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Did they know that they were already dead? That all of them stood for one thing and one thing only, and that was their blood, promised to me by their very own prince?

I hated it. I hated Icas. I hated my father. But what could I do other than smile down at the monster that would soon have his grimy fingers around my throat like a collar?

I would make him pay for this. Maybe not then, but I vowed I would make his life a living hell for thinking he could use me like this.

“I, Icas Solei, come to propose marriage to Princess Aurelia Castle,” Icas said, his loud voice causing my head to pound uncomfortably. “I have brought jewels and gifts, as well as fifty guards, at your disposal if you accept. On our wedding day, I plan to triple anything you receive from me today.”

Oh great. Just what I need. How generous.

I didn’t respond. It wasn’t my place. Per royal vampire law, it was my father who had the power to accept or reject his proposal.

Instead, I let my eyes wander over the guards.Maybe they could provide some entertainment.It would at least be better than whatever I could do with Prince Icas. Their bodies were healthy, their blood warm, and most of them probably signed up for this knowing that they had the possibility of warming my bed if I requested it.

But most of them looked far too nervous to provide any fun. Sweat beaded a few foreheads. Hearts raced as my eyes traveled over them.

And then there washer.

Bright silver hair pushed out of her face, save for a few strands that fell onto her pale, scarred skin. She was bowed, like the rest, but she was deathly still. There was not a single bead of sweat on her, nor was her chest rising and falling rapidly as her lungs tried to keep up with her pounding heart.

…because her heart wasn’t pounding.

I almost missed it in the commotion of the room. But at the very front, off to my right-hand side, there was anabsence.Her heart was steady, almost silent in the wake of all those pounding around her.

Warm honey eyes met mine as she lifted her gaze. Just like me, she was taking in her surroundings. Analyzing the people who stood in front of her. Her heart jumped, and her heartbeat continued to rise as our gazes locked.

But she isn’t scared.Taken aback, maybe, but not scared like the others.

Even after the prince all but threw their lives away, she was calm. The only thing causing any type of reaction wasmygaze. A thought that only inflated my ego.

A little mouse wormed her way into the prince’s ranks, has she?

There was no other explanation. She entered the palace for a reason, and she must have known all too well what her future held…Unless that’s what she wanted?

I couldn’t stop the rise in my curiosity. I needed her close. I need to watch her next move.

She was dangerous. The beating of her heart and the various scars covering her body told me that.But that’s what was so enticing about her.

After years of being around guards who held no power and vampires who abused their mountains of it, here was a single human who had the possibility to tip the scale.

For the first time in more than a decade, I felt…excited.If my slow-pumping heart could, it would flip at the idea of what lay ahead of me.

“Such generosity,” my father said, standing and holding his hand out to me. Like the perfect primed princess I was, I placed my hand delicately in his and let him lead me down the stairsand to Icas. “Of course we would be more than happy to accept your proposal. Isn’t that right, Princess Aurelia?”

His tone gave no indication of how angry he truly was since the meeting, but I could feel it rumbling underneath his skin. The urge to rip my hand away from his as the volatile emotions trailed through our contact was so strong, I couldn’t stop the flinch.

I smiled at Icas as my hand was placed in his.

“I’m honored, Prince Icas,” I said, bowing my head to him. When I lifted my eyes again, I had to hold in the shudder.

He had already leaned forward toward my hand, but instead of kissing it, he flipped it over to bare my wrist to him.

“I shall drink from your vein to seal our proposal,” he murmured against my skin, his gaze daring me to pull away.

In front of everyone? He would dare?

Anger exploded inside me, only to strengthen when his fangs brushed across my naked wrist.

Never.Nevershould a vampire take blood from a royal unless for a blood bond. A blood bond I had no intention of forging with him. And it definitely wasn’t something that was done in front of an audience. It was sacred. Private.Personal.It was supposed to be my life essence. My power.Me.