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.

returned to the shore, with water dripping from the prince’s head and clothes. "We should have you changed right away," the attendant spoke,

for the night. Dancing seemed to have pulled out my

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

it." Ruelle bowed before making her way to the room. She didn’t feel like going back to the ball, especially when she was worried about running into the minister she had

the music and chatter rolled on beneath the chandeliers. Lucian had just finished speaking with a minister when

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

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

on Sawyer, who was currently surrounded by female admirers near the edge of the dance floor and asking him to dance

evening?" Blake asked, already aware several women had gathered the courage to approach

settling briefly on the grand hall’s exit. The same doors Ruelle had

a glass of wine in hand she had long forgotten to drink. Her eyes never left

gaze shifted, she caught sight

toward her, nervous, and subtly brushed his fingers against one of the glasses at the back of 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 trembling hands. Step by step,

the servant reached

her lips curled in an instant sneer. "Minister Griswold requests your presence in

was too and her lips pursed. Did he pick the one that was intended for him? Her eyes darted across

the attendant called

"I don’t know this minister.

attendant replied smoothly. "Minister Griswold has

from irritation to calculation. Why was

and noticed he was still

asked the attendant, and

clipped. She handed her untouched drink to

take effect, she said to herself. She would return before

other side of the grand hall, Blake watched Alanna glance at Lucian, and she sighed at the irremediable woman, who had been vying for her

a smooth voice at her side, "what are you doing hiding over here instead of dazzling the dance floor?" Dane appeared beside her as

wanted some space. It

rubbing off on you?" Dane joked. He then snapped his hand to one of the servants and when the servant came with a tray of drinks,

smiled, and Lucian gave him a quiet look before

get into?" Lucian asked,

I don’t know why they get scared. Especially after all,

the ministers said the room

glass down. He then said to the young man, placing his arm over the person’s shoulders, and joked, "Why don’t you get

remembered something and she

Then, she continued carefully, "I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Ruelle will be moving to the new

been drifting over the

did you hear

by the room

in his hand, not enough to break it,

left him alone, Lucian didn’t move. For a moment, the

of frustration or surprise but something darker. The faint shadows beneath his eyes deepened, as though

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

senses. His jaw clenched as he realised something had been mixed in his drink. The sound of the ballroom grew

quickly left the glass behind before moving out of the grand hall, his breathing

walked, he picked up the layered scents of wine and blood mixed in

looked at the path as if the cold air held a thread through the scent. It wasn’t perfume but something softer and

started to fracture, slipping through his

of the building, Alanna was led right outside a closed chamber by the attendant, who stepped aside and bowed. But the moment she crossed the threshold

was cold. Her eyebrows furrowed

but before she could reach the doorway, a hand

would be soft," a man’s voice murmured near

for a fraction of a second. Then she spun around and struck the man across his face with such force that the sound cracked through the dark chamber