39

Dedicated to all my wonderful readers. Really sorry I have not been updating. School has been hectic, I almost failed win-win for my other book several times. I hope you like this chapter.💜

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Clarissa was shocked. " More important than my arrival? " she asked with flaming eyes.

Dimitri was quiet. He was following the king's orders but he had this slight fear that it might be more than he bargained for.

Leonard felt angry on her behalf.

While Raphael looked at the cat which sat in Dante's arms with a satisfied smirk.

He wondered how this would go.

Clarissa had a few choice words she would have liked to use to describe the fool she would be marrying and a billion ways to punish him and his stupid butler came into her mind but she reminded herself of her plan.

Seduce him, make him fall madly in love with her and then destroy him with his weakness.

She wiped the anger off her face and gave a chilling yet sweet smile to Dimitri, that had him wondering if he should run for the hills.

" When his majesty is less busy, do well to inform him of my arrival. "

He nodded and tried his best not to gulp as she walked by him. His eyes were trained on her and so he mistakenly bumped into the cheetah and almost flew out of his skin.

Clarissa derived small pleasure in his fear. She would do more than make him pay for the insult the king had asked him to deliver.

Clarissa believed that sometimes the messenger had to be shot.

When Clarissa came into the palace itself, she was enamored once more by its beauty. The kingdom of Shadow's Kiss seemed to have spent much in decorating its palace.

She thought back to her kingdom and how her father spent more of their resources on his people than the decorations and beauty of his kingdom.

Although very few kingdoms could rival the beauty and decor of Haven's Peak's palace.

She had turned towards the East wing which seemed to be clouded in darkness.

" My lady, " Dimitri called with haste. " Your room is this way. " he said, bowing as he stretched out his arms towards the West wing.

The man seemed to be keeping something from her.

" I would like a room in the East wing. " she said pleasantly.

He did his best not to be shocked at her request.

" No one is allowed in there but his majesty. Those were his orders. In fact, he said to let you know that there are two rules to be obeyed in the palace. "

She raised an eyebrow but her sweet smile never left her face. " Rules? For me? "

For a split second, her eyes trailed to the golden vase which sat on a table gracefully enhancing the beauty of the palace.

His eyes followed hers and he found himself gulping once more. He considered diving for it but instead he gave her the rules the king had told him to tell her. " One, you must never go to the East wing without his permission, most especially on a full moon. Two, you must never venture out of the palace at night or rather when the day is dark. "

" I see, " she said, moving closer to him.

He felt like a prey who could neither run nor hide.

" Tell me... "

He gulped. " Dimitri. "

" Dimitri. Why did your king place these rules and why does he think I'm going to obey them? "

Leonard felt anxious wondering what Clarissa would do?

She turned to the golden vase and lifted it up as if admiring it.

" His majesty did not give me the permission to tell you this. "

Her hand seemed to tighten on the vase.

Dimitri and everyone else waited for it to come crashing down on his head.

But then she placed it back on the table. " Such beautiful artwork. "

And what a beautiful mark it would have left on the vampire's face Clarissa thought to herself.

He let out a shaky breath of relief. " May I..may I lead you to your room? "

" Absolutely. " she said with her beautiful smile.

The king could keep his secrets for now but when the time came, he would be eating out of her palms and there would be no more secrets left for him to keep.

She smirked to herself and let the vampire king continue in the illusion that he'd won.

Raphael knew that Clarissa was up to something and he wondered if his friend would be able to control it when it came unfolding.

This would most definitely be fun to watch. He decided then and there to postpone his trip to the fey kingdom.

The room Clarissa was given was the very best in the West wing. She saw that all was tidy and to her taste. Therefore she had no cause to complain.

She noticed that Dante's room was right next to her and with a door attached. At first, she found it weird but then she thought perhaps the vampire king thought Dante was her child.

Leonard was given a room in another part of the West wing while Raphael went up to the room he usually stayed at whenever he visited.

Clarissa sat at the window staring out over the land plotting against the vampire king.

She looked at her bag and smiled.

A knock sounded at the door.

" Come in. " Clarissa said, wondering who it was.

Two maids came in and curtseyed. One was blonde and the other had dark hair. Both maids who were vampires looked beautiful.

" My lady, we've been asked to be of service to you. " the blonde maid said with her hands in front of her.

Clarissa moved away from the window towards them.

" Your names. " she said simply.

" I am Alise, " the blonde maid replied.

" I am Scarlett. " the dark-haired maid replied with a haughty look.

Clarissa disliked her immediately and gave her a smile of her own.

She looked them over. Their uniforms were quite short, especially that of Scarlett.

" These uniforms are not good. The next time you come here, I expect you to be in something longer. "

" The king selected these himself. " Scarlett said with a frown.

Clarissa looked up as if thinking and then looked back at them. " I can't bring myself to care. "

Scarlett wanted to protest but there was something in the princess's eyes that caused her to back off.

" Now, I would like to get ready for dinner. "

She walked towards the bed and picked up the red dress she had ordered in Winterbourne. " In this. " she said with a cold smile.