I followed him through the grand hallway in silence.
The floor was polished black stone, smooth like glass. Strange torches lit themselves as we walked past, casting flickering red light on the walls. Everything was quiet—too quiet.
I still didn't know his name. No one ever said it out loud in the human world. They just called him The Demon Prince. Like saying his real name would bring bad luck.
I cleared my throat. "So… do you have a name?"
He didn't stop walking. "Kaelith."
I repeated it in my mind.Kaelith. It sounded sharp but elegant, just like him.
"This place is… huge," I muttered.
He glanced over his shoulder. "You'll get used to it."
We reached a pair of tall doors. They opened by themselves with a low hum. Inside was a beautiful bedroom—bigger than any house I'd seen. Velvet curtains, a fireplace, a giant bed, and golden mirrors lining the walls.
"This will be your room," he said.
I blinked. "We're not… sharing?"
Kaelith tilted his head, slightly amused. "Would you like to?"
My face heated. "N-No."
"Then no," he said simply.
He turned to leave, but I couldn't hold back the question any longer.
"Why did you even want a human bride?" I asked. "Why not marry one of your own kind?"
He paused in the doorway.
"There's a curse on my bloodline," he said without turning around. "Only a human with a pure soul can break it. So here you are."
I stared at him. "That's it?"
"For now." He looked back at me. "We'll talk more tomorrow. Rest."
The doors closed behind him, and I was left standing alone in a room that felt too big, too warm, and far too quiet.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands shaking a little.
I had just met the man I was forced to marry.
He was powerful, terrifying… and unfairly attractive.
And now I was trapped in his world, with no idea what he truly wanted from me.
But one thing was clear.
This was only the beginning.