Days turn into weeks.
An eerie silence carries through the vast palace – nothing like the lively halls one might expect from a place where a newly married couple is residing.
No words. No meeting. No commands. No complaints. Nothing. Just silence from both sides– an invisible power play to see who breaks their character first.
Eric is either in his room or in the library. Even Sauveur had lost hope of dragging Eric out by himself. As a result of being cooped up, he doesn't encounter Nashia even by mistake.
Though they reside in the same place, separated only by their joint chamber, they hadn't crossed paths once.
Two months had passed since their wedding, yet nothing much had changed in the palace – except the addition of a quiet soul.
Nashia's eyes and ears followed his every move, waiting to catch him vulnerable, to find a fault she could use to legally torment him.
But there he was – calm, reserved, stubbornly quiet, even with his own kin.
Not a single letter had been sent to the Empress or any member of the Zenith imperial family since their departure.
The only interaction he has in one day can be counted by the fingers of one hand. Ironic for an Emperor Consort.
He had been poised and composed every day and night. Not even the faintest sound – of nightmare, restless turning – was ever heard by Sauveur, who guarded him from just outside his door.
Except on two particular nights – two full moon nights, when the usually quiet nights of Rosett bustle with an eerie atmosphere.
A perfect night for the common vampire blood hunt. The usual quiet chamber of Eric betrayed signs of struggle.
Yet no one was allowed to enter to check on him. Sauveur had guessed that he might have had a fever on that particular day as a side effect of settling into a land rich in mythical magic.
The next morning brought visible fatigue once more. He would skip meals and refuse to leave his bed. The lack of his reaction frustrated Nashia more than she wanted to admit.
"I married him to break him – and yet he has been successfully holding his silent fortress. What kind of prince lives like this and still stays silent?"
Nashia ran her fingers through her thick hair, legs crossed as she sat on the velvet couch, sipping tiger blood.
"You didn't go soft on him behind my back, did you Yura?"
Her words were sharp, thrown lazily at the Duchess, who sat across from her, as calm as ever.
"I wouldn't dare disobey your orders, your majesty," she replies, her eyes resting in a calm gaze.
"He acts more like an average vampire, hiding away in his chamber just to avoid the sun," Nashia added, her words dripping with irritation.
"It's really strange, your majesty. But that's all he has shown so far," Yura admitted
"Infuriating!" Nashia scoffed in annoyance as she picked up a document.
"He will come around, your majesty. You will win as always. But I will suggest you try to interact with him."
"Why should I?" She barked, clearly irritated.
"You will never know his weakness until you poke in the right place. He is going strong, so you should go soft. Only softness can break hardness."
Nashia doesn't reply; she stares at the document in her hand. That idea wasn't wrong, but that doesn't sit right with her. She was his enemy, not a backstabber.
Eric's days were going well– if not for the loneliness. And somewhere in the silence, he may have even begun to enjoy it.
There was a vast collection of books here, far richer than anything in Zenith's royal library. No one disturbed his peace. Nashia didn't take an interest in him– nor did anyone else.
He had become more comfortable here in Rosett than he ever was during his twenty years in Zenith, though he still missed Sora…. and a few others.
Though he indeed missed his days in Zenith when he used to spend time in nature in his childhood.
No matter how much he denies it, Nashia's indifference still hurts. Who dreams of a wife in name only? Even his dreams betrayed him.
The air shifted in his room. The only source of light, the candles flickered, trying desperately to stay lit.
"My prince! Please! Come with us. Don't stay there – she will kill you!"
A faint voice echoed in the darkness. Eric turned sharply, confusion knitting his brows. Bars. There were bars in front of him.
"W-who is it?.." He rasped. A face began to appear on the other side of the iron."Sora?"
The name left his lips in disbelief. Heart thumping. Something wasn't right.
Why is Sora behind bars? His thoughts blurred. Everything around him was twisting eerily.
Eric stepped forward until he stumbled down. He looked back at his legs. Shackles. He was shackled there. Now he noticed, it wasn't her who was behind bars but him.
"W-what? What is happening?" He mumbled.
His attention went back to the girl standing just outside the bars. Only then did he notice a siren red eyes glowing in the dark just behind that girl.
He knows the owner of those eyes. That's undeniably her, Nashia.
His throat dried seeing her like that in the dark. She looked brooding as she stepped forward, her hand slipped over the girl's lips to silence her.
The girl thrashed in Nashia's grip but to no avail. Nashia's eyes never left Eric's frightened gaze. Her fangs are bare. Very close to going through the skin of that girl's neck.
"N-no…Noooooooooo!"
Eric's eyes snapped open. His chest heaved, drenched in cold sweat.
His gaze darted around the room – no bars. No glowing eyes. Just the dull grey dawn pressing against the window.
"T-that was a….nightmare?"
He muttered under his breath as he slowly came back to reality. He must have fallen asleep while reading.
"I must not catch her attention. I just need to hold the fort up until they are ready."
He reminded himself as he sat on the wide sill of his bedroom window. His head leaning on the window frame as he stared outside.
"If she takes interest in me, I doubt that would be a good one."