The Bride He Hates-Chapter 42: His Hidden Secret

With Elise’s dramatic departure, the atmosphere of the gathering changed significantly. The remaining courts continued their diplomatic and social activities, and the open hostility towards Lyanna disappeared. In fact, her public confrontation with Elise had earned her a grudging respect from vampires who valued strength and the ability to stand firm.

Lyanna sat beside Azrael at the head table, wearing a sapphire gown. She had learned to read the room now, sensing which vampires were genuinely talking and which were gathering intelligence, which alliances were forming and which were breaking apart.

Midway through the dinner, King Damien stood up from his seat and approached their table.

"Queen Lyanna, I owe you an apology."

Lyanna blinked in surprise. Vampire kings of his stature didn’t usually apologize to human queens.

"Your Majesty?"

"When we first met at your wedding, I judged you by your bloodline." Damien continued. "I saw you as a political pawn at best, a liability at worst. I assumed you’d be decorative and useless, unable to handle vampire politics.

But you’ve proven yourself more capable than many vampire nobles I know. The way you’ve handled the refugee crisis, stood up to Elise, that requires strength, and Shadowmere respects strength."

The compliment from him meant a lot. Damien was known for brutal honesty and military skills, he didn’t praise anyone for political convenience. This was a genuine appreciation.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lyanna replied. "That means a lot coming from you."

Damien nodded, then returned to his table. Beside her, Azrael squeezed her hand under the table, acknowledging that she was doing good, like always.

The evening continued with traditional vampire entertainments that Lyanna was still learning. Blood wine tastings were happening in one corner. Lyanna politely declined to join in, noting that the vampires seemed to appreciate her honesty rather than being offended.

In the main hall, demonstrations of ancient vampire martial arts were happening. Warriors were moving with supernatural speed and grace. Lyanna watched in fascination as two vampires from Eclipse Court showed fighting techniques that were centuries old. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

But the real business of the gathering was happening in corners and shadows, where political networking was happening over quiet conversations. Lyanna walked through these interactions with confidence.

During a break in the festivities, Lyanna stepped out into the castle garden for some fresh air. The constant attention from vampires was exhausting, she needed a moment alone to breathe, to let her guard down where no one was watching and judging her.

The garden looked beautiful at night with roses and night-blooming flowers.

"Queen Lyanna."

Lyanna turned to see Lady Sylvia walking towards her. The encounter seemed intentional rather than coincidental. Sylvia, for sure, had followed her out here.

"Lady Sylvia, are you enjoying the gathering?"

"Immensely." Sylvia smiled. "How nice to see you without your husband’s shadow for once. He’s quite protective of you these days; hovering, watching, and making sure you’re safe. So different from how he was with his previous companions."

The dig was subtle but clear. Azrael was treating Lyanna differently than he’d treated Sylvia or other women in his past.

"People change over centuries, even vampires. Priorities shift." Lyanna replied.

"Or maybe he’s just more possessive when he’s unsure of his hold. When he knows someone is truly his, he doesn’t need to guard them so carefully. But when he’s unsure, when he’s afraid they might leave or betray him, he becomes vigilant. Tell me, Queen Lyanna, does he still wake with nightmares?"

The question caught Lyanna completely off guard.

"Nightmares?"

Sylvia’s expression changed slightly, like she’d revealed something she shouldn’t have and was now calculating whether to continue or back off.

"Oh, you don’t know. How interesting." Her voice dripped with fake sympathy. "Azrael has had vivid nightmares for centuries. He had violent dreams about his turning, his maker’s betrayal, and various traumas from his four hundred years of existence." She looked for Lyanna’s reaction.

"When we were together, I often woke to find him thrashing, crying out in old languages. Sometimes he’d wake screaming, disoriented, and taking minutes to remember where he was. I assumed that as his wife, sleeping beside him every night, you’d know this."

The information was both intimate and troubling. Azrael had never shown this weakness to Lyanna, had never woken with nightmares in their bed. Either he’d learned to suppress them around her, or Sylvia was lying to make Lyanna feel like she didn’t know her own husband.

"How did you help him then?" Lyanna asked.

"I didn’t, really. You can’t wake a vampire from a nightmare, they’re dangerous when disoriented, and might attack. I learned to just wait until he woke himself, then distract him with... other activities." Sylvia’s smile was suggestive. "Physical intimacy grounds him, reminds him he’s in the present rather than trapped in the past."

Before Lyanna could ask more, Azrael’s voice interrupted them.

"How fascinating to find you both together talking in the garden again."

"We were just chatting." Sylvia replied.

Azrael walked towards Lyanna and grabbed her waist possessively.

"The evening’s final event is beginning, we should return to the hall. Sylvia, I’m sure you don’t want to miss it either."

It was a polite dismissal. Sylvia nodded and walked away, leaving Lyanna and Azrael alone in the moonlit garden. They walked back towards the hall in silence. Lyanna wondered if she should bring up Sylvia’s claim about nightmares.

Would it seem intrusive or a genuine concern?

Finally, as they were about to reach the hall entrance, she spoke up.

"She said you have nightmares. Is that true?"

Azrael didn’t stop walking.

"Sylvia talks too much about things that no longer concern her. What happens in my sleep is my business."

His non-denial confirmed it was true. He did have nightmares. And he’d been hiding this from her, maintaining his controlling image even in his sleep.

Lyanna realized that Azrael had been performing even in his sleep. He suppressed the nightmares or woke himself up before they showed. He wanted to keep the illusion of control and power. He couldn’t let her see him weak. He didn’t want her to know that his past trauma still haunted him.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" She asked. "If you’re suffering..."

"I’m not suffering." He replied casually. "I have them under control. They’re just echoes of old memories. It neither concerns you nor affects my ability to rule."

They entered the hall and saw the preparation for the final event going on. It was some kind of formal ceremony she’d been briefed about but couldn’t remember the details of anymore. Vampires were gathering, and preparing for the rituals.

But Lyanna’s mind was still on Azrael’s nightmares. He was so afraid of being weak, that he couldn’t even relax in his own sleep.

Lyanna understood then just how damaged he was, how deep his scars were, and how hard it would be for him to trust anyone when he couldn’t even trust himself to sleep without keeping everything under control.

The final ceremony began, but Lyanna barely paid attention. She stood beside Azrael, playing her role as queen, while her mind raced with this new information about the man she had been forced to marry.