Claimed by the Prince of Darkness-Chapter 111: Static Before Lightning

At the time of dusk on Monday, the sky looked ready to drop the season’s first snow as if waiting to veil the world in white. A thin mist clung to Sexton’s tall and narrow windows. Inside, dozens of long candles were lit, their glow staining the stone walls. From the direction of the main hall, the distant sounds of violins and cellos spilled into the passageways.

In the corridors, the students’ voices filled themselves with excitement. Some were already dressed and ready while some were hurrying up and down to borrow what they needed from their friends.

In one of the buildings, Prince Edward now walked through the corridors with Hermes right behind him. The prince was dressed in a grey suit and wore a confident expression as he finally arrived at the door.

"Today is the day Ruelle Belmont finally realises how lucky she is to have handsome me next to her," Edward declared before a pair of students who were walking by bowed at him. He turned to his attendant and whispered, "Hermes, stand guard. I don’t want any interruptions. Not even if the building is on fire. Ruelle should look only at me."

"Of course, Your Highness," Hermes obliged, standing at the side near the wall.

"Good. Because when she opens this door," Edward said, straightening his coat, "history may very well change direction."

He knocked once, then immediately stepped back into what he clearly believed was a charming pose while holding out a bouquet of roses in front of him.

"This is for you—" Edward’s rehearsed smile turned sour when the door opened. "You again..."

Lucian stood at the doorway, one hand resting against the wood. He was dressed in dark clothes, the black shirt’s collar slightly open. His eyes moved from the flowers to Edward’s face.

"You keep appearing at my door with flowers," Lucian remarked, his tone almost idle. "You might start rumours you can’t control."

Edward’s eyebrow twitched at those words. He said through his gritted teeth lowly, "These are for Ruelle. You know... you have been particularly irritating lately, Slater."

"And yet you keep coming closer, Your Highness," Lucian responded, before saying, "You’re blocking my way." Without another word, he took a step into the corridor and closed the door behind him with a light click.

This had the prince take three steps back and scowl at the sheer audacity.

"Careful, Slater," Edward’s jaw clenched, warning him quietly. "If you become a problem for the royal family you might disappear permanently. You hide behind an old name and think it makes you untouchable?"

Lucian stared at the prince, who was an inch shorter than him. "Mm."

"..." Edward scoffed, before nodding. "Very well. I suppose some lessons must be delivered personally. If your blood is as impressive against the royal family’. Let us see it today."

Hermes turned alarmed and he quickly pacified the prince, saying, "Your Highness, the guests will already be gathering. It would not do to keep them waiting."

"Did you hear that? Be grateful I have better things to attend to tonight," Edward scoffed, as though granting mercy. "Besides, Ruelle would be disappointed if I kept her waiting for our dance and the air in the gardens is particularly romantic this time of year." A faint smile touched his lips as he murmured, "It’s only a matter of time before we are properly together."

Lucian’s unreadable eyes stayed on Edward a moment longer than they should have, watching the prince unblinkingly. Then he stated calmly,

"Be careful in the gardens," his voice dipping low. "There are creatures that maul couples this time of year."

He then slipped his hands into his pockets and walked away, leaving the prince’s words hanging uselessly in the air.

Edward turned back to the door and knocked again. "Ruelle?" He leaned closer, listening and after a second his eyebrows drew together. He murmured, "I don’t think she’s here. If she was, she would have stepped out at my voice."

"That is true," Hermes agreed, before clearing his throat and adding, "Perhaps it would be wise to inform a lady in advance when you intend to escort her. A lady may require time to prepare, Your Highness. Maybe it is best we go to the main hall as the ministers must have arrived."

And while the prince and his attendant disappeared down the corridor, two floors below in Blake Stellaris’ room, Ruelle stood before the mirror, carefully combing her hair. Beside her, Hailey had sliced a strawberry in half and was rubbing the juicier side against her cheeks, leaving behind a faint blush.

"I just need to wear the gown and I am ready!" Hailey announced, her voice turning louder out of excitement.

Ruelle smiled faintly at the reflection before her. She had shaped the ends of her blonde hair with a warmed iron rod. She had then twisted pieces of her hair from the side before pinning half of the portion and letting the rest of her hair fall loose down her back in gentle waves.

Placing the comb aside, Ruelle carefully slipped into her gown.

The gown was a soft shade of beige with fine embroidery tracing the bodice in delicate patterns, almost like vines in thread, catching the light when she moved. The neckline dipped modestly, revealing her collarbones without drawing attention, while the gown from the waist gave way to layers of fabric flowing to her ankles in quiet waves.

The sleeves were sheer and weightless, falling all the way to her wrists.

Across the room sat Blake Stellaris, who had just finished strapping her heeled shoes, was about to leave the room when she noticed Ruelle struggle with the lace of her gown.

The vampiress said, "Allow me."

"Thank you," Ruelle replied with a small smile as Blake’s slender fingers worked the laces by tightening them.

On the other side of the room, Hailey’s voice chimed, "Oh! Blake, I forgot to tell you. I’ll be moving out of here soon."

"Moving? Have you been hired already?" the vampiress asked with slight amusement.

"No, no," Hailey laughed. "I’ll be moving into the new quarters with Ruelle. Mr. Mortis has already spoken to some of the humans about it."

Ruelle still hadn’t been able to tell Lucian about it.

She had meant to inform him when he returned the night before. She had tried to stay awake but by the time he came back, she had fallen asleep on the couch. And this morning, Hailey had come by and they had gone to search for strawberries while discussing about the ball.

’It is getting tiring.’ His words echoed from yesterday.

The words had not sounded cruel but honest. And that almost made them worse.

Her lips pursed, her fingers curling at the thought of it.

"I see. I doubt most of us have heard about it. Probably because it doesn’t concern us," Blake remarked, giving the laces a final tug before tying them into a neat bow and informing, "It’s done."

"Thank you for helping me," Ruelle said with a grateful smile.

"I will be heading out now," Blake informed them before stepping out and closing the door behind her.

The two young women adjusted each other’s gowns and sleeves, and before they were about to leave, Hailey caught Ruelle’s hand and said,

"You missed the blush," picking up the strawberry in her hand.

Ruelle felt the cool, sweet dampness of the fruit, which was smeared on her cheeks and her lips. And once it was done, they finally stepped out, making their way towards the grand hall.

On their way, someone collided sharply with Ruelle’s shoulder.

"Watch where you’re going, Belmont," Alanna snapped, her lip curling as she hid something in her hand. "Wearing fine fabric doesn’t make you an Elite."

Before the vampiress could walk away, Ruelle spoke to her, "How unfortunate. Prince Edward was just asking after me, as I am his partner. I would hate for him to think I arrived at the ball already in distress because of someone."

"You..." Alanna’s jaw tightened. For a moment, it looked as though she wanted to say more but she merely turned and walked away.

"I wish you could do that again," Hailey snickered, watching the vampiress walking quickly before disappearing around the corner of the corridor.

"Hailey," one of the Halflings appeared before her, "Would you like to dance with me?"

Hailey turned to Ruelle, who said, "Go. I will see if I find Kevin." Her friend nodded before leaving with the Halfling.

After five seconds, when Ruelle looked ahead of her, her footsteps slowed.

At the far end of the corridor, Lucian stood half-turned in quiet conversation with a minister she vaguely remembered seeing once at the Slaters’ mansion.

Even among the elegantly dressed crowd moving past him, he did not blend in for someone dressed entirely in black. His hair looked untamed at first glance, yet somehow intentional. Like a balance between rebellion and refinement that suited him too well. She noticed the soft movement of it as he inclined his head.

Then, as if sensing the weight of her stare, he turned. His gaze finding hers without hesitation.

And while people passed with chatter and laughter in the corridor, Ruelle realised how Prince Edward was handsome in a bright way, while Lucian’s appearance was darker, his jaw carved along with the calm severity of his expression.

"There you are, Ruelle," came Prince Edward’s voice as he stepped into her path, blocking her view. He laughed, "I thought I would have to send the guards to look for you."

The corridor slowly rushed back in all at once and Ruelle caught Edward smiling.

His eyes widened slightly, wearing a pleased smile before he complimented her, "Well, you look more beautiful than anyone inside the hall, Ruelle. I even endured an hour of practice just for you."

Ruelle offered him a small bow. "I look forward to it, Your Highness." She couldn’t address him just by his name, because they were surrounded by people who came from high-standing families.

"Prince Edward," a distinguished gentleman, offered a deep bow who had stepped out of the grand hall. His eyes briefly moved to Ruelle and he remarked, "Is this the rumoured human you have wished to turn as your mistress?"

Heat rushed to Ruelle’s face as she turned to look at Edward, who coughed at her stare.

A strained laugh slipped out of Edward’s lips. He replied, "Ah—yes. I had written a letter to my father before, but there have been certain changes. I have to write to him about cancelling it for now, Count Westerling."

When the Count turned back to look at her, Ruelle bowed and offered her name, "Ruelle Belmont."

"Your name sounds familiar," Count Westerling hummed. The two men continued to speak of subject Ruelle wasn’t aware of. When she took a peek inside the adjacent room, her eyes widened and she shifted with her back against it.

What was that man doing here? Ruelle questioned in worry, noticing the minister she had come across once at Dane’s birthday celebration. She forgot what his name was. Something grease, she thought. She could still feel her skin crawl at the memory of how he had looked at her. Would he recognise her?

"Well, we should head inside now. Our first dance awaits," Edward informed the man he was talking to before whisking Ruelle inside and leading her to the dance floor. "Why does it look like you are going to stomp my foot?" he wore a sheepish smile.

"You sent the king a letter?" Ruelle asked in shock.

"I had forgotten all about it. Father must have forgotten it too, considering I didn’t hear his response," Edward responded as he moved her across the dance floor.

Ruelle frowned, her gaze wandering before colliding with Lucian’s, who stood not too far from them. He was watching her with the quiet focus of a predator and she averted her eyes.

"You aren’t angry, are you?" Edward asked in a whisper, noticing her face turn red and he believed it to be due to anger. "I’ve planned something special for you. "A little boating later." This had Ruelle look back at the prince. Did he intend for her to freeze to death in this weather? "It is completely safe. You’ll enjoy it."

But Ruelle wasn’t convinced.

When the final note of the music faded, polite applause rose around them and she slipped to where her friends were, while Edward got occupied talking to men from high ranks. But she soon returned to the dance floor with Kevin, who had asked her, while some of the couples continued to dance across the floor, keeping the space busy.

Across the hall, Lucian’s gaze followed Ruelle’s movements with quiet attention. He noticed the slight tremor in her fingers before placing her hand in another male’s hand when she returned to the dance floor.

She looked beautiful tonight, almost luminous beneath the chandeliers and yet rigid shoulders made her seem less like a young woman at a celebration and more like prey caught in too much attention. His head tilted at the thought of it.

His eyes moved to the corner where Edward had almost finished talking to his attendant about his plan for the remaining night.

Across the room now, Ruelle stood with Kevin, Hailey and the Halfling who had earlier taken her friend dancing.

"Last year we had lanterns which we bought from the market," the Halfling stated, "It was—"

Ruelle, who was listening, noticed the Halfling offer a bow to the person behind her. When she turned, her hair strands swayed before her heart stuttered for a second.

She saw Lucian lift his hand, just enough of an offer rather than a request.

"May I?"

The words were low, almost lost beneath the music but they reached Ruelle and she blinked caught off guard. Of all the people in the hall she hadn’t expected him to approach her.

The candles in the chandeliers flickered.

Far behind, Prince Edward had just broken away from a group of guests, clearly heading toward Ruelle, only to slow down when he noticed Lucian Slater standing before her.

When Ruelle placed her hand in Lucian’s, she felt his fingers close around hers before being led back to the dance floor. And just when they took their positions, the new music began to stir slower and deeper.

She felt Lucian’s steady hand on her waist. The movements were smooth, and she knew she didn’t have to worry about making a mistake out of nervousness, as she knew he would handle it. When he turned her, there was an underlying strength in his hands that made her aware of his control.

Ruelle noticed how small her hand looked in his. The music continued to play, drifting through the room and they made another turn. She kept her eyes lowered, though she didn’t know why—until he turned her beneath his arm and let her lean back just a fraction too far, her balance tipping into his control. When he drew her back toward him, her gaze lifted without permission, catching his eyes watching her.

Then Lucian changed the pattern.

When he spun her, he drew her back with a touch more strength than expected and she returned to him, meeting his chest with a soft jolt. His hand tightened at her waist just enough that her breath hitched.

Dane, who sat near the counter with his legs crossed one over the other, watched the dance floor with mild amusement. His gaze drifted from his brother and Ruelle to where the Henley couple stood at the edge of the dance floor, side by side yet silent, without making any effort to speak to one another.

On the sidelines, Alanna looked like she had eaten something sour and bitter as she watched Lucian dancing with Ruelle. The only people she had ever seen him dance with were Blake and his cousin, Angelina.

"Unable to watch it, Alanna?" a fellow vampiress named Gwendolyn asked when she began to make a move to step out of the room. "There seems to be something about her that the men gravitate towards her, isn’t it?"

"Today is a fleeting moment," Alanna responded with a soft huff. "You never know what will happen tomorrow."

The vampiress slipped from the grand hall without drawing notice, the music and laughter swallowing the soft click of the doors behind her. In the dim corridor beyond, torchlight flickered against stone walls. She did not walk far before spotting one of the human servants hurrying past with an empty tray.

"You," Alanna snapped her fingers.

The man froze in his tracks and turned wide-eyed. Before he could speak, she caught his sleeve and dragged him into a narrow side passage with no one around.

"M-milady, did I do something?" he stammered.

She released him before slipping her hand into the pocket of her gown and pulling out a small velvet pouch. She gave it a shake.

"There are twenty gold coins here," she said, watching his gaze lock onto it. "They are yours if you do exactly as I say."

The servant couldn’t look away from the pouch and he nodded. "Of course. What is it you need, milady?"

Alanna brought forward her other hand which held a slender glass vial filled with a translucent amber liquid.

"You will be serving drinks shortly," she said, her voice lowering. "One of those drinks will be for Lucian Slater. This—" she held up the vial between two fingers "—goes into his glass."

"Is it... poison?" the servant hesitated.

"If it were, you would not be standing here alive. You don’t need to know it," Alanna glared, looking down at the servant. "It has no scent. No colour. It will vanish the moment it touches the drink. No one will notice or suspect you." Her lips curved faintly. "But he must be the one to drink it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, milady," the servant replied with a nod. "I understand."

"Good. If you don’t, I will personally slit your throat," Alanna handed the vial to him. She then turned and walked back toward the grand hall, waiting for Lucian to drink the potion.