Page 28 of Cruel Vampire King

“Marissa. Why am I here?” I demanded, putting my hands on my hips.

She blinked. “Because the king wishes it.”

“Butwhy?”

“I don’t question the king. He ordered me to bring you, so I did. I love him, so I obey him,” she said casually.

I inhaled sharply. Unbidden, a spike of jealousy went through me. “So he’s your lover?”’

Marissa burst out laughing. “Gods, no! I love him the way any subject loves him. The way a woman might love her cousin,” she added. “I don’t want to fuck him.”

If my relief showed on my face, she gave no indication. She gestured for the bathing room, and I, hesitating, stepped through. I peeled off my clothes, stiff with mud, sweat, and blood. I didn’t even care if Marissa saw me naked. The call of the hot water in a tub the size of a pool was too tempting. I waded in, sighing as my aching muscles eased.

“How do you expect me to explain this tomorrow when the team sees I’m all shiny and clean?” I asked as I unbraided my hair.

“Do you really think they’ll notice?”

“Yeah. We have no water, and they’ll notice that my face is clean,” I answered.

Marissa shrugged. “I’ll show you a nearby spring before I leave you when you go back. Then you can share it with them and say you bathed in the night.”

Okay, that was clever. And helpful, too.

Now that I was here, and the shock of being whisked from the forest was wearing off, I was able to think clearly. Luken had me brought here for a reason. And that meant I could talk with him. Bargain with him. Plead. I might not have much powerhere, and I had no idea how much he actually wanted me and how much was just about control, but I had a chance to change things.

I scrubbed myself quickly, choosing unscented soaps to clean myself with. There was only so much a secret spring would explain to the others, after all.

Once I was clean and dry, I put on the underwear and slip that Marissa had left for me in the bathroom. It was very sexy, I had to admit. The panties were a lacy thong, the kind that was easy just to rip off my body. The bra was covered in lace but was more structured. And it was comfortable! Somehow, it managed to lift and plump my breasts while also feeling like they were being held by clouds. The band fit perfectly. The slip was silk. Actual silk, and not polyester satin. It was cool and light against my skin, and thick enough that it hid my body.

It occurred to me that just the underwear alone probably cost more than I’d ever held in my hand at one time.

“I’ve picked out a few gowns for you to consider,” Marissa said, nodding to a few clothes racks holding dresses. “You’re to attend the masque tonight. I’ll dress your hair while you consider your gown.”

I frowned at her. “A masque?”

“You’ll enjoy it,” Marissa said. She gestured for the chair, and I took my seat. She started to oil and brush my hair in a way that reminded me of when Anna or Mom would do my hair for parties in the village.

I clenched my hands in my lap. “Does he do this every year? Pick a contestant and… whisk them away to fancy parties?”

“No.”

Could I believe her? I sighed. Of course, I couldn’t. Which meant any further questions were irrelevant. Except maybe… “Does he bed them all? The winners he drinks from?”

Marissa hummed as she coiled my hair into an elegant knot, hiding the ragged ends. “I’ve never asked. It’s really none of my business, is it? What dress would you like?”

I pointed to one that was a rich burnt umber. The neckline plunged, but not so deep to reveal my scars. The sleeves were long and would reach my wrists. The skirt was full and floor-length, embroidered with darker orange vines. It might not be the most beautiful dress, but it would cover me the way I wanted it to. It fit like a glove, and the venetian mask that came with it had a lazy veil that covered the lower half of my face. Before Marissa led me from the room, I checked the other masks. They all had that veil.

Of course. If anyone at this party watched the Trials, they’d recognize my scars. So I might be a guest but my identity was being kept secret.

Marissa led me down the wide, curved stairs to another room. It was decorated in reds and blues, with a massive painting taking up one full wall. It was the image of a beautiful elf woman sitting in a chair, a small child on her lap. Beside her was a vampire I first took as Luken, resting his hand on her shoulder. As I studied the painted face, though, I realized that his eyes were brown, not amber like Luken’s.

“My father and mother,” he said behind me.

Chills ran down my spine.

“And me,” Luken added, stepping up beside me. “I was only two at the time. She was beautiful, wasn’t she? My mother. I miss her.”

Anger surged through me. He missed his mother? Had she been brutally murdered? If he was trying to humanize himself to me, it would take more than that. I missed my mother, too. I missed my whole family!

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