Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 112: The Edge of Control

When the song came to an end, Edward was quick to usher Ruelle out of the grand hall as if keeping her away from Lucian, leading her toward the lake.

"Did that song play longer than the others?" Edward muttered with a faint frown.

But Ruelle hadn’t paid attention to it, not even realising she had given her last dance to Lucian. The thought came to her too late that this might have been one of the last times she would ever stand that close to him.

Once she moved out of his room, there would be no reason for them to speak. No shared space. No quiet crossings of paths.

Why didn’t she tell him then? She wondered, a soft sigh leaving her.

When they reached the lake behind Sexton, a narrow wooden boat waited by the shore. A lantern swayed gently from its pole, casting gold ripples across the dark water.

"Hermes," Edward called lightly, "the food is still warm, I hope? We wouldn’t want Ruelle thinking I lack planning skills."

Hermes, who stood near the tied boat, bowed. "Everything is prepared, Your Highness."

When the wind from the water slipped easily through the thin fabric of Ruelle’s sleeves, she shivered.

"Looks like you’re feeling cold, aren’t you?" Edward said, already shrugging off his coat. "Here, you can use this," and he draped it over her shoulders before she could protest, his smile almost boyish.

Ruelle hesitated only for a moment before pulling the coat closer. Refusing would have been foolish, and the night air was biting harder by every passing second.

Edward looked pleased that Ruelle needed him, and he felt nothing less than a knight in shining armour.

After five minutes, Edward and Ruelle were sitting inside the boat on opposite ends, away from the shore and under the vast sky. She could hear the distant sound of crickets and the soft splashes of the water.

"Have you gone boating before, Ruelle? We can do it together, and I will catch you a big fish," Edward promised her, which made Ruelle smile. "Also, you are the first woman I ever took out like this. This is special," he let her know.

"I will look forward to it, provided I am not your mistress," Ruelle added, making Edward laugh.

The lake was quiet and peaceful, in contrast to the grand hall, which was filled with music and chatter. Ruelle turned to the side, her gaze looking at the wavering water. But the prince’s eyes were on her as he stared at her.

When Ruelle glanced back at Edward, he cleared his throat and rose from his seat as if adjusting his posture. She advised him,

"You should be careful. Boats like these can wobble."

Edward waved his hand, already stepping toward the edge. "This one won’t. I paid double so it wouldn’t dare sink or break. It is sturdy." His shoe nudged the rim of the boat as if testing a loyal servant. "Ruelle, I meant to ask you something."

"What is it?" she asked, while watching him.

"I’ll be visiting the castle within a week or two," he began, bending slightly to look at the surface of the water Ruelle was looking at earlier. "And I was thinking I would like for—"

A guttural snarl ripped through the darkness. It came from the tall grasses near the shore, which was low, wild, and far too close. Edward jerked upright from being startled and in the process, his foot slipped on the wooden paddle. The boat rocked sharply under the sudden shift of weight.

Splash!

Water swallowed the rest of Edward’s sentence as he fell right into the cold water. Ruelle’s eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Edward...?!"

Edward resurfaced from the water, his eyes looking obviously annoyed.

He turned to look in the other direction, muttering, "Don’t look at me. Never have I been this embarrassed..."

Ruelle would have said that she warned him, but maybe it was too soon. Instead, she replied, "There’s nothing to be embarrassed about when it comes to friends. Let us blame the paddle..."

Far away behind the tall grass, Zhenya huffed before turning and thumping out of there.

"Your Highness!" Hermes shouted from where he stood, wearing a troubled look.

Edward returned to the shore, with water dripping from the prince’s head and clothes. "We should have you

Dancing seemed to have pulled out my energy for the day," Ruelle

that the night had to be cut short so abruptly," Edward sighed and

I had a lovely time. Thank you for arranging it." Ruelle bowed before making her way to the room. She didn’t feel like going back

on beneath the chandeliers. Lucian had just finished speaking with a minister when Blake stepped to his

drained tonight," Blake observed. Standing next to Lucian, she could see the women glancing at him every

creates his own burdens," Lucian stated, almost absently. "And seems reluctant to part

of Blake’s lips tugged at his words. Her attention shifted to the dance floor, landing on Sawyer, who was currently surrounded by female

already aware several women had gathered the courage to approach him, only to leave as he looked at

settling briefly on the grand hall’s exit. The

she had long

gaze shifted, she caught sight

the tray. Seeing the drink was ready, she gave him the slightest nod. The servant started to walk carefully through the crowd, the tray balanced in

the servant reached

blocked her view and her lips curled in

a glass. But Blake was too and her lips pursed. Did he pick the one that was intended for him? Her eyes darted across the crowd for the servant, but he had already disappeared into

Beckett," the attendant

know this minister. Tell him I’ll meet

afraid it must be now," the attendant replied smoothly. "Minister Griswold

at him. Her expression shifted from irritation

back toward Lucian once more and noticed he was still speaking, his

go?" asked the attendant, and

her untouched drink to a servant without looking. "This had better be

take effect, she said to herself. She would return before anything was missed and with that thought, she followed the attendant

sighed at the irremediable woman, who had been vying for her friend’s attention

came a smooth voice at her side, "what are you doing hiding over here instead of dazzling the dance floor?" Dane appeared beside her as if he’d always been

was getting crowded and I wanted some space. It

his hand to one of the servants and when the

quiet look before the three of them took a

trouble to get into?" Lucian asked, taking the last sip

participant. I don’t know why they get scared. Especially after all, I do nurse them

arrived before them. "One of the ministers said the room in the new quarters has a leaky

before placing his empty glass down. He then said to the young man, placing his arm over the person’s shoulders, and joked,

Dane leave, Blake remembered

has begun assigning rooms to the humans." The vampiress’s voice was neutral. Then, she continued carefully, "I

had been drifting over the ballroom without interest, turned to

did you hear

she came by the room earlier,"

around the stem of the glass in his hand, not enough to break it, but enough that a thin

move. For

faint shadows beneath his eyes deepened, as

built in his chest, slow and deliberate, coiling beneath his ribs as though something long restrained had just drawn

been mixed in his drink. The sound of the ballroom grew louder than before,

glass behind before moving out of

layered scents of wine and blood mixed in the night air. But something else slipped in, something faint but almost achingly

a thread through the scent. It wasn’t perfume but something softer and warmer. One that belonged to

slipping

chamber by the

No candles had been lit and the fireplace was cold. Her eyebrows furrowed and she questioned

the corridor and demand clarification but before she could reach the

be soft," a man’s voice murmured near her ear, thick with

froze only for a fraction of a second. Then she spun around and struck the man across his face with such force that the sound