Claimed by the Prince of Darkness novel Chapter 217

Chapter 217: Of Frogs and Forgiveness

Maude soon led Caroline out of there with Mrs Belmont following them.

Edward made sure the three of them had disappeared before he praised himself. "Am I great or what? To make her humble and apologise to you."

"Your Highness... I think that’s a little unfair, as it was my idea," Hailey smiled slightly as if to appease the prince.

"Your idea?" Edward looked offended and he stepped back to size her up. "If I didn’t tell you all we should head to the physician, you wouldn’t have had the opportunity for your idea."

"That again is because I suggested we take the horse," Hailey corrected him before she cleared her throat when she saw Edward’s eyes narrow.

"I think what you should take credit for is chasing Ruelle’s sister in an attempt to bury her last night," Edward harrumphed, crossing his arms and Hailey’s eyes widened.

Hailey quickly clarified, turning to Ruelle, "I only tried to scare her, it was Sawyer’s fault! But she’s fine. We just wanted to scare her, as she seems nicer like that."

"You did a good job, Hailey," Lucian praised the young woman, which had her back straighten with full respect. "I’ll have Maude bring the physician here to deliver the next piece of news on her health."

Ruelle didn’t like seeing a person frightened nor did she take any pleasure in watching someone beg. It wasn’t in her nature. But she had tried kindness, patience and reasoning, and none of it had changed the way they treated her.

But this was probably the only way...

The four of them made their way to the dining room, and upon reaching the front of the door, Ruelle spotted Lucian’s relatives there along with Lord Azriel engaged in quiet conversation with her cousin. Seated between them was Dane, who calmly cracked a raw egg against the rim of his cup and let it slip inside.

Lachlan looked like he was still recovering from the aftereffects of the previous night’s liquor. He had clearly only dragged himself down for lunch out of sheer obligation, as it would seem rude after missing breakfast.

"The liquor made for vampires is often far too strong for humans to handle," Lady Ravencroft remarked as raised her hand for the maid to stop pouring tea further into her cup. "Did the server not warn you beforehand?"

"It was my mistake for not paying attention to his words," Lachlan admitted and he wasn’t proud of it.

"Looks like everyone drank quite a bit," Edward remarked and he gave a nod to Lord Azriel and the others, who returned it, before he took one of the seats and everyone else filled the seats. "Can’t believe we missed all the fun," he complained. "Perhaps we should have them redo it tonight."

"I wanted to watch it too," Hailey nodded before she turned to look at Lachlan and asked, "Did you enjoy last night, Mr. Hawksley?" Hailey then turned to Ruelle and asked, "What was the story about?"

Ruelle’s lips parted but no immediate answer came. Of all the questions Hailey could have asked... Her gaze briefly wandered elsewhere before she answered,

"I think it is something you should experience first-hand. Yes."

Beside her, Lucian raised his glass to his lips.

"Was it that good?" Hailey’s eyes immediately brightened. "I should definitely not miss it then," she decided.

"Mr. Hawksley," Edward spoke, stealing Lachlan’s attention. "You should join us this time. If the liquor knocked you out, you must have missed a fair story."

Ruelle decided she would tell Hailey later, in private, exactly what the play entailed. It was better that her friend knew what she was walking into rather than be caught completely off guard as she had been.

Off to the side, Dane sprinkled and squeezed half a lemon before adding a pinch of salt and pepper into the teacup, stirring the concoction. Sawyer, seated at the table, watched the entire process unfold with a mixture of curiosity. But once the drink was prepared, Dane pushed the cup to the person next to him.

"It will help with the headache," Dane said in an even tone.

Lachlan’s eyes dropped to the murky concoction before lifting briefly to Dane’s face, only to receive a peaceful-looking smile from the pureblooded vampire which he knew was not true.

"It isn’t poisoned," Dane joked.

"Thanks," Lachlan murmured, and took a careful sip from it. While on the opposite side, Sawyer continued to watch the scene unfold, his head tilting to the side as he blinked.

When Sawyer looked at Lucian as if in question, his cousin was talking to Ruelle. His eyes then moved to his twin, who was busy with Oliver.

After lunch, the seamstress arrived at the mansion with the final adjustments for the wedding clothes.

Outside the mansion, preparations were already underway. The chosen location for the wedding rested just behind the Slaters’ mansion, where a series of elegant, arch-like structures had been erected. Delicate vines and blossoms were being carefully woven along the frames, ready to be on full bloom on the day of the wedding.

In the evening just as Lucian had instructed, a physician arrived at the mansion to examine Caroline’s false corruption. Ruelle and Lucian stood near the doorway while the examination continued. The physician finally pulled back, letting out a heavy sigh.

"This doesn’t look good," said the physician, his lips setting in a thin line.

"But the wound is healing, isn’t it?" Mrs. Belmont questioned quickly.

"Only on the surface. Corruption is something you cannot see with the naked eye," the physician replied, adjusting the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He then turned to Caroline and questioned, "Do you feel any discomfort?"

Caroline nodded immediately, her mind already conjuring the phantom aches and pains until they felt real beneath her skin.

"Unfortunately, I have no solution for it," the physician admitted, rising from the edge of the bed.

At those words, Caroline turned to look at Ruelle in panic.

Noticing the girl’s distress, the physician paused thoughtfully before adding, "However, I do know of a colleague who has been conducting research on ways to help humans who are still salvageable. The only problem is that he currently resides up in the north."

"North?" Mrs. Belmont whispered.

"Indeed. Especially when time is of the essence," the physician replied. He turned to Lucian and explained, "If you want the young miss treated, sire, you will need to send her there today and not wait."

"I don’t think that is possible, especially with the treaty still in effect. Without a formal letter, questions will rise about their absence and they need to meet at least one minister," Lucian responded and Mrs. Belmont’s eyes widened.

"I will have the letter sent and meet the minister. Forgive me, Ruelle, but I hope it is alright if we miss the wedding?" Mrs. Belmont asked.

Ruelle stared at her stepmother before she nodded. "Caroline’s health is more important," she agreed.

Since Minister Carnifex wasn’t available at his mansion nor at the courthouse, the next figure of authority to turn to was Minister Sylvan. And so, the Belmonts, along with Lucian and Ruelle, made their way to Minister Sylvan’s mansion.

But they weren’t the only guests present. Seated within the room were Minister Sylvan’s mother and Lady Lia, who, even though she was visiting the family, had her eyes fixed on Lucian.

"...my aunt has fallen severely ill and we need to pay her a visit urgently," Mrs. Belmont explained.

Minister Sylvan’s eyes narrowed as he murmured, "How unpleasant that you must leave when the wedding is right around the corner. Perhaps it would be wiser to send for her instead. The treatments here in the city are far superior."

"No," Mrs. Belmont replied quickly before she insisted firmly, "She is quite poor in health, and long journeys would only worsen her condition. It is best that we go to her instead."

"Forgive me, I merely find it strange that you have decided to leave the wedding behind," Minister Sylvan remarked, his tone deceptively polite. "One would say it is perhaps because it has only been since your husband passed away that your heart no longer resides here. Or is it, perhaps, because Miss Ruelle is merely your stepdaughter?" he prodded further.

Ruelle couldn’t help but snap her attention directly onto the shrewd-looking minister at the blatant insinuation. She spoke,

"Minister Sylvan, with all due respect, it is rude to insinuate such claims about my family, who have raised and sheltered me with whatever little they had. My relative is gravely ill and we only came here out of protocol."

Before Minister Sylvan could press the matter further, his mother spoke up.

"My daughter informed me that you were far too weak, given how quiet you remained at the soiree. But it is good to see that you have some backbone after all," the vampiress remarked, her voice carrying a weight of authority despite its softness."

Lady Sylvan’s gaze then drifted toward Lia, who was present in the room.

Lady Sylvan continued, "You should be careful of the quiet and calm ones. People often mistake silence for meekness. I find the quieter ones to be the deadliest. What do you think of it, Mr. Slater?"

"I think underestimating anyone is generally unwise," Lucian’s tone was curt, sitting beside Ruelle.

Lady Sylvan nodded and replied, "Well said."

It was hard to know whether the old vampiress’s warning was meant for Lia or for Ruelle herself before Ruelle noted the flicker of unease cross Lia’s expression which quickly disappeared.

Choosing not to dwell on the warning, Ruelle offered a respectful bow. She said,

"Thank you for allowing my mother to serve you all those years ago."

"Mira was one of my favourites," Lady Sylvan said as a thoughtful expression settled over her aged features. "She was excellent at everything she did. Knew what to say and how to handle any situation. Very knowledgeable. You look very much like her, you know. The same hair and face. It is a pity that she could not marry my son... nor could you."

At those words, Caroline spat the tea she had just sipped. Her eyes darted back and forth between Ruelle and the old minister.

"Marrying this old man?" Caroline blurted out loud, only to receive a kick from her mother, who shot her a look to stay quiet.

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