Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 184 - 184: Before You Leave

Ruelle's thoughts were so consumed by her having to live with her parents that she didn't care about Ezekiel's presence. If she had known this was going to happen, she would have bribed Peyton to remain as her chaperone until the wedding day. In her fevered mind, the thought almost made her laugh.For a fleeting moment, she wondered if she should have told the ministers regarding what her father had put her through. The proof was still hidden beneath her dress.

But only if it was that simple.

The conditions in the treaty tied the Belmonts and Slaters together. If fingers started pointing in one direction, they would eventually point in the other too. Lucian had broken her father's hands and also had burned down their house. Whatever protection she might gain would come at a cost.

She noticed her stepmother's eyes darting between her, her father and Lucian. The woman looked relieved one moment and worried the next.

Perhaps none of this would have happened if Caroline and the others had remained inside the dungeon. Then again, she wasn't certain of that anymore because the ministers had spoken as though the matter was being discussed for some days now.

"Please let me know how I can help," Ezekiel spoke to the minister. "As you know, the Belmonts don't have any criminal records and their daughters were raised well."

"We are aware of the Belmont family's circumstances, Mr. Henley," Minister Carnifex replied, his voice lacking sympathy. "It is possible that your wife was taken against her will but at the same time, it cannot be ruled out that she played a role in the escape. At present, we have evidence for neither."

Mrs. Belmont hesitantly replied, "Surely you don't believe—"

"We are considering every possibility," Minister Carnifex interrupted.

"And if I may add," Minister Sylvan stepped in smoothly, offering a courteous smile to Ezekiel, "with your wife being Ms. Ruelle Belmont's sister, her case naturally receives more attention than the others. We would prefer to locate her before any harm comes to her."

"Of course. I only wish for my wife's safe return," Ezekiel answered with relief.

Standing in the corridor, Ezekiel's jaw subtly tightened.

He couldn't believe that Caroline had disappeared instead of stepping on the gallows. The trial that should have ended in execution had instead ended with her disappearance. The woman was like a thorn that needed to be ripped out, an obstacle standing between him and Ruelle. He needed to find her before the officials did.

Across the corridor, Ruelle stared back at him. The fever had left a faint flush on her cheeks, softening her otherwise troubled expression.

"If the discussion with the Belmonts is concluded, the officers will escort them to their new residence. I believe Lucian has other things to deal with in the courthouse," Minister Sylvan informed them.

"You presume I am occupied, Minister," Lucian's gaze remained on the council minister. "I will accompany Ruelle."

Minister Carnifex gave a nod of approval. He said, "The guards will be stationed around the house right away. The house is hardly forty minutes from the courthouse."

"Let us hope you don't change your mind again from one week to the rest of the days, Minister Carnifex. It wouldn't look good if people were to hear how often you change your word," Lucian remarked, his eyes colder than they appeared.

"You seem to believe that the rules need to bend to you, Lucian. Or did you fail to read before the treaty was submitted by your very own hands?" Minister Sylvan's eyebrows rose in a mock question.

Ruelle wondered what the deal was with this minister who went out of his way to provoke Lucian or stick his nose in when he could turn a blind eye. Because at the end of the day, wasn't that what they wanted? To prove humans and vampires could co-exist and live in harmony.

"Strange," Lucian responded, his demeanour aloof. "The treaty appeared remarkably flexible when the Belmonts couldn't be found."

Minister Carnifex's lips set themselves in a thin line as he stared at the young pureblooded vampire. "One week." His words sounded less like a promise and more like a concession.

"I would like it in writing," Lucian stated bluntly.

Some of the dread in Ruelle's chest eased but it didn't disappear entirely with the change that had been forced onto them.

"Very well then." Minister Sylvan only smiled. "Kais, bring the carriage for the Belmonts."

"That is very kind of you, Minister," Mr. Belmont thanked them before offering a bow. "We will make sure to follow all the conditions."

"Thank you," Mrs. Belmont followed her husband's suit.

"How about you, Mr. Henley? I heard you had to give up your residence for your wife. It must be hard now," Minister Carnifex commented, turning to Ezekiel. "Do you plan to stay with the Belmonts?"

No, Ruelle's mind whispered. The last thing she needed was having him under the same roof.

"That—That, Mr. Henley actually found another house for him and Caroline," Mrs. Belmont was the one to respond and she smiled above the hesitance she felt. "Once Caroline comes, they can live together. I mean, the couple would want their own nest and time," she laughed at the end, her voice fading.

Ruelle doubted her stepmother wanted Ezekiel anywhere near Caroline, but right now it was evident that she didn't want her son-in-law near them. The man who had murdered other women. She wondered if the woman was kicking herself for making a wrong decision.

She saw Ezekiel stare at her stepmother before his eyes shifted to her father. He then turned to the elder minister and said, "Right. I also need to find my wife, so I won't be home much."

"Of course," Minister Carnifex's response was brief as if he wasn't interested in the matter.

Soon the carriages were pulled into the courtyard of the courthouse. Mr. and Mrs. Belmont were seated in the carriage that belonged to the courthouse with an officer, while Ruelle took the Slaters' carriage, accompanied by Lucian and another officer. Dane had stayed behind chatting with the officers.

Inside the carriage, Ruelle leaned against Lucian and an inaudible sigh escaped from her lips. Just the sight of her parents and the ministers had left her drained. She couldn't believe the ministers had pulled the guardian card on them. Her lips pursed and she wondered if her father would use the same trick.

In a way, perhaps it wouldn't have mattered even if she had told them what her father had put her through. The ministers had spoken of guardianship and conditions as though they were laws carved into stone. What was a cane compared to that? Children were disciplined in different ways. As long as she was alive, fed and standing on her own two feet, would anyone truly care? The title of guardian carried more weight than she did.

"You should get some sleep," Lucian murmured, feeling the rise in her body temperature.

Ruelle shook her head. "Once I get to the room, I will be sleeping a lot anyway." She didn't want to waste the little time they had together.

Somewhere, she felt as if the closer they got, the farther they were pulled away from each other. And the thought made her heart grow heavy. Perhaps she should have taken the initiative last night. She should have told him it was okay to not follow the rules...

"Ruelle," Lucian called her name and she instinctively turned to meet his eyes.

"Mm?"

"I will visit you." His words came without hesitation as though he had already decided it the moment the ministers had made their decision known.

"I know," she replied softly, her gaze dropping.

Lucian was not the sort of person to make promises lightly. But neither was the courthouse the sort of place that allowed people to have what they wanted. The ministers had already found one reason to separate them and Ruelle feared they would find another.

She could sense the tension beneath Lucian's calm demeanour, as though what had happened today bothered him far more than he revealed.

"Claude will bring your things later," he said. After a brief pause, he added, "If something feels wrong, leave the house. Don't wait. Just leave."

Ruelle gave him a nod. Keeping her distance from her father for the next seven days sounded like a wise decision. After some thought, she said,

"Lady Maxine had said that she's hosting a soiree for the women. Can you tell her that I accept the invitation?"

"When is it?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," Ruelle replied, before a smile cracked on her lips. If she was going to spend a week with her parents, she might as well spend as little time inside the house as possible, she thought to herself.

"I'll let her know," Lucian replied.

And while the carriages continued to travel, outside, snow-covered roads stretched beneath the grey winter sky while the distance between the courthouse and the Belmonts' new residence slowly disappeared beneath the carriage wheels.

Elsewhere, another Slater had chosen a different destination. Dane moved in the opposite direction. The forest ground was covered in hardened snow, the trees leafless, and there was no sight of a bird or animal.

His eyes skimmed the place as he walked before his footsteps finally came to a halt. His hand touched the tree closest to him and the next moment, the snow that had settled on the trees fell to the ground from the vibration that came from within them. The ground softly rumbled, the dead branches shaking in their places before the ground on one side collapsed.

Dane's feet moved forward before he finally stopped next to the collapsed ground. When he bent down and touched the surface, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. His hand continued to meddle with the broken ice.

When a faint rustle was heard far behind in one of the bushes, Dane turned and threw a shard of broken ice in the direction of the sound. He moved swiftly but by the time he reached the place, there was no one there except for the drops of blood that fell on the ground.

"Snooping when the body is missing," Dane hummed under his breath. His finger swiped the blood before he brought it to his nose. "Not a vampire, not a human. A witch?"

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, pushing his tongue on the inside of his cheek. Did that mean a witch had interfered after Harold Belmont's death?

"Well," Dane murmured as he rose to his feet, brushing the snow from his gloves, "if we're playing games now."

His gaze lingered on the drops of blood on the ground. A witch lurking in the forest. And a man who should have been dead walking through the courthouse. The smile that touched his lips was almost amused. Perhaps it was time to tip the courthouse that a human had been buried here. After all, secrets tended to lose their value once enough people started digging.

Away from the forest, the two carriages that had left from the courthouse finally came to a stop in front of a house with white walls. When Ruelle stepped down from the carriage, she noticed the house was as the elder minister had described it to be. It was obvious to know that it belonged to a human family. There was a simple garden and backyard. A tree that was old and tall, its branches covering one part of the house.

"This is lovely!" Mrs. Belmont exclaimed as she walked towards the door and stepped inside the house after the officer unlocked the door.

"A carriage will be provided so that it can be used to travel," the officer next to the older woman informed. "Two maids will be sent soon."

"They are being very generous...the courthouse, I mean," Ruelle murmured beside Lucian. To someone like her and her family, it was a lot. The house was located on the higher side of the town, where people lived far more comfortably.

"It is their way of bribing and making sure everything is followed," Lucian commented as they walked.

It was clearly working on her family, Ruelle thought to herself. She noticed her parents looking around the place and to think a while ago they were questioning about Caroline's whereabouts.

When the officer who had travelled in their carriage turned to speak to the courthouse's coachman, Lucian guided her inside the house. Furniture already filled the place and so did the other things to make it usable. It was a far nicer house than what they had in Brackenville.

Ruelle explored the house along with Lucian, who stepped inside one bedroom. There were windows on two sides of the wall, where one side was covered by the shade and branches of the tree planted close to the house. After checking the room, he turned and said,

"Use this room."

She was happy to comply. With no one near them, he finally said in a low voice only for her to hear, "Don't stay alone with your father at any time. Don't follow him anywhere. If he asks to speak privately, refuse."

"Carnifex will likely have guards stationed outside your room and around the house," Lucian continued, a faint frown settling between his brows. "Even so, lock your door at night. Lock the windows too. If you hear someone calling for help, ignore it."

"Okay," Ruelle answered. Seeing him stare into her eyes, she assured him, "I will take good care of myself."

It wasn't as though she had a history of staying out of trouble that would reassure Lucian everything would be fine. Still, she intended to make it through the next seven days without setting off another disaster.

His gaze lingered on her.

"Or perhaps I should live here," Lucian murmured.

A soft laugh escaped from Ruelle's lips. She responded, "I don't think the ministers would approve of it."

"She is right," came Mr. Belmont's voice as he cleared his throat. "The ministers would hardly be pleased if the arrangement was ignored from the very first day."

The smile on Ruelle's lips faded. Her father stood at the doorway, keeping a safe distance from Lucian while the officer stood behind him.

Lucian's expression remained indifferent to Mr. Belmont's words.

"I don't recall asking for your opinion. The arrangement exists because the ministers insisted on it, not because I agreed with it, Mr. Belmont. If it were my decision, Ruelle would already be back at the mansion. Let us hope for your own benefit that the next one week will go without an incident."

Mr. Belmont cleared his throat before saying, "I understand your concern, Mr. Slater. But Ruelle is under my guardianship for the next seven days. The ministers made that quite clear. So... there will be rules in my house as well."

At her father's words, Ruelle's eyes subtly widened and an uncomfortable feeling settled in her chest. Surely he wasn't planning to keep her confined to the house for the next seven days, was he? At that thought, her heart began to pound. Her father had never taken it kindly to having his authority challenged. And after everything that had happened between him and Lucian, she found it difficult to believe he would simply let the matter go.

Lucian stared at the human for a moment and he then remarked, "You've become remarkably confident since we last spoke. I wonder what changed."

Mr. Belmont forced a laugh before saying, "I am simply trying to follow the ministers' instructions." And though he smiled, it never reached his eyes.

Ignoring the human, the pureblooded vampire's eyes shifted to the officer and questioned, "What time are the guards coming in?"

"It should be no longer than a few minutes, Sire," the officer informed.

Lucian gave a short nod. After a few minutes, when the sound of carriages were heard outside the house, he turned to Ruelle and adjusted the scarf around her neck before saying,

"I'll see you soon."

Ruelle followed Lucian downstairs before coming to a stop beneath the doorway. Outside, the winter air bit at her skin. She watched him make his way towards the carriage where Claude was already waiting, one hand holding the door open.

On the other side of the house, guards continued to step down from the courthouse wagons while officers moved between them, assigning positions around the house. The guards were vampires, who seemed ready to protect and deflect from any possible intrusion.

The sight should have been reassuring. Instead, it only reminded Ruelle that Lucian was leaving.

A tightness settled in Ruelle's chest at the sight. Her hands clenched for a brief moment as her parents came to stand at the entrance of the house. Before she realised it, her feet had already started moving.

"Where are you going, Ruelle?" Mrs. Belmont questioned.

"I forgot to say something..."

And before Ruelle knew it, her feet quickened against the ground. The hem of her dress swept above the ground as she hurried forward, the cold air catching loose strands of her hair. Just as Claude reached for the carriage door, she stepped onto the carriage's footboard and the other inside the carriage.

Lucian's eyes were quick to meet hers. A faint look of surprise crossed his features, which was quickly followed by something far more attentive.

Before Lucian could ask what was wrong, Ruelle's hands closed around the front of his coat. For a brief second, his eyes searched her face. Then she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

The noise in her mind and the world outside seemed to fall silent as all she knew was the warmth of his lips.

Lucian did not move. For the briefest moment, it was as though she had caught him completely off guard.

The kiss was gone almost as quickly as it had happened.

Ruelle pulled away with her cheeks burning as her eyes slowly opened and her hands let go of his coat. "Have a safe journey," she mumbled.

The surprise vanished from his face while his gaze remained fixed on her, unmoving and intent. A muscle shifted along his jaw.

For the first time since she had known him, Ruelle had the distinct feeling that she had done something reckless. It wasn't because Lucian looked angry but it was the opposite. His eyes had darkened in a way that made her pulse stumble. Her feet moved backwards before they found the ground again.

Before either of them could say anything, one of the officers approached the carriage. Noticing Ruelle standing at the door, he paused and then asked,

"Is something wrong, Ms. Belmont?"

"No," Ruelle replied a little too quickly. Her gaze flickered back to Lucian noticing him still watching her.

The officer gave a nod and spoke, "Mr. Lucian, will it be alright if I accompany you? I wanted to discuss the findings of one case with you."

"Get in."

Her gaze flickered back to Lucian and she noticed him still watching her. He said to her,

"You should go back inside."