Page 5 of Married to the Vampire Prince

I simply walked past all the people and turned to one side at the staircase. I stopped in front of the giant oak door that led to my father’s throne room.

I turned back around to see Grace and her parents still standing at the entrance, looking around in confusion and wonder.

I cleared my throat. “My father awaits us.” I gestured to the door.

My words unfroze my guests. They walked past the servants, albeit with unsure steps. The rows of waiting people clearly made them uncomfortable.

An event that was so normal to me – being greeted so formally whenever I returned home –was strange to Grace and her parents. I usually paid the servants no mind. They moved around the palace with purpose, and their goal was to quietly serve my family and me. I was used to their presence. They were a constant in my life.

I supposed it would take a while for my soon-to-be wife to get used to her new circumstances. Perhaps there was something I could do to make her new role easier for her?

As I wondered about the best way to help Grace adapt, I opened the door to the grand hall and we walked inside. A few nobles stood around, watching two men positioned in front of the king’s throne.

We had arrived at the palace during my father’s hearing – an event he held for a few hours every Thursday during which he would listen to the nobles’ problems and pleas then pass his judgment.

The vampire men nodded as father finished his reply to their plea. They turned around and left, their faces appearing disappointed, but they knew better than to argue with the ruler of the country.

I paid them no further mind, strolling towards the throne. I gestured for Grace and her parents to follow.

As I passed by the elegantly dressed crowd, the nobles whispered to each other.

“It’s the scary prince. What does he want from the king?”

“Look at the woman behind him. She looks scared out of her mind. I would be too if I had to deal with that man. I wonder what he wants with her?”

“What has she done to get his attention? Scary… I wouldn’t want to be in her place.”

Didn’t they know I could hear their words? They must – we were all vampires, we all had sensitive hearing. Clearly, they wanted me to hear what they thought about me.

My heart clenched, but I knew I deserved such treatment.

To the world I was the ruthless prince; the terror incarnate. I had already accepted that the nobles disapproved of me. With Grace here though, the thought that everyone saw me as a monster somehow stung even more than usual.

What had changed in the short time I had known her? The fact that the world saw me as an outcast had never bothered me this much before.

My father smiled when he saw us approach, a genuinely bright expression on his face. “My son.”

At the sight of his warm gaze, I pushed the upsetting comments aside and stopped in front of the throne. No matter what, I always had the love and support of my family. What the nobles said didn’t matter as much as my father’s opinion of me.

However, there was one more person whose thoughts of me I cared about now… Grace.

I gestured to the woman standing next to me. “This is Grace Milton. She has accepted my proposal. She’s going to be my wife and Estone’s princess.”

The surprised voices of the nobles resounded in the hall. They no longer cared to keep up their pretense of hushed disapproval.

I tuned out the chatter, focusing only on the king.

My father’s smile grew even wider. He directed his warm gaze at Grace, looking her up and down, then nodded a few times. “An excellent choice. I’m so happy you decided to finally take a wife.”

My dad had been pestering me about getting married for a few years, but I had never found a woman who interested me. Until now.

I nodded. “Thank you, father.”

“You heard my son,” the king spoke louder, his voice booming for all to hear. “Grace Milton will be my son and heir’s wife. We will hold the royal wedding tomorrow evening.”

A gasp escaped Grace’s lips. “So soon…” She whispered.

I glanced at her. I wished I could say something to comfort her or that I could postpone the wedding so she could have a chance to become more comfortable with her new life. However, I couldn’t go against tradition.

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