Mated To The Dead Prince
Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Rose followed Cornelia into the Blood Castle through the back door; she noticed how beautiful every part of the building looked; if only it wasn’t always covered in darkness all the time, she wouldn’t mind appreciating the gothic architecture of the house.

"Did you hear me?" Cornelia asked as they climbed up a stair that led to a dark passageway.

"Huh? I’m sorry, I was just..." Rose didn’t know how to tell the woman that she hadn’t been listening to her without seeming disrespectful.

"That’s okay, I was just warning you never to talk back at the master, never look him in the eyes, and most importantly, never enter his room, it’s forbidden," Cornelia warned as they emerged in the familiar long passage that had the carpeted stairs which led up to Cassius’s study.

Rose gulped as she recognized the place. This time, she made sure she took note of every word of warning Cornelia said to her. She needed to keep them at the back of her mind if she needed to survive.

Her palms became sweaty as Cornelia led her up the stairs, memories of what happened the last time she was in his study came rushing through her mind, making her nerves turn cold.

"You were supposed to be assigned a duty by Susan, but the master has asked for you. You shall begin your work after seeing him. Good luck," Cornelia informed Rose and walked away, leaving her alone in front of Cassius’s door.

Rose felt hands start to shake; she looked at the door and contemplated knocking or just pushing it open.

She took the deepest breath she’d ever taken in her life and slowly raised her shaking hand to the door. But before she could knock on the door, someone pulled it open from inside.

"Aargh!!!" Rose screamed in fear and shock as she stared at Dabmond, smiling at her in front of the door.

Wasn’t he dead?!

Or was his ghost back to haunt all those who were present on the day of his death?!

"Shh, shh!" Dabmond shushed Rose and quickly covered his palm over her mouth, softly looking into her eyes to calm her down.

Rose vigorously nodded her head at the vampire, scared that something might happen if she did otherwise.

"Good, let’s be quiet; if not, he’ll kill me again, and then kill you, " Dabmond joked, chuckling, but he noticed that Rose wasn’t sharing his amusement.

She looked as frozen as ice from fear.

"Relax, we’re vampires, we don’t die easily," Dabmond said seriously.

"Come on, he’s waiting," He said in a gentle tone.

Rose nodded and reluctantly followed him into the room.

This night was different, the room wasn’t as dark as before, and the Chinese-style lights bulbs hanging around the walls were all turned on, brightening the whole room.

The first thing Rose noticed was the devilishly handsome vampire sitting intimidatingly behind the big table.

He looked so cold and unapproachable; just looking at him revived her fears all over again.

"Brother, she’s here," Dabmond said with a little bow and stepped away from Rose’s front so she now stood directly in front of Cassius’s table.

Rose kept her head lowered to the floor as she felt his cold gaze on her. She still remembered the advice Cornelia had given her; never look him in the eye. That was exactly what she wasn’t doing at that moment; she wasn’t looking him in the eyes; for her safety, she would remember all the do’s and don’ts... or maybe, just don’ts.

"What’s your name, little human?" Cassius asked, regarding Rose with an intense stare.

He started staring at her, from her neatly clipped, long black hair to her smooth bare face; he noticed that her skin looked more radiant than before, and her bare face looked more colorful. The maid uniforms made her look so innocent and pure and yet so attractive.

Cassius would have fallen for her deceptive looks if he didn’t already know how horrible humans were.

"Rose...sir," She replied, head still lowered and hoping she hadn’t gone wrong anywhere with her reply.

"That’s a lovely name. Don’t you agree, brother?" Dabmond asked from the corner where he was leaning against the tall shelf.

Cassius ignored Dabmond’s question and stood from his chair, walking around his table and slowly walking up to Rose.

Rose heard him stand from the chair, and she saw his dark figure approaching her.

Her pulse raced faster as he came closer to her, she bit her lips anxiously, twisting her fingers together in her internal tumult.

"Kneel, human," Cassius ordered as he stopped a few feet away from her.

He could hear her

pulse racing through her veins from fear and suddenly felt like sinking his fangs into her neck and feeding from her till she had no more pulse left.

But he wouldn’t, he would never. She was unworthy of becoming his food.

He looked at her lowered head and saw her lower herself to the floor on her knees. He noticed a difference in her personality, she seemed to be more obedient now. She was probably trying to buy his trust by acting coy.

Rose obediently lowered herself to her knees, clenching he fists beside to control her anger toward the monster in front of her.

She hated him!

Why did he bother asking her name if he was just going to keep calling her ’Little human,’ like some specimen that was being referred to with the species name?

"From now on, you belong to me. You will be my slave; your duty is to attend to everything that concerns me and do everything I want you to do. Understood?" Cassius said indifferently, looking down at her.

He could feel the anger and hatred from her, but he ignored it; after all, it was mutual. As long as she didn’t behave insubordinately with him, then he would overlook her feelings, he didn’t care what a lowly human thought about him.

Dabmond remained quiet, observing his brother who was observing Rose.

Why had he asked her to become his slave?

Normally he never had to ask anyone personally. It was just assumed that all the slaves in the castle worked for all the princes according to their assigned duty for the day.

But, by asking Rose to be his slave, did he mean she was never to serve someone else?

Or, did he mean that kind of slave?

"I asked, did you understand me, slave?" Cassius asked dangerously.

"I... I..." Rose was breathing hard as she battled with inner voices.

One told her to go ahead and say what was on her mind, while the other voice told her not to.

Cassius’s face turned dark as he realized what Rose was about to do.

"Look at me, Human," He commanded her in his velvety smooth voice.

Rose slowly raised her face Cassius’s face, and once again, she marveled at how beautiful he was, but unfortunately, he was too evil to admire.

She stared unblinkingly at his face, remembering the fact she had seen that same face looking so peaceful inside his coffin in that forsaken cave.

For the first time in Cassius’s uncountable years on earth, he was thrown off guard by someone’s thoughts.

Was this how humans operated? Curse you this second, and in the next, they’re calling you beautiful, then cursing you again?

He lost track of what he was about to say to her as he heard her call him beautiful; no one had ever called him that.

He quietly stared into those clear aqua-blue eyes; they looked scared yet brave; he never expected to feel any firm resistance from her after all she’d been through.

"You had something to say, little human?" Cassius asked, tilting his face to the side and using his finger to trace the side of Rose’s cheeks.

Rose blinked back to reality; she suddenly felt like she was being hypnotized as she was staring at his face.

She removed his eyes from his face, regaining her will.

"Brother, I think she understands what you said,"

"Quiet, Dabmond. Do not interfere," Cassius warned Dabmond.

Dabmond could also feel the anger from Rose and he knew that whatever reply she was about to give was going to land her into some serious problem with his brother.

"I said... I- I don’t and will never belong to you. I hate you!" Rose suddenly found her courage again and screamed at his face, her heart pounding in her ears as she became aware that her actions might be what led to her end.

Dabmond feared for Rose, he looked at her with pity, even empathy. He imagined himself being the only vampire in the human world and how he would feel if he, unfortunately, entered into the hands of those wicked scientists who would use him roughly in every way possible.

He shivered from the thought.

Now he watched Rose’s face as she tried to remain brave, but he knew it was over for her; no one had ever blatantly refused and cursed his brother his entire existence, and now, a little human thought she could do it so easily and go scot-free.

But, to everyone’s surprise, Cassius chuckled, a dark chuckle, but regardless a chuckle. For the first time, Rose noticed a very faint smile on his lips, and it creeped the hell out of her bones.

This was never how he was supposed to act toward a human who had openly insulted the Prince of darkness.

Rose watched with utter shock as Cassius offered her his outstretched hand.

"Get up, little human," He said in a bone-crippling voice.

Rose immediately knew that this was silence before a storm.