Chapter 28 The Prince and the Pawn

Chapter 28 The Prince and the Pawn
Four days of oppressive silence passed through the mansion. Four days in which Selene remained confined, seeing only her mother, Lysandra, and Gabriel’s severe face, who stood guard outside her door like a jailer. Her father, Victor, had not sought her since Lord Valerius arrived. He did not need to; his victory seemed guaranteed.

On the fifth night, the atmosphere shifted. The mansion was not just tense; it was submissive.

Amara entered Selene’s room. This time she was not cold; she was nervous. In her hands she carried a wine-colored velvet dress, heavy and opulent, a style Selene would never choose.

— They have returned — Amara said, her voice low. — Lord Valerius is here. And he has brought his heir. Dress. Now.

Half an hour later, Selene descended the stairs. If Victor had seemed pleased before, now he looked like a servant in his own home. He and Gabriel stood rigid near the entrance to the hall.

Valerius stood by the fireplace, exactly as before. But this time he was not alone.

At his side was a young vampire, perhaps the same age as Selene, around twenty-one. He was of an almost painful, unreal beauty; platinum blonde hair, fine aristocratic features, and the same icy blue eyes as his father. He dressed with an elegance that made Gabriel’s expensive clothes look like rags.

This was Prince Caspian, heir of the Eternal Night Clan. And he looked profoundly bored.

— Ah, Selene — Valerius said, opening a thin smile. — How good that you could join us. Allow me to introduce my son, Prince Caspian. Your betrothed.

Caspian did not smile. His gaze traveled over Selene from head to toe, a slow, calculated, cold appraisal. It was the look of a buyer inspecting merchandise he had already paid for. He gave a slight nod, a minimal gesture of acknowledgment.

Valerius, meanwhile, focused on Gabriel, who still guarded the door.

— Victor, how interesting — Valerius said, his tone light. — Your son still keeps his daughter under watch? I thought we had discussed this.

Victor swallowed hard, casting a nervous look at Gabriel. — Just a precaution, my Lord. Because of his... recent impulses.

Valerius laughed, a dry sound like dead leaves. — Impulses? Excellent. But she is not your prisoner, Victor. She is my future daughter-in-law. She belongs to my house now. — He turned to Selene. — You are free, my dear. You may come and go as you please.

Selene stared at him, shocked.

— You... are letting me go?

— Of course — Valerius said, as if it were obvious. — Your father believes in cages. I believe in collars. — His icy smile returned. — The warning has been given. If you are foolish enough to run back to your wolf, he will simply find that my power is far more definitive than your father’s. The choice is yours.

The so-called freedom was a test, the cruellest trap he could set.

Before Selene could process this new reality, Caspian spoke for the first time. His voice was soft, cultured, but with a spoiled, imperious tone.

— Father, allow me — he said, without taking his eyes off Selene. Addressing Victor, he asked — May I take my fiancée for a walk in the gardens?

— But of course! Immediately! — Victor replied, almost tripping over his words. Amara nodded vigorously beside him.

Caspian offered his arm to Selene. She had no choice but to accept. His touch was cold and dry.

They stepped out into the night garden, lit only by the moon. Dark Blood clan guards remained at a respectful distance.

They walked in silence for almost a minute, a silence Selene found more deafening than any threat. Finally she could not bear it. She stopped and pulled her arm away.

— I will not marry you — she said, her voice low and fierce.

Caspian stopped and turned to her. His face was bathed in pale moonlight. He looked genuinely intrigued, as if a piece of furniture had spoken.

— Pardon, what did you say?

— I will not marry you — she repeated, louder. — I do not love you. I love another. This is my father’s arrangement, not mine.

Caspian regarded her for a long moment. Then he smiled. It was a cold, calculated, deeply spoiled smile.

— Do you think your opinion matters? — he asked, in a tone amused. — Do you think "love" has anything to do with this?

— I will not...

— You will — he interrupted, the amusement gone, replaced by a cutting chill. — Let me explain reality to you, since you seem confused. Your clan is an heirloom. Mine... is an empire. You are not marrying a vampire; you are being assimilated into royalty.

Selene frowned. — Royalty?

— Yes — Caspian said, impatient. — My father, Lord Valerius, is not merely a lord. He is King Valerius, sovereign of Ilyria.

— Ilyria? I have never heard of it.

— Of course not. It is a small realm, an enclave hidden in the Balkans. Completely modern, very wealthy, and entirely under our control. The humans who live there do not know they are ruled by vampires, of course. They think we are merely an eccentric, reclusive royal family. — He moved closer, his tone possessive. — Your clan needs our strength. My clan needs your bloodline to consolidate power in the New World. It is a transaction. You are the payment.

— I am not an object!

— You are what my father and your father have decided you are — Caspian retorted, his voice icy. — You will marry me. You will give me an heir. And you will leave Ravenshade and come with me to Ilyria, where you will learn your place. What you "want" — he spoke the word as if it were filthy — is totally irrelevant.

He glanced toward his "pet," the wolf. — If he tries to interfere, I will not kill him. I will hunt him, break his legs, and bring him to the palace. He will make an excellent guard dog.

Selene stepped back, horrified. He was not merely a suitor; he was a silk-clad monster.

A few meters away, hidden in the shadows of an ancient oak overlooking the garden, Lucien Dark Blood watched it all. He could not hear every word, but he saw the terror on Selene’s face and the prince’s cold arrogance.

He had seen Valerius arrive. He had seen his uncle Victor bow like a servant.

Lucien smiled slowly.

Victor had lost total control. The clan was being sold to this spoiled prince. This was far more interesting than a simple clan war. It was a coup.

And Lucien knew exactly who would relish the news. He knew who was the only person with enough power and fury to set that royal bargain ablaze.

Silently, Lucien slipped from the shadows, moved like a ghost out past the mansion gates, and ran toward the forest with a single name in mind — Rael.