The prince was sipping from his cup like a lazy lion. He set down the cup when he was finished drinking.
He looked at the vampire behind me, and he waved his hand away in the air, indicating for him to leave.
The vampire raised his hand over his shoulder and bowed his head in respect. He leaves the room quietly without a glance in my direction.
I continued to stand as if I were on some kind of display show. The feelings and the idea in my mind made me uncomfortable, but I kept my face in an empty mask so he couldn't read me.
The prince gestured to me with his hand, pointing at the chair. I shake my head and say, "I'm fine right here."
With his crimson eyes narrowing at me, he said in a low, soft voice, "I wasn't asking."
I took a deep breath and took a seat. My eyes lingered on the prince. I clenched my hands against my lap, waiting to hear what he had to say to me.
The prince leisurely took another sip from his cup, and he said to me, "The reason I called you is because I'm going to tell you about my plan. And if you have any questions, I will answer but it will depend on what you ask. I suggest you choose wisely."
I nodded my head.
He gave a faint smile on his face, but it wasn't warm in the slightest. He continued with his words in a soft voice, "My father will appear to you as a friend, someone who seems trustworthy. He will ask vague questions and how you feel about me."
His eyes remain cold and icy, but his words remain low and gentle, like a lover. "When he sniffs out your hate towards me, then he'll pretend to be on your side like a good friend, and he'll turn you against me. In some time, he'll use your knowledge of me to use against me."
I swallowed hard. Listening to his words makes it all the more real. I will be playing a dangerous game between the king and the prince. A deadly, invisible battle between them.
I said in a low, curious voice, "Why does he want to spy on you?"
The prince looked at me with his menacing red eyes. At the corner of his lips was a faint smile. "He doesn't like it when he doesn't have things in his control. When he can't control something, he will destroy it himself with his own hands."
I frowned because the prince was a person, not a something. The prince was the king's son; shouldn't they be allies instead of enemies?
I nodded when I asked, "Is there anything else?"
The prince raised his brow. "You don't have anything else to ask of me?"
I shake my head. It's probably because I'm tired and had a long day. My brain is empty and tired of absorbing everything I learned.
I said in a weary voice, "If I have anything to ask, I'll let you know."
The prince nodded, and he gathered himself to his feet. He walked to the table and gathered something in his hands. A long black robe with intricate golden gemstones on it.
The prince passed it to me and said, "Wear this tomorrow when we leave. I can't have my slave looking shabby when I enter the palace."
Upon touching the black robe in my hands, it was silky like a baby and smooth to the touch. And I was surprised because it wasn't too big nor too small.
I looked at the prince and wanted to ask how he knew my size. But I kept my mouth shut and asked. "Anything else?"
The prince with the golden mask on his face replied in a gentle voice, but I could still hear the menace.
Like a lion not baring his teeth, but it doesn't make it any less dangerous.
"Go and rest now. However, be prepared because we have a long day tomorrow."
I nodded and gathered myself to my feet with the intention to leave, but the prince called out to me, "Wait."
I frowned and turned around. He looked at me with a faint frown. "Are you forgetting something?"
Forgetting what?
Reading my confused expression, he uttered with a snort, "Every time you leave and enter, you must raise your hand on your chest and bow before me and wait for me to give you permission."
Annoyance flickered through me, but seeing the deadly look on the prince's face, I wisely kept my mouth shut. I heard him say, "When I enter the palace, you'll need to learn etiquette because the palace is as deadly as a jungle, and they'll tear you up once they sniff out your weakness or lack of knowledge."
I nodded because, as much as I hated to admit it, he's speaking the truth. I can't continue to treat the prince like everyone else, so I'll need to be careful in the future. I bowed my head again despite the wrongness of it.
It feels like I'm giving something up, my pride and dignity. The prince took everything from me, my family, and my home. The underground might not be a safe place to live, but it was still my home nonetheless.
Because of that, I'll never forgive him. I won't forget my real purpose. I'll find a way to royal prince, and not even the gods themselves can stop me from my revenge.
The prince waved me away indifferently with his hand. I walked out of the room with vengeance running through my veins, and I went to slide under the blanket around the boy, and I closed my eyes.
The nightmares from my past followed me into my dreamland, their icy cold hands wrapped around me like a vengeful ghost.