Chapter 1: Till death do us part

In the Walton household, Ginevra orchestrated a lavish banquet to mark the onset of a new year, fervently hoping her daughters would secure prestigious matches within high society. The Waltons, affluent and prominent in their village, harbored a collective ambition to ascend the ranks of elite society through advantageous marriages. Ginevra, a widow driven by a desire to prove her maternal prowess, devoted herself to the task of securing prosperous unions for her three daughters following the untimely demise of her husband to an unknown ailment.

Abigail and Sharon eagerly embraced their mother's aspirations, eagerly anticipating the opportunity to mingle with potential suitors and gentlemen. However, Shirlyn, the youngest of the Walton sisters, harbored a markedly different perspective, viewing romantic entanglements with disdain and placing little value on the pursuit of a marital match.

"I have been planning this day for weeks," Ginevra gazed at each one of her three daughters. "So that when you will find your path and marry the right man in the future you can remember these cheerful days."

Shirlyn unconsciously rolled her eyes. "Mom, why do you talk like we're going to leave overnight?" she gasped.

"I just want to be proud of all three of you," her mother replied, offering a shy smile. After taking some seconds of silence, she continued. "Especially you Shirlyn. You should appreciate the flatters you receive." Shirlyn perceived a scolding tone of voice, but she pretended not to hear it so that she didn't have to think of a comeback.

Despite her silence, her mother didn't let the matter drop and continued. "You will marry this year, like it or not." Her tone became colder and her eyebrows knitted together.

The tension in the Walton house was palpable. Their relationship was complicated and tumultuous. It completely differed from King William and his son's unique relationship.

Not too far away, in the Royal House, a banquet was organized as well to celebrate the arrival of Prince Liam. His father, King William, had been planning that day for months. Having the best dishes sent there from the best-starred restaurants in town, buying dozens of portraits and the most refined objects.

He was checking the clock every five minutes just to complain that time passed so slowly.

Another thing he did was asking the time to his servants to check if his just purchased clock was marking the time properly. His son didn't visit him often because of his troubled relationship with all his other relatives and being a vampire was a secret he had to keep. If humans and the realm would know what the Prince's deepest secret was, it would be such a scandal.

"Five minutes," the King whispered to the guards who had followed the orders the King gave them the day before and had left him alone.

When exactly four minutes had passed, the door finally opened.

King William smiled, and his eyes filled with tears, staring at the movement of the door as it opened. The thought of meeting his son after years was making him feel overjoyed. His heartbeat fastened and his breath quickened. He had been dreaming about that day everyday since they got separated and it was finally happening.

But the King's joy quickly faded, leaving full space to the fear that was draining all the hope in his body.

Wrinkles appeared on King William's forehead as his eyebrow curved. A shaky voice escaped from his lips, recognizing the person who stood in front of him. It was not the person he expected to see. "How did you find me?" he asked in a shaky voice.

His son bared his teeth and his jaw clenched. He tilted his head to look at his father shaking in fear. "You aren't even happy to see me, you only care about Jonathan."

He drew from the back of his trousers a dagger and pointed it against his father. His eyes were widened and his hand was less steady than usual.

"I am sorry that the wrong son visited you today." He took a step forward to get closer to his target.

"I will leave my brother without a father, just like he did with me, by stealing you from me." His voice was raspy, he took another step, lifting his weapon toward William's torso. The King took a few steps backward in fear.

A single tear rolled down the guy's cheek before he committed the worst thing that a son, although illegitimate, can ever commit.

The King was found just a few minutes later when Prince Liam arrived there and saw the puzzled gaze he received from the King's servant.

"Who are you?" The servant made the Prince halt by brutally stretching his hand against Liam's chest.

Liam gave him an annoyed glance, "I am not in the mood to joke." He raised his eyebrows leering at the servant, "I want to see my dad, I haven't seen him in three years and I am late for our meeting."

The new servant's face became pale. His gaze dropped on Liam's royal brooch and the clothes he wore. He understood he let inside the wrong person recalling that person's appearance, sweat formed on his forehead.

"I thought King Liam was inside." The servant admitted in a low voice, the Prince's eyes narrowed.

The servant gasped, staring at the Prince's hand that in a quick movement clenched around his neck. "He said he was Jonathan Waldburg." Liam's grip tightened, preoccupied and furious.

The servant finished his sentence, swallowing hard, "so I let him in."

Liam ran to reach the door and opened it with a powerful kick.

He saw his father's body lying on the floor, blood coming out from his father's chest. When he saw that terrible scene, a scream of pain escaped from Liam's lips and echoed in the entire house.

If only he had arrived earlier, maybe he might have prevented his father's attack. That thought intruded in his mind and entrenched. How could he bear that regret for the rest of his life?