Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 202: After The Funeral At Brackenwell

"...and we commit his body to the ground. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

The priest’s voice drifted over the cemetery, steady and practised, while Ruelle watched the ropes slacken little by little until her father’s coffin disappeared into the grave. The mourning clothes she wore softly ruffled because of the breeze.

Lucian stood on one side of her, while Lachlan, Lord Azriel and Dane on the other. Behind them a few members of the courthouse were present and they were mostly acquainted with Lord Azriel or Lucian. Mrs. Belmont and Caroline were absent, as both had taken ill during the night, their bodies weakened by relentless vomiting, leaving Maude and Hailey to care for them back at the Slater mansion.

The priest stepped aside and instructed, "Please come forward and pay your last respects."

Before Ruelle realised everyone had begun moving, she felt a familiar warmth settle lightly against the small of her back. Lucian guided her and her eyes dropped to the open grave.

She bent, gathering a small handful of loose earth between her fingers. When she let it fall, the soil struck the polished wood with a dull thud that disappeared into the silence almost immediately.

How pitiful, the thought came quietly. Her father had spent his entire life hating and belittling her existence. Yet she was the only family member standing here.

"What a tragedy for him to have passed like this."

"A terrible loss."

The condolences came one after another. One of the men who had once mocked her now removed his hat before talking to her.

An officer approached Lucian, bowing before quietly asking if he might spare a moment. But before he left, his eyes sought hers. She gave him a nod to assure him she would be alright.

"Before travelling back," Lachlan suddenly said behind, amusement finding its way into his voice, "I had prepared a rather lengthy lecture for the man you were going to marry."

Ruelle turned towards him.

The corners of his mouth had lifted into a crooked smile she hadn’t seen in a long time. He offered his arm and she wrapped her hand around his, and together they wandered farther down the stone path where the voices from the funeral faded beneath the rustling trees.

"You still can," Ruelle replied looking at her cousin. "I don’t think Lucian would mind."

"I suppose I should..." Lachlan looked ahead as though genuinely weighing the idea. He added, "I am your brother, even if only distantly. It would be improper if I didn’t threaten the man who intends to marry you."

Ruelle let out a small laugh beneath her breath.

Lachlan’s gaze drifted toward the little crowd gathered near the grave where Lucian stood talking. Even from where they were, he noticed the pureblooded vampire’s eyes look for Ruelle.

Ruelle heard her cousin let out a quiet breath and he murmured, "I don’t think I’ll be needing that lecture after all."

Another woman from Brackenwell came to pay her condolences. "I am sorry about what happened. I know how much your father loved you and how close you were."

This seemed to have struck a nerve in her cousin, who stopped and opened his mouth to respond. But she tightened her hand around his arm and replied,

"Excuse us."

"How annoying," Lachlan muttered, glancing over his shoulder. His mouth twisted with open displeasure. "All these rats wanting to get close to you know when they don’t know a thing."

"It is okay. It is almost done," Ruelle murmured with a shake of her head.

Lachlan’s jaw tightened and he said, "He was a terrible man. He should have known that love isn’t measured by obedience or by fear. But it was only directed at you."

"Thank you for looking out for me those years," Ruelle murmured, as her cousin had been a light in the darkness that she been placed in.

Ruelle remembered a year ago, when Lachlan had found her in the market with black and blue marks on her hands. It had made him upset and he had told her to come along with him, to leave Brackenwell. But she wasn’t able to, as she had been mentally a prisoner of her family. Unable to let go of them.

This, what Uncle is doing, is not right. This isn’t how love

Lachlan murmured, disappointment weighing every word. "When your engagement was broken... I wasn’t

at him, before a small smile found

"You were the first person who told me something was wrong. Even if I didn’t

had not understood it then and it had taken Lucian’s

with the minister, listening more than speaking. His expression gave little away, and as if sensing

was now surrounded by people who loved and cared

made their way back to their carriages. The murmurs that had filled the grounds only moments earlier drifted farther away until they became little more than distant

He stood beside one of them with Peyton, the two appearing to exchange

were fixed beyond the rows of headstones. Ruelle followed the direction of his gaze almost instinctively, only to realise he was looking at her

moment, as though he hadn’t expected her to notice where he had been looking. Then, as quickly

said something to Peyton and

her, Lachlan, who noticed the minister approaching, said quietly, "I’ll be nearby,"

in

He then cleared his throat quietly when two seconds passed,

"How are you doing?"

fine..." Ruelle answered

away, speaking to another official, yet she had the unmistakable feeling that he had been watching them for far longer than either she or Carnifex had paid attention to. Their eyes met only briefly

concern yourself

was a firmness to it that drew

between him and your father," his eyes followed Sylvan’s carriage for only a brief moment before returning to her. "I have men watching his every movement. Whatever he intends to do, he will find very little room to do it. You should concern yourself with your wedding

was it

dead and buried now, there was the question of the witch

quiet for another moment, as though deciding whether to continue. He then

disappeared into the pockets of his dark overcoat, "...Sylvan was the one supplying it. Did you never wonder why men continued lending Harold

they expected repayment with interest. Because that was

seldom stop gambling once they have convinced themselves the

more to herself than to

own coin. Sylvan was the one giving the men the money, while letting them collect the interest. He wanted Harold indebted and dependent. Of course, the men never met Sylvan as it came through

"If he wanted to make us suffer,

Lord Azriel when she heard the minister beside her say, "He wanted

understand what you mean," it was the strangest

Raising her exactly to behave, talk

murmured almost unconsciously, lifting her eyes back to the

neck and the girl was forced to wait until the right time came," Carnifex explained

something like that have repercussions?" she asked, the question

Sylvan quietly waiting for an opportunity to strike back. Someone like him who had worked to take the position of elder minister and was

not merely corruption or political rivalry. Did you think one could break the treaty and one could walk away unharmed?" Carnifex’s gaze drifted towards Harold Belmont’s grave before returning to her. He continued, "He attempted to undermine the treaty itself. Men have been executed for less. The entire household will be removed, and I have already informed His

was true, then there would be nothing to worry. Perhaps this Chapter of her life truly was

between them, she found herself asking, "Do you come

the response from the man. "I didn’t know Harold moved

here to offer condolences. She said, "You don’t have to worry about

line as though her answer had only made whatever

keep you occupied in the coming days. But when you are ready, I would like to

she had

"Okay."

the elder minister’s expression softened so faintly that she almost missed it, like a man who had prepared himself

think many of them heard us today..." she had forgotten they were in