Princess Alice

"She isn't?" Cyrus felt those words slipping out of his mouth in a flowing manner.

He wasn't expecting his bride to be not this lady.

"No, she isn't. Your bride's name is Princess Flora. She isn't the one. Her name is... Princess Alice." Dominic cleared things in a much better way.

In his accordance, it was very much needed. Never in the wildest dream can he allow his sister to be the prey of a monster like vampires.

Not only that, this Prince's vibe already has a negative hint about his mysterious gaze. "You will be meeting with your dear bride very soon."

"I'm looking forward to the same…" despite this stammering, Cyrus's eyes narrowed at the stare of his own at the unconscious girl on the bed.

'Alice. Princess Alice…' Cyrus's mind called her name out but that never slipped from his tongue.

Tearing his head away, he entirely stepped out of the chamber to immediately leave the human side of the palace.

That would be the last place where he would like himself to be standing. But in the middle, came his father who made him halt in the steps.

His father was standing in the middle of the corridor without letting out any expressions of his, "How is the girl?"

Coming face to face, he answered, "She was unconscious."

"Unconscious? Hah, who asked her to go to the basement. Anyways, you already saw your bride's f-" King Almen's words were interrupted by Prince Cyrus immediately, "She isn't my bride."

King Almen's eyebrows raised slightly when he heard those words. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "She isn't?"

In response, Cyrus shook his head. At least that is what they told her.

But deep down, he was already feeling a slight level of disappointment.

Unlike him, King Almen looked not too surprised but a faint sign of regret lingering down over his face, "If she wasn't. You shouldn't have helped. That wasn't even needed by them and.. we got nothing out of it."

"But they do care for her.." Cyrus answered when he recalled how horrified King Vilas was in her absence.

Moreover, her name carried the royalty symbol as well. Just from her way of dressing to the two mighty men, worrying about their death was already an intruding thing for him.

However, King Almen found it absolutely lewd. He took a wipe back to signal his soldiers at the back, "If she wasn't your bride, it was all a waste...nothing else counts."

In the end, Cyrus kept his mouth sealed. He had no response to give, only eyeing King Almen.

Upon sensing his gaze at him, King Almen said, "I will retard back. Tomorrow, the council head will come. It will be a long day!"

Hearing this, Prince Cyrus nodded his head only bowing slightly to his father, "Good night to my King.."

"Good night, Cyrus."

King Almen patted Cyrus's shoulders in appreciation before he walked back to his chamber, leaving Cyrus all alone in the corridor.

His soldiers left along with him, when Cyrus was looking at the back of the King who had disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.

At the same time, one of Cyrus's special soldiers stepped ahead to stand beside the Prince. His facial expressions were kind of similar to that of the Prince, except for the long mark over his cheeks because of the cut.

"What are you thinking about, Prince?" The soldier, named Griven, asked to which Cyrus's lips curved upwards.

His eyes shone with the gold, covered with the winter mist in them. "Don't you sense something wrong in this entire situation, Griven?"

"Something like King Almen's unusual happiness in this alliance with these humans.." Griven answered without missing even a single beat.

Griven was the closest ally of Cyrus, someone whom he trusted with his life. There were fewer secrets, as both could already see the cunningness of King Almen clearly.

Cyrus took a deep breath but his gaze never remained down, "Correct. Too much excitement. But we know…. How much he hates those humans. He hates their smell…" with this, his face twisted when those possibilities appeared in his mind with the line.

There wasn't even a bit of shock to him, but all that surfaced was a surprise. How can this King change so smoothly?

Or was this change superficial?

"I would suggest my prince maintain the distance. We never predict the King's next move but.." turning to his left, Griven stared at Cyrus, "...his steps and decisions can afford to put your life at stake."

"He is merciless. He won't care about anything else except his own pleasure and status. Prince Cyrus is advised to… devise and walk on his path." Griven completed his words, without moving his glance away from Cyrus.

His serious voice was heard by Cyrus when he smiled, but that smile reached his ears. "My plan?"

"I'm already walking on what I have thought. Unfortunately, this time, King and my plans are quite similar…" Cyrus answered when he recalled his own selfish motives which were hidden from the rest of his eyes.

In other's sight, he might appear to be his father's puppet but in reality, he knows the extent to which the King can go.

That was the mind he possessed to analyze his own mysterious father.

"Prince Cyrus, don't marry that human then," Griven said in his serious voice. He left no space for negotiation, sounding more like a piece of advice, a sincere one.

But Cyrus's mind worked in the other direction where they found it a lot unreachable.

His face turned colder and kept on turning the aloof one until he ruffled his hands through his brown hair.

Griven witnessed his change of expression from the soft to cold and then to the icy layer that spread on his face. Yet what came was his sharp reply, to defend his space and actions for one and all.

"I will marry her. Definitely marry her. To show her the position which she deserves. That a Vampire and…. A human can never get into the perfect alliance."