Adalina Salvatore

The palace was miserable and the crown on my head had never been heavier.

My husband was nowhere to be found. He basically disappeared into thin air awhile after glaring at our supposed chamber like it was the most horrid room to exist. He looked sick as he took in the golden bed frame and the carved designs on the wall. It was the best part of the morning until mother announced we were having an afternoon tea.

The maidens helped me dress in silk and draped a hundred strings of pearls around my whole body. I almost looked like the duchess dowager and I wouldn't be surprised if she picked this out herself.

Sighing, I sulked my whole way to the garden where the Hastings and the royal family were having tea. We gathered around the table in the middle of colorful nature where flowers perfumed the air and butterflies flapped their wings enjoying the cool afternoon.

I however found this afternoon dreading. I kept squirming in my seat, staring at the people that I thought was family as I listened to them chattered away, asking me about my life here and there. My cousins, aunts, and uncles were some nosy people and the royal blood made them extra gossipy.

" I assure you I can kick your husband in the sin if he isn't treating you right, princess. " one of my distant uncle stated, making the whole table laughed in delights agreeing with him. I smiled awkwardly at his delusion.

" Yeah right. " Blaze snorted beside me.

Aunty Beth nodded her head smiling, " I myself have a black belt in karate. I'll help, your grace. "

Blaze snorted again. " I bet she slept her way up to that black belt. " I choked on my tea.

Zach stared at us weirdly from across the table as I tried to hide my giggles with a cough. My father on the other hand must have heard us, he kept clearing his throat all while looking rather traumatized by the new information.

Shaking my head, I tore my gaze away to the figure walking through the garden like he owned the place. I felt my breath caught in my throat and lungs stopped working as I struggled to breath air.

The devil was real and he wasn't the little red boy with horns attached on top of his head. He dressed in white dress shirt and a pair of black slacks covering his long legs. His hair was a mess, fresh blood smeared across the structure of his cheekbone, covering his fingers, and stained the sleeves that he rolled up to his elbows.

He was sinfully beautiful, a sight for sore eyes indeed.

Teacups and spoons clattered together as they fell from each hands and dropped on the table. The chatters faded away in the background in a span of second. All pair of eyes burnt holes on my skin as I rose up from my chair to greet my husband with a smile on my face.

" Were you hurt? " I asked, brushing my thumb across his cheek.

He stared at me blankly, shaking his head. I sighed in relief then led him to the empty seat beside mine. He cocked an eyebrow at everyone before taking the fancy napkins my mother placed on the table and started wiping the blood off of his fingers.

" Is this our prince? The future of this country? He looked like a criminal on the loose. " one of the duke broke the silence.

Father sighed while mother started to message her temples furiously. Eden looked like he couldn't careless as he continued cleaning his hands. I kept my eyes on him, searching for a sign of injury but found none.

" He looks like he just kill someone with his bare hands. " another duchess gasped, clutching to her pearls necklace.

Eden tilted his head up and looked at her dead in the eyes. " I did. "

The tension only grew and the air suddenly became stuffy when I gestured the maids to take the bloodied napkins away which they only did after he grunted in annoyance, glaring at their shaky hands. I almost laughed but I knew better. Blaze however couldn't be more obvious with the fact that he was enjoying the drama.

" You should fire your chefs. This cake tastes like shit. " Eden cringed after taking a bite of my slice of cake.

I looked at him in bewilderment as he dropped the fork and pushed the plate back to me.

" Jesus, you're right. " I gaged after tasting the cake myself. At this point I could only hope I spat it out with grace.

" Enough. Stop acting like he hasn't just killed before he came here looking proud of his action. He is a prince. This is unacceptable. " Aunty Beth grunted, dapping a napkin on her mouth.

The prince casually leaned back into his chair looking extra chill despite her harsh tone as his gaze matched hers.

" I never asked to be a prince. You married her off to me. " he muttered.

I felt my heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach. It shouldn't have hurt me that much but it did. As if he felt my body stiffed beside him, he turned his gaze toward me and his eyes softened for a second. Cursing to himself, he grabbed my hand from under the table and started fumbling with my fingers.

" A prince with blood on his hand. What will the people think? This is a deadly scandal. " she snapped, slamming her hands on the table in a rather ungracious manner.

Mother flinched back at her tone and Zach started rubbing on his mother's back trying to calm her down. Everyone looked at Eden like he was some sort of monster and to be honest they all could go to hell, it wasn't like one of them weren't trying to kill their own family for power and greed.

" From the bottom of my heart, I don't give a fuck about anyone's opinion. " he huffed as he started drawing circles on my palm.

" You're a killer. " someone shouted from the other end of the table.

Sighing, Eden dropped my hand and stood up from his seat. Placing both of his hands firmly on the table, he leaned over the table. The baby blue of his eyes darkened into a much darker shade, his gaze strayed around the table as they all stilled in their seats. He looked like a king standing there towered over everyone. He looked at them like they were peasants beneath him and at the moment even my father, the king got nothing on him.

" A killer is an understatement to describe what I am. I'm worse. "

" I didn't just kill them. I tormented them. I made them watch as I tore out the throats of their family and friends before I tortured them to the verge of death. I gave them a peek of hell then I healed them, giving them a second chance of life. I fed them a grand meal until I decided to torture them again. I watched as they slowly bled out and as the soul left their eyes. "

" That's what happened when people messed with my wife, put their hands on her, threatening her life. Consider them lucky I couldn't bring them back to lives and rip them apart limb by limb a million time over. "

The table was dead silence. Not a single word was uttered as everyone sat still like a plague in their seats. No one dared to let out a breath, not even when he left the garden.

I smiled to myself, tipping my head down to hide it from the star struck people around the table. Clearing my throat, I announced that I was leaving too and strolled out of the garden trying to follow him.

He disappeared into thin air for the second time in a day. I didn't see him again until later at night when I felt him slipping into the room and settled himself on the couch. I was too exhausted to really see him as my eyes became droopy and the blurry image of his tall figure turned into complete darkness when sleep took over.

The palace was colder than ever that night but I woke up with sweat dripping down my forehead. I cringed at the feeling of the fabrics of my nightgown stuck to my skin. Shivering, my eyes finally landed on the empty couch I was so sure he was at.

Wrapping my arms around my body, I rose out of bed and slipped between the high walls of the palace. Paintings glared down at me as I past by and the moonlight only made it more horrifying. I hugged myself tighter as chills shot down my spine at the thought of what could possibly be lurking in the dark.

I had never been so afraid of darkness. I had been sneaking around with it half of my life. I remembered picking up my nightgowns and skipped quietly around the place late until dawn when my parents thought I was asleep in chamber, little did they know.

It was then when my eyes landed on a figure standing in the middle of the hallway staring up at my grandfather's painting. He stood in the shadow of the dark but by the little light provided by the silver moon outside I could tell he was a guard on duty, a suspicious one.

Calling out to him was a dumb move and walking over to him was even more stupid. I did both.

" What's your name? "

" Chandler Lincoln, your highness. " the guard said, bowing his head at me in respect.

Except there was no guard named Chandler on duty tonight, at least not at my wing. I double checked the list myself before going to bed.

I squinting my eyes, trying to take a closer look at him until the small shiny silver light flashed across my eyes. The royal guards never held knives in their pocket then it hit me.

Without another thought I slammed him against the nearest wall and started screaming for helps. I struggled under his strength as he flipped us over and caged me with between his arms.

My life flashed before my eyes when he slammed his mouth on mine.

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