Elena woke up to the sound of the royal trumpet blaring from across her window. 'What was it this time?' she murmured silently to herself as she tried to block out the noise with her pillow. She had barely gotten enough sleep last night and now this?.
The first whispers of dawn slipped through the tall windows of the east wing, casting thin lines of light across the chamber where she sat with her knees pulled tightly to her chest.
She shivered violently and pulled her nightgown closer around her shoulders.
'Why was the room suddenly so cold?'.
Elena looked over at the open window where the sun entered. It was shining so brightly and yet the room still felt ice cold.
As she wondered what was happening to her another knock rattled against the oak doors of her chamber, startling her.
"My lady, it is time to prepare," a maid's voice called out through the heavy doors.
Elena pressed her forehead into her knees, praying the sound would just go away.
The knocks came again, gentler this time, but more probing. "My lady... you must not anger His Highness by delaying. Please allow us to enter."
Still, she did not move. If anything, that cold prince was the last face she wanted to see after last night.
Minutes bled into an hour, and the knocking grew desperate with multiple voices now at her door, urgent and afraid.
After over an hour of listening to their beggings, she finally decided to let them in. 'Why should someone else suffer because of her?' she thought as she made for the door. The minute it opened, the maids burst in, shutting the door behind them and getting to work.
Elena clenched her fists tightly. There was no way she wanted to meet him again but then again, she had no real choice.
As the maids hurried to get her ready, a figure suddenly emerged from the end of the hall. Then, the door slammed open.
The sound cracked through the chamber like a thunderclap making Elena jump to her feet upright. The maids flinched and immediately dropped to their knees as the door swung open. Only one person could make the ground quiver beneath him.
Damien entered the room with force and leaned against the doorway, staring straight at her. A crisp white shirt hung loose over sharp black trousers, hugging the muscles of his body perfectly. His face was calm, too calm that it made the air pulse thicker and thicker.
"How long will it take you to prepare her?," he asked in a baritone that left no room for opposition.
The maids shivered with fear and fell to their faces, not daring to lift their heads up or even answer him. No normal person would dare speak back at the prince.
"Leave us at once." came his next sentence with the same tone.
The maids scrambled to obey, bowing low before fleeing the chamber.
Elena's blood ran cold. She was all alone now. As soon as the maids left the room, the door shut with s soft click. Damien turned to it and pushed the lock latchet into the hole, locking them inside.
She backed away instinctively, until her back hit the carved post of her bed. "My lord, I—"
"Undress."
Her heart stuttered. "What?"
He stepped inside, abandoning the door with a finality that made her knees weaken. His eyes burned like coals as they locked on hers but they were now back to their normal brown color.
"You wasted enough time." His words were silk draped over steel. "If you cannot allow the maids to dress you, I will."
Her breath caught in her throat. What did he mean by that?. She shook her head quickly, pressing her palms against her chest. "N-no, I can do it. Please—"
But Damien was already moving, swifter than air. In the space of a heartbeat he had her wrists in one hand, pinning them behind her back. His other hand reached for the folded hunting attire laid neatly on a chair by the wall.
"Today is the royal hunting day that takes place once every three years and you dare to dawdle around like this?" he asked calmly without looking at her.
"Stop—please!" Elena writhed, panic surging within her. Her satin nightgown slipped from one shoulder as she struggled, the linen swaying lamely beneath his grasp.
"Be still." His tone deepened, rougher and dangerous now.
Tears sprang to her eyes. She didn't know if they were from fear, shame, or the frustration of being so utterly powerless. "Please, don't—"
Her voice cracked. A soft gasp echoed from her lips as she felt his hand grab her waist, loosening the linen rope that held the gown. Damien tugged at the rope so hard it tore from her waist, letting the gown flow freely at the sides. As he reached for her shoulders to pull down the arms, a single tear slid down her cheek and fell against his hand.
Damien froze.
For a heartbeat, the chamber fell utterly silent except for Elena's trembling breaths.
Slowly, he looked at her tear-streaked face for a minute then with a sharp movement, he released her entirely and stepped back.
"Hurry up and meet me in twenty minutes. Unless you want me to bathe you too" he said, running his eyes all over her body. He turned his back on her before striding out of the chamber, leaving the door flying open behind him.
Elena collapsed against the bedpost, her tears spilling freely now. She pressed her palms to her face as her body shook with relief and confusion.
'What if he had actually undressed me?' she thought silently as the tears flowed even more. The maids rushed back in almost immediately, bowing low as though nothing had happened.
"Quickly, my lady, we must dress you." She didn't refuse them this time and just allowed them to work on her. There was no way he was going to touch her ever again.
Elena stood stiff as the maids laced her into the ceremonial hunting gown.
The dress was deep velvet with the royal crest embedded at the side. Fitted grey sleeves clung to her arms beneath, while a black leather corset circled her waist with its sword belt and scabbard resting against her hip. Slim black trousers tucked neatly into tall brown boots with a small capelet resting around her neck completed her image of a woman both refined and battle-ready.
Her hair was bound high with silver pins into a ponytail but loose strands fell on her face and behind her head, softening the harshness of the attire.
When she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she hardly recognized the girl staring back.
"You look exquisite, my lady," one maid piped up and Elena just offered her a wry smile. She turned and curved in the mirror. Only noble women were allowed to wear trousers in their kingdom and growing up with her Lord, she had never had the opportunity of even dreaming of it.
..................
The sun rose fully to the sky, signifying the beginning of the hunt. Elena stepped out of her chambers escorted by her maids who led her to the living room. Damien was seated patiently in the golden arm chair with his legs crossed. His presence filled the entire space, demanding respect so much that it made it entirely difficult to ignore him.
Elena approached him quietly, kneeling at the throne like chair. "I am ready, your highness." she said softly while maintaining her gaze to the floor. Damien nodded slightly at her before getting up and heading towards the carriage waiting for them outside. Immediately she got in, the coachman rode along to the restricted, royal hunting ground.
The courtyard was lit with thousands of torches, their flames bending beneath the chilling winds despite it being midday.
Elena stood beside Damien at the foot of the great staircase that led into the hunting grounds—the sprawling, ancient forest that stretched endlessly beyond the palace walls.
The royal family was already assembled except the Queen and King.
You see, every three years, the princes go out to observe the hunting ritual. Whoever had the most and greatest kills would be granted a wish by the King. Dreadful beasts would be released into the grounds for the hunt and whoever could take down the most would be declared the winner.
As they drew nearer, the rest of the princes came into view.
"Good day milady" Lucian greeted Elena with a slight bow. She immediately returned it and offered a smile. That was the first time another prince other than Cassian had ever spoken to her.
"Let the hunt begin." the attendant announced.
They immediately scattered into the woods like wolves unleashed.
Cassian moved first with lightening speed. His sword gleamed like ice as he struck down a charging beast—an enormous, boar-like creature with tusks as long as an oak. He moved without hesitation, his strikes clean, swift and merciless. His blade pierced the heart and his hands ripped out its heart, tearing the skin with a loud rip.The beast died without even a chance to cry out.
Lucien was nearly invisible in the thick forest. He moved like a shadow himself, slipping silently through the trees. Elena only had a glimpse of him once—kneeling over a blue, colored beast grazing near a lake. Slowly but precisely , he lunged at its throat cut and whipped his scythe around it so clean it was as though a blade of air had done it. He grinned to himself with an eerie calm, then vanished again into the black with the beast.
Severin, meanwhile, had cornered a different creature that looked like a hybrid of a wolf and donkey. He circled the creature slowly, holding a small, glinting dagger in his hand. As he approached it, the beast suddenly sensed his movements and turned around to face him. In a blink, the creature was already running.
He let it dart past him, only to grab it mid-lunge and slam it hard against a towering tree. He quietly walked over to it and tore its chest with his dagger before vanishing with the beast all the while with an emotionless expression.
Elena stumbled after Damien, trying to keep up with him.
'If this was a hunt for the royals, why the heck am I here?!' she had asked herself severally as they ran deeper and deeper into the forest. She had even tried to get answers from Damien but he had just glanced at her with his annoying poker face! The nerve!. Her breath came out in shallow bouts as she made her way through the forest grounds trying her best to stick with Damien.
As they continued, he suddenly paused making her bump headfirst into his large back.
"Wait here and do not go anywhere else" he said before leaping away. Elena stared in awe as she watched him land on a tree as tall as two buildings stacked together. 'Were vampires always like this?' she murmured to herself as she watched him go from tree to tree until he faded completely from her sight.
After he was gone, Elena settled down on a little rock nestled between two low trees. She was about to take a short nap when suddenly, a soft growl echoed behind her.
Her heart immediately began to pound hard in her chest. She then remembered the wild creatures she had seen on her way with Damien.
Were they after her too?!
She turned just in time to see a monstrous beast just a few metres away from where she sat—twice the size of a man with its jaws lined with jagged teeth and its eyes glowing red like hellfire.
She opened her mouth to scream out loud but no sound came out. Her feet remained frozen to the ground and she fell back onto the ground as the creature started barreling toward her with insane speed.
The creature jumped onto the rock she sat on earlier and was about to bury his fangs in her head when suddenly blood splattered across her face.
With a force that shook both trees, Damien slammed into the beast mid-air. His hands tore into its flesh, ripping the muscle from its bone. Blood sprayed across Elena's face and outfit as the creature howled, thrashing wildly. Damien's sank his dagger deep into its neck, driving it savagely from the neck down to its torso, until the monster went limp.
He tossed the corpse aside with disdain, black blood dripping down his hand.
Elena remained on the floor in horrific fear. Her body stiffened up as if paralysed on the ground. Her eyes were widely opened and her breathing could barely be heard.
Damien turned to her on the floor. His eyes were now burning red like fire rekindled by flames.
"I told you to stay put" he growled, his red eyes flashing dangerously from his face against his pale skin. If anything, he looked more like a vampire now.
His voice was rough, primal and more beastly than a normal man.
Elena swallowed hard, trembling violently. "But—I did my—"
Before she could finish, Damien lifted her up in his arms and made to leap again when another growl was heard even louder behind them...