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But Henry…I looked down at him once more, remembering his young age when I was a child. He had been so carefree back then, but after so many years, his skin had started to wrinkle, his hair grayed, and once again, he was missing teeth, but there were none pushing in to replace the lost ones.

He was dying right before my very eyes, and I had barely noticed.

Father had never wanted him here, but Mother had insisted. Humans, vampires, even witches were allowed to be a part of the family in her eyes. They all had a place. Even if they never so much as acknowledged Krae.

“Thank you, Henry,” I said with a smile, holding out my hand for him.Fuck, Father, I wouldn’t let the old man suffer. It was embarrassing and cruel.“I have not forgotten the day you were accepted into our family. Thank you for your continuous love and support. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

His smile caused a burst of warmth to spread across my chest, but just as he was about to reach his hand out to grasp mine, guards were at his side.

“Be carefu?—”

“Next,” Father called as the guards pulled the old man away with far too much force for his brittle bones.

I bit my tongue, not caring about the splash of metallic-tasting blood that spread across my tongue. I turned to the pile of gifts, shooing Melia away as she tried to grab the cape. Anger exploded inside me. It wasmineto handle. I could deal with my stepmother stealing any of my other gifts, but not this one.

If they thought I couldn’t see the small pile they kept for themselves off to the side, they were fools.

“Leave this one for me,” I whispered to her. “It’s special.”

And like a good little princess, I stood back in my assigned spot and greeted the next person.

But it was obvious that this one wasn’t like the others. I hadn’t seen him over the line of people, but as soon as he made it to the front, the anger rolled off him in waves.

He was a younger vampire, maybe not much older than I was. His brown hair was slicked back, and he wore a clean suit.

He didn’t have a gift in his hand, nor was he looking at me. He was just looking at Father.

“The queen would have never agreed to this,” he said, his words causing everyone in the room to silence.

“Excuse me?” Father asked, raising his brow.

“Her mother wanted her to marry for love,” he continued, his voice getting louder with each word. “You think we haven’t heard rumors of what the prince does in his free time? Think we don’t know that this is some power play?”

This was not the type of entertainment I wanted.The guards were frozen, unable to make heads or tails of what was happening. No one had dared to talk to Father like this before. He also hadn’t given them the signal to move in and cut off his head.

He was just…watching. His face showing none of the anger I knew must have been broiling underneath his skin.

“I can object to my own wedding,” I said, rolling my shoulders and moving closer to him. “But I haven’t. Half the family saw me accept him?—”

“We saw him disgrace you,” he said, cutting me off. “And Krae. The attempt at a blood bond has never been taken lightly. We worry for you, princess. We, just like your mother, only want what?—”

Guards were at his side in seconds, wrestling him down and forcing him to his knees. Another one came up in front of himand painfully forced a gag in his mouth before tying it in place with a knot at the back of his head.

There it is.My gaze traveled to Father, who was already looking at me. It hit me then.

He knew I hated this arrangement. He knew I would do anything to get out of it.

That bastard wants to see if I would shame him in front of the entire family.

It was a test. And there was only one way to pass it.

I tilted my head to the side and raised my brow as if asking him,What’s the holdup?

The slightest smile pulled at his lips before it disappeared completely. He stood, holding out his hand, only for a diamond-encrusted gold sword to be placed in it by a random guard.

Most kings didn’t like to do the dirty work themselves and instead had their right hands do it. But Father wasn’t like most kings.

Father liked to send a message.