Page 67 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 1

"Oh." My heart aches for him. He talks about her with such affection that it's hard to think he doesn't get to spend time with her the way he'd want to. "I hope I get to meet her someday."

"I'm sure you will," he responds, picking up the stick Pip has just dropped in front of him. He throws it for her again and she races away. "Our father will forgive her eventually, and then she'll return to court. You'll like her."

"I look forward to finding out."

Linc sits down beside me and puts an arm around me. I lean in, resting my head against his shoulder. My dog bounces after the stick, playing with reckless abandon, and for one of the first times since I arrived at Castle Sanulieon, I feel completely at peace.

I'm sure it won't last for long, but I plan on enjoying it for as long as I can.

FIFTEEN

Pip is still tired from her play in the forest last night, but that doesn't stop her from being excited about getting food this morning.

I push open the door into the dining room and she hurries in, going to sit by my chair. I pause for a moment, trying to work out what's different about the room.

"They've not set a place for Eliza," Bella says without looking up.

"Oh." I go to sit in my chair. "I guess I thought she and her husband would be living here like you and Thomas do."

She snorts. "Definitely not. House Vermouten doesn't have apartments at court, so Thomas and I stay here when we're here."

"I didn't realise." I smile at the servant who sets down a goblet of blood for me, and help myself to breakfast.

"He has a charming castle up north, so I've heard."

"You've never been?"

She shrugs. "I've never had a reason to."

We lapse into silence, both of us eating while Pip devours the food in her bowl. I'm not sure if it's the fact she's technically a vampire too, or if it's because she's eating regularly and the food is better, but she's looking a lot healthier than she used to, and it's not even been a month since we arrived at the palace.

The door opens and Bastian stalks into the room, taking his seat without saying anything to either of us. I'm not sure what exactly is frustrating him, potentially that Eliza's wedding forced him to accept that his own is coming soon.

When the door opens again, I pay a little more attention as there's only one person whose arrival it can announce. The three of us stand as Lord Fallmartin enters the room.

"Ah, good, you're here," he says, though it isn't entirely clear which of us he's talking to. My assumption would always be that it's Bastian he's after, but I could be wrong.

We all sit back down, but none of us start eating again, probably because we can all tell that something else is coming.

"I wanted to talk to you this morning, Beatrice," my father says.

I freeze in my seat. "Me?"

"Yes. I have excellent news."

My stomach drops and I slip my hand into my pocket to rub the key Linc gave me. It isn't quite as good as the twine from Pip's old rope at centring me, but it's been doing a good job so far.

"Your betrothal has been secured," Lord Fallmartin announces, a note of pride in his voice. "I was able to finally secure it last night.”

My eyes widen. "My what?"

"Your betrothal. You'll be married at the next full moon," he says.

"That's barely a month from now."

Lord Fallmartin gives me a look that says he doesn't particularly care.

"Who is it with?" Bastian asks, not even looking at me. He probably feels guilty because he lied to me about the fact my betrothal was part of the deal for us becoming vampires in the first place.