Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 146: Trap At The Fair

While Ruelle and Hailey waited at one of the stalls as the food was being prepared, Ruelle wandered to a nearby stall and decided to buy things from there.

Once the food was handed, Hailey spoke cheerfully but Ruelle found herself only half listening. The fortune teller’s words did not leave Ruelle’s mind even after they walked away from the stall. They lingered like a faint echo, repeating themselves until her head began to ache.

Darkness is going to descend.

She did not know how much worse fate still intended to make things.

By the time they returned to the others, the food they had bought was long gone, leaving only the warmth of it in their hands against the cold air.

Edward noticed at once that Ruelle was holding a small cloth bag. Curious, he asked,

"Did you buy something? You should have told Hermes to go with you and to pay for it."

Ruelle held out her hand, and the prince looked at her quizzically. Resting on her palm was a simple wristband made of blue thread with several small stones woven into it.

"It’s a wristband," she said. "For you."

Edward’s eyes widened slightly. He looked at the band, then at her, as if unsure what he was supposed to do.

When he did not say anything, Ruelle wondered if perhaps he did not like it, as it wasn’t expensive. She said, "It is alright if you do not like it."

But Edward quickly took the wristband from her hand and slipped it onto his wrist. He muttered, "It is not particularly impressive, but I suppose I can wear it."

Ruelle explained, "The blue stones are meant to bring prosperity and long life."

Utterly touched, Edward turned slightly and whispered to his attendant, "You heard that, Hermes? I got a special gift."

Edward’s eyes then fell on Hailey’s wrist, and he noticed she was wearing a band similar to his, only hers was yellow. Before he could say anything, Ruelle reached into the small cloth bag again and handed another band to Kevin and then one more to Hermes.

"For me?" Hermes looked surprised as he accepted it. "It is my favourite colour, Miss Ruelle," he said with a smile. He had barely finished speaking when he noticed the prince staring at him. He immediately stopped smiling.

Edward looked from Hermes’ wrist... to Kevin’s... to Hailey’s... and then slowly back to his own.

There was a long pause.

"...Ruelle," Edward said at last, "how many of these did you buy?"

"Six of them. The shopkeeper gave it for a good price," Ruelle replied with a smile.

So he had been clubbed with six people, Edward thought to himself dryly. He murmured, "...Mine is still the best one."

Far from where Ruelle and her friends stood among the lantern-lit stalls, Ezekiel and Caroline walked along a quieter stretch of the fair, where the crowd had begun to thin.

They had just passed one of the shops when a gunny bag slipped from a man’s hands and split open as it struck the ground. Onions spilled across the frozen ground, rolling in different directions. And one of them rolled toward Caroline before she could step away. Her foot stepped on it and the next second she slipped and fell on the ground.

knocked out of her as her palms

bag suddenly tore open. Are you alright?"

beside her and helped her sit up, his hand steady on her arm. He asked

weight on her foot, a sharp pain shot through her ankle

she winced, shaking her head. "I think I hurt my

his hand careful but firm as he pressed lightly along the side

he pressed one spot, Caroline

believe this happened," she said in frustration, turning to glare at the man with

she managed to stand, but the moment she tried to take a step, she faltered and had to lean heavily on him. She could barely put any weight on her injured foot without pain shooting up her

a distance. Not far from them, half-hidden among the moving crowd and lantern light, he caught sight of the debt collectors. Their eyes moved slowly through the fair as

disappointment. "Our time here has been cut

face, his thumb brushing lightly across her cheek. He smiled at her, but there

much better time than today. I promise. Why don’t you wait here? I

understand why his words made her feel strangely uneasy. The moment he

together," she said. "We can catch

at her. For a brief moment, something

will have to walk

Caroline proposed shyly. She looked at him with an expectant expression before slowly winding

he made his way toward the quieter edge of the fair, away from the

looked like a devoted husband, carrying his injured wife with patience and care. But in his mind he

had been arranged, and yet this foolish accident had ruined the timing. If

His jaw tightened slightly.

shifted in his arms, her hand resting against his shoulder,

need some water? It will help reduce

her head. "No. Hopefully with a little rest, I should feel better soon. Let

Ezekiel deliberately slowed his steps, speaking to the coachman and taking time to have Caroline inside the carriage, his eyes kept drifting back toward the fair, waiting for the debt collectors’

men had moved in

stepped into the carriage and it began to roll out of the town, Ezekiel realised with a tightening jaw that the timing had slipped out of

One of them, a thick-bearded man,

either," another replied, his voice rough as his gaze moved over the

people. He replied, "That’s her... But why the hell is

the right one?" another asked.

thinks he can disappear without settling his debt. That bastard sold the house that was

bearded man turned his head slightly

whispered something and the

man, and the two of them began to move through the crowd,

them for a while before

enjoy

was busy adjusting his moustache again, which had begun to peel at one corner. He then answered, "I did. Though we must visit

circles as she looked around the

her