Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

On Saturday morning, the corridors and halls of Sexton had fallen quiet, emptied of the usual sound of footsteps and voices as most of the students departed in carriages at first light in the morning. By ten o'clock, the courtyard too stood nearly abandoned, with only faint tracks of the carriages' wheels pressed into the thin layer of frost.

In one of the corridors, before one of the rooms, Ezekiel turned the doorknob and upon pushing it, he found Caroline sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

The moment she saw him, she rose to her feet and cried, "I don't want to be sold to the minister!" Her voice broke as fresh tears gathered in her eyes. "Please, Eze. Do something—anything, please."

Her fingers twisted into the fabric of her dress. She did not understand why such a harsh fate had fallen upon her. She was a married woman, and now she was to be sent to another man's bed? She whispered, "I will kill myself!"

Ezekiel crossed the room and stopped in front of her. He brushed the tears from her cheeks and said in a low voice, "It won't happen. You must calm yourself now."

"It won't?" Caroline asked, her eyes glistening. "Are you going to sell the estate to settle this?"

"Yes," Ezekiel replied, and Caroline broke into sobs once more. He pulled her into his arms and held her there. "You are my wife. I would never allow such a thing to happen to you. It is my duty."

Caroline hiccuped, "I was so sc—scared...."

"I know," Ezekiel said, patting her head. "I have everything in order. Would you like to step out of Sexton today?"

"To visit my parents?" Caroline asked, unaware of the way Ezekiel's expression soured at the mention of them.

"No, not your parents," Ezekiel replied, and Caroline pulled back slightly to look at him. "It has been a long time since we have spent any time together, just the two of us. I heard there is a fair in one of the nearby towns."

"A fair?" Caroline asked, her eyes brightening a little. "Alright. Just you and me," she repeated, comforted by the attention he was giving her and by the thought that things might return to the way they once were.

Ezekiel gave her a warm smile and said, "Why don't you go and wash your face and change into something more presentable? I will fetch my coat as well."

Caroline nodded before turning away.

Ezekiel then stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. The smile on his face faded. When he came across one of the servants in the corridor, he handed the man a letter along with a small pouch of money.

"See that this is delivered to Brackenwell," he ordered the servant.

Ezekiel had grown impatient with the delay in putting Caroline behind bars, and so he had decided to resolve the matter himself. This was better, he thought. Ruelle would come to mourn her sister, and she would see the pitiful state he, the widower, was in.

Far from Caroline's room, in the quarters reserved for the pureblooded Elites, Ruelle stirred faintly at the soft rustle of movement within the room. Her eyes opened to the dim grey light of early morning and she caught Lucian sitting at the edge of the bed.

He had leaned forward slightly as he tied the laces of his black leather shoes.

For a moment, she simply watched him. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, and the pale morning light traced the sharp line of his cheek and jaw, leaving the rest of his expression in shadow.

In the last few days, Ruelle had found that simply looking at him was enough to send a strange tingling sensation through her body.

"You're awake," Lucian said, not turning around as he finished tying the lace and straightened.

"Are you returning home…?" Ruelle asked watching him turn.

Lucian picked up his coat. "No. Work." He slipped it over his shoulders before adding, "I have to visit one of the town's magistrates and then go to the courthouse."

"I see…" she murmured.

Ruelle watched him step right next to the bed where she was and then lower himself slightly, placing one hand on the bed so that his eyes levelled with hers. He asked,

"You're going to the fair today?"

Ruelle gave a small nod. "At eleven," she whispered. "Kevin said that would give the vendors enough time to set up and for the fair to begin."

Lucian held her gaze for a moment before he murmured with a frown, "I assume you will find trouble even at a fair."

"It isn't as though I do it on purpose or go looking for it," Ruelle said with a laugh. "And this time Edward will be there, so it should be fine. He said he is skilled at fighting and he will—"

Without a word, Lucian placed his finger lightly against her lips, stopping the rest of the sentence before it could leave her mouth. The touch was gentle but it was enough to send a small shiver through her all the same.

"Be careful today," he murmured, his gaze lowering briefly to her lips as he spoke.

For a brief moment, Ruelle lost focus, her thoughts slipping away from her, caught somewhere between the feel of his finger against her lips and the low sound of his voice so close to her face.

Then he straightened slightly and said, as though nothing unusual had just happened, "I've left some money on the table. If you find something you like at the fair, don't hesitate."

"That isn't necessary," Ruelle said, looking up and finding him already watching her. "I still have the coin I borrowed from you last time."

Lucian hummed quietly. "The coin you almost spent on your friend," he reminded her, and she smiled awkwardly. "Take it with you. If you don't use it, give it back to me."

He paused then, his gaze steady on hers as he asked, "Can you do that for me, Ruelle?"

It wasn't like she had to spend it. She swallowed before answering, "I can do that."

"Good girl."

Lucian straightened and stepped away from the bed. He walked to the door and turned the handle, but before leaving, he looked back at her once more. Then he stepped out, and the door closed quietly behind him.

Ruelle's body fell slack against the bed and she pressed her face into the pillow. She murmured into the fabric, "He's going to kill me like this…"

Once Ruelle was ready, she left the room and met her friends on the ground floor. She noticed how the ground was slightly slippery due to the frozen ground. Together, they carefully made their way toward the courtyard, only to pause when they noticed a lost figure standing near the gates.

The person was dressed in tattered clothes and wore a rough hat pulled low over their face. From behind, the person looked entirely out of place at Sexton.

"I am surprised Sexton hasn't thrown that person out," Hailey murmured, watching as the figure turned their head left and right in a very unconvincing attempt at casual behaviour.

"Maybe they are lost," Kevin suggested with his eyebrows furrowed.

At that moment, the figure turned around and all three humans' mouths fell open. Because it was Edward. He was wearing tattered, baggy clothes and a very obvious fake moustache.

"Am I a genius or what?" Edward asked, tipping his hat and looking extremely pleased with himself.

Ruelle looked behind at Hermes, who looked as though he were in a state of quiet shock, unable to bear the sight of the prince in such attire. The prince continued,

"I thought, what better way to avoid attention than to dress like a peasant? This way, no one will disturb us and we can spend time together."

Kevin wore a deep frown and he spoke carefully, "I don't mean to be rude, Your Highness, but you may be looked upon with some suspicion."

Edward made an offended sound. "My disguise is flawless," he retorted.

"Perhaps you should let Hermes carry all your belongings," Ruelle suggested gently.

"That I am already doing. Why would I need to carry anything?" Edward said chuckling.

That was good, Ruelle thought to herself. Because the last thing they need was for the prince to be mistaken for a thief with the pouch of money he would definitely flaunt and be thrown into a cell.

Edward then complimented Ruelle, "You are looking lovely today. Not that you didn't look lovely yesterday."

"That is very kind of you," Ruelle offered him a small bow.

To Edward, Ruelle was a shining star among ordinary people, and today was the perfect day to spend time with her.

He had not forgotten the time in the maze, and the memory still left him sour. During the hunt, he had spent hours trying to track Lucian down, only to learn that Lucian had already left the game. He had been chasing a ghost the entire time. The man had simply walked away!

Off to the side, Hailey muttered, "I am surprised we are even going out today after the den," and then coughed into her hand, pretending to clear her throat as she noticed the prince talking to Ruelle.

Kevin noticed what Hailey was watching and he said under his breath, "Maybe he thinks there is no competition."

"Here it is," Edward remarked as the horses' hooves were heard.

Just as the royal carriage came to a halt and everyone got ready to climb in, one of the wheels broke with a sharp crack, and the entire carriage lurched, tilting to one side.

"Hermes…I thought I told you today had to be perfect," Edward said, turning his glare at his attendant. But it was difficult for anyone to take the prince seriously when the thick moustache shifted every time he spoke.

"Pardon me, Your Highness!" the royal coachman said at once, bowing deeply in terror. "I was certain I checked the rims and the bolts. They were only repaired two days ago. I will have it fixed as soon as I can."

"This must be an ill omen…" Hermes murmured under his breath, and the prince rolled his eyes. Hailey's eyes snapped at the attendant as if believing him.

"Oh, please," Edward said, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. "There is no such thing as an ill omen when I am involved."

Just then, they heard the distant sound of horses approaching, the steady clip-clop of hooves growing louder as another carriage came into view along the road.

"See? That is Edward's luck. What could go wrong?" Edward said with satisfaction, waving a hand. "An empty carriage, just when we need one. Stop at once, that is an order from the royal prince. Take us to the fair."

Soon the black carriage came to a stop, and Hermes stepped forward to speak politely, "We are headed to the town of Briar Hollow. We will require your service for the return journey."

"Of course," the coachman replied, stepping down and bowing deeply. "I would be honoured to be of service to the prince."

Ruelle watched Claude walk to the carriage door and open it for them, standing aside in silence. Her eyes then moved to the carriage with a broken wheel.

'The weekend to the fair. You may take Claude with you,' Lucian's voice echoed in her head.

"Well, this carriage isn't too shabby and is quite nice," Ruelle heard Edward comment from inside the carriage.

Walking to the carriage door, the coachman bowed at her and she climbed inside before the door closed behind her. Soon, the carriage began to move, leaving Sexton behind and heading toward the town that had long since faded from Ruelle's memory.