Chapter 7: The First Lesson

I woke up early the next day, with eight hours of dreamless sleep. All thanks to Alden, his presence, advice, and scent helped relieve my Omega of loneliness and fear. With him, I thought I could face all the misfortunes of the days to come. During my eighteen years of existence, I had never left my hometown, so that once I stepped out of my self-created safe zone, the distance was calculated according to dozens of rotations of heaven and earth.

The day I set foot in Devil's Land was also the day I spread the last soil for my own grave, because there was no prospect of allowing me to breathe the air with the man who was supposed to be brutal and ferocious. I just hoped I would die in the first month of spring with a bed of falcon flowers, a white satin covering my weary face, and not let Lord Regus or Aylmer know anything about my death. That way they would not feel sad and guilty about the past.

I patted my peach cheeks, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts in my head, how I was still melancholy after all Alden's efforts to calm my heart?

I greeted him with a big smile, before letting him help me get dressed.

"Now, we're going to have breakfast. Traditionally, royals usually dine together, but since you haven't been formally introduced to the Lord and Queen, we'll have a separate meal for the time being. After breakfast, I'll take you around the castle. At noon, you'll have a few hours of dance lessons under the guidance of the Master Dancer. We'll have a snack and then head to the High Priest who runs the ceremony and will guide you through all the traditional rituals for the wedding."

Alden glanced at my pout, then smiled;

"That's all the schedule for today."

I sighed,

"Thank goodness."

Under any other circumstances, I would probably be eager to explore the castle with my best friend. But being in my position, with responsibilities and worries about the future, it was impossible for me to enjoy. So following Alden, I stepped out of my self-made safe zone.

After walking for a while, I found that the surroundings were too quiet. It was as if the castle was still asleep. If I hadn't known the fact that vampires were not afraid of light, much less nocturnal, I would have thought that not only the Ruler of the Land, but also the servants in the palace were still asleep. That's right, when they had an upcoming wedding and their own mission to fulfill.

I sighed heavily:

"Even if you say that the Lord is a kind person, I still can't help but worry, whether the rituals are too difficult and I myself will accidentally get caught in mistakes."

"I don't live long enough to witness ceremonies like this, but judging from what I've heard from older vampires it's not really that difficult, at least one smart and as sharp as you can handle."

"I'm almost convinced of that by you."

I smiled at my best friend's flattery.

I was soon led to the large dining room, with breakfast already prepared. Completely familiar dishes, I think Alden had to instruct the royal chef to cook dishes to my liking.

"You're so thoughtful, Alden."

Alden placed the glass of peach juice in front of me, laughing.

"Three parts are quests."

He replied.

"And the rest?"

I clicked my lips and felt the moderate acidity of the juice on my tongue.

"Because I want to take care of you."

There was a warm copper flowing inside me, causing the corners of my lips to rise uncontrollably:

"It's good to have you by my side."

After breakfast, I went to a dance interview with Alden, where the dancer turned out to be a good Beta vampire, who enthusiastically and devotedly guided me through every dance step. It was not a difficult task for someone who was born into a noble family and raised in the palace of the ruler of the Flower Kingdom like me. And Beta exposure didn't give me too much pressure. But for an Alpha vampire, more than a ruler of the Demon Land, I thought skill and diligence alone was not enough. Therefore, it was important to hone the movements so that they were smooth, to ensure that the final dance at the end of the ceremony would be a complete success.

I diligently observed and followed the hand movements and steps of the instructor. With the inherent softness and suppleness of an Omega, along with Betas dedication, the initial stumbling blocks and shortcomings were gradually improved, although not yet reached the required level of perfection, but at least that didn't stop my footsteps.

"Thank you, Sir Isaac, for today's lesson. It's very interesting."

I bowed to the dancer after finishing the lesson.

"You already have the basic techniques, and I just support and make you play to your full strength. The intensity of the exercise may be higher tomorrow, so make sure you get plenty of rest, Your Highness."

Issac proved himself to be a gentleman by bending slightly and answering with a respectful attitude.

Through Beta's attitude, I thought I've at least gained some sympathy. If I had been forced to accept my fate, the way to be happier, surely, would have been only to fit in and go with the flow.

"Yes. See you tomorrow"

I said goodbye to Beta then walked out of the dance studio, gliding over the pensive gaze of the vampire, who didn't take his eyes off my back.

"Now we'll go to the High Septon. He'll guide you in drawing elaborate rituals for the king's spouse, then a woman will come to examine you and instruct you on how to serve the Lord. "

Alden closed his to-do list for the day, then turned to me, who was panting with blond hair and farting over his shoulders. He smiled, approached and let me lean on his toned shoulders, while straightening his messy hair.

"Pretty much work to do today, do you want to rest a bit? You look so tired."

"No need."

I refused:

"It's been years since I've been to a certain prom, I just need time to remember how it feels."

The last time I attended a prom I ended up exposing my scar in front of the guests in the castle. Even though the children who gloated at embarrassing me were immediately reprimanded by Aylmer, I still didn't have the courage to show my ugly scarred face in public again. And ironically, in a few days I would be presenting myself as the spouse of a king before the entire population of the Demon Land.

Perhaps noticing the slightly sad look on my face, Alden did not inquire further. And I myself asked to continue the schedule.