The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the woods as a group of palace maids in uniform sprinted after a girl who darted ahead of them.
"Make sure you catch her!" a sharp voice shouted.
Bella's breath came in ragged gasps, but she forced her legs to keep moving. She knew if they caught her, she would be in big trouble. Her lungs burned, her legs wobbled, but still she ran. Then her foot struck a stick. She stumbled, crashing to the rocky ground. Pain shot through her as her knee scraped against a jagged stone.
The footsteps closed in. She tried to rise, but her knee buckled beneath her, betraying her limits. Maybe if I pretend to faint, they'll leave me alone, she thought desperately. But before she could act, two maids seized her by the shoulders, jerking her roughly against the ground. Bella cried out in pain.
"You think you can run away with those pathetic legs?" one of them sneered.
"It took you long enough to catch me," Bella muttered, even knowing now wasn't the time to talk back.
The second maid yanked her hair hard, making her wince.
"You still have the mouth to speak? Just wait until Princess Lucy gets here," the maid hissed.
At the mention of her half-sister, Bella's heart sank. Princess Lucy—the daughter of the Queen herself. Bella, in contrast, was the daughter of Lady Priscilla, her father's concubine. That difference alone had been enough to set the two girls against each other from birth. The Queen loathed Priscilla, and Lucy had inherited every ounce of that hatred.
A figure soon appeared from between the trees—a young woman with golden hair, her eyes blazing with fury. She was beautiful, her features striking and regal. But beside Bella, whose beauty was said to rival the goddesses themselves, Lucy's charms seemed pale. That fact had haunted her for years, feeding a jealousy she could never tame.
"Your Highness, we caught her," one maid announced, though the sight spoke for itself.
"You did well," Lucy replied coldly. She strode forward and slapped Bella hard across the face.
"You shameless slut! I told you to stay in your palace. But you had to sneak out, didn't you? Now Damien has seen you—exactly what you wanted! You want to seduce him, just like your wretched mother seduced my father!"
"I didn't mean to—" Bella tried to speak, but Lucy struck her again.
"You didn't mean to?" Lucy's laugh was bitter. "Because you're pretty, you think you can flaunt yourself before men? Fishes like you should be trapped in a tank. Maybe I should ruin that pretty face—then let's see what you're left with. Hit her!"
At her command, the maids snatched up branches, lifting them to strike. Bella's eyes squeezed shut.
"STOP!"
The word cracked through the woods like thunder. Everyone froze.
Prince Marcus stood at the edge of the clearing, his expression dark with fury.
The maids immediately dropped the branches and bowed low, trembling.
"Brother, I was only teaching her a lesson," Lucy said quickly, softening her tone and pouting like a child seeking forgiveness. She knew Marcus rarely raised his voice at her. But whenever it came to Bella, his patience vanished.
"And you chose to do it here? In the open woods?!" Marcus's voice was sharp as a blade. His glare shifted to the maids, who shrank beneath his gaze. No matter her birth, Bella was still a princess, and their cruelty was unacceptable.
Before Lucy could respond, Marcus ordered the maids away. They scattered in terror, tripping over themselves to flee.
Lucy remained, glaring at Bella with a wicked smirk. "Count yourself lucky this time. But don't forget-you'll always be nothing more than a concubine's daughter. And I'll never let you forget it."
With that, she swept away, leaving Bella trembling in the dirt.
The woods grew even quieter as they left, leaving only Bella and Marcus. Bella tried to get up, but her legs shook and refused to hold her.
"Let me help you," Marcus said, his voice low. His eyes flickered with an emotion he tried to hide, but it was too strong, dark, burning, and possessive.
"You should have stayed in the palace with your mother," he added, his tone heavy with blame.
"I was just curious. I have never been to a ball before," Bella said timidly.
Marcus's gaze lingered on her face, too long and too intense. His grip on her arm was firm, almost claiming, as though he wasn't just steadying her but keeping her close. The silence of the woods pressed in around them, and Bella's heart quickened under the weight of his stare. She had never seen him look this angry before. Her brother had always been attentive to her, something she had been grateful for, especially growing up in a place where everyone else seemed to despise her.
But Marcus quickly hid the fire in his eyes, forcing on the smile of a kind brother. "It's getting cold. Let's get you home," he said softly.
He tried to lift her up, but Bella refused, insisting she could walk on her own. Her rejection made his jaw tighten, pushing him further to the edge. But the clueless and naïve Bella didn't notice.
God knew he had been on edge all day, ever since Bella sneaked into the ball disguised in a maid's dress. He had nearly lost control when the vampire king they were hosting, King Damien, noticed her. Of course he did. Not only was Bella beautiful, but her scent set her apart from everyone else. She wasn't human-she was a mermaid and her presence was impossible to ignore.
And that was what enraged Marcus the most. Bella was his possession, the one thing he would never share with the world. Once he became king, he would make her his concubine. That had always been his plan, his obsession. But now her getting the attention of the Vampire King threatened to ruin everything.
Bella quickened her pace the moment she sighted the palace. Right now, she only wanted to rest. The evening hadn't favored her in any way. Her curiosity had almost gotten her killed.