Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 36: Allure Of The Dance

Chapter 36: Allure Of The Dance

His unexpected question had baffled the flustered Samantha, and she was inclined to meet his steady gaze. It held hers in its inescapable captivity, and she was unable to comprehend what the bearing look in those uncanny orbs meant. To her own knowledge, the royals of the Chevalier family normally hold a special night treat for all warriors as a norm, including the Prince’s who were part of the victorious war to watch the concubines dance. They were also given permission to treat themselves to any of the lower concubines as a bonus to relieve their strains.

The fact Lord Ivan doesn’t even have one made it pretty clear that he hasn’t touched any of the concubines in the Palace. Scratch that, she would never have guessed or sensed that he would demand a dance from her, but why is he in the mood for entertainment when he gave off the aura of someone who hardly appreciated it?

"My Lord--"

"In the Brothel." He firmly cut in, his hold on her wrist, and the other arm that swooped around her small back kept her in place. "It’s common for the ladies in a Brothel to know how to dance, or am I wrong?"

"N...no." she shook her head vigorously.

"Don’t lie to me."

"I swear I’m not good at it." Samantha blurted it out in one breath, feeling threatened by his hardened gaze. She tried to squirm free, but his hold on her remained firm as he gripped her shoulder, and he tilted his head to the side, his expression emphasizing the look; ’and where do you think you’re going?’

The way he gazed at her inflamed her cheeks. Samantha couldn’t lie that Madame Cerise didn’t teach her the art of dance, especially when it came to seducing men with body movements. They didn’t only acquire knowledge, but they were taught the art of seduction. The older courtesans never gave her a moment of rest till she decided to learn, and she never once presented herself to dance before the men at the brothel. But.. who knew she would end up facing the same dilemma in the hands of Lord Ivan??

"You will dance." The Vampire Lord gave his orders with no room for arguments, and then his grip on her shoulder loosened.

Samantha quickly got up from his legs, escaping the strange warm feeling his proximity had caused. Aren’t Vampires supposed to be naturally cold when it comes to the sense of touch?

"Over there." He snapped his fingers, pointing at the center of his room. "Change into something more appropriate for this, I need you to stand there and dance for me."

"Forgive me if you find this rude but why so sudden?" Samantha dared to ask. She noticed he had been spaced out since he returned to the room, and Lord Ivan was someone who barely returned at this particular hour. The only time she could spot him around was when she woke up the next morning to get his bath ready.

Lord Ivan remained unusually silent at her question, his gaze still fixed to the center of the room, and after a few seconds of waiting, he said. "I need a little distraction." There was a strange flicker in his eyes that only appeared in a fraction of seconds, and all of a sudden, he took the overfilled cup from the table and drank it till it was nearly empty, baffling the dazed Samantha.

"My Lord?"

"No more questions." He silenced her, and Samantha, who already opened her mouth to ask more questions instantly closed it up. The last thing she wanted tonight was to infuriate the Vampire Lord, and what if he takes her blood as punishment??

"Little Lamb." His sharpened startled the puzzled Samantha, and she lowered her gaze. "Why are you still standing here?"

"But there’s no music. How can I dance when there’s no music to accompany my steps? I’m afraid you will not enjoy it, My Lord." She bowed her head like an obedient servant who was ready to fulfill the wish of its Master.

She kept a calm expression, but inside, her heartbeat had magnified. She has never danced for a man before, and she barely knew how she was supposed to begin. All she could do right now was think of an escape route to avoid embarrassing herself since that can only be his main plotting, and her statement seemed to have worked, cause the Vampire Lord was silently contemplating on her words.

"You are.... right." He nodded after taking his time to think it through, but the smile that was yet to grace Samantha’s lips dropped when he added. "Isn’t it a good thing I kept Herbert standing on guard at my door tonight?" A cunning smile reached the corner of his mouth, and then he called.

"Herbert!"

Not less than a minute, the door to his room clicked open, and a young man Samantha hadn’t crossed paths with stepped in. He was neatly clad in royal armor with a silver badge carrying the symbol of a bat on it. Just like the man he served, his stoney demeanor remained unfaltering, and he lowered his head in a deep bow.

"Send the royal instrumentalist to my Chambers." Came the orders of the Vampire Lord, and the guard named Herbert bowed his head again as a form of acknowledgement before leaving the room.

"And you." Samantha was jolted back to the present when Ivan’s gaze returned to where she presently stood, and she blinked at him. "Go, get changed."

"As My Lord wishes." With another polite bow, Samantha hurried out of the room with quickened steps. Ivan’s gaze followed the peculiar woman till she was out of his sight, and then he closed his eyes when he was finally left alone.

Technically, he wasn’t someone who took interest in this type of thing, but since he needed that distraction badly, he had no one but his little lamb to get the job done. The royal concubines of the Palace followed a sensual dance step that he got tired of watching, and he was curious to know what his little lamb had to offer.

By the time Samantha returned, the royal instrumentalists were already present. Lord Ivan’s chamber was spacious enough to fit fifty people, and the ones playing the music stood close to the sliding window, all ready. Samantha didn’t want to be here, the way he treated her was rather odd, different from how one would treat an enemy. She was that scared she had to run to Lucy for help, but instead, she got a makeover from the silly woman.

When Ivan’s gaze focused on the young woman who stood at the center of his room. His crimson eyes raked the simple green flowing dress that clung to her hips, and when he met her eyes, she had covered her face with a transparent green veil, leaving only her captivating green eyes for Ivan to look at. Her golden blonde hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, flowing down her back, but Ivan was subtly reminded of her disheveled hair that night in the forest, and he wanted to see something similar.

"Take it off."

"Hmm?"

"The band on your hair." He elaborated, "take it off."

Hearing him speak, Samantha cursed him silently whilst biting the skin in her cheek. Was he trying to make fun of her?? To her own belief, it seemed exactly like his motive tonight. Despite her resistance, Samantha was left with no other option but to take off the band she used to tie her hair, and it spilled down her back with some strands falling across her shoulder.

Even the men who were to play the instruments were captivated by her allure, but when they felt someone’s death beams sending cold threats in their direction, they immediately lowered their gazes, gulping hard at their own saliva.

"What will His Highness prefer we play tonight?" Asked the royal violinist.

"Something more...... fervid." Came his response, and in no time, the music began. Ivan, who was suddenly starting to enjoy this, sat up straight with his half-filled wine glass in his grasp.

"Begin."

{Music recommendation: Love Story(violin) Joel Sunny : a little music recom’ to avoid making it bland <3 }

Samantha’s fingers dug into the edge of her dress as she stood in front of Lord Ivan. Her gaze swiftly drifted to the ones playing, but none dared to look at her since Ivan already gave them a warning glance. Afterall, this performance was for his eyes alone.

Taking a deep breath, Samantha tried to reduce the beating of her heart. ’Just pretend he isn’t here’ she silently cautioned herself before exhaling through her lips, and she seemed ready.

When another beat started, Samantha also began. She took each step with caution, whilst following the slow rhythm of the music. Her movements were hesitant at first since she was unused to dancing in front of people, especially men but herself. As much as she hated this down to her soul, she wouldn’t want to make herself a laughing stock for the Vampire Lord, so she was going to give it her best.

When the music picked up, Samantha’s confidence grew. She closed her eyes and let her body move to the rhythm, her hips swaying sensuously from side to side. She twirled around, and Lord Ivan caught sight of her bare back where the dress plunged below.

The music was surprisingly slow and languorous, with a soft, seductive melody that seemed to wrap around Samantha like a warm blanket. It was the kind of music that made her feel alive and vibrant, and she moved with a grace and fluidity that was breathtaking. Why did he pick such a tone? To be honest, she assumed he would pick something harder to stress her, but shockingly, the music wasn’t difficult to follow.

Lord Ivan, who wasn’t particularly sure of what he expected from her, carried an impassive stare, but deep within, he was surprisingly fascinated as Samantha’s body was in sync to the music being played. His eyes followed her delicate hands that reached up, only to get tangled in her flowing hair as she began to move with abandon.

Her hips rolled in a slow and sensual rhythm, causing Lord Ivan’s breath to quicken out of impulse. He wanted to look away, but it was difficult for his eyes to stare at anything if it wasn’t her. Her lovely curves were laid bare as she moved with fluid grace, her dress swishing around her ankles.

Samantha’s movements were slow but hardly deliberate, every curve of her body was a tantalizing invitation that Ivan found difficult to ignore, he felt shockingly provoked. When she turned to face him, her emerald eyes clashed firmly with his, she could feel the heat that emanated from them. Was that a good thing?

Noticing the slight annoyance in his eyes, Samantha graciously moved closer with a twirl, the soft fabric of her dress caressing the Vampire Lord’s face, he instinctively closed his eyes from the contact, inhaling her sweet scent.

He would have grabbed the dress if he wasn’t holding a drink in his hand. This feeling..... he hated it!

"So you lied to me." He uttered when she paused in her step. "You said you didn’t know how to dance."

"I don’t, neither is it a lie. I’m just showcasing what I was taught. My Lord." Came her curt response, and Ivan, who was trying to pick an offense, was left mute. He cleared his throat and finished his drink. He was successfully distracted, but he doubts he would be getting any sleep tonight. Knowing this, he quietly glared at the cause who averted her gaze with immediate effect.