Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 147: His Gift

Chapter 147: His Gift

"Ah! Careful on that spot." Maurice winced softly, almost pulling away from Samantha who carefully applied turmeric paste to the reddish burns on his bare back. To her relief, most of the burns he had gotten had healed, as if he had attended to the major wounds elsewhere, but there were still a few burns that needed treatment, whilst she had to stop again when she heard him wince to himself. Applying ointment or getting him to eat whenever he felt unwell was always mission impossible for Samantha, even during their younger days, and it was quite obvious his tactics hadn’t changed, but this time around, she did not blame him for it as she observed the burns intently.

"Did you get them from the fire?" Samantha questioned her brother who finally straightened his back since she was done. He turned around to look at his sister whose gifted green eyes glimmered with concern, but before she could apologize for not being there for him as promised, Maurice shook his head as he held both of her hands, silencing her with a deadpan stare as he wouldn’t want to see her cry again.

"Let’s forget about the past after today. You’re here, I’m here, and we’re both still alive." Maurice soothed her while looking straight into her glossy eyes, his own conveying his silent relief. "When the coronation ends, we’ll finally get to leave and start our lives somewhere that holds no memories of what we’ve been through here. We’ll forget everything, the pain, the separation, it’ll be like it never happened and we won’t have to feel sorry or guilty about anything. Remember? Father had plans on taking us away from EmptyHollow from the start, before he got murdered, and we have a chance to fulfill that wish."

Samantha listened to her brother speak, even his voice had changed from what she remembered it to be. What he said made sense to her, this was what she wanted too, to forget everything and start all over– to forget the pain in her heart. She wanted to agree with him, but whenever she tried to give an answer, her mind would inadvertently drift to Ivan and then she would lose her tongue, rendering her with the inability to respond, and then came the indecisive feeling that had her rethinking her choice.

Will changing places really do her any good? She couldn’t answer that until she figured it out herself.

"Maurice..."

Lowering her gaze from his, Samantha turned her head towards the window that had been draped with velvety curtains. Leaving her brother’s side without answering him back, she walked towards the curtains and spread them apart, whilst revealing the crimson hue that was beginning to shroud the moon, and her emerald green eyes widened in awe when an otherworldly light was casted upon the landscape below.

"The blood moon." She blinked as the moonlight spilled into the room, casting an ethereal glow upon her face, and a shiver ran down her spine. There was an inexplicable connection she felt towards the celestial transformation, but then the blood moon could only affect vampires and a few other supernatural creatures out there. Since she mysteriously possessed the powers of the missing orb, does that make her one of the supernaturals as well? Will it hold any effect on her? Disturbingly, she didn’t want to figure that out.

"Maurice, are you seeing this?" Samantha drew her brother’s attention to the blood moon outside the window. "Feels like the world is bathed in blood. Do you think Vesunard ever experienced a blood moon on a daily occurrence?"

"I heard the blood moon shows up twice every three decades." Maurice intoned quietly, crossing his arms above his chest as he came to stand beside her. "This is the first one we’ve seen this year, and another blood moon is yet to arrive. Fortunately for us, it holds no effect on humans, but... we are witnessing one for the first time."

A sudden knock on the door had Samantha dropping the turmeric paste she held in haste. She wasn’t particularly sure why she was eager to see who was out there, as if she had been expecting someone to come find her, but when she opened the door to see who had come, she wasn’t totally disappointed since it was Lucy who had paid her chamber a visit, but what drew Samantha’s attention most was the delicately wrapped package she held in her hand.

"Lucy? You’re here?" Samantha lifted her gaze to meet Lucy’s eyes that narrowed into a foxy slit, and it only ever happens when she was upset about something, but since that look had been used to welcome her, Samantha knew Lucy’s mood had to be because of her, and she understood why.

"Lucy I’m..."

"I do not wish to speak to you, but I can’t hold a grudge too since you’ll be leaving me all alone in the Palace. But.... Regardless of how I feel, I don’t want us to part ways with regrets. " Said Lucy whose frown gradually contorted into a smile, and she stretched her hand forward, handing the package to Samantha whose apologetic gaze shifted from her friend’s face to the package she was suddenly offering her.

"I present to you a gift from the vampire King himself." Lucy softly declared, making Samantha’s heart quicken. "You’ll need a dress to attend his Coronation, so he wants you to wear this for the night."

"He sent me this?" Samantha’s dazed gaze returned to the package that was still handed to her. Slowly, she took the package from Lucy, her itchy fingers caressing the soft fabric of the wrapping before slowly untying the silk ribbon that held it together.

Opening the lid, Samantha’s mind wandered what sort of dress he had gotten, but when the lid finally came off, an awed gasp escaped her lips at the sight of a breathtaking green dress. The lovely gown shimmered in the light, as if magically imbued with an otherworldly glow.

"This is.... This is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen." Samantha’s voice could barely contain her emotions as she looked up to meet Lucy’s lightened gaze. Samantha quickly lifted the dress from its package, feeling the smoothness of the fabric between her fingers.

It sparkled, as if threaded in stardust.

"He wants me to wear it for the coronation?" Samantha asked again, and seeing Lucy nod her head made a smile form on her lips. If he sent her this dress then that could mean he’s doing fine. She had visited his chamber earlier today, to see him, but she found it empty, and it was expected since he’d be busy with the traditions.

"We can discuss later, but I have to go now. Bring your brother too so I can finally meet him." Lucy waved before turning around to leave.

That evening, the guests and other rulers from different Kingdoms, including Queen Lucinda were starting to arrive at the Chevalier Palace. Samantha had gotten herself dressed in the lovely green dress Ivan had bought for her, and everyone was busy chattering the night away while Lucy gazed at Maurice who remained quiet like a becalmed sea, and his expression held no excitement at all.

"Is he.... can he speak?" Lucy whispered to Samantha who darted a quick glance at Maurice, and she smiled faintly before nodding her head. "Maurice is quiet in nature, it’s his weird personality, but it appears he’s gotten.... more dangerously quiet."

"Huh?" Lucy’s expression scrunched into confusion, but before she could ask what Samantha had meant by that phrase, the blowing sounds of a pipe organ was heard, followed by the announcement of Ivan’s entry before the grand doors opened.

A hushed silence fell within the crowd as Ivan stepped in. At once, everyone lowered their heads in a bow as the vampire King strode in, capturing the attention of every being present. His crimson eyes, which flickered with a mix of longing and power, shifted slightly to gaze at the young golden-blonde-haired maiden who was wearing a familiar green dress, and his lips twitched, as if he wanted to smile but stopped himself.

Samantha dared to steal a peek the minute he walked by, and she could feel her heart rate increase. No doubt, king Ivan could be named as the most handsome vampire Lord to ever sit on the throne, and the minute he passed her by, there was a strange unsettling feeling in her chest that had her clutching to it, as if she was in pain. This pain started a few minutes ago, and as soon as the coronation ended, she would make sure to see a physician on their way out.

Approaching the massive throne that waited for him, the throne that had been empty of a ruler, Ivan gazed at where he always witnessed his Father make the most critical decisions of his life, and now, it was his turn to carry on that role.

Taking his seat on the throne, Lord Viktor stepped forward and raised a hand to the subjects that were gathered here today, and he began authoritatively.

"Citizens of EmptyHollow, we thank you for honoring our invitation and being here as planned. Tonight, we gather here, beneath the full blood moon to witness the coronation of our new King, the youngest of king’s, Ivan Chevalier." He announced, earning several applauds from the crowds.

Samantha, who didn’t only get dressed but had made herself up for tonight, could feel a burning gaze on her. Glancing at Ivan, his eyes were on her, watching her without looking anywhere else, and Samantha nervously gulped as she averted her gaze elsewhere. There were so many people here, and he was staring in her direction like this?

"Heavens! I think his Majesty is staring at me!" A young maiden beside Samantha whispered eagerly to her fellow maiden who wanted to see.

"Are you sure it’s you?"

"Can’t you see? I heard his Majesty has a taste for black, do you think he likes the black dress I’m putting on? I wore it specially to gain his attention tonight!"

As Samantha listened to the maiden’s who fawned over Ivan, it had her wondering why he got her a green dress when his favorite colors were either white or black.

Samantha noticed he was still staring at her, and it was not a new thing since this isn’t the first time he was staring at her with such concentration, but it made her heart race differently. When the Lord was done with his speech, Samantha and Ivan were broken from their trance when another cheerful applause resonated within the hall, and the vampire King immediately composed himself.

The scepter and the crown was eventually bestowed on Ivan, and all eyes followed the intricately designed scepter. It looked more like a weapon than a scepter to Samantha, considering the tip that reminded her of the mouth of a fork. The hailing of Ivan’s name chorused within the grand hall, but the vampire King had his mind and thoughts elsewhere.

Everyone was in a gleeful mood that evening, and when the soft sound of music began to play, everyone grabbed a dancing partner and moved to the dance floor. Samantha headed for the table that had all sorts of food placed on the surface, but before she could serve herself, someone spun her around without warning, making her catch her breath, and she froze upon locking gaze with crimson eyes.

"I need you to dance with me."