel's son," the prince addressed, as if testing the weight of the name aloud. "I have heard of you. You were working on one of the cases, weren't you? I have heard about your talent for uncovering matters others prefer to remain

hope one day I can work for

person's words struck him. Did Lucian Slater mean to say it was doubtful that

you

because others choose restraint. And not everyone recognises the difference with

jaw tightened almost invisibly. He found it difficult to look at Ruelle after what he almost

about their work. She could sense the intensity with the way it was delivered. She nodded to herself internally, reflecting on how the prince and Lucian

stepped into something she was never meant to hear. Subconsciously, her hand reached the wool around her neck as if to adjust it

or two. Sensing she was no longer

a note of protest slipping through. "But we

they had not even begun to eat. She replied, "It is getting late, and I still have assignments

things. There

which was reflexive. She responded, "I do not think that

as he was unfamiliar with such direct contradiction. He muttered, "I should have thought this

night," Ruelle wished

step away

leaving as

He regarded the prince for a moment longer than it was necessary, long enough for Edward

"Yes," Lucian replied.

tomorrow," Edward muttered under his breath. He didn't like the way Lucian was going

discuss," Lucian replied. Then with a slight tilt of his head, he added, "Unless you wished to speak about

in a breath as if preparing to say something,

hand as he bowed quickly. "We need to catch up with the classes arranged for tom—" He

flicked to the parchment and his irritation

you away from achieving greatness. Good night, Your Highness," Lucian offered a brief

his gaze fixed on the space they

his throat and he asked, "Is something the

while his eyes had narrowed. "Yet he walks away as if he is the one, while I am the

Hermes blinked at it.

and they are—well—old. One of the oldest vampire families. It is said

to admire him. You should go work for him." He turned away and began

Highness!" Hermes

corridor was dimmer than on the balcony. Candles burned on the stands, while two shadows moved against the wall. Ruelle walked a few paces ahead before noticing Lucian wasn't walking