*Dedicated to : @resangaimiji *
For her fabulous love and support for this book. Thanks a lot!! 💓❤️

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[Unedited]

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Karen's POV:

Its been a while since he traumatized everyone with his side that was usually hidden. Whoever provoked it is not going to a good road, I can assure. He will kill everyone involved in this.

And the scariest part is... they won't die simple.

I sat at the ledge of the window with a shawl wrapped around me like a shroud. I have been trying to help but I cannot in this condition of mine. Nigel told me to rest and Mr. Aldrick provided me the shawl. The old man accompanied me for a while until I calmed down.

I am a vampire. Yes, but I cannot face the gruesome side with blood and bodies. I get sacred, numb and confused to watch such a horror.

Placing my head against the glass, I watched the droplets on the opposite side of the window trickle down the smooth surface. Who could possibly do this?

I don't think Byron would do such a thing. Registering the suppression on him and his kingdom, he wouldn't dare to put his life and throne stake.

I stood up on my trembling feet, hugging myself closer and took small baby steps ahead. The warm castle had turned abnormally cold and unlikable as if not just this palace but the whole city had lost its charm.

Treading towards my room taking the support of the nearby wall, I stood still when a scraping sound resonated in the whole corridor.

It grew louder like thuds and pounding of chains and shackles against floor. Dragging myself with quite a speed, I reached the ruined throne room and hid behind the half opened and burnt wooden door.

A menacing dark shadow hovered over a man who had blood on his clothes and arms, hunched on his fours and glancing at the pair of red eyes and dark figure which stood a step ahead.

"I don't know." The voice croacked.

Connor, the king's right hand man with a whip smacked his back and I winced back in fear. Even though the man was facing it, I was the one to feel terrorized.

The man on his fours, groaned in pain and spat, "Whatever you are saying has nothing to do with me. I did talk to her. Yes. Yes, I was fascinated but I couldn't think of hurting someone this innocent like you do, Henry!"

The dark figure's side glowed due the fire used as light in the corner once he took a step back. It was Henry.

I never knew he could be this frightening.

"Where?" Henry growled.

"I. Am. Not. Involved." The man with blonde hair, I suppose was Byron firmly emphasized each word.

"I have seen rats like you with their defying sides in my past years. Most of the evidences are strongly against you. I can annihilate you and give you a death worse than your nightmares." Henry took hold of his neck and positioned it up.

Byron laughed loudly and spat aside, "Go ahead. That's what you are known for, killing the innocents."

Upon loosing his cool, Henry punched his face and Byron who was tangled in chains fell to his side. Connor threw another whip at him and he made a screeching sound. The noise of swords in the background and the guard bringing a container of boiling water made the scenario worse. It was horrifying with Henry before Byron like a devil punishing a human for the grim mistake and the few soldiers like mourning spirits ready to pounce on his dead body.

A lump formed in my throat at the thought of what was about to happen next, I can't face this. If Byron was innocent and killed, it would leave a pang in my heart for years if I saw the death of someone who wasn't involved and stood quiet but I wasn't even sure. There was this thing in my head calling me to believe my instincts that it's not him and someone more evil, more vile. But since I was bad at distinguishing good and evil, I can't blindly judge.

I didn't notice that I had already become wobbly and covered in cold sweat. If Byron didn't do it then who could it be or may be he was lying like he would.

I breathed in and out being weak as the sounds of the men talking bounced off my mind and dark circles danced before my eyes before I gave in.

I wish she is safe and this nightmare ends leaving the innocents unharmed.

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Third Person POV:

She shuffled in the dark and squeezed her eyes open. It felt like she didn't open her eyes even if she did because everything was so dark and chilly.

With the support of her palm and forearms, she helped herself in a half sitting position against the alcove behind. Letting out a shaky breathe, she brought her knees closer to her bosom and held them with her arms closer. Rose closed her eyes and a sob escaped her lips.

'You are strong. This is a bad dream. It will go away.'

She chanted in her head, rocking herself back and forth. It seemed ages since she had been abandoned in a inconspicuous and cold place with no outlet or source of illumination.

Rose bit her lip until it bled to prevent herself from crying but emotions are cruel in their own way. No matter how much one tries to hide or suppress it, it recoils up like a stretched or compressed spring.

A warm, sole tear slid down her cold cheek and she quickly wiped it on her clothed shoulder. Her dress didn't help her with the surrounding, anyway the coldness seeped in her skin enough for her to shiver. Somehow, she had a hope he would come to the rescue but for now, she was scared even if she didn't want to be. To generate warmth, Rose rubbed her palms and rocked continously.

She squeezed her eyes again and tried adjusting her sight for any outlet in the dark but flinched in attention when a clacking sound in the background made its impact. "W-Whose there?" Rose called in the dark, her senses alert towards the sound.

The chains rustled and made jangling noise as Rose crawled forward in hope. "Hello?"

Something scraped against the wall and a sound of two steps, approaching. After a few seconds of brief silence, a lighter clinked in his hand and it quickly lightened a small region around him.

Rose squeezed her eyes for a second then widened them to watch the small light spark in the dark like hope in darkness but it was not what she expected.

The lighter threw its light on the silver masked man who raised a finger to his lips and warned Rose to not make any noises.

"Who are you?" She asked in the usual sweet and innocent voice she had but this time it had a tinge of fear.

"That's none of your business." He growled and Rose sat back for getting a rude answer in return.

He watched around him and slowly approached her. Rose shuffled back as he drew closer. Bending on a knee, he adjusted to her level and placed his warm hand on her cheek which she slapped away and gave a glare.

"Ow, woman! I am not doing anything to you." The silver masked man winced and rubbed the back of his hand against the back of other which held the lighter.

"Don't touch me!" Rose firmly said.

"Aura of a queen... " He whispered and leant closer to her which made her lean back to the wall.

He saw her eyes so deeply that it made Rose self conscious and blood rushed to her cheeks. On a closer look, he had black hair that were attempted to be combed back but stuck forward and eyes shimmery like silver. He had same height as that of Henry but this man was leaner.

He noticed the blue of her eyes and blinked for a second.

"W-What are you looking at?" She asked him with hesitation.

Without paying attention to her question, his eyes traveled to her neck but there was no sign. Her ring sparkled in the dim fire light and he found a diamond rose ring on her finger along with the black figure on her skin.

The figure wasn't seen by normal vampires or other creatures but only by the special creatures. The figure was a symbol which marked a particular and special person, the mark given by their significant other. The symbol was unique for an individual and it was a simple pattern of sharp thorns and smooth leaves on a black stem with a beautiful pink rose at the axil in Rose's case.

The fact was, even she wasn't aware of the mark since she couldn't see it.

His eyes wandered at the floor and he muttered to himself, "Raven hair, blue eyes like crystal and black thorns with rose mark..."

"What?" Rose scrunched her brows at him.

"Rose Nicolov... you are king Henry's mate?" The silver masked man's eyes shot at her with disbelief.

"Yes.. " Rose clutched the pendant on her chest and watched him in confusion.

He placed a hand on his heart and cursed before sighing, "What in the name of holy mother of chaos."

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I would request that kindly have patience with updates. I have a tight schedule which leaves hardly 4.5 hours a day for me to rest so it turns hard to handle along with writing. Still, I would try to stick to weekly updates but there can be uncertainty.