Family secrets, painful betrayal, and a powerful comeback drive this emotional and addictive short drama.
#drama #romance #love #movie #lovestory #truelove #relationship #heartbreak #betrayal #couple
#drama #romance #love #movie #lovestory #truelove #relationship #heartbreak #betrayal #couple
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Short filmTranscript
00:11After graduation I followed my mentor, a seasoned blood healer, and spent two years interning in the vampire neutral territory.
00:19There were no formal healing halls there, no fresh blood supply, and more often than not, I found myself tending
00:25wounded in the middle of battlefields littered with silver blades and flying blood curses.
00:41My adopted father, Kieran Valerius, the supreme ruler of the vampire realm, was so furious over it that he nearly
00:48overturned the entire royal capital.
00:50He was terrified, I would fall for some newly turned vampire, or lowly blood thrall, then choose love over scents
00:57and stay in that dangerous place forever, dragged into the endless infighting of lesser villains.
01:06So he personally chose a fiancé for me, Samuel Hecate. He came from the oldest vampire family in the north
01:12and was a well-known vampire prince, famous as much for his looks as for his name.
01:17Father ordered me to return to the royal capital at once and attend the engagement ceremony. If I refused, he
01:23threatened to use a forbidden vampire right to force me back. I had no choice but to agree.
01:28He told me to visit the jewelry boutique, and choose a ring I liked to serve as my engagement token.
01:33The moment I stepped inside, my eyes landed on a pigeon blood ruby ring set in gold.
01:38The stone was a rich, saturated red, almost like blood frozen in crystal, with a deep gleam that reminded me
01:44of a vampire's eyes in the dead of night. It was beautiful, in a way that felt untouchable.
01:52I like the ring in her hand. I want it. Give it to me.
02:01Before I could react, the boutique manager snatched the ring right out of my fingers, nearly scraping my skin in
02:07the process. I straightened and forced myself to stay calm.
02:10Have you ever heard the phrase, first come, first served? Is this really how you treat your guests?
02:16The richly dressed noblewoman turned toward me at last, and shot me a look full of contempt.
02:22That ring cost 20 million blood crystal coins. Can you even afford it, commoner?
02:29Around here, what I say goes.
02:32I stared at her and nearly laughed. How ironic. Samuel just happened to be my fiancé.
02:38I took out my vampire communicator and placed the call.
02:42Samuel, your beloved childhood friend just stole the ruby ring I was supposed to wear at our engagement ceremony.
02:48What exactly do you think I should do about that?
02:50If Prince Samuel intended to ignore something like this, then maybe I really did need to reconsider whether this engagement
02:56was worth going through with.
02:57What I didn't expect was for his voice to come through cold and unfamiliar.
03:01Who is this?
03:02Then he added, irritation edging into his tone.
03:06You know nothing about us. What right do you have to interfere in Serena's business?
03:10I didn't even get the chance to remind him who I was.
03:12His fiancé, Isolde Valerius, only daughter of the Vampire King.
03:17Before the line, anger surged through me in an instant.
03:19Wonderful. Absolutely perfect.
03:22My own fiancé hadn't even saved my number.
03:25Serena rose and let out a shrill laugh.
03:28Oh, that is just pathetic.
03:32I don't know how you got Prince Samuel's communicator number, but did you really think one little call would make
03:39him come running to defend you?
03:41Her smile was mocking and almost cruel.
03:44Her gaze slid over me slowly before settling on what I was wearing.
03:47Honestly, even the bloodthrokes kept at his estate dress better than you do.
03:52I glanced down at myself. I wasn't wearing noble attire, just a set of fitted soft armor.
03:57Simple, durable, and comfortable enough to move in at a moment's notice if someone needed treatment.
04:02Lavish clothes had never meant much to me.
04:04I cared far more about whether I could work in them than whether they looked expensive.
04:08What I hadn't expected was that practicality would one day become something other people used to look down on me.
04:14Sorry, but I don't measure my worth by jewels and clothes.
04:17That's usually what vain and insecure vampires do.
04:20I said coolly. And judging by how close Samuel is to you, I doubt he's much better.
04:25And judging by how close Samuel is to you, I doubt he's much better.
04:29At that point, I had completely lost interest in the ruby ring.
04:32I reached into the display instead, and picked up a royal sapphire ring that was decent enough, then turned to
04:38the manager.
04:39Wrap this one.
04:42I'm buying it.
04:46I'm sorry, miss, but we give priority to pureblood members of the nobility.
04:51You heard him, didn't you?
04:52I'm a pureblood.
04:54And you?
04:55Some common nobody who probably doesn't even know when she received her first turning.
04:59You're not fit to compete with me.
05:01Normally, I wouldn't waste my time with this kind of argument.
05:04Today, though, Serena had pushed me too far.
05:06I folded my arms and let the power inside me rise.
05:09The force of my royal bloodline spread through the boutique like a silent storm.
05:17The pressure in the air became so thick it was almost physical.
05:21The temperature dropped.
05:22The bites flickered.
05:24The smoke and the satisfaction of the famous face vanished in an instant.
05:27I kept my voice level, even though anger was boiling underneath it.
05:32Well, is that enough to prove I'm pureblood?
05:35She recovered quickly, though not quickly enough to hide the flash of fear in her eyes.
05:40So what?
05:42I've never heard of you.
05:44She turned sharply toward the manager.
05:46You must be new, so listen carefully.
05:49This is Hector family territory.
05:52If you dare sell that ring to her, House Hector will make sure you don't live to see mourning.
05:58The manager's hand shook so badly that the tray in his grip looked as if it had suddenly doubled in
06:03weight.
06:03Miss, I'm just trying to make a living.
06:05I can't afford to offend Prince Samuel.
06:07Please, please don't make this harder for me.
06:10By then, the other vampires in the boutique had already started whispering among themselves.
06:15I've seen Lady Rosen around before.
06:17Prince Samuel spoils her far too much.
06:21Once she sets her eyes on something, nobody dares fight her for it.
06:25There was even a duke once who made her uncomfortable just by looking at her.
06:29Prince Samuel stripped him of his title the very next day.
06:32Dave.
06:33Miss, maybe you really are some important noble, but compared to Prince Samuel, what does that matter?
06:39You should apologize to Lady Rosen.
06:42Serena's smile only grew brighter as the crowd bowed to her mood.
06:49She said, kneel down and beg me to let you go.
06:54She planted her hands on her hips and strode toward me in her blood-red heels, each click against the
07:00floor full of swagger.
07:01I want you to say it three times.
07:06Loud enough for everyone here to hear.
07:09Say, I'm nothing but a lowly commoner.
07:13If you do, I might be kind enough to let you leave with a little dignity.
07:19After thousands of years spent watching every shade of life unfold,
07:24I had finally met a vampire foolish enough to throw her weight around in front of me.
07:29A faint, almost puzzled smile touched my lips.
07:32What was it you wanted me to say just now?
07:37I didn't quite catch that.
07:39Her face twisted with sarcasm.
07:42So you're deaf too?
07:44Fine.
07:45Listen carefully.
07:47I'm a lowly commoner.
07:49Got that now?
07:54The moment the words left her mouth, I burst out laughing.
07:58Good.
07:59I heard that perfectly.
08:00You're a lowly commoner.
08:02The instant Serena realized I had made a fool of her,
08:04her face darkened with rage.
08:06She let out a sharp scream and lunged at me with her claws out.
08:10How ridiculous.
08:12I had trained with warriors in the vampire neutral territories.
08:15I didn't even bother striking back.
08:17I merely stepped aside.
08:18And she honestly thought she could catch me off guard.
08:21She missed me completely.
08:23Carried forward by her own momentum,
08:24she pitched straight ahead and slammed face first into the floor.
08:33My god, how could she do that to Lady Rosen?
08:36If Princess Samuel finds out, he'll tear her as finished.
08:38No one can save her now.
08:41The entire room was in an uproar, but none of it stirred me in the slightest.
08:45Fear was not something I had ever truly understood.
08:48My father, Kieran, the vampire king himself, ruled over all vampire kind.
08:53There was no creature alive that could make me afraid.
08:56With practiced ease, I pulled out the unlimited royal charge card he had given me
09:00and slapped it onto the counter.
09:01I'll take it.
09:06The manager's hands shook as he hurried to wrap the ring.
09:17I took the box and turned to leave,
09:19but Serena staggered back to her feet and threw herself in front of me.
09:26You're not going anywhere.
09:28She snapped,
09:29though I caught the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.
09:32My gaze dropped to the dust smeared across her clothes
09:35and the corner of my mouth lifted.
09:37What is it?
09:38Want to kiss the floor again?
09:40I raised my fist just enough to make my point.
09:42She flinched instantly.
09:44At that moment,
09:45the door burst open with a heavy bang,
09:47drawing every eye in the room.
09:48A tall figure stepped inside and the atmosphere changed at once.
09:52The boutique fell silent.
09:53The instant he entered,
09:55an overwhelming pure-blood aura swept through the room like dense fog,
09:58pressing over every one present.
10:00I followed the line of his polished shoes upward and thought,
10:04Damn.
10:05He had to be at least six foot three,
10:08strikingly handsome,
10:09with the effortless presence of someone born to command.
10:12Broad shoulders,
10:13long legs,
10:14precise movements,
10:15everything about him felt controlled,
10:17sharp,
10:18and powerful.
10:22The moment Serena saw him,
10:24she transformed,
10:25she rushed to him,
10:26tears streaming down her face as she cried,
10:29Samuel,
10:29she stole the ring I wanted,
10:31and then she attacked me.
10:34So,
10:35this was Prince Samuel in person,
10:37I had to admit he was exactly my type.
10:39No wonder Father had been so certain
10:41I would be pleased with the fiancé he had chosen for me.
10:47I looked him over for a moment,
10:49then let a slow,
10:50satisfied smile curve across my lips.
10:52It's nice to finally meet you.
10:55I'm Isolde,
10:57your fiancé.
11:00A sharp intake of breath swept through the room.
11:15Amid the murmurs,
11:16Samuel's gaze settled on me at last.
11:19There was only disdain in it.
11:20Don't flatter yourself.
11:22That absurd marriage alliance was my mother's decision,
11:25not mine.
11:26I never agreed to it.
11:28Serena immediately seized his arm,
11:31her voice rising with triumph.
11:33You heard him,
11:35didn't you?
11:36Someone like you will never be worthy of standing beside a prince.
11:41The surrounding voices quickly joined in.
11:44Exactly.
11:45Prince Samuel's future wife should be a noble one like Lady Rosane,
11:48not some nobody from an obscure vampire family.
11:50She isn't even worthy of being in the same room as Lady Rosane.
11:55I had never considered myself breathtakingly beautiful,
11:58but I certainly wasn't ugly.
12:00Listening to them,
12:01though you would have thought my face alone was enough to send people fleeing.
12:04Some things never changed.
12:06People worshipped the powerful and trampled the weak.
12:08I shook my head,
12:09then walked straight past Samuel without another glance.
12:12Do me a favor.
12:13Tell your mother the engagement is off.
12:15I paused,
12:17then looked at him over my shoulder.
12:20You're the one who isn't good enough for me.
12:25Father had mentioned before that Samuel's mother had paid an unimaginable price to secure this engagement.
12:30If she ever found out that the marriage alliance she had fought so hard for had been ruined by her
12:34own son,
12:34I could only imagine what a spectacular scene that would be.
12:37The noise around me gradually faded,
12:39and I prepared to leave that ridiculous place behind.
12:43Where do you think you're going, you bitch?
12:45You stole my ring, shoved me, and now you think this is over?
12:47I turned back slowly, already annoyed.
12:52And what exactly do you want?
12:56I'm going to ruin your face.
12:57Then we'll see what male vampire would ever look at you again.
13:01The moment she said it, I moved.
13:03I caught her wrist in one swift motion,
13:05my grip firm and precise,
13:07and drove a hard punch into her chest,
13:09just enough to send her stumbling backward.
13:12The shock on her face was almost laughable.
13:14You bitch, how dare you?
13:16I was still holding her wrist.
13:18Satisfied now?
13:19Samuel, you have to protect me.
13:21Serena staggered back several steps,
13:23tears springing into her eyes as she ducked behind Samuel.
13:26Samuel pulled her into his arms,
13:28and when he spoke, his voice turned cold enough to freeze the room.
13:32Anyone who dares lay a hand on my people won't live to see tomorrow.
13:35With a slight flick of his wrist,
13:37he signaled the vampire soldiers at his sides to seize me.
13:40I saw them move and struck first,
13:42driving a kick into one of them before they could close in,
13:45but there were too many.
13:46They rushed me all at once,
13:48overpowering me and forcing me to the ground
13:50before dragging me to my knees at Samuel's feet.
13:53Samuel turned to Serena,
13:54and the harshness in his expression immediately softened.
13:57Serena, do whatever you want.
13:59No matter what happens, I'll stand by you.
14:01At once, she smiled.
14:03Then she stepped forward and slapped me twice across the face.
14:06Pain flared hot across both cheeks.
14:09Where did all that attitude go?
14:11Weren't you acting awfully bold a second ago?
14:15As if that weren't enough,
14:16she drove the sharp heel of her shoe hard into my stomach.
14:19I doubled over, one hand clutching my abdomen as I lifted my eyes and glared at both of them.
14:25Remember this?
14:26I won't let either of you get away with this.
14:31Serena only laughed harder.
14:33This is Prince Samuel's territory,
14:35and you're nothing more than some outsider vampire.
14:38What exactly do you think you can do to me?
14:41And she spoke.
14:42She stepped closer and looked me over from head to toe.
14:44Then her gaze locked onto the bracelet on my right wrist.
14:47Every vampire, from the moment they come into existence,
14:50is given an enchanted relic by their sire or by an elder of the family.
14:53Only by carrying it can they walk a daily.
14:55The incisal rage from my wrist.
14:57I understood exactly what she meant to do.
14:59Panic surged through me like poison.
15:01I knew I had to beg.
15:03I was wrong!
15:04I shouldn't have fought you over the ring!
15:06Please!
15:08Don't do this!
15:10The fingers clamped around my bracelet,
15:12and with one brutal yank,
15:13she tore the daylight bracelet from my wrist
15:14and clenched it tightly in her hand.
15:16Now do you understand?
15:18Too late.
15:19I'm gonna drag you straight into the sunlight.
15:23And let everyone watch what happens when you burn.
15:26The second the bracelet left my skin,
15:28sunlight spilling through the boutique window
15:30touched the back of my hand.
15:31A sharp, searing pain shot through me.
15:34Thin whisks of smoke began to curl for my skin.
15:37Humiliation and terror crashed through me.
15:40I let out a scream and tried desperately to shrink away.
15:43Samuel stood beside her with his arms folded,
15:46watching everything with chilling indifference.
15:48That coldness was more horrifying than the pain.
15:51I clenched my teeth and thought with everything I had left,
15:54shouting at him.
15:55You have no idea who I am, Samuel.
15:57You're going to regret letting her do this to me!
16:00He only shrugged, a careless, mocking smile tugging at his mouth.
16:03Who do you think you are?
16:04You're nothing but a tool your family threw into a marriage alliance.
16:08Maybe I should burn your face, too.
16:11Let's see whether you still marry Samuel after that.
16:14No!
16:15I had barely spoken when the phone in my pocket started buzzing.
16:17I fumbled for it,
16:18but Serena snatched it away before I could answer and picked up the call herself.
16:22Hey, honey.
16:22Did you choose your ring?
16:24Father, save me!
16:25Someone took my daylight bracelet!
16:27They're trying to kill me!
16:28What?
16:28Who dared do that to you?
16:30Your daughter was being unbelievably rude.
16:32I'm just teaching her a little lesson for you.
16:35I don't care who you think you are!
16:36Let my daughter go!
16:37Now!
16:38Come and try.
16:39Maybe I'll even help your whole family reunite.
16:45Then turned back and kept dragging me farther into the sunlight.
16:48The burning only grew worse.
16:50Every inch of my skin felt as if it were being set on fire.
16:53And every breath was like a blade driven into my lungs.
16:56I curled in on myself and fought as hard as I could,
16:59trying to shield my body from the pain.
17:01But every second stretched into forever.
17:03And just when I thought the sun was about to reduce me to ash,
17:06the roar of engines erupted outside.
17:08A convoy of luxury cars blocked off the street.
17:11And nearly a hundred elite vampire guard warriors lined up outside in formation,
17:15their presence alone enough to make the air feel heavy.
17:18Then the door of the lead armored vehicle swung open.
17:20My father stepped out.
17:22He radiated the kind of supreme royal majesty that made every vampire nearby tremble where they stood.
17:27Now then where is the idiot who dare lay a hand on my daughter?
17:31Father.
17:32The moment my eyes met my father's,
17:34every feeling I had been holding back,
17:36fear,
17:36humiliation,
17:37anger,
17:37helplessness,
17:38broke loose all at once.
17:40He was beside me almost immediately,
17:42his face tightening with concern.
17:44Without hesitation he stripped off his coat and wrapped it around me.
17:47Before pulling me firmly into his arms,
17:49shielding me completely from the sunlight.
17:51The instant I was enclosed in that familiar warmth,
17:54a fragile sense of safety returned.
17:56And for the first time since this nightmare had begun,
17:58I felt like I could breathe again.
18:00But my father never entered a room alone.
18:03He brought his power with him,
18:04and power like his was never gentle.
18:06In a matter of seconds the atmosphere inside the jewelry boutique changed completely.
18:11A vicious chill spread through the air,
18:13and the crystal ornaments began to fracture one after another under the weight of the pressure.
18:17Their sharp cracking sounds echoing like warning bells.
18:20The bystanders began trembling outright,
18:22and several lower-ranking vampires collapsed to their knees,
18:25crushed by a fear so heavy it seemed to seep into their bones.
18:28My god,
18:29that's the elite vampire guard,
18:31and the man at the front,
18:32is that really him?
18:34It has to be.
18:35That aura alone is enough to make my soul shake.
18:38Wait,
18:38is he really her father?
18:39If that's true,
18:41then Samuel is finished.
18:42He's dragged all of House Hecate straight into ruin.
18:45Samuel's face had already gone pale,
18:47and he felt the force of my father's bloodline suppression.
18:49Whatever pride he had once taken now looked pitiful,
18:52like a firefly trying to compete with the sun.
18:55And yet there were always fools too blind to recognize the danger standing in front of them.
18:59Serena,
19:00perhaps emboldened by Samuel's earlier protection,
19:02actually found the nerve to step forward.
19:04I don't care who you are.
19:06Your daughter stole the ring I wanted,
19:07and she attacked me.
19:08So tell me,
19:10how are you planning to settle this?
19:11My father barely acknowledged her.
19:13His gaze passed over Serena as though she were beneath notice,
19:16and came to rest directly on Samuel instead,
19:19more humiliating than any insult.
19:21Serena clearly felt it too,
19:22for all her bluster.
19:24Fear had already begun to leak into her voice.
19:26Stop acting like this means anything.
19:28Samuel is a vampire prince.
19:30Who do you think you are?
19:31She pointed toward the display with a trembling hand.
19:34That ring was supposed to be mine.
19:36Your daughter touched it,
19:37which means it's ruined now.
19:39I want an apology,
19:40compensation,
19:41and her engagement to House Hecate has to be cancelled immediately.
19:44Then lifting her chin,
19:45she added with a sneer.
19:47If you do all of that,
19:48maybe I'll let this go.
19:49Otherwise,
19:50none of you are leaving this shop alive.
19:52For a moment,
19:53there was silence.
19:54Then my father laughed.
19:55The sound rolled through the boutique low and disbelieving.
19:58Edge was such naked contempt that it was somehow worse than fury.
20:01Still holding me close,
20:02he carried me farther into the shadows.
20:04Then gave my shoulder a reassuring pat before turning,
20:07and walking towards Serena with the calm stride of someone who had never needed to hurry toward victory.
20:12Oh, I assure you,
20:14the engagement between Honey and House Hecate will absolutely be called off.
20:18A vampire like Samuel was never worthy of my daughter to begin with.
20:22As for everything else...
20:24With the slightest movement of his hand,
20:26one of his soldiers stepped forward at once.
20:28In the next instant,
20:29she was forced to her knees.
20:30All her earlier arrogance vanished into panic.
20:33Samuel moved as if to stop it,
20:34but my father turned his eyes on him,
20:36and that single glance changed everything.
20:38The pressure inside the room intensified so violently
20:41that Samuel and his men froze where they stood.
20:43Then my father walked straight up to Samuel.
20:46There was no rush in him,
20:47no wasted anger.
20:48He drew back his fist and drove it hard into Samuel's jaw.
20:51Blood burst from Samuel's mouth on impact.
20:54My daughter has always been the most precious thing in my life,
20:57and yet today you watched while she was humiliated,
21:00harmed, and dragged into the sun.
21:02So, do not speak to me of House Hecate.
21:04If I choose to,
21:05I can turn the entire vampire realm upside down.
21:08I was no saint,
21:09and after what Serena had done to me today,
21:11there was no chance I was going to let her walk away from this unscathed.
21:14Go on,
21:15honey,
21:16let them understand this much.
21:18The dignity of the royal bloodline is not something anyone may insult.
21:22Not today,
21:23not ever.
21:24My eyes settled on Serena,
21:26and for the first time since this had begun,
21:28I saw real fear in her.
21:29I was no saint,
21:30and after what Serena had done to me today,
21:32there was no chance I was going to let her walk away from this unscathed.
21:36The moment I fastened it back around my wrist,
21:38the magical runes carved into its surface flared to life once more,
21:41and the skin that had been seared by the sun began to heal,
21:44the angry burns fading as if time itself were being pulled backward.
21:48The tension in the boutique thickened.
21:50Serena stared at me,
21:51her lips trembling.
21:52If you touch me,
21:53the prince will never forgive you.
21:55I did not waste time arguing with her.
21:57Instead,
21:58I reached for her hand,
21:59and tore the daylight ring from her finger.
22:02She let out a piercing scream at once,
22:04and before she could scramble away,
22:05I seized her by the hair,
22:07and dragged her toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
22:09Outside,
22:10the afternoon sun was still brilliant.
22:12No,
22:12no,
22:13let me go,
22:14she shrieked,
22:14clawing at my arm hard enough to leave marks.
22:17The instant the sunlight touched her skin,
22:19white smoke began to rise from it as though acid had been poured over
22:22flesh.
22:22My face,
22:23she screamed,
22:24the sound so full of horror that it barely sounded human.
22:26I leaned close to her ear,
22:28my voice dropping into something low and merciless.
22:30Didn't you say you wanted to ruin my face?
22:33Her eyes flew wide,
22:34and the color drained from her features completely.
22:37She tried to wrench herself backward,
22:38but I gave her no room to move.
22:40Instead,
22:41I tightened my hold and forced her entire face deeper into the brightest band of sunlight.
22:45The damage spread almost instantly.
22:47Her cheeks began to split and blacken,
22:49her lips drying until they cracked and bled.
22:51And dark red veins surfaced across the whites of her eyes as she screamed and thrashed wildly.
22:56None of it did her any good,
22:57she could not break free of me.
22:59Then in the middle of her shrieking,
23:01I bent down,
23:02and picked up a jagged shard from a broken mirror lying on the floor.
23:06I stepped in front of her and looked down at her from above,
23:08then angled the shard so she could see herself clearly.
23:12Look,
23:12take a good look.
23:13Isn't this exactly what you wanted?
23:15The moment Serena saw her own reflection,
23:17the ruined skin,
23:18the blackened flesh,
23:19the face dissolving under the sun,
23:20a terrible wail tore out of her.
23:22Her eyes bulged in pure despair,
23:24and she looked stripped bare of every shred of arrogance she had ever worn.
23:27At the same time,
23:28Samuel was still pinned where he had been forced down,
23:31helpless to intervene as he watched everything unfold.
23:34How dare you do this to us?
23:35I already contacted my mother.
23:37When she gets here,
23:38every last one of you is dead.
23:39Faced with that pitiful threat,
23:41my father merely laughed.
23:42Your mother?
23:43Please,
23:44let's see what exactly that lady intends to do to me.
23:47Then right there in front of everyone,
23:49he placed a call to Lady Eris Hecate.
23:51Your majesty,
23:52how may I serve you?
23:54Has something happened?
23:55My father's tone was cold enough to frost over steel.
23:58You have raised quite a son.
23:59Something in his voice must have reached her instantly,
24:02because even through the phone,
24:03I could almost hear the tremor that went through her.
24:06Your majesty,
24:06has my son offended you in some way?
24:09Please tell me what happened.
24:10And I swear he will be punished exactly as he should be.
24:14I beg you,
24:15please show mercy.
24:17My father let out a low, humorless laugh.
24:19My daughter,
24:20the child I have treasured all her life,
24:23was humiliated by your son today on territory under your family's control.
24:27Now tell me,
24:28Lady Eris,
24:29what exactly do you expect mercy to look like in a moment like this?
24:33There was silence on the other end,
24:35a silence so complete it felt suffocating.
24:37When Lady Eris spoke again,
24:38her voice was thick with shock and despair.
24:41What?
24:41He dared do that to your daughter?
24:43Then whatever happens to him,
24:45he deserves it.
24:46Your majesty,
24:48you may deal with him however you see fit.
24:50I only beg you to spare House Hecate.
24:53Samuel heard every word,
24:54and instead of remorse,
24:56what filled him was outrage.
24:57He could not understand why Lady Eris was speaking to my father with such fear,
25:01such submission.
25:02Mother,
25:02why are you afraid of him?
25:03House Hecate bows to no one.
25:05On the other end of the line,
25:07Lady Eris' voice came back sharp with panic.
25:09Shut up,
25:10you idiot!
25:10But Samuel had already lost control.
25:13He turned toward my father,
25:14eyes blazing with hatred.
25:15You're nothing but a usurper with tainted blood.
25:18You clawed your way onto the throne through dirty tricks.
25:21You were never the true ruler.
25:22Without that crown,
25:23you're nothing but a lowborn bastard.
25:25Despised by every pureblood noble,
25:26you are nothing.
25:27My father had spent his life proving that true strength came from resolve,
25:31not birth.
25:31He had struck the one wound my father would never permit anyone to touch.
25:35My father's face darkened,
25:36and in his eyes I saw something shift into place.
25:39He allowed his killing intent to show.
25:41The air grew so heavy it felt freezing.
25:43Without thinking,
25:45I stepped forward and caught hold of his arm.
25:47Father,
25:48he drew in a slow breath and forced down the fury.
25:51Little by little,
25:51the lethal edge in his eyes receded.
25:53Then he lowered his gaze to my hand where it rested on his arm.
25:56Pat it at once with quiet reassurance,
25:58and in that small gesture,
26:00gave me a silent promise that he would not completely lose control.
26:03With the slightest flick of his wrist,
26:05the soldiers at either side moved at once.
26:07They seized Samuel and Serena and dragged them away like discarded sacks.
26:11Throw them into the silver coffin.
26:13The mere mention of that place,
26:14Samuel went rigid with dread.
26:16He began struggling wildly as though panic alone might somehow free him.
26:20The silver coffin was the cruelest punishment,
26:22forged from pure silver.
26:24No.
26:25For the first time,
26:26I saw real fear on his face.
26:28Once it was over,
26:29my father led me out of the boutique.
26:31The body heals quickly,
26:32but the spirit needs healing too.
26:34Come with me.
26:34There's somewhere I want to take you.
26:36His cries meant nothing now.
26:38The chaos had finally settled.
26:39He brought me to the Ancestor's Sanctuary,
26:41a sacred place deeply revered among vampires,
26:44where those burdened by grief,
26:46fear,
26:47or inner turmoil came to seek solace and spiritual healing.
26:50The moment I stepped inside,
26:51I was struck by its beauty.
26:53The entire sanctuary had been built from bloodstone crystal,
26:56and every wall seemed to glow with a dim velvety red light.
26:59That soft crimson radiance spilled over everything around us,
27:02wrapping the space in an atmosphere that felt ancient,
27:05solemn,
27:06and almost holy.
27:07A gentle energy moved through the air like a warm embrace,
27:10and little by little,
27:11the turmoil inside me began to ease.
27:13Before long,
27:14an elder nun approached us with slow measured steps.
27:17There was something deeply calming in her expression.
27:19She began the purification ritual for me,
27:22chanting an ancient hymn in a voice so soft and steady,
27:24that it seemed to thread itself through the sanctuary like flowing water.
27:28As the ritual continued,
27:29I felt a gentle force gathering around me,
27:31washing over the raw jagged places inside my heart,
27:34and carrying away the weight of everything I had just endured.
27:37Under the blessing of the first ancestor,
27:39the fear and fury I had been clinging to gradually loosened their hold,
27:43and for the first time that day,
27:44true calm returned to me.
27:46When everything was over and the silence of the sanctuary had settled once more,
27:50I turned to my father and asked the question that had been lingering in my mind.
27:53Why did you support House Hecate in the first place?
27:56Many years ago, House Hecate was nothing more than a small and struggling clan in the north.
28:01They were weak, impoverished, and barely managing to survive.
28:04At the time, I had only just overthrown the old dynasty and was in the middle of rebuilding order.
28:09During one of my tours, I happened to come across Samuel's father.
28:12He was being hunted by other nobles, and I was the one who saved him.
28:16I gave him resources.
28:18I helped House Hecate rebuild his territory and stand on his feet again.
28:22Later, I named him a vampire prince,
28:24and entrusted the vast northern lands to him.
28:27I believed he would understand gratitude.
28:29I believed he would understand loyalty.
28:31But he died too early,
28:32and his son grew up knowing nothing of respect, restraint, or gratitude.
28:36So that was the truth.
28:38My father was the vampire king, the one who stood above all vampire kind.
28:42So the engagement between Samuel and me
28:43will be cancelled.
28:45My daughter deserves the best this world has to offer, not a fool like him.
28:48A full week had passed since I completed my recuperation at the ancestor sanctuary,
28:53and by then I had already returned to the familiar halls of the vampire royal capital.
28:59Even so, the atmosphere around me had changed.
29:02The air itself seemed charged with tension,
29:04and the moment I stepped back into court life,
29:07I could feel the weight of expectation settling onto my shoulders once again.
29:10The news had spread across the vampire realm like wildfire.
29:14By now, nearly every vampire had heard some version of the same astonishing story.
29:18Samuel, Prince of the North, had committed a grave offense
29:21by daring to humiliate the beloved daughter of the vampire king himself.
29:25Because of that, every noble house had grown uneasy.
29:28Every faction was watching closely,
29:30barely daring to breathe,
29:32all of them waiting to see what consequences would follow.
29:34Your Majesty, Princess,
29:36Prince Augustine of the West and Prince Cassius of the South,
29:39request an audience.
29:40I turned toward Father.
29:42He was seated at the far end of the hall,
29:44composed to the point of coldness,
29:45his presence so still and controlled
29:47that it seemed to quiet the entire room around him.
29:49His eyes were closed,
29:51but the authority radiating from him was as unmistakable as ever.
29:55Let them in.
29:55A moment later, the doors opened,
29:57and two broad-shouldered figures strode into the hall,
30:00surrounded by attendants carrying lavish gifts.
30:05Your Majesty, welcome.
30:07Then both princes lifted their eyes and looked directly at me.
30:10I could feel the careful respect in their gaze and the caution beneath it.
30:14Every movement they made was measured,
30:16every word weighed in advance.
30:18Augustine, the older of the two, was the first to speak.
30:21We were deeply disturbed to learn that Her Highness was mistreated while in Hecate territory.
30:26He said, his tone controlled but edged with indignation.
30:30The insult was intolerable.
30:32We have brought a small token of our concern,
30:35and hope it may be of some comfort to the princess.
30:38At his signal,
30:39one of the attendants stepped forward and presented a velvet-lined box.
30:42When it was opened, a piece of blood amber rested inside,
30:45rich crimson light moving through it like something alive.
30:48I knew what blood amber was used for.
30:50It was said to calm the heart, soothe the mind,
30:53and ease the lingering wounds left behind by fear and emotional trauma.
30:56Beside him, the younger Prince Cassius made no attempt to conceal his anger.
31:00For Samuel, a vampire prince.
31:03To treat the princess in such a way is beyond disgraceful.
31:06Your Majesty, give the order, and I will march on the north myself.
31:11House Hecate can be wiped out before the sun sets again.
31:14I remained seated,
31:15listening calmly as the two of them offered outrage,
31:18loyalty, and polished devotion in different forms.
31:20Yet only a week earlier,
31:22I had still been nothing more than an object of ridicule.
31:24Now these same people were falling over themselves to please me.
31:27Their motives were not difficult to understand.
31:30I closed the book in my lap, set it aside,
31:33and gave them a polite smile.
31:35Thank you for your concern, I said.
31:37My voice calm and even.
31:40But loyalty is not measured by gifts.
31:42Nor is sincerity proven through flattery.
31:45The word settled over the hall like a sudden frost.
31:47For a moment no one spoke.
31:49Both princes stared at me,
31:51caught between surprise and uncertainty.
31:53As if neither of them had expected that answer.
31:55Only then did Father open his eyes.
31:57When his gaze turned toward me,
31:59I caught the faintest trace of approval there.
32:01He said nothing to me directly,
32:03but the look alone was enough.
32:04Then he shifted his attention back to the two princes and said,
32:08in a voice so composed it allowed no room for argument.
32:11My daughter has already spoken for me.
32:13Leave the gifts.
32:14You may go.
32:15Relief flashed across both their faces so quickly
32:17they likely hoped no one would notice.
32:20They bowed deeply at once,
32:21left the gifts behind,
32:23and withdrew from the hall without another word.
32:25After they were gone,
32:26Father turned to me with the slightest hint of amusement
32:28at the corner of his mouth.
32:30Well,
32:31do you feel any better now?
32:32I shook my head,
32:33though I smiled a little too.
32:35I feel better when I'm with you,
32:37Father,
32:37but the truth is,
32:38they aren't afraid of me.
32:39What those men feared was not me at all.
32:41What they feared was what would happen
32:43if they offended the royal house.
32:44After the two vampire princes were finally dismissed,
32:48Peace at last returned to the great hall.
32:49I was just about to pick up my book again
32:51when a vampire soldier entered,
32:53his expression uneasy enough to catch my attention at once.
32:56Your highness,
32:57the manager from the jewelry boutique is outside.
32:59He says he has come to confess
33:00and begs for an audience with you,
33:02no matter the cost.
33:03I blinked,
33:04momentarily surprised,
33:05and then remembered the jeweler's manager from that day.
33:08The arrogance he had shown in the boutique
33:10had been impossible to miss,
33:12which only made his sudden humility all the more curious.
33:14Father,
33:15who had been leaning lazily against the wall,
33:17glanced over at me with a sly smile,
33:19let him in.
33:20I'd very much like to hear
33:21what sort of confession he has prepared.
33:23A moment later,
33:24the manager stumbled into the hall.
33:26He looked so shaken,
33:27so stripped of all dignity,
33:28that for a second he barely resembled the man I remembered.
33:32By the time he made it to my feet,
33:33he collapsed to his knees
33:34and broke into sobs,
33:36his whole body trembling with desperation.
33:38Please forgive me,
33:39your highness.
33:39I was blind.
33:40I was a fool.
33:41I failed to recognize who you were.
33:43Please show mercy.
33:44Spare my worthless life.
33:45As he spoke,
33:46he fumbled frantically inside his coat
33:48and pulled out a heavy coin pouch,
33:50lifting it in both shaking hands.
33:52This is everything I've saved over the years.
33:54Every last coin.
33:55I offer it all to you.
33:56Please,
33:56your highness.
33:57Forgive me.
33:58Father said nothing.
33:59He simply sat there in composed silence,
34:01leaving the matter entirely in my hands.
34:03I looked down at the manager and asked evenly,
34:06Do you truly believe I need your money?
34:08At once he flinched so hard,
34:10it was almost as if I had struck him.
34:11His shoulders shook even more violently
34:13and his voice broke as he cried.
34:17No, no, of course not.
34:18I was wrong.
34:19I deserve punishment.
34:20Whatever your highness decides,
34:21I deserve it.
34:22A faint trace of irony passed through my mind
34:24as I remembered our previous encounter.
34:26You were not nearly this humble
34:28when you stood at Serena's side a few days ago.
34:30The man immediately tried to defend himself,
34:33his words tumbling out faster,
34:34driven by panic.
34:35I had no choice, your highness.
34:37Serena had a prince behind her.
34:39She could do anything she wanted.
34:40If I had refused her,
34:42I would never have lived to see the next day.
34:44I truly didn't dare oppose her.
34:45The fear in him was real
34:47and I could not pretend not to see it.
34:48For someone in his position,
34:50standing against a noble woman
34:52would have felt no different
34:53from stepping into his own grave.
34:55And yet one thought still lingered in my mind.
34:57What if the person they had chosen
34:58to humiliate that day had not been me?
35:01What if it had been some powerless outsider
35:03with no family, no title,
35:04and no one to protect her?
35:06After a pause, I said,
35:07Take your money back.
35:08The manager looked up so quickly
35:10that hope flashed across his face
35:12before he could hide it.
35:13For one brief moment,
35:14he clearly thought I meant to forgive him outright.
35:16Then I continued.
35:18But you should understand this much.
35:20What you did cannot simply go unpunished.
35:22I rose from my seat and walked toward him,
35:24my voice calm and steady,
35:26carrying clearly through the hall.
35:28From this day forward,
35:29your shop will serve as a sanctuary
35:30under royal protection.
35:33Any outsider who is being bullied,
35:35abused or otherwise left without help
35:37may go there and seek refuge.
35:38You will provide whatever aid they need
35:40without questioning them,
35:41and you will report their circumstances
35:43to the royal court at once.
35:45He stared at me,
35:46blinking in stunned confusion.
35:48This was so far from the punishment
35:49he had imagined
35:50that he seemed unable to process it.
35:52I let the silence stretch for a moment
35:54before adding,
35:55Of course, you are free to refuse.
35:57If that is your choice,
35:58then you may close your doors today
36:00and lose your shop forever.
36:02Or you may join Samuel in the silver coffin
36:04for a few days
36:04and reflect on your decision there.
36:06The moment he heard the word silver coffin,
36:08the last trace of blood
36:09vanished from his face.
36:11He nodded so violently
36:12it seemed he might collapse again.
36:14I'll do it.
36:15I swear it.
36:15I'll do everything exactly as you say.
36:17Father gave a small nod of approval,
36:19then turned to the guards.
36:21Go.
36:21Place the royal crest on his shop.
36:23From this day on,
36:24anyone who dares cause trouble there
36:26will be treated as an enemy of mine.
36:28The guards bowed and moved at once.
36:30Only after that did the truth
36:31fully dawn on the manager.
36:33This was not punishment
36:34in the way he had feared.
36:35It was the kind of opportunity
36:37most people could only dream
36:38of receiving once in a lifetime.
36:40With the royal crest hanging over his door,
36:42his boutique would stand under
36:44the protection of the royal house itself.
36:46After he left,
36:47I felt a strange lightness settle over me.
36:49Father crossed the room
36:50and stopped beside me.
36:52Satisfaction plain in his expression.
36:54A true ruler must know
36:55how to balance mercy with authority.
36:57Then his gaze shifted,
36:59sharpening slightly.
37:00Come.
37:01It's time to deal with the last of this.
37:02We're going to make sure
37:03everyone understands
37:04exactly what happens
37:06when they dare offend you.
37:07Father and I were seated
37:08in the council chamber
37:09of the royal capital,
37:10blood wine set before us,
37:12while a taut, oppressive silence
37:13stretched through the room.
37:15Off to one side
37:16stood Lady Eris Hecate,
37:17her posture rigid and severe,
37:18as motionless as carved stone.
37:20She looked composed at first glance,
37:22but the tension in her body
37:23was unmistakable,
37:24and beneath that stillness,
37:26there was something strained enough to break.
37:28Time seemed to drag
37:29until it no longer felt like time at all.
37:31Then at last,
37:32the silence was broken
37:33by the sound of hurried footsteps
37:35approaching from outside,
37:36echoing sharply through the chamber.
37:38Two vampire guards entered
37:39with grim expressions,
37:40dragging Samuel and Serena in behind them.
37:43The sight was brutal.
37:44Whatever remained of their former pride
37:46had long since been stripped away,
37:48and what stood before us now
37:49was little more than the wreckage
37:50left behind by their own arrogance.
37:52Their condition was ugly enough
37:54to make the consequences
37:55of their actions impossible to ignore.
37:57The moment Lady Eris saw her son
37:59something in her expression shifted.
38:01For a brief instant,
38:02there was a flash of grief there,
38:04so quick and faint
38:05that it might have been missed,
38:06but it vanished almost at once,
38:08buried beneath a cold,
38:09rising fury
38:10that spread through her
38:11like a storm front.
38:12She did not rush to comfort Samuel.
38:14She did not even speak to him gently.
38:17Instead, she strode forward,
38:19seized him by the back of the neck
38:20with her scarlet nails
38:22and forced his head downward
38:23until he was facing me.
38:25You disgraceful fool,
38:27she hissed.
38:28Apologize.
38:29Then came the crack of a slap,
38:31sharp and violent enough
38:31to ring through the chamber
38:33like a shot.
38:34A second followed,
38:35then a third.
38:36Now Lady Eris snapped,
38:38her voice cutting through the air
38:39like a lash.
38:40Apologize to the princess
38:42this instant.
38:43Whatever defiance Samuel
38:44had once possessed was gone.
38:46He no longer struggled.
38:47He no longer argued.
38:48He simply endured
38:50the blows in silence
38:51as though each strike
38:52were knocking the last
38:53of the will out of him.
38:54By the time his mother
38:55released him,
38:56he looked less like a man
38:57than something hollowed out
38:58and left standing
38:59by habit alone.
39:00Only after venting
39:01her anger on him
39:02did Lady Eris
39:03turn back toward us.
39:04When she spoke,
39:05her voice was heavy
39:06with shame and desperation.
39:07Your majesty,
39:08princess,
39:09I acknowledge my failure
39:11as a mother.
39:12It is because of my negligence
39:14that my son committed
39:15a mistake this catastrophic.
39:17Then she rounded on Samuel again,
39:19her composure shattering
39:20into fury.
39:21Do you even understand
39:22who it is you offended?
39:24Do you know how House Hecate
39:26rose to the position
39:27it holds today?
39:28Everything we have
39:30was given to us
39:30because of his majesty.
39:32And you dared lay hands
39:33on the person
39:34he treasures most.
39:35You are not only
39:36destroying yourself,
39:38you are dragging
39:39all of House Hecate
39:40down with you.
39:41That landed at last.
39:42The words seemed
39:43to strike Samuel
39:44like lightning,
39:45forcing him to face
39:46the truth he had spent
39:46all this time
39:47refusing to see.
39:48The arrogance in his eyes
39:49faded little by little,
39:51replaced first by confusion,
39:53then by disbelief,
39:54and finally by something
39:55much worse,
39:56understanding.
39:57His gaze shifted toward me.
39:59Then slowly,
39:59it moved to father.
40:00The man he had mocked,
40:02dismissed,
40:02and insulted
40:02was the reason
40:03his family still stood
40:04where it did.
40:05The title Samuel
40:06had worn so proudly,
40:07the authority he had flaunted,
40:09all of it had been granted
40:10to him by another
40:10hand.
40:11In that instant,
40:12I could almost see
40:13the collapse happen
40:14inside him.
40:14The pride went first.
40:16Then whatever hollow
40:17sense of superiority
40:18he had spent centuries
40:19building around himself.
40:21So, that's the truth,
40:22I was wrong,
40:22I was truly wrong.
40:24His whole body
40:24began to shake.
40:25Any trace of dignity
40:27he had left
40:27dissolved where he stood,
40:28and he bent forward
40:29again and again
40:30in frantic apology,
40:31his voice breaking.
40:32Beside him,
40:33Serena had remained stunned,
40:34but at last the reality
40:36seemed to catch up
40:36with her too.
40:37Princess, please,
40:39please spare us,
40:39we'll never do it again.
40:41She joined him in tears,
40:42filling the chamber
40:43with a miserable grief.
40:44They crawled there
40:45before me,
40:46pitiful and broken,
40:47like insects crushed
40:48under their own desperation.
40:50I felt nothing.
40:52I simply lifted my cup,
40:53took a slow sip of coffee,
40:55and let the wand spread
40:57through me
40:57while I said nothing at all.
40:59My silence stretched
41:00between us,
41:01and behind it
41:01my thoughts moved quietly.
41:03Other than the broken
41:04sobbing of Samuel
41:05and Serena,
41:06the hall had fallen
41:07completely silent.
41:09Only after a long pause
41:10did I finally lower my cup.
41:13The clear,
41:14delicate sound of porcelain
41:15touching the wooden table
41:16cut through the stillness
41:17with startling sharpness.
41:18And at once
41:19both of them fell quiet
41:20as if even that small noise
41:22had struck them
41:22like a command.
41:23They turned to look at me,
41:25and in their eyes
41:26I saw fear tangled together
41:27with a nearly hopeless
41:28kind of expectation.
41:29As though even now
41:31they were clinging
41:31to the last fragile possibility
41:33that I might still show mercy,
41:35I smiled faintly,
41:36but there was no warmth
41:37in my voice when I spoke.
41:40If my father
41:41had not arrived in time that day,
41:43would either of you
41:43have spared me?
41:44The question landed
41:45between us like a blow.
41:46In an instant,
41:48both of them went rigid.
41:49Their faces drained of color,
41:51their mouths parted,
41:52yet neither of them
41:53could force out a single word.
41:55Serena,
41:56wasn't your greatest dream
41:57to become a prince's wife?
41:58She nodded
41:59almost instinctively.
42:01And even then
42:01I caught the faintest spark
42:03of that old fantasy
42:03still flickering in her eyes.
42:05And you Samuel?
42:07I shifted my attention to him,
42:08letting a trace of mockery
42:10enter my tone.
42:11You cast aside your betrothal,
42:12stood by while she nearly
42:14had me killed,
42:14and indulged her every cruelty
42:16simply to gratify yourself.
42:18You must have cared for her
42:19a great deal,
42:20isn't that right?
42:21I didn't,
42:21it wasn't like that,
42:22I just...
42:22He stammered,
42:24scrambling for excuses,
42:25already trying to twist
42:26the blame towards Serena
42:27as though that could
42:28still save him.
42:29Oh,
42:30it hardly matters now,
42:31I said.
42:31Then I rose and walked
42:33toward them,
42:33every eye in the chamber
42:34fixed on me
42:35as I stopped before
42:36where they knelt.
42:37Since the bond between you
42:38is evidently so deep,
42:39I said calmly,
42:40I've decided to grant
42:42your wish,
42:42the two of you
42:43may remain together forever.
42:45At those words,
42:46a flash of wild joy
42:47lit Serena's tear-streaked face,
42:49so sudden and so shameless
42:50that it almost made me laugh.
42:52I gave a soft,
42:53contemptuous huff
42:53before continuing.
42:54But the price of that happiness
42:56will be your title,
42:57Samuel.
42:58The effect was immediate.
43:00Lady Eris Hecate collapsed
43:01where she stood,
43:02all strength leaving her at once,
43:04while Samuel stared at me
43:05in stunned disbelief.
43:06What right do you have
43:07to strip me of my title,
43:09he demanded,
43:09his voice cracking.
43:10I looked at him steadily.
43:12Would you like me
43:12to issue a formal decree at once,
43:14and announce to the entire
43:16vampire realm
43:16that Samuel has been
43:17stripped of rank
43:18and reduced to a commoner?
43:20He turned at once
43:21toward his mother.
43:22Mother,
43:22say something.
43:23Lady Eris closed her eyes,
43:24she said nothing.
43:25In that silence,
43:26Samuel finally understood.
43:27His mother had abandoned him.
43:29I watched the realization
43:30break over him in stages,
43:32disbelief.
43:33Then horror.
43:34Then the slow collapse
43:35of everything he had
43:36once believed untouchable.
43:37His body began to shake
43:38so violently
43:39that it seemed
43:40as though he might come apart.
43:41Everything that had once
43:42defined him
43:43was vanishing
43:43before his eyes.
43:45No, no, no.
43:46Then I turned to Serena
43:47who looked up at me
43:48with a kind of frozen dread.
43:50Didn't you always want
43:50to become Samuel's wife?
43:52Very well.
43:53I will make your dream
43:54come true.
43:54From this moment on,
43:56you are his wife.
43:57For a heartbeat
43:57she simply stared,
43:59unable to understand.
44:00Then the meaning of it
44:01hit her all at once.
44:02No, I don't want it anymore.
44:03I refuse.
44:04I refuse to marry a commoner.
44:06At last Serena
44:07had awakened
44:08from her fantasy.
44:09She had spent
44:09her whole life
44:10grasping for power.
44:11And now she found herself
44:13bound to a disgraced
44:14former prince.
44:15To her it was
44:15worse than death.
44:16What a pity.
44:17That is not
44:18your decision to make.
44:19Then he turned
44:19to the soldiers
44:20and gave the final order.
44:22Exile them
44:22to the wastelands.
44:23They are never
44:24to set foot
44:24in any vampire territory again.
44:27Everyone in the chamber
44:28knew what that meant.
44:29The wastelands were
44:30a barren stretch
44:31of northern ruin
44:32where almost nothing thrived.
44:34Food was scarce,
44:35water scarcer still,
44:36and hope perhaps
44:36rarest of all.
44:37Only bitter winds
44:38and savage beasts
44:39ruled there.
44:40And to be sent
44:41into that desolation
44:42was no different
44:42from being handed
44:43a death sentence
44:44and told to carry
44:45it out yourself.
44:46The soldiers
44:47stepped forward at once.
44:48Samuel,
44:49shattered beyond resistance,
44:50barely reacted
44:51as they dragged him away.
44:52While Serena
44:53struggled and screamed
44:54until her voice
44:55turned ragged,
44:56her body twisting
44:57wildly in their grip.
44:58Yet neither of them
44:59could change
44:59what had already
45:00been decided.
45:01They were hauled
45:02from the chamber
45:02like discarded things.
45:04Stripped not only
45:05of privilege
45:05but of every illusion
45:06that had once
45:07sustained them.
45:08Lady Eris remained
45:09collapsed on the floor,
45:10watching her son
45:11be taken away
45:11with hollow defeated eyes.
45:13All the force
45:14she had carried
45:14into the room earlier
45:15had deserted her now.
45:16She looked as if
45:17despair alone
45:18had aged her by decades.
45:19And yet she did not beg
45:21because she understood
45:22exactly what this verdict was.
45:23Not mercy, perhaps,
45:25but the closest thing to it
45:26that the vampire king
45:27was willing to grant.
45:28At the very least,
45:29it meant that the rest
45:30of House Hecate
45:31would survive.
45:32News of the exile
45:33spread swiftly
45:34through the vampire realm.
45:35Prince Samuel was gone,
45:37cast down and cast out,
45:38and with him
45:39the prestige House Hecate
45:40had enjoyed for so long
45:41began to crumble.
45:42Before much time had passed,
45:44rising vampire families
45:45moved against them,
45:46stripping away influence,
45:47lands, and power
45:48with the ruthless efficiency
45:49of those who had only
45:51ever been waiting
45:51for weakness
45:52to show itself.
45:53Over the months
45:54that followed,
45:55rumors of Samuel
45:56and Serena
45:56occasionally reached my ears.
45:58Some said they had seen
45:59a ruined nobleman
46:00and noblewoman
46:01wandering the wastelands
46:02in rags,
46:03crouched over the carcasses
46:04of beasts
46:04and licking the dried blood
46:05from old remains.
46:07Others claimed the two
46:08had been spotted
46:08fighting wild boars
46:09over the fresh body
46:10of a dead antelope,
46:12reduced at last
46:13to the kind of desperate
46:14struggle they once
46:14would not have allowed
46:15even their servants
46:16to witness.
46:17After a while,
46:18even those stories
46:19stopped mattering to me.
46:20They drifted out
46:21of my thoughts
46:22the way dust disappears
46:23into barren wind
46:24and eventually
46:25they became no more
46:26than something
46:26that had once happened,
46:28then passed.
46:28A year later,
46:30while I sat beside
46:30Lake Namir
46:31and watched the water
46:32under the evening sky,
46:33they crossed my mind
46:34one final time.
46:35The cool night mist
46:36brushed softly
46:37against my skin
46:38and the scent
46:38of moonshade blossoms
46:39drifted over
46:40from the lake shore.
46:41Everything around me
46:42was quiet, serene
46:43and almost achingly beautiful
46:44and the peace
46:45of that moment
46:46stood in such sharp
46:47contrast to the miserable life
46:48they were likely
46:49still clawing through
46:50in the wastelands
46:50that it felt unreal.
46:51What surprised me most
46:53was not satisfaction
46:54but distance.
46:55By then,
46:56the outcome no longer
46:57stirred much
46:57of anything in me.
47:00Instead,
47:01I felt a strange,
47:02almost weightless
47:03sense of release
47:03as though I had
47:04finally turned
47:05the last page
47:05of that chapter
47:06of my life
47:07and left it behind
47:07for good.
47:08Father came to stand
47:09beside me
47:10and handed me
47:10a glass of chilled
47:11blood wine.
47:12Then with a gentleness
47:13that still had the power
47:14to soften me
47:15no matter how much
47:15time passed,
47:16he rested a hand
47:17against my hair
47:18and smiled.
47:19See?
47:19The moonlight
47:20is perfect tonight.
47:21I took the glass
47:22from him
47:23and looked out
47:23across the lake
47:24where the silver light
47:25of the moon
47:26lay scattered
47:26over the water
47:27until mist
47:28and moonlight
47:28seemed to merge
47:29into one.
47:30Then I gave
47:30a small nod
47:31feeling nothing
47:31in my heart
47:32but clarity
47:33and calm.
47:33He was right,
47:34the moonlight
47:35was perfect,
47:36the road ahead
47:36lay wide open
47:37and waiting
47:38for me beyond
47:38it was a future
47:39bright with possibility.
47:40flexibility.
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