Eloise sat at the long, shiny dinner table. The room was brightly lit with candles and only the sound of cutleries could be heard. Since Master Vincent's family arrived, he only spoke warmly to the youngest. He appeared to be cold to the others, it dawned on her that he has a soft spot for the little girl.
She sat at the right side of Vincent while he sat at the middle end of the table.
Across the table, new faces stared at her.
A tall, serious looking man sat at the end of the table. His face was strong and cold, and the whole room seemed to listen to him even though he hadn't spoken yet. That had to be the king. Next to him sat a woman with pale skin and dark hair, her beauty sharp like glass. She stared straight at Eloise, like she was trying to see inside her.
Nobody spoke for a while. The silence was heavy.
Then, the queen finally spoke. Her voice was smooth but had a sharp tone.
"So it's true," she said, her eyes still on Eloise. "I heard you spent a hundred thousand gold on a human girl… is this her?"
Eloise's heart jumped, and her hands shook a little in her lap.
Vincent, sitting beside her, picked up his wine glass without looking at the queen. He took a calm sip before answering, his voice steady.
"You just got back," he said quietly. "Let's not turn dinner into a fight already, shall we?"
The room went still again.
A young man a few seats away smirked. His eyes gleamed as he stared at Eloise, and it made her skin crawl. He looked at her like she was something to play with.
Beside him, a young girl rolled her eyes and scoffed, clearly annoyed by Eloise's presence.
Then, the king's hand slammed onto the table with a loud bang, making Eloise jump. The sound of cutlery and plates shaking and falling filled the room.
"Enough!" The king said firmly. "Not here".
The room stayed quiet after that.
Eloise lowered her eyes to her plate, her chest tight and her heart beating fast. She could still feel their eyes on her.
The rest of the dinner passed in silence. The sound of forks and knives against plates was the only thing filling the room. Eloise barely touched her food. She wasn't sure what half of it even was… and she didn't feel hungry.
From time to time, she could feel Ethan's eyes on her. That same sharp, hungry stare that made her stomach twist uncomfortably. Every time she looked up, he was already watching her. When their eyes met once, he smirked, leaning back in his chair like he enjoyed making her nervous.
The young girl, who Eloise guessed was Vincent's younger sister, kept glancing at her too. But not with kindness. More like… annoyance. She would scoff, roll her eyes, and whisper something to the boy beside her. Eloise didn't know what they were saying, but it didn't feel nice.
Vincent, however, stayed calm. He barely spoke to the others. Once or twice, he asked Eloise softly if she was alright, and she only managed small nods in reply. His voice was the only thing that didn't feel heavy in that room.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the king stood up. The others followed quickly.
"Dinner is done," the king announced. "Vincent, a word later."
Vincent only gave a short nod.
The family began to leave the room one by one. Queen Calypso gave Eloise one last cold look before turning away. Ethan smirked at her as he passed, and the younger girl didn't even spare her a glance.
When they were alone, Vincent stood and placed a hand gently on Eloise's shoulder.
"Come," he said quietly. "I need air. Walk with me."
Eloise stood up in a hurry to leave that room. She followed him through a quiet hallway to outside a door where a beautiful garden was with a nice little pond with the moonlight reflecting on it. The night air smelled like roses and fresh grass. Little lights floated along the path, and the sound of water trickling from a small fountain nearby made the place feel peaceful.
They walked in silence for a while. Eloise kept her eyes on the flowers and soft grass beneath her feet, not sure what to say.
Vincent finally stopped by a stone bench and sat down. He looked up at the sky for a moment, then spoke.
"You don't have to be scared of Celene," he said. "I saw you shiver in fear after she looked at you."
Eloise bit her lip and nodded, her voice small when she finally answered. "I… I don't know why I'm here. Why did you… pay that much for me?"
Vincent didn't answer right away. The sound of leaves rustling filled the space between them. Then he sighed, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.
"Because you reminded me of something I lost," he said, his voice softer now, almost sad. "And maybe… because I didn't want them to have you."
Eloise blinked, unsure what to say to that.
For a while, neither of them spoke. They just sat in the quiet, under the gentle glow of the moon.
Then Vincent turned to her. "I don't expect you to trust me, Eloise. Not yet. Maybe never. But… you're not a slave here. Not to them. Not to me."
Eloise's eyes stung, and she looked away quickly before any tears could fall. She'd been so frightened for so long. This was the first kind thing anyone had said to her in what felt like years.
"I don't know what I am anymore," she whispered.
Vincent stood up and held out his hand to her. "You're still you. And no one can take that away."
She hesitated, then placed her hand in his. His grip was warm and steady.
"Come on," he said gently while he lead her towards something that looked like a garden cave. It was decorated with flowers and rocks
"Sit here" he said to her.
Eloise took one glance at him before sitting down.
After a moment, Vincent spoke. His voice was lower than usual, softer.
"I don't bring people here," he said, looking ahead at the flowers. "Not even my family."
Eloise glanced at him, surprised by his words. She waited for him to go on.
"I know what they say about me," Vincent continued, a bitter edge in his voice. "Cold… heartless… cruel." He gave a small, humorless laugh. "Maybe some of it's true."
Eloise stayed silent. She didn't know what to say, but her chest ached a little at the sadness in his voice.
"I didn't buy you to hurt you, Eloise," Vincent said quietly. "I… I don't even fully know why I did it. That night, when I saw you, something in me wouldn't let me walk away."
He ran a hand through his hair, staring down at the ground. "I've spent my whole life carrying the weight of this crown… trying to be what my father expects. Every day feels the same. Dark halls, endless orders, people pretending to care. It's… lonely."
Eloise's fingers tightened around the folds of her dress. She swallowed hard. "I… I know what lonely feels like," she whispered. "After my mother died, there was no one left. I've been passed from one cruel hand to another… treated like nothing."
Her voice broke, and she quickly wiped at her eyes. "I used to hope someone would save me… but no one ever did."
Vincent turned to look at her, and for the first time, there was no coldness in his face. Just something quiet… and almost sad.
"I'm sorry," he said simply. "For everything you've been through."
A long silence hung between them. The wind moved the leaves gently, and somewhere nearby, a night bird sang.
"What are you?" Eloise asked curiously
Vincent smirked and said "I knew you were smart"
"We're vampires Eloise. Everyone in this castle is a vampire"
Eloise's blood drained from her body. "W-wh-whattt???!!!"
So all those pale faces, those sharp teeth, it all makes sense now. Eloise quietly thought to herself
"That's why I always want you to stay locked in your room when I'm not there with you" Vincent said noticing the obvious shock in her voice
"I never thought I'd sit like this… with a vampire prince," Eloise tried to joke, her voice small but a tiny smile at the corner of her mouth.
Vincent let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "And I never thought I'd find myself sitting with a stubborn human girl who talks back to me."
They both smiled, a real one this time. Not forced, not heavy with fear. Just a small, honest smile in the middle of the night.
Vincent reached out, slowly, almost as if unsure if he should. He brushed a loose lock of Eloise's hair away from her face. His fingers were cool, but the touch was gentle.
Eloise's breath caught in her throat. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, and she felt a strange mix of fear and warmth.
Vincent's hand lingered for a moment, then he dropped it to his lap, looking away. "I don't know what's happening between us," he admitted. "But for the first time in years… it doesn't feel empty."
Eloise didn't know how to answer. She only nodded, her heart full of too many emotions to name.
They sat like that for a while. Two broken souls in the dark, finding the smallest bit of peace in each other's company.
And for once, neither of them felt so alone.