Why wasn't he happy?
Did I play something wrong?
The questions circled in my head as my fingers left the piano keys. My heart ached, but my expression remained calm, composed. I finished the song just as I had practiced, pouring all of myself into each note.
The hall broke into applause.
Some guests even dabbed their eyes, moved by the melancholy tune I had chosen. I bowed my head in gratitude and walked back to my seat, feeling strangely hollow despite the admiration around me.
But he my husband did not clap. He didn't smile. Didn't even look my way.
The wedding ended shortly after. No grand farewell, no warmth in the air just duty, sealed and done. It was time to leave everything behind.
My brothers hugged me one by one. We were never too close, most of them were always away working, training, serving in different posts but today, they all showed up.
"If anything is wrong, write to us," my eldest brother, Axel, whispered as he pulled me into a firm hug.
Then he turned to my husband. "Please treat her well."
He simply nodded in return. No words. Just that same cold, unreadable face.
A part of me wondered... Is this how it will always be? A life of nods and silence?
My mother hugged me next. Tight. Tearful. Her hand rested on the back of my head, stroking softly.
"My dearest child... always remember to respect your husband and do as he says. Be obedient," she murmured into my ear. The same thing she'd said to me my whole life like a lullaby meant to soothe and mold me.
"Yes, Mama," I replied, softly.
She pulled away with a forced smile. Her eyes were glassy, but she didn't let the tears fall. "Alright... go on."
My heart squeezed when I turned to my father. He stood silently at a distance. No hug. No tears. Just that stern face.
"Be good, Lisa," he said. And then, a rare smile crept onto his lips. Not wide or warm but proud.
That alone made my chest ache.
I looked around one last time. My maids were upstairs in tears, waving down at me with their handkerchiefs. My home. My past. All of it fading behind me now.
The tears came without permission, but I quickly wiped them. I wouldn't cry in front of him.
The carriage awaited.
Leonard extended his hand and helped me inside. Then he followed, sitting across from me. The door shut. The wheels turned. The horses moved.
We were alone.
The silence between us was thick. Heavy. Suffocating.
I glanced at him a few times. He didn't speak. His eyes were fixed outside the window, his jaw sharp and still like carved stone.
He was beautiful. That kind of beauty that didn't seem real. Hair like woven gold. Skin like cold ivory. His features were chiseled with such perfection that they looked too intentional like a work of art sculpted by someone divine.
If I believed in the devil, I would say he was the devil himself.
Too perfect to be human.
My town, full of humans, had never shown me creatures like him.
Years ago, when vampires first revealed themselves to the world, many found it hard to believe. Monsters? In real life? It felt like the stuff of fables and myths. But truth could never stay buried forever.
Soon, stories of creatures emerged from all corners of the world. Witches. Werewolves. Angels. Demons. Fae. Entire histories rewritten overnight.
And now... here I was. A human girl, married to one of those legends.
To a vampire prince.
Leonard was royalty in a place called Bellflower. I had heard the name in passing before, but it always sounded like something from a children's book. Too whimsical. Too soft.
But it was real. A powerful land ruled by vampire bloodlines for centuries. The first vampire king had apparently adored bellflowers so much so that he had the castle filled with them and renamed the entire region after them.
The name never sat well with the citizens, but they obeyed their king. Of course they did.
Bellflower became known for its development advanced systems, trade, magic, and more. Other lands envied their power.
And now I... I was a princess of that land.
I turned my gaze to the window. The sun had disappeared. Night had fallen faster than usual. The stars were faint behind clouds. The carriage rode into darkness.
"You play the piano well," came a sudden voice.
His voice.
I turned to face him, startled.
"T-Thank you," I said, barely audible.
He had noticed, after all. My heart fluttered with a strange relief. Maybe he wasn't completely indifferent to me.
I wanted to know more. His name. His story. His past. I wanted to understand the man I was now bound to.
"You can ask me anything," he said, as if reading my thoughts.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. It shimmered under the dim lantern light. A watch.
My eyes widened.
I had only read about them in books. Our land was far behind in such technology. A timepiece that ticked on its own fascinating.
"You know what this is?" he asked.
"Yes. It's a watch. Made from France," I replied without hesitation.
He looked mildly surprised. Amused, even.
Perhaps he had expected the typical noble girl trained only in etiquette and embroidery. But I was different. I read everything. Politics, government, history, revolutions. I had always dreamed of working for the royal council, of shaping laws and changing my country. Of becoming something more than just a pretty wife.
But that dream was behind me now.
"You're well-read," he said simply.
"I love books," I replied. "Especially books about court systems, power... foreign lands. France is quite advanced in many ways."
He nodded once. And silence returned.
Still... I couldn't help myself.
"Your Highness... do you have another wife?" I asked quietly, biting my lip after the words left me.
His crimson eyes met mine. "No."
The relief I felt was... embarrassing.
Why did it matter to me?
I tried again. "Your High—"
"You can call me Leonard."
Leonard.
I repeated the name in my head. Leonard. Leonard. My husband.
No more words followed. His attention drifted away once again, and I didn't push it. I stared outside the window as the castle slowly came into view.
It was massive. Hidden behind thick trees and heavy fog, the gates loomed before us. They opened with a groan, and the carriage rolled through.
We came to a halt.
Leonard stepped out first and offered his hand. I placed mine in his, letting him guide me down.
The air smelled of fresh flowers bellflowers, I assumed. They surrounded the castle like a living wall. Pale purple petals, swaying under the moonlight.
Despite its size, the castle was... simple. But beautiful. Timeless. And yet... there was something eerie about it. Something secretive.
A butler appeared at the doors, bowing low.
"Your Highnesses," he greeted.
Leonard's voice returned cool and sharp. "Take her inside."
Wait he wasn't coming?
I turned to him in surprise, but he was already walking away into the shadows.
"Let's go, my lady," the butler said softly.
I stared at him. He was pale. Almost too pale. Half-vampire, I guessed.
I took one last glance at Leonard's retreating figure.
And followed the butler inside the castle of Bellflower.
Alone.