Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Errands Before the Ball

When the weekend arrived, only a handful of Groundlings took the carriage to visit their families, as though stepping away might cause them to miss the long-awaited Winter’s Ball.

But Ruelle had accompanied Hailey to Hushford town.

Right now, Hailey stood before the tall mirror in seamstress Madame Beaucroft’s shop, turning as the skirts of her newly stitched gown fanned softly around her legs. She asked brightly,

"How do I look, Ruelle?"

Ruelle smiled without needing to pretend. Seeing Hailey glow warmed something gentle inside her chest. "Like a princess," she said truthfully. "Do you have shoes to match?"

"I do have shoes," Hailey lifted the front of her gown, revealing the scuffed shoes.

"You need new shoes," Madame Beaucroft declared, as she made adjustments to the gown.

"Then perhaps you will offer me a discount, Madame?" Hailey asked, flashing a sheepish smile. The older woman gave her a pointed look.

"You bargained my price down to half and begged me to finish this dress in two weeks instead of a month. If I give any more discount, I might as well hang a sign outside that reads’robbed’."

Hailey laughed, undeterred. "I did promise that once I find my prince charming at the ball, I shall repay you double and make your shop famous."

Ruelle watched Hailey disappear behind the wooden divider to change, while she stayed seated next to the window. Outside, the street had taken on winter’s edge. People passed bundled in wool and scarves.

It felt quiet here, away from people. This was what she had needed after the long week at Sexton. From behind the wooden divider, Hailey’s voice floated out, light and teasing.

"I thought Edward was going to come with us. Not to badmouth him, but he makes my heart pound like I’m being chased."

Ruelle laughed softly, her fingers subconsciously touching the scarf around her neck. She admitted, "He does wear his thoughts on his sleeve."

The first few days she had spent time with Edward, she had felt the same. That breathless sense of being cornered by attention that was too bright.

"Ruelle..." Hailey stepped out from behind the divider, now in her usual clothes, while Madame Beaucroft carried the gown away for final alterations. "Did you think about what he said?"

Ruelle knew at once what Hailey meant. She nodded, though the motion felt heavier than it should have. "I don’t want to be his mistress." She hesitated, then asked quietly, "Do you think that makes me foolish?"

Hailey tilted her head, wearing a deep, thoughtful look. She responded, "Honestly, my mother would call it foolish. He is the prince. But if it isn’t what you want, you should take advantage before Gemma brings the earrings..."

Ruelle nodded. "If I ever do agree to the prince’s terms," she said with a small, earnest nod, "I’ll ask him to release you from your contract."

Hailey laughed and replied, "Or you can just hire me as your lady-in-waiting. I would very much like to be paid for gossiping and eating for free."

When the gown was finally wrapped and handed over, they stepped out of the shop. The cold struck sharper now, slipping beneath their sleeves and collars making them tremble.

Ruelle turned left, and Hailey immediately caught her arm, tugging her the other way. "The local carriage stop is that way."

"I know," Ruelle replied, her smile turning a little secretive. "There’s somewhere I want to go first." Before Hailey could protest, she was already pulling her friend along. Soon they stopped in front of a shop with a painted sign that read Fallow & Sons.

A small bell chimed as they stepped inside.

"Look who it is!" the shop owner exclaimed, looking up from his workbench with raised brows. "I suppose it is too soon to ask if you’ve come back to work for me?"

The familiar scent of leather and polish wrapped around Ruelle like an old memory. She offered a polite bow.

"Good morning, Mr. Holis. Unfortunately, no. But my friend is looking for shoes for the ball. Might you have a pair that was returned?" she asked hopefully.

"With the season of winter, you would be surprised how many are made and sent," Holis replied. "One moment."

When he disappeared behind the curtain at the back, Hailey leaned closer at once. "Ruelle, how are we going to pay for this?"

Ruelle slipped her hand into her dress pocket and took out a gold coin. She said quietly,

gave it to me. So I wouldn’t be short on carriage fare. I’ll return it once

Slater?" Hailey blinked, as

Ruelle responded absently, drifting toward the display rack. Her fingers

would never have guessed," Hailey muttered in surprise, it was because everyone was

up a shoe in her hand. "Dane has

hard as if everyone were a pest that needed to

he returned, an assistant trailing behind him with several neatly stacked boxes in his

friend blush when the assistant complimented her feet. At the back, the doorbell chimed softly behind them

"Ah, Mr.

more shoes, but when she turned, she found Lucian standing at the entrance instead. He had one hand still resting on the door handle, as though he had paused for a brief

with his voice low and dry with sarcasm, "Of all places, you chose

is cheap here," Ruelle

then Lucian had already turned his gaze on Hailey, and the young

then turned to the shopkeeper. He

shopkeeper lowered his voice and asked, "Has there been any progress with

student from Sexton,"

attention snapped toward him. Hailey’s

asked in

small

away but was truly dead...her stomach tightened at the thought of it. If she

who

straight back to Sexton." It sounded less of a suggestion and more of a command. His gaze drifted to her hair and lingered a

quickly and had them wrapped. When Ruelle tried to pass the gold coin to Mr. Holis quietly, he lifted it up between his fingers and said

like you won’t be

neck. She could feel

before handing over the coin. "I will write it

Ruelle responded

before stepping out of the shop. They walked down the street, each of

had just pulled her pocket watch from the folds of her skirt when the rumble of wheels reached them. She watched

opened and a few

one of the men uttered, "Isn’t that Harold Belmont’s

is her," another man added, stepping closer. His breath carried the stink of cheap liquor. "Where is

around Ruelle’s sleeve as she pulled

don’t know where my father is," Ruelle stated, keeping her voice

"Nothing to do with him? He spent it on all of you. If he isn’t there, you

to get into the

their pockets," the bulky man said, jerking his

of the man’s hands reached towards her, Ruelle slapped it

men laughed and one of them

arm, making her gasp. Ruelle noticing this, her hand moved to her hair, her fingers finding the pencil she had twisted into her braid that morning. She

into the man’s forearm.

man she had stabbed clutched his arm, face twisted with pain and fury. He cursed grabbing her

a sharp crack split the air and the one cursing dropped to the ground like a stack of potatoes. She noticed the man now bleeding from

met anyone who finds trouble as easily as you do," a voice said far behind her, which was low and stripped of

toward them with a stone in his hand. When he came

they looked empty. Like something looking out through him rather than

rigid

other man shouted, shaking his fallen

on Ruelle. "I told you," he said, each word quiet and sharp as his eyes fleetingly moved to her

his head tilted, her lips parted, "Our path was blocked...I was going to pick up the stone

tendrils slip out of his body. At first, she thought it was smoke. But it was too thick. It seeped out of him like ink seeping

who was still conscious, picked up a bigger stone. He was about to strike Lucian when the pureblooded vampire caught the Halfling’s hand. The man yelped as his

his coachman and ordered, "Claude. Take

move out of shock, Lucian asked Ruelle in a dry tone, "Do you need me to write it in

state, her heart thudding louder than ever before. She reluctantly followed the coachman with

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