Page 25 of Married to the Vampire Prince

He had only asked me to dance to save me from the blunder I had been about to make in front of Lord William, right?

“I…” Silas looked me in the eye, then looked away again. I got the feeling he was avoiding my gaze. “I do actually like to dance.”

A gasp escaped my lips. He couldn’t blush because he was undead, so this expression was his way of showing embarrassment. I filed this new image of my husband under ‘shy Silas’ in my head, committing it to memory.

A warm smile widened my lips. “I can tell from the way you’re moving that you have experience.”

“I used to dance a lot… before the war,” Silas said, and the pain in his voice was palpable. “I’m glad I haven’t forgotten… how to… Being able to enjoy this activity with you means a lot to me.”

He finally glanced back at me with sincerity in his gaze, and the look hit me so hard that I stumbled. Silas covered my blunder – yet another one this evening – by swiftly leading us into the next step, and we continued the dance.

“After the war… you stopped dancing?” I wanted to know more about my husband.

“I haven’t really had the chance to dance since then. The events of the war… changed the court’s perception of me,” Silas explained with sadness in his eyes. “You may have heard what the nobles’ opinion of me is.”

I nodded but said nothing further. I knew everyone saw him as a dangerous murderer and a ruthless war leader. The media had painted him as cold and merciless.

Silas looked even more dejected by my silence.

“So, you didn’t only ask me to dance to save me from a conversation with Lord William?” I smiled softly.

Silas’ lips twitched. “You would have told the lord you had no idea about his favorite battle, would you not?”

I bit my lip. “Yes… I really didn’t know, and I didn’t want to lie.”

Silas’ smile widened. “That’s very like you – honest and headstrong.”

My heartbeat quickened at his acknowledgment of my virtues, though those traits were arguably more like disadvantages in my current situation.

“How much damage would I have done if I said I really didn’t know what he was talking about?”

“Less than if he had caught you in a lie,” Silas chuckled. “But it still would have been terrible.” Silas’ gaze turned warmer, compassionate. “I’m sorry Mother asked you to come to this ball. It’s still too early for you to take part in society. I have no doubt though that soon you will learn everything you need to know. In the meantime you should not appear in front of the nobles, lest you cause an unnecessary scandal.”

My cheeks warmed, and I looked down. “I’m sorry…” I whispered.

“Hey,” Silas called to me, and I looked up. His gaze was firm; he seemed like he was a rock of stability, and I so desperately wanted to latch on to him. “I’m not saying all of this to criticize you. You aren’t lacking in any way. You simply need more time.”

“I am lacking,” I sighed. “Maybe I’m not cut out to be a Princess.”

Silas stopped us and gripped my forearms firmly. “You’re perfect just the way you are. You-”

A man approached, a vampire with a halo of curly hair. He stepped close to us, putting a hand on Silas’ arm. “Silas, I need to speak to you. It’s urgent.”

My husband gave him an annoyed look, but something in the other man’s gaze told me the matter must have really been important.

The vampire flashed me an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, oh wife of Silas, I need to snatch your husband away. Crown business, you see.”

The man seemed friendly, and the way he and Silas communicated with just glances, no words, told me the two must be close. I had only heard about one person being so close to Silas.

“Are you Lord Lukas?” I arched my eyebrows.

“The one and only.” He seemed pleased with me recognizing him.

Lukas Carter had been Silas’ second-in-command during the war and had continued to support my husband after peace had been achieved.

I nodded. “I get it.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Lukas continued to smile. He gestured to the door leading to the main staircase and looked to Silas again. “Let’s go.”

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