Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 58: Not So Docile

Chapter 58: Not So Docile

Their present situation had landed them in an even more uncompromised position, but none of them took the risk to move away.

Samantha didn’t dare meet his eyes this time as the little space between them had been breached, and she wasn’t sure which side of Ivan she preferred - maybe none at all? But all she knew was that their close proximity was making her heart pound with distrust, and her mind would undeniably get clouded with bewilderment if she took the plunge to look at him in those unusual blue eyes he possessed. So many peculiar things were happening at once today, and Samantha could barely get herself to wrap her head around any of it.

"Don’t move." He admonished quietly when he sensed she was about to pull away, and Samantha was forced to halt at his command.

She felt more nervous now than in the arms of Nichole. Since she wasn’t bold enough to meet his eyes, her gaze uncomfortably lingered on his pale neck, following her hands that now incidentally rested on his broad shoulders.

’I never asked for this, oh heavens help me!’ she squeaked in her mind, squeezing her eyes shut when she heard the sound of stomping boots approaching where they hid, but then it stopped, as if whoever it was had changed his/her mind in a matter of seconds.

Concurrently, Abdiel already heard the news of the fire and had come to the Royal Mews to see things for himself. The flames had already been put out when he stepped in, and Nichole’s carriage was left in ruins - everything burnt and destroyed to irreparable measures. The young prince barely knew what sort of reaction to give as he paced about angrily, whilst rubbing his forehead, his eyebrows hung low in a deep frown as he stopped in his pace to look at the guards, and then he said.

"I need you to search the premises and leave no corner uncharted, I want to know who is responsible for this deplorable act!" He was half-yelling at the guards who bowed their heads in return, and not even Abdiel was able to cool his temper. He had spent a lot of money getting this carriage specially crafted, it was one of the things that made his luxury stand out amongst many other Royals during events, and much to his disappointment, it was all burnt down - his money, all gone. It shouldn’t matter since he can easily make a new one, but all that money!!!!

"Damn it!" He cursed and turned away from them.

"How did the carriage catch fire?" Asked Abdiel as he finished examining the strange occurrence and was now facing the guards that stayed back. "Who was the first to issue a report?"

"It was me, Sire." One of the guards that noticed the fire first candidly stepped forward to elucidate what he had seen, "Princess Ivy requested for some elderberries in the drawing room. I was on my way to get them from the main Palace when I saw the smoke coming from the Royal Mews. I had raised an alarm, but there was nothing that could be done as the carriage was already in flames."

"And you saw no one leave this place?" Abdiel queried further, and the guard shook his head truthfully.

"None, Sire."

"Come with me."

As the search continued, Ivan silently led Samantha between the narrowed gap of the Royal Mews outer wall, and the walls of the guest stables. He was holding her hand again as he led her through the dim-looking passageway, making them look less different than teenage couples trying to sneak away from the families that denied their union. If there was one thing Samantha had learnt today was the Vampire Lord’s ability to hide from others, wasn’t he known as the fearless one?

Pouting her lips as he continued to lead her through the passageway, they bursted out from the other end that led them into the inner rooms of the guest stable. Exiting the place, the first thing that hit Samantha’s skin was the warm orange glow of dusk, signaling the hours of darkness that gradually advanced the sky. The young woman was finally able to catch her breath as they had made it past the Royal Mews unharmed, and from the looks on Nichole’s face, he wasn’t going to take the destruction of his carriage lightly.

Turning her head to look at Lord Ivan who let out a puff of air, the Vampire Lord had ruffled his hair with his hand, and his eyes seemed detached again as he appeared to be thinking about something else. The image of how he had started a fire still left a frightening reaction inside of her, and she wondered if he had always had the power to raise hell - Vampires are born with abilities, that much she knew, but being able to cast fire was certainly not among the list!

Who is this man??

As if he sensed someone’s judgemental gaze on him, the Vampire Lord turned his head to look at Samantha who immediately faced her front. She had so many questions to ask, so many, but the Palace was still in the moment of mourning and she wouldn’t want to impose her self-thoughts on anyone.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" Samantha whipped her head in his direction, and she watched the young man take a good look around, as if trying to secure their privacy. When he glanced at her again, he placed a finger to his lips and quietly warned. "What happened back there, with the carriage - you saw absolutely nothing, do you read me?"

He tilted his head at her, looking virtually intimidating, "if a word about what happened leaks out, you will have me to deal with - personally, so shhhh." He smiled sardonically, and the dark gleam that flashed in his eyes frightened her to her wits, so much so that she nodded her head immediately.

"I don’t believe it." Ivan’s smile maliciously dropped, and her body automatically tensed when he stepped closer. Noticing her lack of understanding behind his response, he said. "Imagine directing a horse to move forward, but it moves back subconsciously till you use a different method to make it listen. You agree to things you can’t keep, and I can’t take my chances with you, I need to ensure, for good that what you saw doesn’t leave your lips, forever."

"I promise I won’t say a word about the fire to anyone, if I do, then you can cut off my tongue." Samantha raised her right hand in the air as if making an oath. The way he had threatened her with it, if she didn’t know better she would have assumed he wanted to end her life there and there, but when a sadistic smile curved his lips, Samantha’s eyes widened like she knew she had been played.

"My option was to lock you up in my room but.... You’re being such a faithful little lamb, we’ll go with your idea, okay?" Patting her head and giving her one of his earnest looks, he turned to leave.

"No no wait..." Samantha, who realized she had used her own mouth to place herself in hot soup, immediately called back at Ivan who was now walking down the colonnade, turning deaf ears to her cries. Of course she didn’t mean it when she said he can cut off her tongue! She was merely feigning allegiance to save herself, but.. but he accepted without further reconsideration.

’Ahhh my heart is beating so much.’ she gently patted her chest when the pounding in her heart refused to die down.

"Little Lamb, you follow me or I follow you, pick one." Ivan, who had stopped walking and was presently looking at the young woman, asked intimidatingly, and Samantha immediately hastened her footsteps till she reached his side again.

Following Lord Ivan into the main Palace, Samantha’s gaze lingered on the walls that appeared familiar to her. She rarely follows this part, but it made sense when a familiar door came into sight, with two bulky guards stationed at the front, protecting it.

"Isn’t this....?"

"The Orb room?" To Samantha’s greatest shock, Ivan completed her question for her, and when she looked at him with incredulity, he had stopped walking and was now facing the door that led to the orb room.

How did he know she was about to mention the orb room?

"Let’s take a look, shall we? Where the plight of GreenHollow officially began." He suggested, but Samantha gulped nervously at her own saliva, shuddering internally as she was unable to comprehend his reasons for bringing her here.

"My Lord, servants aren’t allowed--"

"you’re not as docile as you pretend to be, little lamb, so don’t use that silly good girl excuse on me." He silenced her with a pointed look, "aren’t you supposed to be interested in seeing where it all happened, or....." his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "have you seen--"

"I’d... I’d like to see it!" Samantha said in one breath before he could complete what she feared he was going to say. If he figures out she went in there, what if he gets the wrong impression and accuses her family again???

Two minutes passed by, and Ivan remained bizarrely quiet.

"Fine." He answered contentedly and walked ahead of Samantha who anxiously followed behind.