Author's Note: Sharing this beautiful art of Vandel's Blood Masquerade outfit from @rabidwolf123 on IG. LOOK AT ALL THE DETAIL IN HIS CAPE!!! No wonder Vandel was ready to murder the unfortunate demon who stepped on it!

Ridley

It was as cold as death. A few flakes of snow had begun to fall around us as our swords met with a sickening clash of metal. Percy stared back at me, pure fire and malice in his eyes, before he lunged at me once more. I quickly blocked his advance. I'd try my best to make this quick. Percy must know he wasn't a better swordsman than me. I would simply remind him of this fact in a few moves, prove that it was futile for him to keep fighting me, and then hopefully, both of us could move on from all of this...whatever 'all of this' actually was.

As if reacting to the fact that I had finally made up my mind, I felt a small jolt shoot up the length of my arm as I advanced. It was just like those times I had fought the Bone Monsters, my hand that carried Crystalbreaker seeming to take charge as I swung at him.

Vandel

That final look on Ridley's face was plastered into my mind.

I couldn't erase it. I just kept seeing it over and over again. Even as I was forced to brush my lips against Stefan's, joining us forever, even as I desperately looked back to the spot he'd once been—only to find him gone, nothing could erase that expression from my thoughts. It stabbed into me like a dagger, a kind of hopeless pain that I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to escape from.

I felt cold and numb and like crying all at once.

I stared back out at the people watching now, a dull feeling of hopelessness beginning to sweep over me. I couldn't help but wish I could just sink into this very floor, disappear forever, and forget everything—forget that face.

Slowly, I turned back towards the sea of demons and humans watching us. This should have been a victory for the demons...so why did I feel like these countless people had just witnessed my greatest humiliation?

I had to keep it together. I needed to remain calm and collected like this was all according to plan, just like I always did. I couldn't let them see my weakness. I was the wicked and evil demon prince, Vandel, and if that was the role everyone around me wanted me to play then so be it.

If they wanted a villain they could have one.

I forced the cruelest smile I could possibly muster, looking out upon the mass of humans who all looked utterly horrified by the reality of our union. I let my gaze sear over them, as if sneering at their loss.

"How does it feel?" I called out, my voice echoing across the large ballroom. "How does it feel to have finally succumbed to us?"

I watched the humans' eyes widen, shrinking back. Good, let them be frightened of me, it was far better than seeing me cry.

I laughed again, coldly. "Who knew it would be so easy? Gods, I wish Stefan had become the heir sooner. It would've saved me all the trouble of trying to marry Annette." I smirked at the words, causing a burst of cheers from the demons gathered.

"Vandel..." Stefan said, his voice tight, clearly trying to get me to stop talking.

I grinned at him. Fuck this. If he was going to ruin my life then I going to drag that fucker down with me.

"Actually, I should be the one thanking Stefan for this wonderful wedding," I jeered. "Did you stupid little humans know he was the one that sought us out?" This caused a low gasp from the humans. "Funny how things have a way of working out in the end. I thought 2,000 years of war would give you all more of a backbone, but instead your pathetic excuse for a country came crawling to us in the end. Don't worry though, everything is finally as it should be. Stefan knew your species were too weak on your own so he did the merciful thing for all you pathetic pieces of shit."

My words caused a victorious roar of cheers from the demons while the humans all stared on at Stefan and I, horrified.

I opened my mouth to continue spewing more evil overlord bullshit when Stefan grabbed my arm, pushing me behind him.

"Don't listen to him," Stefan stammered. "He's just...he doesn't mean that. My people, you must see this is for the best! I'm still king of the humans. The demons have no power over me! It's all equal...just...without war between us! This isn't a victory for the demons, it's a compromise." He smiled now and it looked just as forced and fake as mine. "From this day forward we'll rule together in peace, neither kingdom above the other. I'm not their pawn, far from it in fact! I'm now king of both the humans AND the demons. They have no power over me whatsoever-"

"Hmm, are you really so sure about that?" a soft voice purred from behind us.

I froze, my entire body going frigid with shock at the sound.

"Mother-"

And that's when my mother manifested behind Stefan and ripped his heart out.

I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Blood coated me, dripping from my hair and face, staining my white clothes scarlet. Screams from the humans rang out and even the demons stood in stunned silence as my mother stepped forward, dropping Stefan's heart to the floor. It landed with a sickening thud, the human 'king' now nothing more than a crumpled corpse behind us.

My shoulders trembled as I wiped the blood from my face. Wide eyed, my mind spun, attempting to comprehend what had just occurred. All I could do was stare at my mother, Stefan's blood coating her hand, dripping down her wrist.

"Hello Alterians," my mother sneered. "Or perhaps I should say...our new subjects."

So this was what my mother had been planning all along, marrying me off to the Alterian king and then killing him once our kingdoms had been joined in matrimony. With Annette dead, Stefan murdered, and the youngest daughter already married off to another kingdom (which, by Alterian custom, made her ineligible to inherit) that meant...I was the sole heir to the Alterian crown. Of course, by extension my mother was the one who was actually going to rule. I was nothing more than a powerless puppet. We all were. Ridley, Stefan, and I had all been playing directly into whatever suited my mother's interest best. She had always been one step ahead of us...and she always would be-

"WAIT!" a voice suddenly rang out from the back of the ballroom. Everyone's heads snapped to see a hooded figure standing there. Two human men accompanied her, standing at either side, and behind them...

I squinted at surprisingly the least unbelievable thing of the day...was that fucking Ginus? It seemed he'd made some new friends since getting shoved in a cell after the Blood Masquerade.

They were covered in debris and the red-haired one looked like he had taken quite the tumble before arriving here. I would have said the Alterians had a serious edge for dramatics but I supposed the demons didn't really have a leg to stand on since my mother had just ripped out the human king's heart at his own wedding.

My mother glared at the figure, her eyes glowing red like two sunken embers. "Have some fucking respect in the presence of your king."

"That's funny," the figure mused. "Because, for him to be my king, Stefan would have had to actually be the Alterian heir." And with that the figure pulled off her hood and revealed beneath—no other than the princess, Annette.

A stunned silence instantly fell across the ballroom. My mother stood there, stiller than I had ever seen her. Clearly, the ballrooms occupants and I weren't the only ones in shock—I had never seen my mother like this. She looked horrified, her eyes wide, her lower lip trembling in a low, seething anger.

My mind was racing, stumbling over itself. How could the princess be alive? How could she...unless...FUCK! MY STICKS HAD ACTUALLY WORKED AND RIDLEY HAD JUST LIED!!! THAT SLY LITTLE BASTARD! It was such a genius fucking move I didn't even have the heart to be angry. And speaking of anger; my mother looked ready to rip out the princess's heart, along with every human in the vicinity, just like Stefans'. But that was the thing...she couldn't.

Annette stood among the humans. If my mother did anything they would protect her and an all out battle would erupt in the ballroom—one the demons most likely wouldn't win.

The humans had gathered around her, watching the princess in eager anticipation, their expressions ecstatic.

Annette's gaze locked with the demon queens'. "Of course...before I can return to being the true heir, I must first prove that I didn't murder my father." She gestured to the red-haired man beside her. "And luckily, I have proof—if my brother selling us out to the demons wasn't enough." She grinned and an explosion of cheers rang out from the humans, the sound ringing through the ballroom.

My mother was seething. I could practically feel the heat rising from her as everything she had worked for unravelled all at once.

Well, well, well, Princess Annette, I thought. Color me fucking impressed.