Page 75 of The Ballad of the Vampire Prince

“Calm down, Aelf. I was with him,” Red’s voice resounds from behind me, mildly breathless from the chase.

“He is forbidden from wandering the town,” Eyepatch says with little to no emotion. He draws out his long sword from its scabbard. I don’t have time to entertain this one-eyed knight’s horse shit.

“We were having drinks earlier,” Red continues in his easy manner. “I think it’s a good exposure. People need to get used to his presence eventually.”

Eyepatch trains his icy blue eye on me. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“He’s here to see his wife.” The crimson cloak knight decides to become my mouthpiece for the day and talks on my behalf yet again.

Wife.

I love that word. It makes Rhianelle sound so perfectly mine.

“Council is over for the day. Let him accompany her to the tower,” Red suggests to his fellow knight. “You and I have to see the bodies in the morgue anyway.”

Eyepatch has that look again as if he’s contemplating of putting an arrow through my chest or my throat, perhaps both.

I stare right back at the fucker.

But something strange happens. A subtle change in Eyepatch’s features and he sheathes his sword.

“If you hurt her, I will break every bone in your body,” he warns cooly, before stepping aside.

I scoff at that in my head. Bastard doesn’t know I’ve endured worse. I walk past him quickly with Red still trailing behind my back.

The knight stops in his tracks just as we reach the white pillar entrance to the town’s square.

“Apologies for earlier,” Red mutters politely with a smile. “My brother is a novice at throwing threats. Here’s what I would do. I would cut you into tiny fucking pieces. Some parts I’ll bury, some I’ll throw in the ocean, some I’ll just burn or chuck in a vinegar jar. It should be fun to see how you’ll regenerate then.”

Much better.

I leave him and head straight towards the girl across the piazza. Rhianelle detects my presence almost immediately. Her face lights up and I hope to hell it’s because of me.

“Svenn…” A smile begins to curve her lips before it ceases halfway as if she immediately scolds her face for reacting.

“I’ll take her to her room,” I tell the towering knight beside her.

Tall One’s gaze moves to me in casual appraisal before he walks away without word. Of the three males guarding Rhianelle, this one’s presence is the most tolerable.

Our promenade to the keep is met with curious eyes from all across town. Only a few brave children dare to walk up to the queen to present her with flowers. She entertains them, even though I know she’s exhausted. Half my mind simply wants to carry her in my arms and fly her to the room.

“How was your day, Svenn?” she asks, making small talk. After the inane chatter with Red, the few words spoken byRhianelle are soothing to my ear. She talks of simple things, the weather, the books she’ll bring for me tomorrow. But I lap on every single word that falls from her lips.

A strange feeling accosts my chest. Unusual, foreign. As much as I need to feel her stretched around my cock, I have started to crave for something else now.

This.

Walking. Talking. Just being with her.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

The girl may not be a wicked enchantress, but she has utterly bewitched me.

“They’ve given me so many,” she says, struggling with the flowers she received in her hands.

I help her carry them and place some on the wreath of her headdress.

The simple act awards me with a beautiful laugh from her. But no matter how many times she smiles, her anguished look, the one that no one else can seem to see, remains on her face.